Thousands of Christian pilgrims gather in Jerusalem to celebrate Easter

Under high security for the Jewish feast of Passover in Jerusalem, the Israeli government has a large security force in place for the Easter weekend as well as thousands of Christian pilgrims flood the city for this very special holy day that marks the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. With both holidays happening at the same time this year as it did some 2000 years ago, the city of Jerusalem has come virtually to a standstill as both Jewish and Christian worshipers gather into the Old City for special events. 

These two holy days, Passover for the Jews and Easter for the Christians, are an intricate part of the faith and experience of both Jews and Christians. 

Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News

The Jewish holy day of Passover and the Christian celebration of Easter have a unique relationship and a prophetic significance. 

This year, the Jewish feast day of Passover and the Christian holy day of Easter happen at the same time as they did in 30 AD in the city of Jerusalem. Almost 2000 years ago, the Jews were celebrating the Passover Seder, the same night that Jesus gathered his disciples around him in an upper room in Jerusalem to also go through the traditional Jewish meal to mark the Passover. On that first Easter weekend, resurrection weekend, Jesus Christ raised from the dead after having been crucified on a cross at 3:00PM Passover afternoon. 

The biblical account of this historic event shows that the one proclaimed to be the Jewish Messiah was buried on the Jewish feast of Unleavened Bread and rose from the dead on the Jewish feast day of First Fruits. These Jewish feast days Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits, have a prophetic significance in that Jesus was Passover Lamb for the Christians (I Corinthians 5:7). The Apostle Paul also wrote in I Corinthians 15:20 that Jesus was the First Fruits for those who will receive Him as their Savior. 

The person Jesus Christ, the Messiah, fulfilled the first three of the Spring feast days for the Jewish people as was foretold. Jesus Christ will fulfill the last three Fall Jewish feast days as well and by doing so, become the Jewish Messiah and the Christian Savior, becoming the fulfillment of Bible prophecy for both Jews and Christians.

Jews around the world celebrate the release from the Egyptian bondage at Passover

Thirty-five hundred years ago, a Jewish prophet named Moses led the Jewish people out of the Egyptian bondage and into freedom at a time in history when the God of the Jewish people spared the firstborn of each family who marked their doorposts with the blood of a lamb so that the Death Angel would pass over their home.

Now, for these many centuries, the Jews mark this special holy day with a Passover Seder meal and the rehearsal of the exodus story as recorded in the Bible, God's Word.

People all over the world, even presidents and other world leaders, recognize the reality of the One true God as the Jewish people mark this first of the seven Jewish feasts, the Passover.

Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News

As Jews around the world celebrate Passover, it is a reminder of past history but also of the prophetic significance this Jewish holy day reveals to all who are students of Bible prophecy.

Thirty-five hundred years ago the Jewish people were released from 400 years of Egyptian bondage by the sacrifice of the lamb and then painting the doorposts of their homes with the lamb's blood so that the Death Angel would pass over their home. God's command to observe the Passover throughout all of their generations forever is still being followed today.

As you think of the first Passover there in Egypt, one must be reminded that the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, died on Passover 2000 years ago. Interestingly, Jesus was buried on the next Jewish feast day, Unleavened Bread, He resurrected on the Jewish feast of First Fruits, and as He had promised, the Holy Spirit came upon man on Pentecost, the fourth of the Jewish feast days.

This is evidence of the prophetic significance of these Jewish feasts, but also demands that Jesus Christ fulfill the three remaining feasts as He did the first four. Jesus will come back to earth on the Feast of Trumpets, enter the Temple on the Day of Atonement, and begin His 1000 year Kingdom on the Feast of Tabernacles.

Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, has been and will be the fulfillment of all Jewish feasts. The observance of the Jewish Passover is indeed evidence that Bible prophecy will be fulfilled.

A Jewish rabbi in Jerusalem is calling for Jews to stop praying at the Western Wall

Rabbi Yehuda Glick, of an organization called "The Movement for the Establishment of the Temple", says that the Jewish people have become psychologically connected, over the centuries, to the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem because the rebuilding of the temple seems like an impossible task. Rabbi Glick says that about 25 years ago Jews started to ascend to the Temple Mount even though it was a very small group but now hundreds are now on a regular basis going up on to the Temple Mount to offer their prayers.

The rabbi is now calling for Jews to unite and make every effort to go on to this sacred location for every Jew, the Temple Mount, and become focused on the rebuilding of the next temple in Jerusalem.

Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News

The call by a rabbi in Jerusalem to ascend to the Temple Mount in preparation for the next Jewish temple on this sacred site, is the next step to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Rabbi Yehuda Glick for a number of years directed the efforts of the Temple Institute to prepare for the building of the next Jewish temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Temple Institute has all the implements needed to operate the temple including the knowledge of the location of the Ark of the Covenant. All 28,000 priests, to be used in the next temple, have been trained and even their priestly garments are either made or being made right now.

However, Rabbi Glick now believes it is time to prepare the Jewish people to become accustomed to ascending the Temple Mount, not only for learning and prayer, but to be involved in the Temple practices as well. That's why he says no more prayers at the Western Wall but instead, let's go up on to the Temple Mount.

God's prophetic Word does say that in the last days the Messiah, Jesus Christ, will return to build the temple on the Temple Mount (Zechariah 1:16, 6:12). That temple built by the Messiah will be His kingdom temple where He reigns for 1000 years. However, before the Messiah's temple is built on the Temple Mount there will be a Tribulation temple (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, II Thessalonians 2:4, and Revelation 11:1).

Jews ascending onto the Temple Mount today are actually setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

Why Is Obama Coming to Israel? by Shira Sorko-Ram Remember this picture? It was published in the Maoz Israel Report in July 2009. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks as though he were pleading with a superior who is quite fed up with him. Yet diplomat Aaron David Miller said, “The U.S.-Israel relationship is 'too important to fail.'” When Barack Obama became president of the United States in 2008, his first foreign trip was to Cairo, Egypt where he proclaimed the wonders of Islam and its glorious history and religious tolerance, and related his own close personal heritage with Islam. He was there, he said, to start a new chapter between Islam and America. But, alas, his olive branch to Islam has not been reciprocated. In fact, since his visit to the Middle East, the Islamic countries of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia have discarded their secular dictators in exchange for Islamic governments and jihadist militias. According to Israeli pundits, Obama in his 2009 trip to Cairo reflected a worldview which focused on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as the core issue causing the violence and turbulence in the entire Middle East. Obama felt that he needed closure to the Palestinian issue in order to forge a strong anti-Iran Arab coalition. “Israel was perceived as a secondary ally, at best, and a burden at worst.”(theettingerreport.com, 8Feb2013) Furthermore, as part of his display of placation toward the Islamic world — in the belief that addressing this part of the world would be a catalyst for a process of democratization — he turned a cold shoulder to Israel. So the purpose of this upcoming trip to Israel is seen optimistically by some — a reformed Obama, who this time is making his first foreign trip of his new term to Israel. "The answer is simple," says Israel’s media. "Obama decided to visit Israel to fix what he spoiled during his first term in office, primarily during the first half of his term. He recognizes his rookie mistakes, typical of someone with a disproportionate sense of self-confidence. Now as a more seasoned statesman, he has come to understand the world and has perhaps adopted a more humble approach." Israelis hope that “today he is well aware his policy was an utter failure; that his policy of appeasement radicalized Islamic and Arab fanaticism and its hate for the U.S. and the West. He knows that turning his back on Israel exacerbated Arab and Palestinian extremism.” (Israel Hayom, 11Feb2013) IRAN But others think Obama is coming to again pressure Israel, but on another front — Iran. According to Obama’s officials, Iran will be at the top of the list for discussion. Israel’s Army Radio reported that the president was coming to Israel in order to personally tell Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a clear manner not to order an independent Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. According to these officials, the urgency of the trip is because in Netanyahu’s speech to the United Nations in September, he had flagged the spring of 2013 as a significant time in the context of the Iranian nuclear threat. And the latest news is Netanyahu has intel revealing that with new Iranian centrifuges, Iran is shortening by one-third the time it will take to make enough uranium for nuclear weapons. Besides, the West is now deeply concerned that Iran and North Korea are in cahoots as they develop not only nuclear weapons, but the missiles to fly them anywhere. There is no doubt that D Day is nearing. Even this week in our suburb of Tel Aviv, the authorities have twice checked out the sirens that would announce incoming destruction of some kind. SYRIA Secondly, Syria is crumbling. While the West focuses on the chemical stockpiles, Israel is no less focused on the regime’s abundance of other strategic weapons, including radars, ground-to-ground missiles and rockets, and sophisticated ground-to-air and ground-to-sea rockets. When Assad falls, the security situation will no doubt deteriorate on Syria’s border with Israel. In fact, the most likely post-Assad scenario is the emergence of a fragmented, decentralized and dysfunctional Syria. As this present civil war decimates Syria and the West does nothing, al-Qaida and other jihadists are pouring into the country. Iran and Hezbollah are establishing their own jihadist militias so they can actively keep the pot boiling after Assad’s fall. In fact, some Israeli officials fear Syria could turn into another Afghanistan. The Washington Post reported that Iranian-backed militias are fighting alongside Syrian government forces to keep Assad in power. But officials think Iran’s long-term goal is to have reliable operatives throughout Syria in case the country fractures into ethnic and sectarian enclaves. Most important to Tehran will be to keep control of an airport or seaport so Hezbollah will have a supply route to bring in Iranian weapons to Lebanon. AND THEN THERE IS THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT As far as the Palestinians are concerned, most Israelis have grown skeptical of the possibility of peace. Whenever a poll is taken, a majority of Israelis will answer “yes” to paying a high price for peace with the Palestinians. In the same poll a majority will reply that they do not believe peace is possible. In fact, the Palestinian conflict was barely mentioned by any party platform in the last election. Israelis have just given up hope. The main sticking points are the same as they have been for decades: No Palestinian leader will recognize the right of a Jewish state to exist. Palestinian leaders demand the “eternal right” for five million Muslim “refugees” to “return” to all the areas where the State of Israel now exists. Jerusalem will be the capital of a Muslim Palestinian state. Israel must return to the 1949 cease-fire lines (euphemistically called the 1967 borders). All of the 600,000 Jews in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) including Jerusalem must leave. None of these demands are acceptable to Israelis. Besides there are constant attempts between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza to reunite as one government. It is likely that in the next few months there will be Palestinian elections, and Hamas could certainly take over the West Bank by a free election or by force, just as it did in Gaza. This would mean that Hamas would make the West Bank the next launching pad for rockets into Tel Aviv. Hamas clearly, continually and publically says it will never accept the existence of Israel, and will continue its war against the Jewish state until it is destroyed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama. Their relationship is “the most dysfunctional ever” between an American president and an Israeli prime minister, according to veteran American diplomat Aaron David Miller. THE PAST CANNOT BE REPEATED Israelis remember what happened when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pulled out of Southern Lebanon. Hezbollah took over and became a state within a state, and now has more weapons than most countries do! Its aim is to destroy Israel. When Israel pulled out of Gaza, it became “Hamastan,” a launching pad to send 8,000 rockets into Israel. Its aim is to destroy Israel. Israel gave Egypt the Sinai Desert in return for a peace agreement. It is now a wild and wooly lawless land with jihadists running wild, killing and kidnapping — and looking for more sophisticated ways to terrorize Israel. Just this week it has been reported in the Iraqi Azzaman newspaper that al-Qaida has three training camps in Sinai. The Israeli government has just spent $270 million building a border fence to keep terrorists from crossing over the Israel-Sinai border. Indeed, what will come of the Israel-Egyptian peace treaty with Muslim Brotherhood leaders at the head of an Egypt in chaos? Israel has made many serious offers of peace to the Palestinian Authority — to create “two countries for two peoples who live side by side in peace.” When Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered Arafat a deal he could not refuse, he refused - and started the second Intifada which murdered over 1000 Israelis and 64 foreigners. When Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered Mahmoud Abbas an even better deal, including half of Jerusalem, Abbas refused. So when President Obama in his 2009 Cairo speech demanded that Israel stop all settlement building, but asked nothing of the Palestinians, it was his biggest blunder in the Middle East so far. It simply hardened both the Palestinians and the Israelis. He did not ask the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. He did not ask Hamas to give up its goal to destroy Israel. He asked Israel to stop building homes for Jews in Judea and Samaria, period. And yes, Netanyahu did bow to Obama’s demand and ordered a building freeze of new buildings for 10 months in the West Bank - but not in Jerusalem. For Israelis, Jerusalem is Israel’s eternal capital. Nothing came of the freeze, as Mahmoud Abbas said Israel had not done enough to restart peace negotiations. Why does Israel insist on continuing to build in the West Bank? Because Israel’s leadership does not see a peace agreement on the horizon. I’m guessing that 80 percent of Israelis believe that Palestinian leaders do not want a state; they want to destroy Israel. If American pressure demands negotiations with the Palestinians, Israel will do its best to go through the motions. But the Israeli government is not expecting a breakthrough — fully aware of the Koran’s decrees to “destroy the Jew.” Israel is in survival mode. If the Arabs will not make peace, then the best thing Israel can do is to strengthen her hold in the West Bank, especially in the larger Jewish built-up areas. It must be noted that there are around 15% of Jewish Israelis (according to the number of votes given to leftist parties) who feel that Israel will ultimately be destroyed if it does not make peace, and so they continue to look for ways to coax the Palestinians towards the negotiation table. Their main fear is the isolation the Palestinians have been able to impose on Israel through the United Nations which is dominated by Muslim countries and their allies. Israelis yearn for peace, but most have given up and are just trying to get on with their lives. What does President Barack Obama want from Israel? Israelis await apprehensively. But one thing we know for certain. It is time for all who love Israel to pray that this president will continue to defend and help Israel, a nation that would not exist if it were not for the God of Israel. Thank you for your fervent prayers, Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram are the founders of Maoz Israel Ministries. The mission of MAOZ is: 1) To declare the Message of Messiah and make disciples in the city of Tel Aviv and throughout Israel. 2) To raise up Israeli leaders to prepare for the coming spiritual awakening among the people of Israel. 3) To educate and inform Christians world-wide of the strategic importance of Israel and the Jewish people in God's plan for world revival. The MAOZ web site is http://www.maozisrael.org/.		Search:

Pope Francis has and will continue to bring changes to the Catholic church in his leadership role

In his leadership role as Pope of the billion plus Catholic worshipers, Pope Francis now leads this 2000 year old church into the future differently than any previous Pope due to the fact that he is a Jesuit.

The world continues to watch Pope Francis implement his style of leadership with a mission to expand the outreach of Catholicism and to enlarge the total number of the Catholic worshipers to the worldwide church.

Since the Jesuits are the militant arm of the Catholic church with a desire to see the world convert, only time will tell how successful Pope Francis will be with his mission as leader of the church.

Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News

The leadership of Pope Francis will set the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

Pope Francis, the first Jesuit to ever lead the Catholic church as Pope, brings to his leadership role a desire to convert all the world to Catholicism. The Jesuits, founded in 1540AD were brought together as a counter reformation movement. They want to turn back the reformation of Luther and Knox and bring all non-Catholics back into the fold. They have an eschatology that believes that all the world will one day be of the Catholic church and then Jesus Christ will come back to rule this worldwide kingdom that they have set up.

True biblical eschatology, which is a study of the end times, states that the false church that will be headquartered in Rome, Italy the seven mountain city will indeed come to power in the first half of the coming Tribulation Period, Revelation 17. This ecclesiastical Babylon will be led by the Antichrist who is referred to as the Beast some eight times in Revelation 17. Revelation 17:16 reveals that the world leaders, the revived Roman Empire, will rise up and destroy the false church and give their power worldwide dominion to the Antichrist, Revelation 17:17 which indicates that the Lord Himself will put into the hearts and minds of these world leaders to accomplish His will. This will then open the opportunity for the Antichrist to rule a worldwide economic Babylon yet in the future.

The leadership of Pope Francis is indeed setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

As we look at geopolitical events unfolding in our world today there is eveidence that this world is ready for something spectacular to happen

In our wold today, we see events happening that seem to be somewhat of a stage setter for something catastrophic or spectacular to happen, something that could happen which would indeed change the entire earth's future.

In the Middle East, Egypt is involved in one crisis after another. The civil war in Syria brings more death to Syrians on a daily basis and the Jewish state of Israel is under a political attack especially from the Palestinians.

If you take a look to the far East, the prospects that China and India with a total of one-third of the earth's population and both of these nations increasing daily in population, wealth, and military preparedness, they both are becoming somewhat of a superpower in our world today.

Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News

Geopolitical activities and current events in our world today are setting the stage for what some call a catastrophic event to happen but is in reality only a part of the end of times scenario that can be found in Bible prophecy.

If you are a watcher of geopolitical activities and current events and at the same time familiar with Bible prophecy, you will be able to recognize that our world is on the fast track to the scenario that is found in the pages of Bible prophecy. As a student of Bible prophecy and what I call a news junkie, I do recognize that this world is very close to the last days scenario that is found in the pages of Bible prophecy. The far East is quickly putting in place their economic and military preparedness in order to become nations that would be included in the superpowers of this world.

This was actually foretold by John the Revelator when he wrote about the impact of the Kings of the East in Revelation 16:12. Europe and the EU with all of their economic struggles are working to put in place an economic structure that is described in Bible prophecy, Daniel 7:23-24 and Revelation 18.

In the Middle East with the radicalism prevalent in both Syria and Egypt to the North and to the South of the Jewish state of Israel, one can understand better the pre-written history written by Daniel the prophet in Daniel 11:40-43 and see how this world will indeed see catastrophic, spectacular events in the near future.

The Intelligence Community says the US will be out as the sole superpower by 2030

The Intelligence Community has issued a report which projects that the US will no longer be the world's only superpower by 2030 and Asia will surpass North America and Europe combined with Asian population, military spending, and technological investment.

This report comes from the office of the Director of National Intelligence which states that the unipolar world that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union will not continue.

Global trends project that the US will retain a role in the world in part because of its history and past leadership but nations like China, India, and Brazil are the rising world powers.

Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News

With countries like China, India, and Brazil on the rise in our world today, the US will soon be reduced economically and militarily no longer to be the only superpower in our world which is a scenario that can be found in Bible prophecy for the last days.

Many political pundits and world thinkers have said that the economic crisis which the US faces will play a key role in knocking the US out of superpower status. Militarily, China is quickly becoming an equal to the US and there are projections that China will overtake the US in military power in the near future. Students of Bible prophecy have for some years known that the US is not in Bible prophecy as a player in the last days. One suggestion is that at the Rapture of the Church, the US will be rendered weak since the backbone of America is the born again Christian who will leave at the Rapture, I Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Both China and India are included in the prophetic phrase, "Kings of the East" found in Revelation 16:12 and they will be key players at the end of the seven year Tribulation Period. Other nations in the Middle East will form a coalition of nations that align themselves to try to destroy the Jewish state of Israel at the beginning of the Tribulation, Ezekiel 38, Daniel 11, and Psalm 83. Between the Rapture which happens just before the Tribulation Period and the return of Jesus Christ at the end of that terrible time of trouble, much judgment will come upon the world including the nations already mentioned in this report as well as the US.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2013ADAR 26, 57735:04 AM ISTSite updated 1 minute ago ABOUT US SEND US CONTENTGET OUR NEWSLETTER Fair, fresh and fast HOMEISRAEL & THE REGIONJEWISH TIMESISRAEL INSIDEOPS & BLOGSTHE JEWISH PLANETSTART-UP ISRAELDAILY EDITIONSPOTLIGHT Home > Israel & the Region Netanyahu and Abdullah 'agree' to summit during trip, Abbas holding back Obama, in Israel, will present ‘general framework’ for peace, Israel TV claimsUS source denies story, and rejects report that president told US Jewish leaders he may unveil specific plan in next 6-12 months for comprehensive accordBy TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF March 7, 2013, 9:14 pm

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HOMEISRAEL & THE REGIONJEWISH TIMESISRAEL INSIDEOPS & BLOGSTHE JEWISH PLANETSTART-UP ISRAELDAILY EDITIONSPOTLIGHT

Netanyahu and Abdullah 'agree' to summit during trip, Abbas holding back

Obama, in Israel, will present ‘general framework’ for peace, Israel TV claims

US source denies story, and rejects report that president told US Jewish leaders he may unveil specific plan in next 6-12 months for comprehensive accord

By TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF March 7, 2013, 9:14 pm 39

  

Barack Obama, left, speaking to Benjamin Netanyahu outside the White House in 2011. (photo credit: Pete Souza/White House)

 

President Barack Obama will present a “general framework” for Israeli-Palestinian peace during his visit to Israel and the West Bank in two weeks’ time, Israel’s Channel 10 news reported Thursday night, quoting what it said were remarks made by the president in a pre-visit White House briefing for US Jewish leaders.

He will not unveil a “comprehensive Middle East peace plan” during the trip, the report said, but told the leaders Thursday they should not rule out him doing so “sometime in the next six, nine or 12 months.”

A US source close to the issue, however, described the Channel 10 report as “absolutely false.”

A senior administration official told The Times of Israel: “The president did invite leaders from across the American Jewish community to discuss and get input about his upcoming trip to Israel. He did not present a framework for peace talks.”

Added the official, “The president reiterated America’s unshakeable support for Israel and thanked the leaders for role they play in strengthening ties between the two nations. The president noted that the trip is not dedicated to resolving a specific policy issue, but is rather an opportunity to consult with the Israeli government about a broad range of issues – including Iran, Syria, the situation in the region, and the peace process. He also underscored that the trip is an opportunity for him to speak directly to the Israeli people about the history, interests, and values that we share.”

According to Channel 10, Obama told the Jewish leaders he intended to speak to the Israelis about peace with the Palestinians, and would make clear that “wanting peace is not enough.” He will be asking Israel “which tough steps it will be willing to take,” the TV report said.

The report twice repeated that while the president would not be bringing a specific plan, he did intend to present a “general framework.” The president’s remarks to the senior Jewish leaders, the TV report added, were not supposed to have been publicized.

At the same time, Obama told the Jewish leaders Thursday he would make clear that he recognizes how much more unstable the Middle East has become, and would highlight the US’s iron-clad commitment to Israel, the report said.

Obama also reportedly said that he was committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive if possible, and that he would not be issuing tough-sounding declarations about the Iranian nuclear dispute during his visit.

Channel 10 also claimed Obama was hoping to arrange a four-way summit during his trip, attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jordan’s King Abdullah and the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Netanyahu and Abdullah were said to have agreed to attend. Abbas was conditioning his participation on a commitment — “some kind of promise” — that Israel was ready to freeze settlement building en route to resuming substantive negotiations. Without such a commitment, Abbas would make have to make do with a one-on-one meeting with Obama, the report said.

The US was making “immense efforts” to arrange the summit, Channel 10 reported, with efforts now under way to find a formulation that could also satisfy Abbas. There was “a reasonable chance” that the four-way meet would take place.

Channel 10 added that Obama’s advance team would arrive in Israel on Sunday to finalize the itinerary for the trip, his first as president, which is set to start on March 20.

An Israeli Embassy official in Washington on Wednesday described as “baseless” reports in the Israeli media that Obama might delay his trip should Netanyahu fail to meet a March 16 deadline to form a government.

The two leaderships have said they would consult on efforts to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive, the instability in Syria, ways to revive peace talks with the Palestinians, and other vital issues.

On Wednesday, Israeli media reported that Obama would not hold a planned public address at the Knesset, but rather at an alternative Jerusalem venue, probably the International Convention Center. Obama’s reason for skipping the Knesset is his preference for a “politically neutral” venue, Israel Radio reported.

A senior administration quoted by JTA Thursday said Obama hoped to address young Israelis on his visit. ”The president’s speech is an opportunity for him to speak directly with the Israeli people, in particular to young people, about the broad nature of the U.S.-Israeli relationship,” the official said.