Among a number of new political winds, the UN may be inclined to treat Israel with a degree of respect it has not seen since the body granted full membership to the reborn state in on 11 May 1949 — if the new UN Secretary General has his way, that is. This week he reiterated, on the record, that the Temple Mount is the historical site of the original Temples of Judaism. And, he added, Israel is an equal member among the nations-states at the UN.

Combined with last week's announcement, the decision authorizes a total of 5,500 new homes in Israel's biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria.

Apparently, the US is reasserting its presence in the Middle East - in partnership with Russia. The move effectively coronates Putin as the superpower sovereign of the Middle East. Putin, in turn, and for now, is shutting down Iran and its proxies in Syria.

Yesterday the world learned that Iran recently tested a missile with a payload comparable to a nuclear warhead. Taking to Twitter, Netanyahu called the test "a flagrant violation of the [UN] Security Council." Six thousand miles away, another Twitter user responded. Trump and his new ambassador to the UN have called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council. They are meeting today.

Ammonia, an essential ingredient for life, could kill thousands of Israelis. The reason: its ammonia supply in northern Israel is a sitting duck for an attack by Hezbollah. Less than a year ago, Hezbollah leader, Nasralla, threatened the Haifa facility, calling it his "atomic bomb." It remains an obvious target.