Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

A group of Messianic Jews who were passing out pamphlets in the central Israel town of Rehovot last week were violently attacked by ultra-Orthodox local residents, reported Ynet.

A number of secular passersby also reportedly joined in the fray and destroyed much of the Messianic literature.

Several of those who either witnessed or participated in the scuffle told Ynet they were outraged by the presence of "missionaries" in their town.

Many Israeli Jews view Messianic Jews as members of a foreign religion, and view their efforts to share the Gospel as an attempt to convert Jews to the "alien faith" of Christianity.

Those who attack Messianic evangelists often falsely claim that proselytizing is illegal in Israel. In fact, it is only illegal to offer monetary compensation for accepting a new faith, or to proselytize minors. Sharing one's faith with consenting adults is not illegal in Israel.

Israel's Army Radio reported on Monday that a new official Jewish settlement will soon be built in Jordan Valley for the first time in 26 years.

A tender for the construction of 20 residential units in the settlement of Maskiot was recently issued following years of political and legal battles.

Former Defense Minister Amir Peretz of the left-wing Labor Party first proposed the establishment of Maskiot in 2005 as a new home for many of the Jews evicted from the Gaza Strip.

Peretz's plan was cancelled amid harsh criticism from Washington, but was picked up again last year by the Olmert government, and accelerated following the recent election of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Nearly all of Israel's political parties - excluding a few radical left-wing factions and the Arab parties - agree that under any peace agreement with the Palestinians, Israel must retain control of the Jordan Valley.

Jordan Valley Regional Council head David Elhayani said the best way to ensure Israel stays in the area is to built more communities.

A day before the opening of the Cannes Film Festival, Israel's Industry & Trade Ministry on Monday announced a special tax break for foreign filmmakers that produce their pictures in the Jewish state.

According to the deal, foreign film producers will be granted a 20 percent tax break if they film in Israel and collaborate with Israeli production companies.

The government is testing several different avenues to boost Israel's economy amid the current global economic downturn. With Israel's beautiful and diverse landscapes and its advanced hi-tech infrastructure, high-end film production could be a perfect fit.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Sunday for a visit that will include what many expect to be a tense meeting between the Israeli leader and US President Barack Obama.

In fact, "tense" was how Ynet described the atmosphere aboard Netanyahu's trans-Atlantic flight, during which the prime minister's entourage wondered just how much pressure Obama would put on them publicly commit to the birth of a Palestinian Arab state, even if the Palestinians fail to meet their own peace commitments.

Regardless of how much pressure they come under, however, one Israeli official told the news portal that Netanyahu intends to stand his ground, particularly on its demands that the Palestinians give up terrorism, agree to remain largely demilitarized and recognize Israel as "the Jewish state."

Israeli Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, a close confidante of Netanyahu, indicated the prime minister in fact will go further than standing his ground and will promote fresh approaches to peace that don't involve handing land over to the Palestinians under their current leadership and until they have proved themselves true partners for peace.

Netanyahu also reportedly planned to turn the tables a bit on the Obama administration by insisting that the primary threat to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a nuclear-armed Iran, and so something must be done immediately about the Islamic Republic's defiant nuclear program before meaningful progress can be made toward Israeli-Arab peace.

Earlier this month, Obama's top aides suggested that the US would only really go after Iran after Netanyahu agreed to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian Arab state in the very near future.

Netanyahu was treated to a healthy dose of pressure before even departing for the US from both sides of hits unity coalition.

Members of Netanyahu's own Likud Party and other right-wing factions sent a letter to the prime minister at the weekend threatening to rebel if he breaks under US pressure as he did during his last stint leading the nation a decade ago.

But members of the left-wing Labor Party also sent Netanyahu a letter, warning him against "deluding" himself and the rest of the nation into believing he can resist the birth of "Palestine."

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials accused Netanyahu of planning to deceive the US president and change the terms of the peace process for no good reason. They insisted that the only thing that matters is a firm timetable leading Israel's surrender of Judea, Samaria and the eastern half of Jerusalem.