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Petah Tikva has come a long way since it was founded in 1878 as the first Jewish agricultural village following the resettlement of the Land of Israel. The municipality has approved an outline plan that will increase the city's population from 266,000 to 460,000.

Remains of a building and a cemetery containing Jewish relics from the time of the Sanhedrin have been uncovered in Yavne. They date from the 1st century CE when the Jewish legislative assembly relocated after the Romans destroyed the capital Jerusalem and the 2nd Temple in 70 CE.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk stated that his country recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s “one and only capital” and that a branch of its embassy would be opened there in the next year. Security issues are being finalized.

A marble sarcophagus lid dating back some 1,900 years has been rescued from a garbage dump site in Ashkelon. The Roman-era artifact, which weighs some two tons, is believed to have been unearthed at a construction site and discarded on an illegal trash heap.

Marine archaeologists have uncovered ancient artifacts off the coast of Caesarea, many dating back to the third century CE. They include a gemstone engraved with a lyre (like King David’s harp). Also, a gold ring engraved with a shepherd boy, plus a hoard of gold coins from the Mamluk period.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a “Light Ceremony” to present awards to personalities who excel in their professional arena while promoting Israel’s image in the media and on social networks. They include , , and .

The Jewish Agency for Israel is marking the first anniversary of JReady, a unique platform for emergency preparedness, response, and rehabilitation created to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. JReady now reaches 39 countries with its crisis management training.

Israel marks Hebrew Language Day on 21 of Tevet - the birthday of Eliezer Ben Yehuda, the father of modern spoken Hebrew. This year, the date corresponds to Dec 25, 2021. Jacob Richman here publicizes the Hebrew quizzes that Israeli dairy company Tnuva prints on milk cartons.

A 2,000-year-old synagogue from the Second Temple period was recently discovered in Migdal, the second synagogue from the period to be found in that location. Migdal was the main base for Yosef Ben Matityahu (Flavius Josephus) when he fought against the Romans in the Great Revolt.

Israel is an inspiration to the New Zealand Maoris. They see parallels in the two nations - specifically the revival of the Hebrew language, the genealogies in the Tanakh, the literature describing the longing for Jerusalem and the reverence for the Tomb of the Patriarchs.