INTERNACIONAL
Israel launches ‘Biblical Highway’ amid campaign to erase Jewish history
Israel to inaugurate a new ‘Biblical Highway’
Route 60, known as the «Biblical Highway,» traces Israel’s central mountain ridge and serves as the setting for many significant historical and religious events. (Courtesy: Yishai Fleisher. Artwork: Barel Toledano.)
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The Israeli government on Tuesday approved designating Route 60 — the highway stretching from Nazareth in the north to Beersheba in the south and passing through some of the most significant sites in history—as the «Biblical Highway.»
The designation is part of a broader initiative to create a Route 66-style experience for Bible enthusiasts, students and tourists.
The Biblical Highway has existed for more than 4,000 years. Running along Israel’s central mountain ridge, the route begins in Beersheba, the southern desert city where Abraham is said to have established an oasis and taught travelers about belief in one God.
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Bedouin women ride their donkeys on Oct. 10, 2013 in Beersheba, Israel. (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images))
David Parsons, senior vice president and spokesman for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, told Fox News Digital that a proper understanding of the Bible can help immunize people against what he described as the «virus» of antisemitism.
«You would better understand who the Jewish people are, the special relationship God established with them for the benefit of all mankind, and the fact that this includes a land where they could become a nation and deliver those benefits down through history,» Parsons said.
«The more you examine the archaeological record in the Land of Israel, and the more objectively you look at the evidence, the more you realize that the Bible is not a collection of fables and fairy tales, but an accurate account of a people and a land that have given the world ideas and values of universal benefit and inspiration,» he added.
The Cave of the Patriarchs, in Hebron on Feb. 23, 2020. (Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images)
The road continues from Beersheba to Hebron, home to the Cave of the Patriarchs, purchased by Abraham some 3,800 years ago and traditionally regarded as the resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs. The site is marked by a monumental structure built by King Herod some 2,000 years ago. Hebron was also King David’s first capital, where he was crowned king of Israel about 3,000 years ago.
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The route passes through Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus and where Jacob buried the matriarch Rachel and which serves as the setting of the Book of Ruth, before reaching Jerusalem, the capital of modern-day Israel and home to Mount Moriah — the traditional site of the Binding of Isaac — as well as the location of the First and Second Temples.
Continuing north, the highway reaches Bet El, where Jacob, while fleeing his brother Esau, experienced the prophetic dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth and where, 20 years later, he returned with his family and received the name Israel. It then passes through Shiloh, which served as the spiritual center of the Israelites for nearly 400 years after their entry into the Land of Israel.
Orthodox Jews pray on Mount Gerizim overlooking Joseph’s Tomb, one of their holiest sites, in the city of Schechem, also known as Nablus on May 28, 2009. (Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)
Farther north lies Shechem, where Joshua is said to have buried the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites carried from Egypt during the Exodus. The route then reaches Mount Tabor, where the prophetess Deborah sang her song of victory, and continues to Megiddo, the site of numerous battles involving the armies of Israel and invading forces throughout biblical history, before ending in Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus.
Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron, told Fox News Digital he has been working on the project for many years.
Dec. 18, 2021 shows a general view of Israel’s northern city of Nazareth and its Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty images)
«Finally, the government is recognizing it. We have been advocating for this idea, which is similar to other roads around the world,» he said.
«In Germany, they have the Romantische Straße, or Romantic Road. In Spain, they have the Camino de Santiago. And in the United States, there is the famous Route 66. For us, it’s Route 60, the Biblical Highway.
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«I think it has educational, heritage and tourism value,» Fleisher continued. «The government views the Bible as an important part of Israel’s identity. We’ve been teaching it, we’ve been promoting it, and they’ve embraced the idea. Ahead of the elections, I think they want to show people that they are committed to branding Israel as the land of the Bible.»
The initiative also carries significance amid what Fleisher described as efforts by the Palestinian Authority to assert claims over sites of Jewish historical and biblical heritage.
He said there have been attempts to «erase» Jewish historical and biblical narratives, including efforts to reinterpret or displace long-held traditions associated with sites such as the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, Rachel’s Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs.
An Israeli flag flutters on the Mount of Olives as the sun rises over Jerusalem on June 13, 2025. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)
«It makes perfect sense because if one undermines the biblical heritage of Israel and this land, they are undermining the pillars of the Jewish state and could replace it with a Palestinian one,» he continued. «When we rename Route 60 or add the name ‘Biblical Highway,’ we are strengthening that pillar of our ancient identity in this land. Certainly, people who do not want to see Israel exist seek to remove that pillar.»
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Ze’ev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs at City of David, said the initiative offers visitors an opportunity to experience biblical history through the geography where it unfolded.
«The Biblical Highway will enable millions of visitors to bring their faith, heritage, and identity to life by traveling through the very places where the Biblical story unfolded and where the values that continue to shape Western civilization were born,» he told Fox News Digital. «It is an invitation to experience the Bible not only as a book, but as a living geography, as relevant today as it was millennia ago.»
The West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria is home to some 500,000 Israelis. (Mahmoud Illean/AP)
Parsons noted that there is also a King’s Highway in Jordan that the Israelites traveled along, which is marked as such by the Jordanians.
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«So Israel is not doing anything different from what Jordan has done on its side. I don’t think there is anything particularly political about that; it is simply an acknowledgment of historical truth,» he said.
Israel’s Ministry of Tourism spokesperson told Fox News Digital that it supports the name change and will work to incorporate «The Biblical Highway» into Israel’s marketing and branding materials. Visitor centers, observation points and multilingual signage are expected to be included.
anti semitism, travel, israel, faith values, christianity religion
INTERNACIONAL
Mexico vows US will pay after ICE fatally shoots illegal migrant who allegedly attempted to ram agent with car
Mexico questions FBI role in Sinaloa Cartel abduction
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum strongly criticizes the U.S. government for its alleged involvement in the 2024 abduction of former Sinaloa Cartel boss ‘El Mayo’ Zambada. Sheinbaum explicitly states the U.S. lied about its participation, claiming a violation of Mexican sovereignty. This incident raises serious questions about diplomatic relations between the two nations and American intervention in Mexico.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum vowed to pursue «significant legal measures» against the United States after a Mexican national was fatally shot during an ICE operation in Texas.
Mexican officials counted 17 cases of Mexican nationals who have died in U.S. immigration custody, while Sheinbaum focused on Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an illegal migrant who has lived in the United States for decades.
DHS officials claimed Araujo was the subject of an ICE arrest operation when an agent shot him in self-defense because he allegedly ignored orders and allegedly attempted to ram the agent.
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During Sheinbaum’s daily «Mañanera del Pueblo» press availability in Mexico City, she laid out her planned escalation of objections against U.S. immigration enforcement’s behavior.
«Our goal is to go beyond diplomatic notes and the representations we made to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. We cannot tolerate the mistreatment of our fellow citizens, our brothers and sisters, in the United States. So, we are proposing further measures,» Sheinbaum said in Spanish.
Sheinbaum said the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs will present the measures to Washington, and commented on Araujo’s death.
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Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, left, listens to President Donald Trump, right. (Mandel Ngan/Getty Images)
«This occurred in the context of detention, even though their only offense was lacking documentation — and this despite having been hired by a U.S. company.»
She said the U.S. has no reason to hold people like Araujo in detention or allegedly «subject [them] to violence.»
«We are therefore preparing, obviously, more significant legal measures.»
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On Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said he is requesting criminal charges be brought in connection with the 17 Mexican nationals who died in U.S. custody, according to the AP, which reported the requests will be sent to the Justice Department and various state attorneys general.
Multiple reports suggested Sheinbaum’s demands would have no legal effect in U.S. courts.
Mexico City has claimed 14 of the 17 died in custody while three have been killed during active DHS operations, according to the outlet.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and DHS for comment. The White House directed Fox News Digital to DHS.
Araujo, 52, was reportedly transporting workers to a jobsite for a homebuilding company in the Magnolia Park section of Houston.
As critics disputed the government’s recounting of events, objections arose over the lack of bodycams on the agents on-scene.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is seen. (Daniel Cardenas/Getty Images)
A DHS spokesperson defended the agents, telling Fox News they had not been issued body-worn cameras because of the repercussions of the Democrat-backed agency shutdown earlier this year.
«The process of purchasing and issuing body-worn cameras to all of our ICE field offices was interrupted by the Democrats multiple government shutdowns. Body cameras have been deployed to more than half the field offices, with the remaining half to receive them in the next 60 days,» a spokesperson said, while noting a 1,300% increase in assaults against agents during the same period.
Meanwhile, advocacy group Voto Latino condemned the Araujo incident, saying that the Mexican national should still be alive.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, left, speaks with President Donald J. Trump, right. (Mandel Ngan/Getty Images)
«His story is the embodiment of what it means to seek the American Dream — the same dream that drives so many of us to call this nation home. Lorenzo called the United States home for nearly 35 years, and his family deserves immediate answers that come from a completely independent process, not from the very agency that upended their lives,» Voto Latino executive director Beatriz Lopez said in a statement, which also called for Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s resignation.
Asked about Sheinbaum’s warning, an ICE spokesperson defended the agency and the accounting of events depicting Araujo as trying to hit an agent.
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«[He] refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense,» the spokesperson said.
«DHS-OIG is leading an investigation into the agent-involved shooting. FBI Houston is leading an investigation into the potential assault on a federal law enforcement officer. This is a developing situation, and we will update the public when more information is available.»
Fox News’ Brooke Taylor and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
mexico, justice department, latino, deportation, homeland security, immigration, white house, donald trump, texas
INTERNACIONAL
Cuatro estudiantes costarricenses representarán al país en la Olimpiada Internacional de Química en Uzbekistán
Costa Rica volverá a tener representación en uno de los certámenes científicos más prestigiosos del mundo. Cuatro estudiantes de secundaria fueron seleccionados para participar en la 58.ª Olimpiada Internacional de Química (IChO), que se desarrollará del 10 al 19 de julio en Uzbekistán, luego de superar un proceso de clasificación que se extendió por más de un año y que puso a prueba sus conocimientos mediante evaluaciones de nivel universitario.
Los elegidos son Tamara Garrote Villalobos, Leonor Isaura Obando Umaña, Juan Pablo Valverde Cordero y José Edwin Chávez Rodríguez, quienes representarán a Costa Rica con el acompañamiento académico de la Universidad Nacional (UNA) y la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR).
La clasificación de los cuatro estudiantes es el resultado de un proceso que comenzó en febrero de 2025, cuando decidieron inscribirse en la Olimpiada Costarricense de Química, en la categoría intermedia. A partir de ese momento iniciaron una serie de competencias nacionales en las que fueron avanzando gracias a sus resultados académicos hasta alcanzar la final del certamen.
Obtener una medalla en esa etapa les permitió postularse para integrar la selección nacional que representaría al país en la Olimpiada Internacional de Química. Sin embargo, el camino aún estaba lejos de terminar.
De los 18 estudiantes que aspiraban a integrar la delegación costarricense, únicamente 12 lograron avanzar a una segunda fase de selección. Posteriormente, una superfinal definió a los cuatro representantes nacionales mediante una combinación de pruebas de alta complejidad, con una ponderación del 60 % para la evaluación teórica y del 40 % para las pruebas experimentales de laboratorio.
Durante el mes de junio, los seleccionados participaron en un programa intensivo de entrenamiento basado en los problemas preparatorios oficiales de la competencia internacional, enfrentándose a contenidos que habitualmente forman parte de carreras universitarias en Química.
Cada integrante de la delegación tiene una historia distinta, pero todos coinciden en que la curiosidad científica y el gusto por la química fueron determinantes para alcanzar este objetivo.
Tamara Garrote Villalobos, estudiante de undécimo año, explicó que su interés por las olimpiadas científicas nació desde muy pequeña y que, desde noveno año, comenzó a prepararse específicamente en química.
“Cuando me propuse llegar a una olimpiada internacional, tuve que organizar muy bien mi tiempo. Ha sido una experiencia muy bonita, pero también muy retadora”, comentó.
Para Leonor Isaura Obando Umaña, quien cursa décimo año, la motivación proviene tanto de la ciencia como del ambiente que se genera entre los participantes.
La estudiante aseguró que disfruta cada etapa de preparación porque estudiar química es una actividad que la apasiona y aprovechó para enviar un mensaje a otros jóvenes interesados en seguir un camino similar: creer en sus capacidades, esforzarse desde el inicio y mantener la disciplina.
Juan Pablo Valverde Cordero considera que representar al país es el resultado de un esfuerzo construido a lo largo de toda su formación académica. A su juicio, el aprendizaje solo puede sostenerse cuando existe un verdadero interés por la materia.
José Edwin Chávez Rodríguez, por su parte, atribuye parte de este logro al apoyo recibido por uno de sus profesores, quien despertó en él un mayor interés por la química y lo motivó a participar en las olimpiadas científicas. Su meta en Uzbekistán es aprovechar al máximo la experiencia y luchar por obtener una medalla para Costa Rica.
La delegación costarricense estará acompañada por Manuel Sandoval Barrantes, de la Universidad Nacional, quien fungirá como jefe de delegación; Cristian Campos Fernández, de la Universidad de Costa Rica, como profesor mentor; y José Pablo Sibaja Brenes, también de la UNA, en calidad de observador científico.
Los tres tendrán la responsabilidad de orientar académicamente a los estudiantes y representar oficialmente al país durante la competencia internacional.
Sandoval destacó que la clasificación de los cuatro jóvenes refleja un proceso de preparación sostenido y un elevado nivel académico.
“Cada uno de ellos representa el talento de la juventud costarricense y demuestra que la dedicación y la pasión por la ciencia pueden abrir las puertas a los escenarios académicos más prestigiosos del mundo”, señaló.
Asimismo, agradeció el respaldo brindado por la Rectoría de la Universidad Nacional, cuyo apoyo permitió hacer posible la participación de la delegación en este importante certamen.
La Olimpiada Internacional de Química reúne cada año a los mejores estudiantes de secundaria del mundo en pruebas que evalúan conocimientos avanzados de química teórica y experimental. Además de fomentar la excelencia académica, la competencia promueve el intercambio científico y cultural entre jóvenes de decenas de países.
Con su participación en Uzbekistán, los cuatro estudiantes costarricenses buscarán dejar en alto el nombre del país y demostrar que el talento, la disciplina y el respaldo de las instituciones educativas pueden abrir las puertas a los escenarios científicos más exigentes del planeta.
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