The state of Israel owned the international news headlines on Monday with two vastly different stories news agencies seemed intent on linking as one. Along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, a mass demonstration known as “The March of Return” reached a climax following six weeks of protests that saw an estimated forty-thousand Palestinians test the mettle of Israeli defense forces intent on keeping infiltrators from penetrating the border, frequently using live ammunition to accomplish its mission. The bloody crescendo was linked not only to the longstanding Palestinian tradition of commemorating as “Naqba [“catastrophe”] Day” the anniversary of Israeli statehood but was broadened to include the protest against moving of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. While in previous years one day of demonstrations sufficed, this year the decision was made to hold six weekly protests building to the mass event that began on Monday and continues into Tuesday. The death toll reached 59 plus more than 1,700 injuries after a day of fighting, triggering an avalanche if international condemnations of Israel for its use of live ammunition. A 15-month old baby became the center of dispute after succumbing to tear gas inhalation: many holding the baby’s death as a sign of Israeli infamy while others are criticizing the child’s parents for bringing it into harm’s way. South Africa and Turkey recalled their ambassadors in protest of the Israeli actions. Efforts to export the excitement of the dedication of the United States Embassy in Jerusalem with live coverage of a ceremony attended by 800 Israelis and Americans and presided over by US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who is credited by many as the spark plug behind the effort to move the embassy, were stymied by news reports from Gaza portraying the carnage. The latest Hamas tactic to fight the Israelis, the use of kites to deliver incendiary payloads into Israeli territory was evident at least seventeen times on Monday causing fires to break out in 23 locations. Hamas is hoping to field as many as 100,000 protesters to march on the border on Tuesday.