A WEEK IN THE CITY OF PEACE

 

 It has been a week of tragedy here in Jerusalem and for Israel as a whole. It began with the funerals of the four Israeli victims of the snow storm in Nepal which killed around 40 other trekkers and injured many others. The four Israeli victims were Tamar Ariel, Agam Luria, Nadav Shoham, and Michal Gili Charkesky. Tamar Ariel was the first orthodox woman to become an Israeli Airforce Navigator.


 Agam Luria                  Tamar Ariel               Nadav Shoham          Michal Gili Charkesky

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4581131,00.html
 

Another seven injured Israelis, all suffering frostbite in varying degrees, were flown home last Saturday in a plane sent from Israel to rescue them. Israeli rescue teams also helped the Nepalese to rescue many of the injured and trapped trekkers caught in the storm.  

The week ended with another tragedy in Nepal, in which two more Israeli young people died, and four others were injured when an overcrowded bus toppled off the road and fell 200m into a ravine. The two Israeli young women who were killed were Shira Dabush and Omer Shemesh. According to the Walla news site, Israeli travel agencies reported that these two women had planned to travel to the Annapurna region, but changed their plans after the deadly snow storms of the previous week.

Israel is a small country and in many ways it is like a big family. When something like this happens the whole country mourns. We all feel the loss together. In a nation which prizes its young people, it is always especially poignant when those killed are some of the nation's best. It is something of a rite of passage here for young people to travel the world after their years of national service in the army or after completing their university studies. Many venture forth on shoestring budgets to find adventure, and respite from the violence they have experienced, in the mountains and the wildernesses of the world.  For many it is a spiritual oddessy. It is a sad fact that sometimes, too often, they do not come home alive.



Haya Zisel - Braun

Just as tragic, perhaps even more so, is the death of one precious baby this week, a 3 month old girl, Haya Zisel-Braun who never got to live her life. She never got to go to kindergarten, much less university, or travel abroad with her friends. Her last great adventure was her very first visit with her parents to pray at the Western Wall. On their way home she was struck by a car driven by a terrorist as her parents were alighting from the Light Rail train  at the Ammunition Hill stop in East Jerusalem. Seven others were also injured, some seriously.




 Haya's funeral - Such a tiny corpse
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/25442/Default.aspx

Overnight and throughout the day following the death of Haya there were numerous incidents of rioting, and the throwing of stones, Molotov cocktails and fireworks around the city. On Thursday morning a Jewish kindergarten was bombarded with rocks, while the children huddled frightened inside.

Since then the city has been tense and there have been many other incidents of violence. I came home on Thursday to find a surveillance blimp hovering over my neighborhood. Our little shopping center at the end of my street had come under attack by stone throwing youths from the neighboring Arab village of Jebel Mukaber, one of the several 'hotspots' in the city.

Even as I am writing reports are coming in of more incidents this evening:

Riots broke out on Saturday evening in several locations throughout Jerusalem, where several dozen masked men threw Molotov cocktails and rocks, blocked a road and set fire to trash bins near the Beit Orot yeshiva, located near the At-Tur neighborhood.

Assailants also hurled stones at the Jerusalem Light Rail traveling the Beit Hanina-Shuafat line, shattering its windshield. No injuries were reported. Earlier in the day, youths threw stones and fired fireworks at a tractor in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.

         http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4584058,00.html 

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/

Wednesday's terror attack was the worst incident of the so called "Silent Intifada" that has been raging in Jerusalem since May. Every day our city has been rocked by riots and incidents involving the throwing of rocks and Molotov cocktails and the firing of fireworks at cars, police and passersby. Since May more than 107 policemen have been injured and more than 700 Palestinians have been arrested, and yet the mainstream media has been curiously silent on the subject, even here in Israel. The silence has now been broken but it took the death of a child to do it.

One can only hope that now somehow peace can be restored to our beautiful city, and measures  will be taken by all involved to stop the escalation of violence and the incitement that feeds it. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has been reported as saying that the violence has become intolerable, and he has vowed to restore order.  On Thursday night a police spokesman said, "The police will operate decisively and show zero tolerance to anyone who tries to break the peace." He also said that, "new intelligence gathering facilities including small surveillance balloons are being deployed. He called the buildup a "strategic decision" connected to the overall situation, not a response to Wednesday's killing of the 3 month-old baby in the Ammunition Hill light rail stop attack.
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/25446/Default.aspx

 Although most of the violence has been in the vicinity of the Arab villages of East Jerusalem, and on the Temple Mount, there is an awareness that it can erupt anywhere at any time. It is very reminiscent of the time of the Second Intifada. There is  a feeling that at any moment the man walking along the street beside you, or sitting beside you on the bus, or in the car that pulls up alongside you at the traffic light could turn out to be a terrorist. Surveillance camera footage of the terror attack that killed Haya Zisel-Braun was broadcast on all our TV news reports this week. It showed us all how easily and quickly a normal, every day situation can become the scene of violence and death. With no warning a car just swerves out of its lane and plows into a crowded bus stop. It also demonstrates all too clearly just how impossible it is to predict or prevent such attacks.

On the whole most Jerusalem citizens are stoic and are just going about their lives normally. We are, after all, fairly used to such things. However it is wearying and increases stress levels. The Jerusalem Post reported that one Israeli woman interviewed at the site of the Ammunition Hill bus stop attack said, "I feel like an attack could happen at any moment". Another said, "I won’t let the terrorists terrorize me".  A resident of Ma'ale Adumim who uses that light rail train stop every day to get to and from work, had this to say, "The last time I felt this way was 10 years ago [during the Intifada] . I feel fear not only here, but everywhere in Jerusalem. They [Arab terrorists] are around us all the time – on the bus, the train, in the streets. It feels 100 percent that an attack could happen at any moment...I need to come here every day, and now I have to look behind my back for them [Arab terrorists].”http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Jerusalem-residents-afraid-but-stoic-after-attack-379714





http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/25/Iran-acid-attack-suspects-freed-as-lack-of-evidence.html#slide=3
It is perhaps very apt that this week's Parasha (Torah reading) is the story of Noah. It is in this story that the word for violence (hamas) first appears in Scripture.

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.   So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 

And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

                  Genesis 6: 11-13

It is hard to conceive of a world more violent than ours at this time. It seems it is all around us.  I have spoken of the violence in Jerusalem but failed to mention the violence occurring all around us in the surrounding nations - terror attacks in Egypt, civil war in Syria spilling over into Lebanon, the ongoing fight against the "Islamic State", the threat of a nuclear Iran and more.  Neither did I mention the two soldiers who were injured on Wednesday by terrorists firing across the border from the Sinai, or the attack on the Canadian parliament. Yet, as the story of Noah tells us, God watches over the innocent and rescues them. The God of Israel has promised never to leave nor forsake those who rely on Him. Terrorists and the enemies of God may kill us but they can never separate us from the love of God.

I was deeply moved this week by an account of an incident that occurred in one of the towns held by the 'Islamic State' forces. A group of former Muslim converts to Christianity were being held by IS soldiers, who were threatening to kill their children if they did not recant their new faith in Jesus. They all denied their faith in order to save their children.  However when the children were offered their freedom if they would recant their faith in Jesus, the children refused, and immediately the soldiers killed them right there  in front of their parents. 

I was humbled by this true story. Such faith in the children! Such courage, and how deeply they knew and loved the Lord! It made me tremble. What would I have done?

What would you do? 

 

  

 

 

 





 

 




 

 



  

IN THE BEGINNING....



http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/lulav-priestly-blessing-western-wall-kotel-jerusalem-cohen-sukkot.jpg

 Succot in Jerusalem

 

 

This week we here in Israel, and Jews all over the world, celebrated the Holiday of Succot (the Feast of Tabernacles), a holiday in which we are commanded, among other things, to 'be happy' before the LORD.

 

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ³⁴ Speak to the people of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, and lasting seven days, there shall be the festival of booths to the Lord. ³⁵ The first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations. ³⁶ Seven days you shall present the Lord’s offerings by fire; on the eighth day you shall observe a holy convocation and present the Lord’s offerings by fire; it is a solemn assembly; you shall not work at your occupations.

 

Now, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep the festival of the Lord, lasting seven days; a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day. ⁴⁰ On the first day you shall take the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. ⁴¹ You shall keep it as a festival to the Lord seven days in the year; you shall keep it in the seventh month as a statute forever throughout your generations. ⁴² You shall live in booths for seven days; all that are citizens in Israel shall live in booths, ⁴³ so that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

 

Leviticus 23: 33-36,39-43.

On the last day of the Feast, Jews in every synagogue dance around carrying the Torah Scrolls. It is a time of great joy, rejoicing in the fact that the LORD has given us revelation of Himself in the Torah.

 

http://www.vosizneias.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/torahdance.jpg
 

This day, Simchat Torah (the Rejoicing of the Torah) also marks the end of the annual cycle of Torah readings and the beginning of a new cycle. This week's Torah portion begins with the first words of the Torah:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.   Genesis 1:1

This passage reminds me of the fact that God did not only reveal himself in the Torah and the other writings of the Bible, but he also left his signature on creation itself. 

 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse...

Romans 1:20 

But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
⁸ Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
⁹ Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this...

Job 12: 7-9

 

As a science teacher I seek to impart to my students a sense of awe and wonder in the contemplation of the created world. Recently I have been teaching a 6th grade class space science and was reminded once more of the awesome magnificence,  and the unimaginable scale, of the universe.

 

There are one million grains of sand in a handful of sand… There are more stars in the universe than all the sand on the sand on all the beaches on Earth.   BBC " The Planets"

http://badmuslim.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/sand.jpg

 And the God whom I worship made all this. It is truly mind blowing. I believe that when we take time to contemplate the glory and beauty of our world, we will draw closer to God. For this reason I see it as entirely appropriate that many so-called secular Israelis take the opportunity of our holidays to go out into nature, picnicking and hiking, in our beautiful land.



 

 



When Job in his distress poured out his complaint to the LORD, He answered Job thus:

Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
³ Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶ To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 38: 2-7

I have lived now over 30 years in Israel and  there is something in the  Israeli psyche which have come to admire deeply.  I have seen it  over and over again, and that is the ability  to choose life and find joy especially at the darkest moments of death and loss, of war and terror.  At such times there is always an acknowledgement that the greatest victory we can have over our enemies is to grasp life and live it to its fullest. From whence comes this strength? I believe it is born of a deep belief in a good God, who has given us life, who cares about us and will fulfill all his promises in the end.

Consider the works of God's hands and rejoice!!!! Here are some photos I have taken of this beautiful land - the side you do not see on the news.


Wadi Zin

Almonds at Ein Sataf



Love in the Mist at Netanya Winter Pond



Montfort

Anenomes in the Negev Desert in Spring

 

Dor Beach

Soreq Caves

 

HALLELUJAH - FOR GOD CREATED ALL THESE AND MORE  !!!

 



RAYS OF HOPE

 

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2859/11247737503_001bc8f7e5_m.jpg

 

In a world that seems to be increasingly driven by hate and torn apart by violence, it is easy to be overcome by despair, especially here in the Middle East. In Israel the endless conflict between Israel and the Palestinians seems to have no solution. We are surrounded by nations and terrorist organizations  that desire nothing more than to wipe us off the map. Meanwhile the Islamic State is spreading like wildfire and extremist, salafi Islam is taking hold like cancer in every part of the globe. Where is there any hope for the future?

 

Yet, in the midst of all this darkness there are some rays of hope shining forth. The other day a friend sent me this link, a speech by an Israeli diplomat in Norway, George Deek, an Israeli-Arab from Yafo (Jaffa). Please take 30 minutes out of your busy lives to listen to the speech (or read the transcript). You will not regret it, I promise.  It is the best speech I have ever heard on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and it moved me greatly.

 



http://www.miff.no/Englisharticles/2014/10/04ThebestspeechanIsraelidiplomateverheld.htm

This eloquent and courageous young man dares to speak of grace, forgiveness and hope. If more were to speak out and take his stand, then and only then would the Palestinian Arabs have any hope for a better life. There is a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Deek outlines it clearly, but the question remains, will the Palestinian Arabs embrace it or choose their current path that leads only to hatred, bitterness, violence and despair?

George Deek speaking  in Oslo 27 September 2014.

http://www.miff.no/Englisharticles/2014/10/04ThebestspeechanIsraelidiplomateverheld.htm

 

Here are a few excerpts from Deek's speech:

(The)Time has come to put an end the culture of hatred and incitement- because Anti-Semitism, I believe, is a threat to Muslims and Christians, as much as for Jews...

 

I know that this might sound naïve,
But I believe that it’s possible, and the only thing that is standing between us and a more tolerant world is fear.
When the world changes, people start worrying about what the future holds.
This fear makes people shrink themselves into the passive position of victims, rejecting reality, and looking for someone to blame for being behind all this.
It is true today as much as it was true in 1948.
 
The Arab world can overcome this mindset, but it requires the courage to think and act differently.
This change demands that the Arabs realize that they are not helpless victims,
It demands that they open up to self-criticism, and to holding themselves accountable;
 
Up to this day, not a single history book in the Arab world questions the historic mistake of rejecting the establishment of the Jewish state.
No prominent Arab academic has come out saying that if the Arabs would’ve accepted the idea of a Jewish state, there would’ve been two states, there would’ve been no war, and there would’ve been no refugees’ problem...

And I fail to see self-criticism in the Palestinian mainstream today about the use of terrorism, the launching of the second intifada, or the rejection of at least two Israeli offers in the last 15 years to end the conflict.
Self-reflection is not a weakness; it is a sign of strength.
It brings forth our ability to overcome fear and face reality.
It demands us to look sincerely into our decisions, and take responsibility for it.
 
Only the Arabs themselves can change their reality.
By stopping the leaning on conspiracy theories and the blaming of outside powers – America, the Jews, the West or whoever – for all the problems;
By learning from past mistakes,
And by making wiser decisions in the future;
  

 Yesterday’s enemies can be tomorrow’s friends. It happened between Israel and Germany, Israel and Egypt, Israel and Jordan.

 

It is time to start in making a ray of hope in the relations between Israelis and Palestinians, so that we can put an end to the replaying of old grievances, and focus on our future and the exciting possibilities it holds for us all, if we’d only dare.



George Deek's is not the only Arab voice that is being raised up to speak against the majority positions in the Arab world. 


There are others also daring to speak out.  George Deek is a Christian Arab, but there is also a Muslim scholar,  the Jordanian Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan,  who is not afraid to challenge the traditional interpretations of the Koran and point to a different way. This takes great courage.



Ahmad al-Adwan

 

http://mida.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ALADWAN.jpg

Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan has this to say:

“Palestine” doesn’t appear in the Koran, that Allah commanded to bequeath the Land of Israel to the Jews and anyone who argues otherwise distorts its meaning.

 He bases his opinion on Sura 5: 19-21 of the Koran which says this:

"O People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, making things clear to you-after a cessation of messengers-so that you cannot say, "No preacher has come to us, and no warner." In fact, a preacher has come to you, and a warner; and God is Capable of everything.

When Moses said to his people, "O my people, remember God's blessings upon you, when He placed prophets among you, and made you kings, and gave you what He never gave any other people."

  O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned for you, and do not turn back, lest you return as losers."

 

In December 2012, Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan visited Israel and met with Jewish Rabbis, including Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu in Sfat (Safed), in order to discuss peace and reconciliation between the religions.

In an interview given after this visit he said:

Indeed, I recognize their sovereignty over their land. I believe in the Holy Koran, and this fact is stated many times in the book. For instance “O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you,” [Koran 5:21], “We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things.” [Koran 26:59] and additional verses in the Holy Book

 

And there are additional reasons: this people (Israel) is peaceful and peace-loving, is not hostile or aggressive; [they are] a people that defends itself only when necessary, while trying to minimally harm its enemies. In addition, I recognize the fact that God may He be praised gave preference to these people over humans and demons until the end of days. God does not give preference for nothing but grants all that which they deserve. God may He be praised never turned to any [other] people by name and grant them this honor, aside from the People of Israel, who are named for their ancestor Israel (Jacob), may he rest in peace, as it says in the Koran “O Children of Israel”. In contrast, in approaching others it is said “O Believers” or “O people”, which is a more general greeting

A complete translation of this interview can be seen on  http://mida.org.il/2014/03/03/a-zionist-islam-an-interview-with-sheikh-ahmad-al-adwan/. 

There always remains hope. In an analysis of the world situation by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, it was concluded, in relation to the situation in the Middle East, that:

Despite the turmoil in the region, the Arab world is not condemned to instability and violence. Tunisia has already demonstrated what a commitment to pluralism and inclusion can produce in three short years. But old forces must realize that the old Arab order is done—forever. Either new leaders will share power, develop inclusive policies, defend the rule of law, offer sound economic plans, and establish meaningful institutions to fight corruption or more chaos lies ahead. 
 

The choice is the Arab world’s to make.

http://carnegieendowment.org/2014/08/14/is-world-falling-apart

Amongst Messianic believers here in the Land there is much talk currently of the Isaiah 19 Highway. Isaiah 19: 18-25 says this:

In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction. 

 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border.

And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them.

Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. 

 And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them.

 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians.
 

 In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land,  whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

Has the 'construction' of this highway begun? I don't know, but as I was driving out of the city recently I noticed that the new Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway currently under construction  involves a great deal of destruction in its early phases. My prayer at this time is that out of the current destruction and turmoil in the Middle East will come something new and better. Even as many Christians flee for their lives from the region, we hear reports from many parts of the Arab world of many Muslims receiving revelation, often in dreams and visions,  and coming to faith in Yeshua (Jesus). I pray that the  rise of radical, salafi Islam will cause many Muslims to rethink their faith, see it for the empty lie that it is, and call out to the true God for Truth. In Yeshua, there always remains hope.

And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

I Corinthians 13:13.

 

 

 

 

 

THE REBUILDING OF GAZA AND POVERTY IN ISRAEL

 

One of todays headlines on Ynetnews reads thus:

US: Israel must play role in rebuilding Gaza

And the article goes on to say:

The Palestinian government has unveiled a 76-page reconstruction plan for Gaza, calling for $4 billion to rebuild the war-battered territory, with the largest amount going to build housing for some 100,000 left homeless

 We do think that Israel will need to play a role in Gaza reconstruction," Psaki stressed, questioned about whether the Jewish state had a responsibility to help repair the damage it inflicted.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4579150,00.html

My first reaction to this statement is "WHY"? Why should Israel be expected to contribute even one cent towards the rebuilding of Gaza? Rather, shouldn't Gaza, as the aggressors, pay us the estimated 9 billion shekels (around $2.6 billion) it cost us to protect ourselves against their attacks, and rebuild our damaged buildings?  Of course we know they do not have the money, but why not? After all Gaza has received more aid money than any other country in the world over the past years. But where did it go? To building up the infrastructure, building hospitals and schools, better housing and creating jobs? No, it went into building miles upon miles of underground concrete tunnels and bunkers, buying arms and munitions, including something like 10,000 rockets to fire at Israel. Any money left over after that went into lining the pockets of certain high officials, building their luxury homes and paying for Khaled Mashal's hotel bill as he hid out in Qatar while his people's homes were being destroyed. In my opinion it should be those countries, especially Qatar, that have poured aid money into Gaza in the past, knowing full well what it was being used for, that should be rebuilding Gaza.

 

The call for Israel to help rebuild Gaza seems to be predicated on the idea that Israel caused the destruction and therefore should bear responsibility for the rebuilding (see my highlighting above).  Is that fair? We didn't start the war. We didn't want it. For years we have been bombarded with rockets from Gaza. What were we supposed to do? It was them or us. The fact that so 'few', some 78, Israeli's died in the ensuing battle is not because Hamas was careful to avoid hitting Israeli population centers, rather they did the opposite. They deliberately aimed their rockets and missiles at population centers. Their aim was to terrorize and kill as many civilians as possible. That they did not succeed was because of two main reasons, first the Iron Dome anti-missile system which shot down many of the largest and most potentially damaging missiles, and  secondly (and more importantly) the supernatural protection of God. In contrast the fact that only some 2,200 Gazan's died, and at least half of those were not civilians, was due to the fact that the Israeli Defense Forces took extreme measures to protect the population of Gaza, often at great cost to us.

In the early days of the latest Operation Protective Edge (15 July 2014), Ynetnews published a lengthy article entitled "Hamas got rich as Gaza was plunged into poverty"
Here are some excerpts from that article:

With multi-million-dollar land deals, luxury villas and black market fuel from Egypt, Gaza's rulers made billions while the rest of the population struggled with 38-percent poverty and 40-percent unemployment. ...

 In 2012, a Jordanian website reported that Mashal had control of a massive $2.6 billion, in large part deposited in Qatari and Egyptian banks. This is likely Hamas' accumulated assets from years through donations, as well as its investments in various projects in the Arab and Muslim world. It is also known that, among other things, Hamas has invested in real estate projects in Saudi Arabia, Syria and Dubai. And, according to reports, Mashal did not always separate Hamas money and his own

 http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4543634,00.html

For more on this see

http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/18801/hamas-gets-rich-people-gaza-starve/#V3jbjyZHwW0F2s7S.97

It seems to me that if anyone is morally responsible for the plight of the  people of Gaza it is Hamas, its leaders and its supporters.  Let them finance the rebuilding of Gaza, and not the Israeli taxpayer.

The recent war with Hamas in Gaza cost Israel an estimated 9 billion shekels.  To cover these costs, the recently approved 2015 State Budget will include a 6 billion shekel ($1.6 billion) increase in defense expenditure, and a 2% cut on government spending across the board, including cuts in spending on education, health and welfare. It may sound like an egalitarian move, but in reality it is the poorest sectors of society that will suffer most.

Although Israel is a wealthy nation and has a relatively stable economy, the distribution of wealth within is embarrassingly unequal. Israel has the highest rate of poverty amongst any of the countries of the developed world according to an OECD report released earlier this year. Israel has a poverty rate of 20.9% almost twice that of the OECD average of 11.3%.

The annual household disposable income in Israel stood on average at $18,500 while the bottom 10% of society stood at $3,600 compared to an OECD average of $23,100 and $7,100 for the bottom 10%.

 Israel continues to maintain a lower social spending rate of 15.8% of GDP compared to the OECD average of 21.9%

http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Report-Israel-has-highest-poverty-rate-among-OECD-countries-345785

These are sobering statistics, but what do they mean on the street? It means that 1 in 3 Israeli children go to bed hungry every day!

I have had the privilege to live amongst both the richest and the poorest of Israelis during my 30 odd years in Israel. The contrast is shocking.  My first apartment was  in a neighborhood in Netanya where families of 5-8 people  lived in squalid, single roomed houses. We would sit outside in the evenings while huge rats played in the rafters above our heads, and cockroaches scuttled unheeded around our feet.  A lot of our social life was conducted during the wee, small hours of the night,  as we walked the streets trying to find some cool air or relief from the intense stuffy heat of our homes. On the other hand I have also rubbed shoulders with the incredibly rich in their museum-like homes filled with priceless antiques.  It is wrong and our government seems to be little interested in doing very much about it.

The statistics are also misleading. The poverty level in Israel is defined as follows:

According to the report, an individual with a monthly income of less than NIS 2,820 and couples earning less than NIS 4,513 per month are considered to be living below the poverty line. Furthermore, a family of five individuals must earn more than NIS 8,500 to be considered above the poverty line. http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Annual-report-shows-17-million-Israelis-living-below-poverty-line-335255

 There is no way an individual earning 2,820 shekels a month, or a family of five earning just 8,500 shekels a month,  can live in Israel. Here in Jerusalem it is impossible to find an apartment for rent  below 3000 shekels a month, and most are more than 4000 shekels a month. The result is that  many more than the reported numbers are living in actual poverty, finding great difficulty in paying for utilities and putting food on the table.  Food  and housing costs have been spiraling upward in recent years.  Since 2005 the price of food has risen 31% while in the European Union it rose only 20% in the same period.  http://www.jpost.com/Business/Business-News/Food-prices-have-risen-more-than-50-percent-faster-than-Europe

The Bible has a great  deal to say about fair business practices and the proper treatment of the poor. Recently we in Israel observed the fast day of Yom Kippur, in which most Israelis, even the so-called secular, fast for 25 hours, abstaining from food and water meticulously in the hope they will thus atone for their sins and be inscribed in the Book of Life.

 

However the LORD has this to say about fasting:

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
⁸ Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

Isaiah 58: 6-9 NJKV 

 The Israeli government's first responsibility is towards its own people.  If you pray for Israel, then pray for justice and a righteous distribution of wealth amongst our own people first. That is not to say we should not care about nor help others, including the displaced of Gaza, and Israel is often first to do so when other nations experience catastrophe, but the poor and needy in Israel must not be overlooked nor shortchanged. Let those who caused and financed the catastrophe in Gaza  be the ones to rebuild it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Formula One and King David's sin

FORMULA ONE JERUSALEM

http://www.haaretz.com/travel-in-israel/out-about/1.618797

 

Today I have an unexpected day off work thanks to the Formula One racing taking place in Jerusalem today. Most of the streets in the town center are closed off and the rest of the city is clogged with traffic, which would make it impossible to get our students home after school, and consequently it was decided to just close for the day. Such is life in this crazy, wonderful city.

 

  Above is a photo of last year's event, against the backdrop of the Old City walls, and it shows the sometimes bizarre juxtaposition of the modern and the ancient, the mundane and the deeply spiritual, which is the essence of this city.

 

Just two days ago we celebrated Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the most solemn day of the Jewish religious calendar. It is a day when even the secular refrain from driving cars or doing work, and most observe a  25 hour fast, abstaining from food and water. Even our Arab neighbors respect this holy day and do not drive around the streets. An eerie hush falls over the cities and highways of Israel. It never ceases to amaze me that traffic and business in this land, usually so frenetic, worldly and fast-paced, can just stop for a day.

 

The Main Entrance f rom Highway 1 into Jerusalem on Yom Kippur 2014

 

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2014/10/04/Jerusalem-streets-empty-during-Yom-Kippur/1131412449921/ph8/



Today I was reading the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12) and was struck by how like David this city and we the people of Israel are.  David was a man who knew God and loved him. He was beloved of God, who even described him as 'a man after my own heart' (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).  

Yet David committed a great sin, he committed adultery with the wife of Uriah and then contrived to have Uriah killed in the battlefield in an action, which caused not only the death of Uriah, but several others of the valiant men of David's army.  Nevertheless when God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David, David recognized his sin and repented of it from his heart, saying

Blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—

 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

        (Psalm 51)

And God forgave him his sin  as Nathan testified saying, " The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die" (2 Samuel 12:13). Nevertheless the consequences of David's sin did not go away, and we are still living with them today. His sin "gave great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme" (v. 14) and furthermore the LORD said to David,

" Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife".  (2 Samuel 12:10)

David was a man who lived his life with great passion. He was greatly beloved of God, and he did great good and executed many mighty feats in the power of God, but he was also capable of great evil and at least on this one occasion did great evil.  So too is the nation of Israel. Israel is greatly beloved of God, the apple of his eye (Zechariah 2:8). Israel is again today a nation of great vibrancy, life and passion. It does great good to many people but it is also capable of evil.  However when Israel  will repent from her heart, just as David did, so too will God forgive her sins, heal her and restore her to her rightful place, the Land in which God dwells and from which His word goes forth.

And we know from the ancient prophesies that this day shall come. It will come at a time when all the nations of the earth will come up against Israel and besiege Jerusalem. But on that day God will fight on her behalf, destroying all the attacking armies and devouring all the surrounding peoples and judging every nation that has dared to touch the apple of his eye. On that day Israel as a nation will repent, turn back to God and recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as the LORD and repent of her sin in rejecting him. Israel will in that day all be saved (Romans 11:26).

 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. ³ And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. ⁴ In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. ⁵ And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.’ ⁶ In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.

 ⁸ In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. ⁹ It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

 In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

(Zechariah 12: 2-6, 8-9, 10; 13:1)

As I listen to the newscasts and read the papers I see the nations around about in great turmoil and unrest, as the spirit of salafi Islam creates havoc in their midst. The West is rather belately trying to counter the spread of this ideology by attacking IS (the Islamic State) by military means. It will not work. The salafi ideology, which drives the IS, Al Qaida, Hamas, the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, and the myriad other terror organizations operating in the Middle East, thrives and prospers on violence. It draws to itself disaffected and angry young men looking for a justification for their violent inclinations. There is no shortage of such young men. The more the West attacks the ideology, the more it will  see itself justified, and the more it will grow. Sooner or later salafi Islamist forces will gain control of most of the states of the Middle East and then they will turn their attention on Jerusalem and Israel. They themselves have made it abundantly clear that this is their ultimate goal, to conquer Jerusalem and claim the whole world for Islam  (see the quotes in Netanyahu's speech below).

The Western bloc is weak and crumbling. It does not have the moral fiber to withstand such an onslaught. Even now we see a steady rise of anti-Semitism worldwide and an erosion of political support for Israel even amongst those nations we count as friends.  Just this week, Sweden, an influential nation in Europe, declared its recognition of the (nonexistent) state of Palestine. Others are likely to follow. (For more on this go to http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/25386/Default.aspx)


Recently Barak Obama said  in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2014, that

At the same time, we have reaffirmed again and again that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam.  Islam teaches peace.  Muslims the world over aspire to live with dignity and a sense of justice.  And when it comes to America and Islam, there is no us and them, there is only us -- because millions of Muslim Americans are part of the fabric of our country.

So we reject any suggestion of a clash of civilizations. Belief in permanent religious war is the misguided refuge of extremists who cannot build or create anything, and therefore peddle only fanaticism and hate. 

This  politically-correct statement only serves to underline the naivety and  weakness of the Western nations. They are being infiltrated by the ideology of Islam but they are unable to counter it because they must always be seen as being 'politically correct'. We can no longer call a spade a spade.

This not only prevents the Western nations from seeing things clearly, but leads to a confusion in which white is black and black is white.

Isaiah 5:20

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

 

In the same speech Obama later said,

We recognize as well that leadership will be necessary to address the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.... The violence engulfing the region today has made too many Israelis ready to abandon the hard work of peace.  And that's something worthy of reflection within Israel...

 Because let’s be clear:  The status quo in the West Bank and Gaza is not sustainable.  We cannot afford to turn away from this effort -- not when rockets are fired at innocent Israelis, or the lives of so many Palestinian children are taken from us in Gaza. So long as I am President, we will stand up for the principle that Israelis, Palestinians, the region and the world will be more just and more safe with two states living side by side, in peace and security.

(for full transcript of Obama's speech  go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/24/remarks-president-obama-address-united-nations-general-assembly )

This not-so-thinly-veiled criticism of Israel represents a serious erosion of American support. It is the thin end of the wedge.  Did Obama reflect on the reason why so many Israelis are becoming ready to "abandon the hard work of peace"? His and the western world's failure to recognize the true nature of the battle we are fighting, and their failure to stand with us as we fight, not only on our own behalf but on behalf of all the free world, undermines our resolve greatly. We Israelis feel tremendously betrayed and misunderstood when the world seems to swallow, without question,  the blatant lies and misrepresentations of our enemies' propaganda. Is it any wonder we feel tired of the so-called 'peace process'?

A few days after Obama's speech Benjamin Netanyahu, our Prime Minister, addressed the same General Assembly saying,

Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Israel pray for peace, but our hopes and the world’s hopes for peace are in danger because everywhere we look militant Islam is on the march. It’s not militants. It’s not Islam. It’s militant Islam. And typically its first victims are other Muslims, but it spares no one: Christians, Jews, Yazidis, Kurds. No creed, no faith, no ethnic group is beyond its sights. And it’s rapidly spreading in every part of the world.
You know the famous American saying, all politics is local? For the militant Islamists, all politics is global, because their ultimate goal is to dominate the world. Now, that threat might seem exaggerated to some since it starts out small, like a cancer that attacks a particular part of the body. But left unchecked, the cancer grows, metastasizing over wider and wider areas. To protect the peace and security of the world, we must remove this cancer before it’s too late.
           
Last week, many of the countries represented here rightly applauded President Obama for leading the effort to confront ISIS, and yet weeks before, some of these same countries, the same countries that now support confronting ISIS, opposed Israel for confronting Hamas. They evidently don’t understand that ISIS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree.

 ISIS and Hamas share a fanatical creed, which they both seek to impose well beyond the territory under their control. Listen to ISIS’ self-declared caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. This is what he said two months ago: A day will soon come when the Muslim will walk everywhere as a master. The Muslims will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism and destroy the idol of democracy. Now listen to Khaled Mashal, the leader of Hamas. He proclaims a similar vision of the future: We say this to the West -- by Allah you will be defeated. Tomorrow our nation will sit on the throne of the world.
As Hamas’ charter makes clear, Hamas’ immediate goal is to destroy Israel, but Hamas has a broader objective. They also want a caliphate. Hamas shares the global ambitions of its fellow militant Islamists, and that’s why its supporters wildly cheered in the streets of Gaza as thousands of Americans were murdered in 9/11, and that’s why its leaders condemn the United States for killing Osama bin Laden whom they praised as a holy warrior.

For the full transcript go to  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.618308

If you have any doubt of the nature of Hamas, take a look at these photos of Hamas executions of so-called collaborators (none of whom were known by the Israeli security forces and none of whom had a fair trial) during the recent war in Gaza.

http://34stby2ora6b105yxl1yqt7219yg.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hamas_executions-300x180.jpg

http://patdollard.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/628x4713-600x350.jpg

Are these any less brutal and appalling than those of ISIS?  And what of  Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, the terror organization that now holds sway in the Sinai Peninsula? Yesterday it executed four so-called collaborators, and this is not the first time. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4577982,00.html

For more on this - hot off the press- go to http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/25391/Default.aspx

Wake up world!!!

If you agree with my analysis of the situation, I strongly recommend you not only pray fervently for Israel and the peoples of the Middle East, but also for your own nations and people. I firmly believe that all nations will be called to account before God as to how they have stood for or against Israel, and the time of testing is drawing very close. The Church too will be called to account. It is very sad that many Christian believers, both nominal and born-again, are deceived by the spirit of 'political correctness' and the erroneous teachings of replacement theology which claims that God has rejected Israel. I pray that we all will be found standing on the right side of the fence when the time comes. And that time is coming very soon, I believe. It is time to declare on which side you stand.

For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
² I will also gather all nations,
And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will enter into judgment with them there
On account of My people, My heritage Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations;
They have also divided up My land...

 Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for war!

 “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.

 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

 But the Lord will be a shelter for His people,
And the strength of the children of Israel.

 Egypt shall be a desolation,
And Edom a desolate wilderness,
Because of violence against the people of Judah,
For they have shed innocent blood in their land.
²⁰ But Judah shall abide forever,
And Jerusalem from generation to generation.
²¹ For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted;
For the Lord dwells in Zion

Excerpts from Joel 3.