TERROR BY FIRE
If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
Exodus 22:6
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Firefighters extinguish a fire in a wheat field caused by kites flown by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip into Israel, May 30, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2018/06/F180530YS26-640x400.jpg
Summer has arrived in Israel and with it begins the 'fire season' as vegetation dries out and temperatures soar. This year though the fire season has an added danger, terrorists sending kites carrying incendiary devices over the border into Israel from Gaza. As of 3 days ago, some 600 incendiary kites had been released. Of these some 400 had been intercepted by IDF drones but 200 had ignited fires in Israel, burning some 9,000 dunams (2,200 acres or 900 hectares) of ripe wheatfields and nature reserves. Since then we have been averaging an additional 10 fires a day caused by kites. On Saturday (9th June) 15 new fires were ignited.
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The IDF is trying to develop means to fight this new threat and is sending drones to cut the strings of the kites (2). This has met with some success but with such a large number of kites, the strong west winds and the high temperatures, they cannot stop this wave of terror completely. It appears that Japan, in an act of kindness to the Gazan children, sent them thousands of kites, but these same children have converted these toys into weapons, and are now manufacturing their own.
Below is a map of the fires as of 6th June. Click on full page icon and enlarge to see the full number of fires recorded.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=31.4740647835933%2C34.58186033085349&z=12&mid=1U3A57H6TCphdux7Sf7dl4z2-1F3vmecJ
To counter the tunnel phenomenon, Israel developed technology to detect and destroy underground tunnels and also is constructing a tunnel-proof fence along the border. Having solved land-based tunnel problem now we are facing tunnels in the sea. It was announced this past week that on June 3, in the first such operation, the IDF destroyed a marine tunnel, which would have enabled specially trained elite Hamas commandos to enter the sea in Gaza undetected and swim underwater using advanced, hard-to-detect bubble-free equipment, to carry out attacks in Israel. Since the last major Gaza confrontation, Hamas has invested much effort into training and equipping a large naval commando unit of frogmen with the intention, not only of attacking Israel from the sea but also threatening Israel's naval and marine installations, including its offshore gas drilling platforms. The IDF is aware of this new threat and claims there may well be other such tunnels along the Gazan coast. Israel is also in the process of constructing a marine barrier between Gaza and Israel.
As I am writing I am thinking of Isaiah 54 which speaks of the end-time restoration of Israel:
In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far removed;
it will not come near you.
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If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender to you...
no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.
Isaiah 54: 14,17
Someone sent me this song, "Lo Efahed" (I will not be afraid) which I think is very powerful and largely embodies the atmosphere in Israel today, a mood of determination and strength. It is in Hebrew but has the English translation in subtitles. Take a few minutes to listen:
https://youtu.be/ZAAMqqJ98zw
The more traditional forms of terror have not passed out of the picture either. Today an 18 year old girl, on her way to sit her matriculation exam in citizenship, was stabbed and seriously injured by a Palestinian terrorist in the town of Afula, in the Galilee. Yesterday an explosive device was found and disarmed at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
The Palestinian propaganda war, nicknamed Pallywood here, is of course in full swing, and many, especially in Western nations, are buying into their lies and distortions, and the BDS movement is gaining strength worldwide. This week the Argentinian football team canceled a friendly match that was to have taken place this past Saturday in Jerusalem. While Palestinian protestors claimed the cancellation was an act of identification with and sympathy for the Palestinians, the real truth is that star player Messi and his wife had received threats to their safety (3). This act is adding flame to the already-spreading fire of opposition to the hosting of next year's European Song Contest in Israel, which is our right after our representative, Nessa Barzilai, won the contest this year. The BDS may win these small battles but in the end truth will win and Israel will be vindicated:
"and you will refute every tongue that accuses you."
Isaiah 54:17
Meanwhile, what is happening in the north? Now that Syrian President Assad's forces have recaptured the last enclave of rebels in Damascus the focus has shifted to the southern region where rebels and ISIS still control the area adjacent to Israel's border (see the map below). Israel has been carrying out ongoing talks with Russia about the situation, in which Israel has made it clear that, though it will accept Assad's forces securing that area, it will not tolerate Iranian or Hezbollah presence close to our border, and it appears that Russia agrees. Following talks between Israel and Russia, it was reported that " the sides (Russia and Israel) agreed it was necessary to remove Iranian forces from southern Syria and allow Israel to freely attack targets it deems a threat – on the condition that these are not sites tied to the regime of Bashar Assad, which Russia supports" (5). Syria and Iran of course are claiming that no such agreement was made. Syria's President Assad, is even claiming that there are no Iranian military personnel in Syria, which is just absurd since Iran has admitted to it. Adding to the absurdity of it all, there are reports that Iranian soldiers are donning the uniforms of the Syrian military to give the impression that there are no Iranians there. How stupid do they think we are? However do not underestimate the power of propaganda. We are living in a period in which the concept of objective or absolute Truth has disappeared and truth has become something fluid and pragmatic. People will believe what they want to believe.
| https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2018/6/1/israel-and-russia-team-up-against-iran-in-syria |
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Cabinet-approves-transferring-desalinated-water-to-Kinneret-559643
BDS may be gaining ground but on the other hand, we still have many friends around the world. This past week an estimated two million evangelical Christians participated in a march during which they expressed support and prayed for Israel (6). More and more Israelis are expressing their appreciation for the support of Christians. This is a powerful witness to them and I pray that more Christians will stand up and be counted, so that effect the centuries of persecution against Jews can be softened and Jewish hearts opened to the message of Yeshua.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:16 - 18
References:
1. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-fire-damage-to-gaza-border-area-agriculture-estimated-at-1-4m-1.6140094
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5278488,00.html fire kites
2. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5283705,00.html
3. https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/IDF-neutralizs-Hamas-naval-terror-tunnel-559616
4. https://www.timesofisrael.com/argentina-officially-cancels-jerusalem-match-says-its-nothing-against-israel/
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/argentina-cancels-israel-soccer-match-in-jerusalem-after-palestinian-pressure-1.6153639
5. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/report-israel-and-russia-agree-to-remove-iranian-forces-from-syrian-1.6137601
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5275778,00.html
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2018/6/1/israel-and-russia-team-up-against-iran-in-syria
6. https://www.timesofisrael.com/millions-of-brazilians-hail-israel-during-march-for-jesus/
