A NEW YEAR COMING

Last evening I was talking and praying with a friend. We are both in our 60s and struggle with health issues. We bemoaned the fact that although the desire is stronger than ever to 'do great and mighty deeds', the body just will not cooperate. I feel that God has given me so much that I want to pass on to others, but the energy and strength to do so often seems lacking. 

 Exactly a year ago I was laid off my job. For 35 years I had worked very hard in the world of education, teaching science in elementary and secondary schools.  Though I was sad to be laid off when my section of the school was closed down, it also came as an immense relief. I was tired - not just a physical tiredness but a deep down mental exhaustion.  I needed to stop, and thankfully this forced me to do so, something I would probably never have done under my own volition. 

This past year has been a time of healing, both physically and emotionally, and yes, also spiritually, of the effects of years of (mostly self-imposed) stress. Why self-imposed? Much of my stress has derived from trying to survive in my own strength and lacking trust and faith in my provider, my God, causing a lifestyle of worry and anxiety. I ask myself again and again, why can I not have that childlike trust that God will provide, as He has promised. Why can I not rest in that promise as the Psalmist did as he proclaimed: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1).

There are many reasons  of course - my Scottish Protestant work ethic,  the manic pace of modern life that makes it hard to just take time to be with God and know him, the difficulty of making ends meet in the Israeli economy, self-doubt, and many other things - but the bottom line is that I suffer from a basic lack of faith and trust in God's willingness to provide for me.

I am therefore deeply grateful for this Sabbatical year, for the time to rest and be healed. I feel much better  physically but also emotionally and spiritually. I feel much closer to God than I have for a long while. I am trying to learn to relax and let God take control. He is my provider and protector.

 I have now walked with the LORD 47 years. He has never let me down in all that time. It would take books to tell of all his mercies and miracles in my life. But now I wonder, what lies in my future. Do I have a future of usefulness or should I just retire and tend my lovely little garden?

I may be retired from the wordly workforce, but as someone once said - there is no retirement in the Kingdom of God. I still have work to do. It is not yet entirely clear what that work will be, but my prayer is as the Psalmist said:

Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

    and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

18 

Even when I am old and gray,

    do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

    your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Psalm 71:17-18

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

13 

planted in the house of the Lord,

    they will flourish in the courts of our God.

14 

They will still bear fruit in old age,

    they will stay fresh and green,

15 

proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;

    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.

Psalm 92: 12-15

As I stand at the brink of a new beginning we, as a nation and people, stand at the brink of the New Year according to the Jewish calendar. This is the Hebrew month of Elul, the last month of the 'old year', during which Jews take stock and spend time in introspection and repentance. It is a time of preparation for the New Year and part of that preparation is the opening of our hearts to the love of God. According to the Chabad teachings, Elul is a Hebrew Acronym for the well-known phrase from the Song of Songs "ani l’dodi v’dodi li", which means, “I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me". For this reason, we eat sweet honey and apples at New Year - as a reminder of the love of God for us and our love for Him. Pray for the people of Israel and all the people of the world, that we will all open our hearts to receive the blessed love of the LORD, our beloved, at this time.

How to survive an Israeli summer - hanging at the pool. 

DROUGHT
This is also the time, as summer draws to a close, the kids go back to school and our thoughts turn to the coming of the winter and the arrival of the life-giving rains. Israel is now entering its 6th year of drought, the worst in at least 100 years. The land is very thirsty, the streams and rivers are drying up and the Sea of Galilee is shrinking. The Sea of Galilee is now only about 60 cm short of the 'black line' at which it is no longer possible to pump water to the neighboring towns, and at which irreversible ecological damage to the lake could occur, including an increase in salinity and algal blooms that can permanently damage water quality and the lake ecosystem. At the bottom of the lake there are saltwater springs and the overlying freshwater prevents them from welling up into the lake, but when the fresh water levels drop, the salt is released into the lake. Last year the Water Authority had to pump 17,000 tons of saltwater out of the Sea in order to maintain water quality. With the rainy season still a good 2 months away and water levels dropping at around 1 cm/day we could easily dip below the 'black line' (1). 

In recent weeks a large number of people have been hospitalized after swimming in some of the northern Galilean and Golan water holes as a result of contracting  the bacterial disease Leptospirosis, a serious and occasionally fatal disease spread through the urine of infected animals. Low water flow means that the streams are not being properly flushed out and the bacterial levels have built up. These waterholes are a popular tourist and holiday attraction and the closure of them has had a serious effect on the economy of the area. Over the past two weeks the Water Authority has been pumping clean water into these streams and some have now been reopened for swimming.

Israel is also experiencing a serious outbreak of West Nile Fever, and to date 3 have died and at least 68 are hospitalized (2) . This potentially dangerous disease is carried by mosquitoes, which breed in stagnant water. This disease has struck Israel every summer in recent years but this is the worst outbreak so far. 

Most of us have not felt the effects of the drought very badly as yet because some 70% of our drinking water is now supplied by five massive desalination plants using sea water, and 86% of agricultural water is recycled waste water. Two more desalination plants are in the planning stage.  Drinking desalinated water, which is basically distilled water, is not proving to be a very healthy option in the long term because of the lack of minerals and electrolytes.  A recent study in Israel showed a 6-10% increase in heart disease in those using desalinated water as compared to those using natural water (1). 

Over the past year food prices, especially those of fruit,  vegetables, and milk products have sky-rocketed. Whether this is an effect of the drought or of market dynamics (mainly greedy middlemen) I am not sure, but I do know that it is becoming a major issue for many families. Most fruits are selling at around 30 shekels per kilo. A water melon, a summer staple, once could be bought for around 10 shekels, but now they cost around 60 shekels each. 

This morning (27/8) we were surprised to find light rain falling in some areas, something I cannot ever remember happening in August before. This is raising hopes for a good rainy season in the coming winter. The Meteorological Service is predicting a wetter than normal winter, but even that will probably not be enough to make up for all the drought years. Traditionally we do not start to pray for rain until the end of the Festival of Succot ( 23-30 September this year) but it is not too early to start praying for good, steady, soaking rain and a wetter than average winter, not just for Israel but for our whole region. The nations around us are also experiencing serious drought and they do not have the resources that we have to cope. The lack of water can drive up the tensions which are already high in the region.

t

The Sea of Galilee today, showing the 'new island' which has emerged as water levels continue to drop.
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5335773,00.html

Gaza negotiations

I, like many Israelis, am suffering from 'Gaza fatigue', and have not been closely following the ongoing, endless Gaza negotiations.  The ceasefire with Hamas is sort-of holding in that there have been no further rocket attacks but the violent protests have continued along the border. There have also been a number of fires in Israel ignited by incendiary devices sent from Gaza. Egypt is trying to broker a long-term ceasefire and talks are still continuing. Please pray for the outcome of these talks. We want peace and quiet returned to the southern settlements but not at any price. In my view it is essential that Hamas gains nothing from this deal, because should that happen, they will claim their latest confrontation with Israel as a victory, and that would strengthen their support and pave the way for more military adventurism. 

The fact is that Hamas was hard hit in the last round of fighting and they are only interested in a ceasefire in order to be able to retreat, lick their wounds and get ready for their next attack. How can we ever negotiate any kind of long-term deal with an organization which has as its central raison d'etre the goal of completely annihilating Israel. A senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, said today that   " even if a ceasefire is achieved with Israel, the terrorist organization will continue to "build its capabilities because it has no faith in the Zionist enemy"  (3). The Palestinian Authority,  led by President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is outraged by the fact that the PA is being left out of the talks. It was reported today that Abbas said “Over my dead body will there be a ceasefire and agreement for calm between the sides" (3). Yesterday (29/8) Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, said that, 

"We do not seek a military confrontation, but at the same time we are not afraid of it...Hamas has prepared itself well in recent years, which could be seen in any future confrontation. The organization can launch all rockets launched during Operation Protective Edge in five minutes... "The number of tunnels has grown since the war, and the rockets are larger and more precise" (4). 

The value of peace treaties with Arabs is typified by the comments on Jordanian TV of the Jordanian Prime Minister, Abdelsalam al-Majali, who signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994:

“If tomorrow we become stronger and can take Haifa by force, will we really decline just because we have an agreement with them?”  (5)

In other words, peace deals with Arab leaders are worthless. They only hold as long as they are militarily weak. The minute they feel militarily strong, the deal is not worth the paper it is written on. This is something that Western powers need to understand as they work towards a 'final settlement' on the Palestinian question.  

UNWRA

The United Nations Works and Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNWRA) was created in 1949 to provide aid and relief for the approximately 700,000 Palestinians who either fled or were expelled from their homes during the1948 War of Independence. With an annual budget of over 1 billion dollars a year, UNWRA funds the Palestinian Refugee school system running 703 schools, provides social aid and relief to needy families, and is the major healthcare provider. It also builds homes and infrastructure in the Refugee Camps.  Such work may seem laudable but UNWRA has been criticized by prolonging the refugee culture and creating a culture of dependence. It also helps to create the culture of terror by educating children in terror and hatred of Israel, and, notoriously corrupt, it channels funding to the pockets of Palestinian leaders and terror organizations. 

Shuafat Refugee Camp in East Jerusalem as seen from Mt Scopus

Although the original population of refugees was around 700,000 in 1949, only tens of thousands of whom are still alive, the 'refugee' population has swelled to around 5 million. Palestinian refugees are the only refugees in the world awarded official refugee status in the second and third generations.  The approximately equivalent number of Jewish refugees who fled or were expelled from Arab countries during the 1948 war are not even recognized as refugees, and they have been integrated into the mainstream of Israeli society. Why have the Palestinian refugees not been integrated into the countries to which they fled? It is because they are useful pawns in the power struggle against Israel.

UNRWA is funded mainly by the USA and the European Commission. Other countries such as Sweden, the UK, Norway and the Netherlands also contribute funds. Recently Trump's administration has stated that the USA will cut all funding to UNWRA.  The  US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said that funding for the body would only continue if major reforms were implemented and if the numbers of refugees were changed to an accurate amount (6). As Haley pointed out, why should the USA give aid to the Palestinians who continually 'bash' the USA and other donor nations?

Palestinians burning American , Israeli and British flags
http://the-eyeontheworld.blogspot.com/2016/04/israel-2-idf-soldiers-jailed-for.html

In Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations the Palestinians always demand the right of return of all refugees, that is to say, all 5 million who claim to be refugees. If Israel were to agree to such a deal Arabs would outnumber Jews and it would no longer be a Jewish State. Obviously, Israel could never agree to such a deal. By redefining the refugee status of Palestinians Trump's administration is hoping to take this issue off the negotiating table, as it removed the issue of Jerusalem. However the sudden cutting of funding to UNWRA is a drastic move which could have far-reaching and unpredictable consequences - most immediately a humanitarian crisis with a collapse of the school system, the health clinics and hospitals, and mass unemployment. 

Last Tuesday concerns were expressed in Israel when Trump intimated that Israel would have to pay a high price for the moving of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Speaking at a campaign rally in Charleston, West Virginia, Trump said, 

“It was a good thing to have done, because we took it off the table. Because every time there were peace talks, they never got past Jerusalem becoming the capital. So I said, let’s take it off the table. And you know what? In the negotiation, Israel will have to pay a higher price, because they won a very big thing.” The Palestinians “will get something very good, because it’s their turn next. Let’s see what happens" (7).

Just what Trump's high price might be is anyone's guess, but it is worrying that he seems to expect us to pay in some way for the recognition of Israel's proper and rightful capital. I ask - just who does he think he is? Trump has a lot of support in Israel but this kind of wildcard statement is of great concern, especially as Palestinian and Israel negotiations are underway. 

Elsewhere in the Middle East

When I turn on the news and see what is happening elsewhere in the Middle East our problems in Israel and the Palestinian areas seem minor in comparison. 

In Yemen a war has been raging between the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and the US-backed Saudi and Yemenite government forces. This conflict has been raging back and forth since 2004 but in 2014 the Houthi rebels took control of Yemen's capital, Sana'a, and pushed towards its second largest city, Aden, and they now control the sea coast along the Red Sea, which could affect shipping through the Suez Canal.  Al Quaeda and ISIS are also involved and have attacked Houthi rebels, whom they consider infidels, and have taken control of some areas of Yemen. In this forgotten war in the Middle East's poorest country, some 50 -100, 000 (no one is counting!) people have already lost their lives in the fighting, and through hunger and disease. Millions more  have been displaced. According to the BBC, 

The fighting and a partial blockade by the coalition has also left 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid, created the world's largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that is thought to have affected 1.1 million people(8)

For more information see:  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/key-facts-war-yemen-160607112342462.html

A man carries a small girl from the site of a coalition airstrike
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-45329220

As I write Saudi and Emirate forces are poised to retake the port city of Hodeida, now in Houthi control. This city of some 600,000 people is the main entry point for food and supplies to the northern part of the country. The civilian population of this city is caught in the cross-fire and the UN considers this imminent battle the most serious humanitarian crisis in the world.  You can hear more about this on the video link :
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/yemen-war-left-hide-400000-trapped-hodeidah-180827210237964.html

Another imminent, massive, humanitarian crisis is looming in the north of Syria. Syrian government forces backed by Russian firepower are poised to retake the last remaining rebel stronghold of the region of Idlib.  Russian has stationed at least two submarines and at least 10 warships off the Syrian coast. According to Ynetnews 
"Many speculate the massive Russian naval presence near Syria is not only in preparation for the anticipated battle, but intended as a deterrent to the United States, the UK and its allies, if Assad’s troops use too much force, or even chemical weapons"  (9). The USA has threatened to intervene if chemical weapons are used. 

The city of Idlib and the surrounding region is home to around 3 million people and it was to this area that many of the displaced civilians, especially those seen as 'enemies' of the Assad government, fled the fighting elsewhere. There are many Christian believers and other minority groups in this region. Now these people are trapped, surrounded by the closed Turkish border and the approaching Syrian government forces. We all fear a massacre is about to take place, and this could easily escalate into a confrontation between Russia and the USA. 

References: 1. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-enters-6th-year-of-worst-in-a-century-drought-girds-for-even-worse/

 2.   https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/West-Nile-virus-claims-second-Israeli-life-565912

3. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/251204 

4. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5337856,00.html

5. https://www.timesofisrael.com/jordan-pm-who-signed-israel-peace-deal-haifa-should-be-taken-by-force-if-we-can/

6. https://www.timesofisrael.com/united-states-set-to-stop-all-funding-to-unrwa-report/

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5337068,00.html

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/22598

7. https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-israel-will-pay-higher-price-in-peace-talks-after-embassy-move/

8. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-45329220


9. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-war-latest-russia-warships-idlib-assault-regime-rebels-a8513096.html

TO WAR OR NOT TO WAR?

The Lord is in his holy temple;

    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.

He observes everyone on earth;

    his eyes examine them.

5 

The Lord examines the righteous,

    but the wicked, those who love violence,

    he hates with a passion.

Psalm 11: 4-5

0n Wednesday this week I happened to be reading this Psalm and was interested to see that the word here translated as 'violence', is in Hebrew the word 'hamas'.  Hamas is the name of the terror organization currently in power in Gaza. The name Hamas is, in Arabic, the acronym for the phrase Harakat al-Muqāwama al-Islāmiyya, meaning the "Islamic Resistance Movement". In Arabic 'hamas' means courage or zeal, and the Hamas organization interprets its name as meaning 'strength and bravery', according to its Covenant. 

To me this summarizes the whole problem with Hamas. What we see as the negative value of violence and destruction, they see as the positive value of courage and bravery. 

At 7:37 that same evening Hamas opened fire on our southern communities around the Gaza border. Seven rockets of the first barrage landed in the town of Sderot, striking two homes and injuring a number of people, including one seriously and another moderately. Others suffered minor injuries or shock and two women went into labor as a result of shock.  You can see a video of the attack on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKjLmsIBNdg

Over the next 48 hours around 200 rockets and missiles were fired into Israel from Gaza. In total 7 civilians in Israel were hospitalized with injuries, including a  30-year-old Thai agricultural worker who suffered serious injuries as she was preparing breakfast for the other workers on a farm. Many others suffered minor injuries and shock.  Homes, factories, agricultural buildings and equipment were damaged, while the whole population of the area was instructed to stay within 15 seconds of a bomb shelter.  Children's summer camp activities were canceled, gatherings of over 300 people forbidden, roads closed and the rail service stopped between Sderot and Beersheva. 

In response, the IDF attacked around 150 Hamas targets, including military installations, munitions factories and stores, and missile launching positions and terror cells. Most of these targets had been evacuated in anticipation of such an attack and the IDF also warned people to leave before they attacked so human casualties were few. Hamas claims that a man, a pregnant woman and her 2-year-old daughter were killed by the IDF. The photos they posted however reveal that this is nothing more than a lie. The photos of the toddler supposedly killed by the IDF is actually a photo of Elle McBroom on the occasion of her 2nd birthday and posted by her parents on Instagram.  Elle is alive and well (1) . This is yet another 'blood libel' against Israel spread by the Palestinian propaganda 

The Instagram posting
http://www.israellycool.com/2018/08/09/palestinian-blood-libel-of-the-day-the-baby-and-her-pregnant-mother-edition/

On Thursday morning I went online to see if how the world's media were reporting the events of the previous night. I was astounded by the thundering silence. One commentator summed this up under the headline "Israel Under Attack While the World Yawns"(2).  Is it a case of 'Israel fatigue'  or plain antisemitism?  The only major newspaper to report it at all was the BBC which did so under the inaccurate (not to mention plain incorrect) and biased headline " Israeli airstrikes kill pregnant woman and baby" (3). Israel's Foreign Ministry and the Board of Deputies of British Jews demanded that the headline be changed immediately (4). The BBC did change it to " Gaza air strikes 'kill woman and child' after rockets hit Israel". A little bit better but not much!!! This is by no means the first time the BBC has been called out on its biased and frankly antisemitic reporting of events in Israel. 

The rocket attacks on Israel continued all through Thursday and at 15:07 a Grad missile was fired at the city of Beersheva, some 40km from Gaza. This was the first time the citizens of Beersheva had heard the Code Red Sirens blaring since the Gaza operation of 2014. The missile thankfully landed in an open space and no damage or injuries were reported. It could just as easily hit an apartment building or kindergarten or children's playground. Thank God it did not. With this attack, a red line was crossed and the IDF stepped up its operations in Gaza and bombed the Hamas intelligence headquarters totally destroying it. 

During this period Hamas also activated a fraudulent App, called IsraelAlert that purports to warn of incoming missile attacks in Israel. This App deliberately copies the format of the official RedAlert App, but gives fake warnings and comes with a load of malware that is capable of taking control of phones, accessing the camera, messages, locations and more. Once downloaded this malware cannot be removed from the phone even if the app is deleted. Below is a photo of the official RedAlert App on the left and the fake Hamas app on the right  (5). 

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5326309,00.html  phony phone app

While all this was going on the Israeli Military was preparing for a full-scale war with Israel and the question on everyone's lips was whether we were going to enter Gaza and deal with Hamas once and for all. Some soldiers were called up and equipment moved towards the border area so that they could respond immediately if necessary. No one, neither Hamas nor Israel, wants war but the public pressure to deal with the situation here in Israel is growing by the day as frustrations  accumulate as a result of the ongoing, never-ending rounds of rocket attacks and fires. 

On Thursday night Hamas claimed a Ceasefire agreement had been reached with Israel and they stopped firing rockets into Israel, for now at least. This was probably a result of the decisive attack on their Intelligence HQ and pressure from Egypt and the UN. Israel never made any agreement for a Ceasefire. The Hamas claim was probably an effort to save face but also designed to make Israel look like the villain should they carry out any further attacks in Gaza. 

Although the rocket fire has stopped the incendiary devices are still coming from Gaza and a number of fires ignited. On Friday about 9000  Gazans rioted along the Gazan border burning tires, and hurling firebombs and explosives at IDF troops. The IDF responded with riot control measures and live fire and 3 Palestinian rioters were killed and around 300 injured. In addition Israeli tanks fired on two outposts from which grenades were thrown at Israeli soldiers (5). 

In spite of the so-called Ceasefire, Hamas continues to call upon Gaza residents to continue the weekly "March of Return" protests. According to Arutz7 "The Supreme National Organization of the March of Return and Breaking the Siege is urging Palestinian Arabs in both “Palestine” and abroad to take part in large-scale demonstrations this coming Friday, August 17, under the title "The Friday of the Rebels for Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa"" (6). This is to commemorate the attempted burning of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969. Today Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu, ahead of a meeting of the Security Cabinet to discuss further steps in relation to Gaza, stated that 

“Our demand is clear - a total cease-fire...
“So far, we have destroyed hundreds of Hamas military targets. With every round of attacks, the IDF exacts a heavy price from Hamas. I will not reveal our operational plans, but they are ready" (6). 

What does all this mean? Will we go to war with Gaza again or not? I cannot say. But all I can do is echo the Psalmist:

The Lord is my light and my salvation—

    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—

    of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me

    to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes

    who will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,

    my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

    even then I will be confident.

Psalm 27: 1-3 

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM AND ALL ISRAEL 

References:

1. http://www.israellycool.com/2018/08/09/palestinian-blood-libel-of-the-day-the-baby-and-her-pregnant-mother-edition/

2. http://www.israellycool.com/2018/08/09/israel-under-attack-while-world-yawns/ 

3. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-45124357

4. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180810-bbc-bows-to-pressure-from-israel-and-changes-gaza-headline/

5. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5326309,00.html  phony phone app

6. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/250371

 CEASEFIRE?

You cease and we set fires!

As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
Evening, morning and noon
    I cry out in distress,
    and he hears my voice.
 He rescues me unharmed
    from the battle waged against me,
    even though many oppose me.
God, who is enthroned from of old,
    who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.

Psalm 55 16-19

It is a beautiful summer morning (04/08) here in the mountains of Judah. The peace is broken however by the thrub thrub of a police helicopter circling overhead. Never a good sign! I wonder what is happening. I shall probably never know as only a small part of what truly happens ever reaches the news. Mostly our security forces just labor on gathering intelligence, catching terror cells and protecting us in diligent secrecy.

 As always I marvel that men can plot wickedness and wage war on such a beautiful morning. And yet they do! It is just two weeks since my last update and so much has happened in that two weeks I don't know where to start. Oh, oh now I can hear heavy bombers in the sky. Where are they going? What is happening?

Gaza

After the events reported in my previous blog (see "Heat Wave") the UN and Egypt brokered a ceasefire with Hamas, but as usual, it was a case of we cease and they fire. Even the very next day 4 fires were started in Israeli territory as a result of incendiary devices from Gaza. Hamas claimed the ceasefire did not cover incendiary devices! 

 During that week Israel experienced record-breaking heat with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius in most of the country, accompanied by strong winds. On Wednesday (1 August) the heat reached its maximum and firefighters had to battle 170 fires throughout the country, including some 20 in the Gaza region. Although some of these fires were caused by natural processes many were caused by arson attacks (2). As airconditioners were working overtime, Israel also clocked up a record in the use of electricity that day. 

This past week the incendiary attacks from Gaza have continued unabated.  On Tuesday, 29 fires were started and on Friday, 24. On Friday too an incendiary balloon was found on the roof of a house in Beer Sheva, which is located some 40 km (25 miles) from the Gaza border. This was the second such device to land in Beer Sheva that week. Again this week another dead falcon with an incendiary device attached to its feet was found in a field near the Gaza border. Not content to use children's toys, balloons, kites, and inflated condoms to carry out these attacks. not to mention the children themselves, these evil terrorists are now using innocent animals as well. 

Fast moving animals can sometimes escape the fires but others, here a tortoise, have no hope.
Photo: Udi Israel
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5318528,00.html

Before and After the fires at the Besor Reserve
(Photo: Elisheba P Frenkel)  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5318528,00.html

Besor Stream Nature Reserve after the fires
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5318528,00.html

In addition to the incendiary attacks, riots at the Gaza border have continued over the past two weeks and there were several border infiltration attempts and attacks on IDF personnel and equipment involving the throwing of Molotov cocktails and grenades.

After a house in Israel was damaged by a petrol (gasoline) bomb fired from Gaza, using petrol supplied by Israel, it was decided that enough was enough. Israel further tightened restrictions on goods entering Gaza by stopping the entry of petrol and gas into the Strip (3). This may seem harsh but why should we supply petrol to our enemies if they are just going to use it for making petrol bombs to attack us?

By the end of the week  UN and Egyptian-brokered negotiations began between Hamas and Israel (4). As Israeli Transport and Intelligence Minister, Yisrael Katz, remarked  "The situation in Gaza is nearing a decision. Either an arrangement, or a war" (5).  As neither side wants war this may be the best chance of gaining a long-term settlement we have had for a long time. I hope and pray that a realistic and enforceable truce will be agreed upon, both for Israel's sake and for the sake of the Palestinians in Gaza. Today (06/08) hope for such a truce seems to be fading as the gaps between the sides seem unbridgeable. Israel is offering to open the border crossings for trade, including oil and gas, and re-extend the permitted fishing zones in return for a total cessation of the border riots, missile attacks and incendiary attacks. Israel however says it will not accept any agreement that does not include the return of 3 Israeli civilians and the bodies of several Israeli soldiers currently held by Hamas. Hamas, on the other hand, is demanding a prisoner exchange that would release some dangerous Hamas leaders and militants, something Israel is refusing to do. So what now? The status quo is intolerable for both sides. How long can the Palestinians hold out in the current situation? How long will Israel tolerate the continuing attacks on its citizens? Time and patience are running out. A limited military incursion of the IDF into Gaza is being mooted. No one wants this but what other choice do we have? 

Syria

The situation in Syria is also just as unstable. Assad's forces have taken Quneitra and the region that had been occupied by ISIS (Daesh) affiliated forces further south, which means they now control the entire Syrian-Israel border area.  As Assad's forces approached the ISIS-held areas,  a series of suicide attacks took place in the Suweida area, south of Damascus, and in villages to the north and east. Militants also stormed homes and villages attacking and killing the occupants. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights some 221 people were killed, 127 of them being civilians (6). In addition 32 women and children were taken hostage. ISIS has claimed responsibility for these appalling and cowardly attacks. Yesterday one of those hostages, a young Druze man,  Muhannad Dhouqan Abu Ammar, 19, was killed by his captors (7). Please pray for the safe release of the remainder of these hostages. 

During this operation ISIS also fired two missiles into Israel in the hope of triggering an Israeli reaction that would distract Assad's forces. The two missiles fell into the middle of the Sea of Galilee, miraculously missing the hundreds, if not thousands, of Israelis holidaying around its shores. No one was hurt.  

Now that Assad's army has taken control of the area adjacent to the border with Israel, Israel is anxious that Assad will once more honor the 1974 armistice agreement which required a demilitarized zone of between 200m and 7km along the Israeli border. Last week UN and Russian troops moved into this area. 

Russia is also working with Israel to push Iranian military personnel and installations back from Israeli territory. Israel is demanding that all Iranian military forces leave Syria. Naturally, they are reluctant to leave. Russia claims that they have convinced the Iranians to retreat to a distance of 85 km from the border and some installations have been dismantled. However, considering that the Iranians possess missiles that can travel much further than 200 km, this distance is nowhere near enough. Furthermore, there are claims that Iranian personnel have not left but have just switched uniforms.  I do not know the truth of this but I am concerned that both Iran and Russia are still major players in the region, and Russia is gaining more and more influence. For now, they are working with Israel, at least in some ways, but what if that were to change? At the bottom line, Russia is really only interested in protecting its own interests. And what are they? Russia wants to be once again a major world power. What will they do to achieve that goal?

Idlib
Now that Assad has regained control of the rest of Syria, he is now turning his attention to the last rebel-held region, the city of Idlib and the villages and towns around it in the north-west. Some 2.5 million civilians are trapped here, under heavy bombardment, with nowhere to escape. Tens of thousands of rebel militants and their families also fled into this region as Assad's forces were taking the areas to the south. Many Christians have also taken refuge there. Please pray that there will not be another bloodbath as we saw elsewhere. 

Iran

At midnight last night (06/08) the US-imposed sanctions on Iran began to come into effect. The intention is to intensify the economic hardship of the people of Iran in order to force the leadership to abandon its nuclear program. The people of Iran have already been suffering serious economic hardship for some time but the leadership has shown little concern for them as it continues to fund military operations via its proxies in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Gaza. Iran, for example, currently provides 90% of the funding for the terror group, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. 


If Iran is forced to cut back its spending on military efforts and supporting terrorist organizations it would be a good thing for Israel and world peace as whole, however the non-participation of European countries, Japan, China and Russia in imposing sanctions seriously undermine their effectiveness. 

Israel's Nation-State Law

At home here in Israel the hot issue this week is the Nation-State Law that was recently passed by the Knesset. Intended as a Basic Law, something akin to a constitution, it defines Israel as a Jewish democratic state and purports merely to codify the existing situation. On the surface, it does just that, but the problem is not what it says but what it does not say. It does not say that equal rights are to be given to minority groups under the law. Given that 20% of Israel's current population belong to minority groups, Christian and Muslim Arabs, Druze, Circassians, Armenians and others, this is raising concerns. Most vocal are the Druze who have served the State faithfully, serve in the army with distinction and have suffered a disproportionate loss of life in military operations. Sadly many Druze are resigning their posts in the army and others are refusing to enlist. 

Some claim the controversy is a 'storm in a teacup' as they say the Law implies equality while other laws guarantee it, but others say that failure to express the principle of equality explicitly is a serious omission in a Law that is intended to be equivalent to a national constitution. It seems to me that it would be a simple thing to add a sentence or two to the Law stating that citizens of minority groups are guaranteed equality under the Law. This is not contrary to Jewish values. In fact, historically the Land of Israel, even when under Jewish control, always had a sizeable minority of non-Jews and, recognizing that, the Bible has quite a lot to say about how we should treat them, for example, 

One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”

Exodus 12:49

Gay Pride Parade

Last Thursday (02/08) the largest ever Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem took to the streets. Estimates put the number of participants at somewhere between 20,000 and 35,000 (8). Since the stabbing of 16-year-old Shira Blanki in 2015 security for these parades has been high, but this year, fearing violence, security was strengthened and some 2,500 police were deployed. This year the parade took on more of an atmosphere of protest, rather than celebration, in the wake of the recently passed Surrogacy Law which denies male homosexual couples the possibility of having children by this means. In spite of counter-demonstrations and vocal protests, mainly by the religious sector, the parade passed peacefully. 

Anti-Draft Protests

On the same day, the entrance to Jerusalem at the Strings Bridge was blocked off yet again by the ultra-orthodox, led by the fanatical Jerusalem Faction,  protesting against the compulsory draft. Forty-six protestors were arrested and one female police officer was treated in hospital for injuries.  Traffic flow around the city was once again seriously disrupted. 

Police clear protestors blocking the light rail in Jaffa Road
https://www.timesofisrael.com/37-arrested-as-ultra-orthodox-jews-block-main-jerusalem-road-in-draft-protest/

Thursday's protests were triggered by the arrest of a draft-dodging yeshiva student. Since the founding of the modern State the ultra-orthodox have been exempted from doing compulsory military service, unlike the rest of the Jewish population. Although they are exempted, they are expected to report to enlistment offices in order to sign a deferral of service. The Jerusalem Faction are instructing their followers to refuse to report to the enlistment offices, a crime which results in their arrest and imprisonment (9). 

Many in Israel feel it is unfair that the ultra-orthodox should have this blanket exemption from military service, and the army is currently making great efforts to cater for their special requirements in order to attract ultra-orthodox recruits. This has been somewhat successful as there has been a tenfold increase in ultra-orthodox recruitment in the past ten years. Ultra-orthodox soldiers, however, are harassed and often assaulted when they return to their communities (9). 

Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,

    for I see violence and strife in the city.

10 

Day and night they prowl about on its walls;

    malice and abuse are within it.

11 

Destructive forces are at work in the city;

    threats and lies never leave its streets

 Psalm 55: 9-11

Evangelical Christians and Israeli TV

Last week Channel 11 Caan TV broadcast a four (or maybe five) part series of reports on the relationship of Evangelical Christians and Israel. I was amazed that this happened as it was aired during the main 8PM News. On the whole, the report was very positive and reflected the appreciation of the contribution of Evangelical Christians in the support of Israel, particularly in political and economic realms. 

Some concern was expressed that Evangelicals have an 'ulterior motive' namely to pave the way for the return of their Messiah Jesus and the ultimate 'conversion' of the Jews. I loved one Rabbi's response to this suggestion. He said "If their Messiah did come back, then no doubt the Jews would follow him"!  (See Zechariah 12)

There was one thing that seriously concerned me about the reports, however. It was clear that in the Israeli mind the Evangelical Christian world was identified as being strongly right-wing politically, as evidenced by their support of Trump and the Republicans. I am sad to say that this seems a fairly accurate reflection of the reality, especially in the USA but also here in Israel. 

In my mind, there is great danger in the entanglement of the gospel of Yeshua (Jesus) with politics.  Yeshua took great pains not to involve himself in the politics of his time.  Likewise, although we need to pray for good government and for our leaders, speaking out against injustice and sin, it is far more important to pray and work for the salvation of all people. Only Yeshua and the working of the Holy Spirit can change our hearts and bring peace and justice on Earth. Yeshua's message transcends human politics, and to link it to any particular political view robs it of its power and relevance, especially to those not sharing that view. 

References: 

1. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/250006

2. http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-hit-by-record-breaking-heatwave-fires-rage-throughout-country/

3. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-no-fuel-no-gas-israel-clamps-down-on-gaza-over-airborne-firebombs-1.6338412

4. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-gaza-talks-end-to-border-protests-in-exchange-for-open-crossings-1.6340600

5. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/250027

6. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44949823

7. https://gulfnews.com/news/mena/syria/daesh-kills-hostage-from-syria-s-sweida-1.2261833

8. https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/08/03/jerusalem-pride-2018-israel-pictures/

9. https://www.timesofisrael.com/37-arrested-as-ultra-orthodox-jews-block-main-jerusalem-road-in-draft-protest/

/