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.
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.
 |
| 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
