O COME, O COME, IMMANUEL

Carol singing at Christ Church on Christmas Eve

I started writing this on Christmas Eve just before I set off into the Old City for the carol singing at Christ Church. Christ Church was the first Evangelical church to be built in the Middle East and it has played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Jewish State since the early 1800s. Situated just inside Jaffa Gate in the Old City, it is still a hub for evangelical Christians, Jews, Arabs and others in the city. The Christmas Eve carol singing and service is very popular and draws many Jewish Israelis who are curious about Christmas and who enjoy the songs, the hot mulled wine, soup and homemade Christmas cookies that are served.  This year there were record crowds.  


I just love the relaxed atmosphere, catching up with friends and singing all the good ol' Christmas carols. One of my favorite carols is "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and one of the best renderings is by Anna Hawkins, who sings it in both Hebrew and English. You can see and listen to it on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD-jBLZSZNU . I wonder how many times I have sung this beautiful song and not really paid attention to the lyrics. It is a prayer and expresses great longing for the coming of  Emmanuel (God with us), the Rod of Jesse, the Key of David, Yeshua, to set free his people, Israel. Below are the lyrics. Take a minute or two read the lyrics and to pray this prayer along with us here in Israel.

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan’s tyranny

From depths of Hell Thy people save

And give them victory o’er the grave

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, o Israel

O come, Thou Day-Spring

Come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death’s dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, o Israel

O come, Thou Key of David, come

And open wide our heavenly home

Make safe the way that leads on high

And close the path to misery

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, o Israel

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might

Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height

In ancient times did’st give the Law

In cloud, and majesty and awe

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, o Israel

The Christ, Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), did come once to Israel but, although many of the ordinary people did receive him with joy, the leaders and the religious establishment did not. They looked for a conquering king to set them free from the oppression of the Romans, but Yeshua came instead as a tiny baby, born to an ordinary young woman, Miriam, in a stable in Bethlehem. Yeshua came to set Israel and all the world free. He did not come at that time to set us free from cruel oppressors, but to set us free instead from the far worse oppression of Satan, sin and death. To those who can receive this and accept forgiveness in Yeshua there is much reason to rejoice, but let's also remember at this time those who are still in bondage and subject to sin and death. We look forward to the second coming when Yeshua will come as the long-awaited conquering King, who will bring peace to the suffering world. May this Day come soon, but not until the full number of those whose names are written in the Book of Life come in.  

Christmas Day is a normal workday here in Israel and, of course, as a Jewish nation we do not celebrate Christmas. When I first came here we Messianic believers did not celebrate Christmas. Most of us were glad to escape all the intense commercialism and hype of Christmas in our lands of origin, and many rejected the pagan roots of many of the Christmas traditions. As time has gone on some of us began to miss Christmas and it has always seemed to me sad that we did not celebrate the coming of God in bodily form as the baby Yeshua. Bit by bit some of us began to quietly celebrate Christmas in our own homes and in recent years more and more of my friends have been too. Without all the commercial hype and pressure, it is just a lovely time to be with good friends, eat good food and remember the birth of Yeshua, when God came down to mankind to set us free.  

Of course, Yeshua was not born on 25th December or the 6 January, or probably any time in winter, as the Bible tells us the shepherds were out in the fields of Bethlehem that night. It is way too cold to be out in the fields at this time of year here and the flocks would have been safely tucked up in their sheepfolds if it were winter. The actual date of Yeshua's birth is unknown and it's not important, but what is important is the fact of Immanu El - God with us, Yeshua who came into the world to save us. 

Christmas too is the time when our thoughts turn to peace. Indeed Yeshua did bring peace, the peace that passes understanding, into the hearts of those who follow Him, but we do not yet see peace reigning in the world. In fact, the world seems to be gripped in great darkness, full of the suffering of wars, refugees and migrants, sickness, poverty and natural disasters. How we all long for the time of Yeshua's rule and cry out "How Long?" 

Peace seems far away here in Jerusalem this year. Tensions continue to mount as threats grow in every direction. Every day I turn on the news with trepidation. What new atrocity, disaster or calamity will have happened? 

It is now the 27th and Christmas is behind us.  I am dog-sitting for a friend and it is pouring rain, so I will try and get this finished by giving a quick rundown of the news. 

Operation Northern Shield

The IDF is continuing to uncover and destroy tunnels dug under the border from Lebanon into Israel by Hezbollah. So far they have found five and have destroyed them, using explosives and pumping concrete into them (2). They have been careful not to cross into Lebanese territory in the process and consequently have not invoked the criticism of the world powers. Hezbollah has not reacted and a tense calm is being maintained. Pray for all those working up there. It is cold and wet and very, very muddy. It must be miserable. Added to that they are easy targets for a sniper should any decide to attack. Hezbollah had built these tunnels in preparation to send an incursion force into Israel or possibly take an Israeli town hostage. The destruction of the tunnels is a big set back for them. 

The American pullout from Syria

This past week came the surprise announcement of the pullout of American troops from Syria. Trump appears to have made this decision on a whim, without discussing it even with his own advisors and certainly without consideration of the effects of his decision on his allies, or more importantly the people in the region who look to the USA for their protection. What will happen to the Kurds at the hands of the Turkish army? Will Iran or Russia fill the vacuum? There are only around 2,000 US troops in Syria but they are stationed near the Iraqi border fighting ISIS, thus strategically blocking the land corridor from Iran to the Mediterranean. Their absence will make it much easier for Iran to ship weapons into Syria bound for the Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

Attack in Syria

In response to the imminent American pullout from Syria Israel has made it very clear that they will not stop their attacks on arms shipments from Iran intended for Hezbollah. An unnamed Israeli official has confirmed that Israel carried out such an attack on the night of the 25th, destroying Iranian storage and logistics installations being used for transferring arms to Hezbollah.  Recently there have been reports of civilian airliners being used by Iran to transport weapons systems. A US Defense Department official claimed that several high ranking Iranian officials were targeted as they boarded a civilian cargo plane bound for Iran (3). Advanced GPS components for advanced strategic munitions were also targeted. A Syrian surface-to-air missile was fired towards Israeli territory triggering our missile defense system.The missile was shot down and no damage was done to Israeli planes or on land. Israeli aircraft attacked and destroyed the Syrian missile emplacement. Israel warned Russia in advance of their attack on the Iranian plane so that no other civilian aircraft were endangered, contrary to reports going out from Syrian and other Middle Eastern media. 

Gaza Protests

The weekly "March of Return" protests at the Gaza border are continuing in spite of Hamas' promise to phase them out according to the terms of the latest ceasefire. Each week around 10,000 Palestinians are coming to the border and throwing Molotov cocktails, grenades and rocks at IDF soldiers. Some also attempt to cross the fence and infiltrate Israel. The IDF is being forced to use live fire to stop them, mainly shooting at their legs, and as a result, there are some deaths and many injuries each week. Gazan hospitals are complaining they are unable to cope with the quantity of those needing treatment.  My answer to that, is "if you don't want to get hurt, don't protest at the fence!!!"   

A Fresh Wave of Terror?

In the last few weeks we have had a wave of terror attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank. On the 9th of December seven people were shot from a passing vehicle at a bus stop at a junction near the West Bank settlement of Ofra on the notorious route 60 highway. One pregnant woman was seriously injured, her husband and another man moderately injured and four teens lightly injured. Three of the wounded were IDF soldiers. The woman, 21-years-old, is now out of danger but her baby died three days after being delivered prematurely by emergency Cesearian section. The perpetrators were shot at by nearby IDF troops but they managed to flee the scene and disappear into the Palestinian city of Ramallah. The IDF is still searching for them. Hamas has claimed responsibility and it is believed that the shooters belonged to a Hamas terror cell. 

This attack follows an attack, on the 7th October, in the Barkan Industrial Park in the West Bank in which 4 were wounded, two fatally. The hunt for the terrorist, an employee at the Park, ended last Thursday when he was captured, more than two months after the attack. His home was subsequently demolished by the IDF. The Barkan Industrial Park employes some 7000 workers, about half of whom are Palestinians, and it has been hailed as an example of successful coexistence. The terrorist has been identified as Salah Omar Barghouti, 29, the son of a senior Hamas member currently in prison (4).

A month after the Barkan attack an IDF reservist was stabbed and moderately wounded outside the Samaria Territorial Brigade base near Nablus in the West Bank. and when IDF soldiers fired at the fleeing terrorist, a woman standing nearby was lightly injured by shrapnel. The terrorist fled into a nearby village and has not yet been apprehended as far as I know. 

Two days later a terrorist attempted to stab an IDF soldier at a bus stop at the Gitai junction on Highway 5. Other soldiers nearby shot and killed the terrorist (5). 

Several more terror attacks have occurred this past week. Last Tuesday there were two separate attempted car ramming attacks. In one the terrorist was killed and in the other, the terrorist was arrested.  On Thursday, the 13th, two border police personnel were wounded in a stabbing attack in the Old City of Jerusalem. One of those injured, a woman police officer, sustained moderate injuries and the other light. The terrorist was shot and killed (5). 

This upsurge in attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem is creating much concern especially amongst West Bank settlers who have been demonstrating against the government with the claim that not enough is being done to protect them.  Hamas and Islamic Jihad are intent upon stirring up trouble, calling for more attacks and activating its sleeper cells,  in order to destabilize the Palestinian Authority

Hamas responded to the killing of two of their terrorists by saying, 

 "The fire of resistance in the West Bank will not die until the occupation is lifted. The death of the two soldiers proves that the option of the Palestinian people is defiance. The West Bank will continue to support the forces of resistance and the blood of Na'alwa and Barghouti has not been spilled in vain. Hamas and the other resistance factions will continue to support activity to avenge their death."

Early Elections 

It is now official, the Knesset has been dissolved and there will be early elections scheduled for 9th April.

Tourism 

In spite of all the tension in the region, Israel  has seen a record year in tourism, with arrivals in 2018 expecting to top the 4 million  mark any day now, representing a record-breaking growth of some 38% over last year, and making Israel  one of the most popular and the fastest growing tourist destination in the world (6).  In recent years much effort has been made to improve the infrastructure and services provided for tourists in Jerusalem and to increase the range of options for accommodations, from the super luxurious hotels to the backpacker hostels.  Tourism brings in much-needed revenue to this city, which is the poorest in Israel. 

Poverty in Israel

A recent announcement that the price of many basic food items were about to rise caused great consternation among the population here.  We already have the highest cost of living, and the widest gap between income and the cost of living, amongst the developed nations, and some 1.8 million Israelis live in poverty. Jerusalem is the nation's poorest city and some 55% of our children live in poverty. The poverty line is set at a monthly income of 3000 shekels, and this means that these figures are a drastic understatement of the true level of suffering. Given that even the cheapest apartment in Jerusalem costs around 5000 shekels a month to rent, not including utilities and other costs, there are many more than 1.8 million experiencing poverty. In response to the announcement of further food price increases organizers threatened to begin 'yellow vest' demonstrations such as are occurring in France. Fearing a general uprising the government has put a hold on at least some of these price rises. The problem lies in that the food industry is in the hand of a few massive companies which act as monopolies and can pretty much do as they please. One can only ask why they want to raise the prices even more, given that they already make billions of shekels in profits and their top officials receive more in salary in a month than most of us make in a year. 

You might be wondering why Jerusalem is so poor. Twenty percent of our population is ultra-orthodox and 30% Arab. Amongst the ultra-orthodox only 20% of the men and 50% of the women work (7). The men study Torah all day and the women work to support the family. However they also have large families so often cannot work full time and, in addition, few have a secular education which can enable them to work in well-paying jobs. 

Amongst the Arabs about 60% of the men work and only around 23% of the women (7). Most of these workers are in low paying jobs because they lack the educational level to get into the higher paying positions. 

Winter rains

As I write this the rain is just bucketing down outside. Praise God that so far this winter the rains have been abundant.  Two weeks ago we had a 3-day long storm that brought around 1/3 to 1/2 the average annual rainfall to most parts of the country. There was much flooding and damage to homes and cars, and 4 people died as a result of the heavy rain. Some snow also fell on Mt Hermon. Today the rain is also heavy causing floods, hailstorms hit several places in the Sharon region, and snow is falling on Mt Hermon. I feel for all the people whose homes and cars get flooded when we have rain like this, but apart from that it is a joy to see so much rain. Keep praying for it to continue and for our lakes, reservoirs and aquifers to fill up. 

It is God's Battle

 Today I was reading in I Chronicles an account of a battle between the northern tribe of Reuben against the Hagrites and their allies. Because the Reubenites called out to God and trusted Him, God gave them a great victory over their enemies - "because the battle was God's".  As I write about all the threats to our existence here in Israel it is good to remember that the battle is the LORD's and he has armies innumerable and he fights on the side of those who trust in Him. Pray that we as a nation will take that attitude, calling upon the LORD and not just relying on our own strength.

They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.21 They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, 22 and many others fell slain, because the battle was God’s.I Chronicles 5:20-22

ANNOUNCEMENT:  I AM PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF MY NEW WEBSITE. IT CAN BE ACCESSED ON  https://taliasjoy.com . IT IS STILL IN ITS EARLY STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION BUT YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT AND SEE MY PROGRESS. HAPPY READING! (For now I will continue to use this google blogsite for my blogs as I am still learning how to use the Wordpress program). 

References: 

1. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5422732,00.html

2. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5434028,00.html

3. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-official-says-top-hezbollah-officials-hit-in-alleged-israeli-strikes-in-syria/

4. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5425139,00.html

5. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5371369,00.html

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5368484,00.html

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/two-injured-after-being-stabbed-in-suspected-terror-attack-in-jerusalem-1.6743295

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256094

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/two-attempted-car-ramming-attacks-in-west-bank-palestinian-shot-and-killed-1.6739825

6. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Jerusalem-worlds-fastest-growing-tourism-destination-573653

http://nocamels.com/2018/12/jerusalem-top-tourist-destination/
7. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/ANALYSIS-Why-is-Jerusalem-the-poorest-city-in-Israel-457522

https://www.timesofisrael.com/1-8-million-israelis-842000-of-them-children-under-poverty-line-report/

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5425341,00.html

SOUND THE TRUMPET

One of my favorite restaurants in Jerusalem Botanical Gardens
December 2018     Credit: Talia

One day this past week I sat with a good friend at my favorite restaurant enjoying the warm winter sun and the view of the lake at the Botanical Gardens. As we drank our coffee I thought how blessed it is to live in this beautiful land, and the thought occurred to me that this is the life all the peoples of the Middle East could have if only they would renounce war and accept Israel. Sadly it is not to be - yet anyway.  Today I asked the Lord what I should read in His word and this is what He said, "Read the book of Joel". As I came to chapter 2 my heart skipped a beat and my stomach clenched - it read just like the news headlines. 

Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the Lord is coming,
For it is at hand...

 A people come, great and strong,...The Lord gives voice before His army,

For His camp is very great;For strong is the One who executes His word.For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible;Who can endure it?...

 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord,"Turn to Me with all your heart,With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord,

Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’

 The Lord will answer and say to His people,

“Behold, ...

  I will remove far from you the northern army,
And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land,
With his face toward the eastern sea
And his back toward the western sea;
His stench will come up,
And his foul odor will rise,
Because he has done monstrous things.”

Fear not, O land....

In the north

Is such an attack by a huge army from the north imminent? It would appear so. Two days ago i24 TV News claimed that Israel was poised for an attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon and that 4 European countries had naval warships hovering offshore in a show of support, including a French frigate that was docked in Haifa. This was not reported on Israeli media. Yesterday Netanyahu made an urgent trip to Belgium to meet with the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. Today news headlines in all the major Israeli papers announce that the IDF last night began "Operation Northern Shield" along the northern border, the Blue Line, to expose and destroy the network of tunnels that Hezbollah has dug under the border into Israel, in clear contravention of the ceasefire agreement that ended the 2006 Lebanon War (1). The Operation is intended to take place only within Israeli territory but there is a potential for serious escalation should Hezbollah respond by attacking Israel. 

Over recent months Israel has continued its attacks on Iranian bases in Syria and against Iranian arms shipments intended for Hezbollah. Last week the Syrian news media announced that the Syrian army had shot down an Israeli plane and a missile. This report was not true and later the same day the Syrian news media admitted as much. Earlier in the week, according to Israeli Intelligence, Iran used a Boeing 747 passenger plane to ship electronic missile guidance systems to Hezbollah in Lebanon last. This is a serious threat to Israel as it gives Hezbollah the ability to strike any target in Israel with precision. Hezbollah has been posting taunting threats against Israel in the social media, with images showing their intended targets, including the IDF Central Command in the Kiryia in Tel Aviv. There are also reports of a buildup of Syrian troops, led by Iranian officers, along the Syrian border with Israel.  Any confrontation with Hezbollah which is backed and supplied by Iran is likely to also involve Russia which is backing Iran. The alignment of these armies in the north resonates with the prophecy of Joel. Is this the beginning of the great day of the Lord? That I do not know, but I do know that we who are called by His name are also called to be priests before Him (I Peter 2:9) , and thus we are commanded to; 

"Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them (the priests) say, “Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’"

Joel 2: 17

In the south
In the south, the ceasefire with Hamas seems to be holding, more or less. There have been no rockets or missiles flying into Israel but there have been riots, and attempted infiltrations every Friday at the border fence. The numbers participating are decreasing, but still reaching about 10,000.  According to a Palestinian interviewed on i24 TV news today, Hamas pays every person coming to the border fence to protest $100 per month. This is very attractive to young men who have no work and no other way of earning money.  He also claimed that every person who is injured receives only $200, and that Hamas encourages women to come to the protests because they bring their younger children with them. If a woman or child is hurt it is 'good' propaganda against Israel. 

I have not heard of any fires being started by incendiary balloons or kites recently, but I do not know whether this reflects a real cessation of attempts or merely a result of the onset of the winter rains and a change in the direction of the wind lately. 

I am also glad to say that with good rains falling and warm temperatures, the vegetation is again growing in the burnt areas. Tourism coordinator in the Gaza region, Livnat Glanzburg, said 

“We are opening a new chapter in our lives and this is the time to call upon the citizens of Israel to come visit this beautiful region... There were rumors that the fires damaged the blossoming of the anemones, this is not true, and in a few months we expect a spectacular flowering of anemones. We only hope for calm on the security front and lots of rain” (2).

Before and after the rains bring regrowth of burnt areas in the Negev
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5416066,00.html

I thank God for the rains. So far they are good especially along the coast, and in the north and the south. Here in the Judean Mountains we have not yet had a lot of rain, but the landscape is beginning to turn green. Please keep praying for abundant rain in the region. It is too soon to say the drought has ended. We still need a lot more rain. especially in the north and along the mountain 'backbone' in order to recharge the aquifers.  

Will the government fall? 

In my last blog update I mentioned that Israel's Minister for Security, Avigdor Lieberman, had resigned in protest over the decision to accept the ceasefire with Hamas. This means the government now has a shaky majority of only one vote. A few days later the Education Minister, Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister, Ayelet Shaked, also threatened to walk out of the coalition, which would have toppled the government. We were all shocked when Bennett and Shaked backed down from their threat and decided to stay in the government (3). I believe this was a direct consequence of prayer. Whatever our political shade, no one wanted the government to fall at this delicate point of time. Bennett now however has a lot more power as he can hold over Netanyahu the threat to bring the government down. 

Netanyahu is facing yet another threat to his government today. The police announced that they have sufficient evidence to indict Netanyahu on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust for actions benefitting the telephone company, Bezeq, in return for favorable press coverage by the media company, Walla (4). Netanyahu denies the charges and dismissed the accusations as a 'witch hunt orchestrated by the media'.  He said, 

"The police recommendations regarding me and my wife don't surprise anyone. These recommendations were decided upon and leaked even before the investigation began.The police recommendations have no legal status. Just recently, the authorized bodies completely rejected the police recommendations against a series of public officials. I am sure that also in this case the relevant authorities, after examining the matter, will reach the same conclusion— that there was nothing because there is nothing. (4)"

This is the third accusation of bribery and corruption that Netanyahu has faced.  Both the earlier ones were not taken up by the Attorney General because of insufficient evidence. It remains to be seen if the Attorney General will indict Netanyahu this time. Is this all just another 'witch hunt' as Netanyahu claims, or is it a case of 'no smoke without a fire'? In any case, it is yet another threat to the stability of the government and many are calling for Netanyahu to stand down and call early elections. 

Our enemies beyond our borders do not understand that this squabbling, and the internal divisions of opinion, are not weakness but a sign of a healthy democracy and public debate. They should be aware that should there be any threat to the existence and survival of the State, we will forget all our differences and come together as one. 

Terror in Israel 

There has recently been an increase in the number of terror attacks and attempted attacks within Israel. The head of the Shin Bet (Israel's Security Agency), Nadav Argaman, claims that they had foiled some 480 Palestinian terror attacks in the last year, including 13 suicide attacks and 8 kidnappings. They also arrested some 1100 potential lone-wolf attackers.  (5). Recently the Shin Bet thwarted an attempt by Hamas to establish a terror network in the West Bank, recruiting and training potential terrorists to bomb large buildings, shopping malls, hotels, trains and buses, in order to escalate the security situation both in the West Bank and in Gaza.  According to Ynetnews, 

The Shin Bet noted this plot was at a much larger scope and posed far greater danger than similar attempts in the past, as it was directed by Hamas's high command in Gaza and not by former Palestinian security prisoners expelled from the West Bank, as previous attempts had been  (5).

Apparently, Hamas used people allowed into Israel for life-saving medical treatments, or businessmen with contacts in the West Bank, to carry messages to coordinate these planned attacks. 

Rewriting History

Another, more subtle but more insidious, attack on Israel comes by means of the Arab world's plan to rewrite history denying Israel's claim to possession of the Holy Land and Jerusalem. On Friday the UN General Assembly passed a resolution by 148 votes to 11, with 14 abstentions, which disavowed Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem. That resolution and a more global one about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict referred to the Temple Mount only by its Muslim name, al-Haram-al-Sharif (6). Israeli permanent representative to the UN, Noa Furman, said, "This omission was deliberate. It shows yet another instance of the Palestinian refusal to recognize the proven historical connection between Judaism, Christianity, the Temple Mount and Jerusalem as a whole."  She also called on the international community to "stop participating in such a blatant denial of history" (6). 

Throughout the Arab world a distorted view of history and geopolitics is propagated through school textbooks. Here are some excerpts from a Saudi Arabian textbook, for example (7):

Some excerpts from Saudi Arabian school textbooks
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5411308,00.html

 I am also astounded when people claim that modern archaeology does not support the Bible or Israel's claim to the land. Where does such an idea come from? There are massive amounts of archaeological evidence all of which support the Biblical accounts. This week another archaeological find added to this accumulation of evidence. The inscription on a signet ring found at the site of the Herodion near Bethlehem 50 years ago was recently deciphered for the first time and discovered to read in Greek script "Pilatus", and is believed to have belonged to Pontius Pilate who sentenced Jesus to death (8). 

Another interesting archaeological find this month is the discovery of an image of Jesus painted onto the wall of a 6th Century church in the Byzantine city of Shivta in the Negev. It depicts the head of a young man and follows the well-known iconography of the period depicting Jesus (9). It shows Jesus as having a somewhat Semitic appearance, unlike the long-haired European looking Jesus of the later church art we are more used to seeing. 

Dr. Emma Maayan-Fanar’s reconstruction on top of the face of Jesus found in a Byzantine-era North Church at Shivta in the Negev. (Dror Maayan)
https://www.timesofisrael.com/jesus-image-hidden-in-plain-sight-at-negev-church-is-one-of-earliest-in-israel/

Transport woes

If you have lived and worked in Israel you will know that one of our biggest difficulties is traffic congestion. Israelis are very mobile people, always on the go, and many commute long distances to work. Israel has an extensive and well-developed road system but with nearly 10 million vehicles on the roads in a small area, which could fit inside Lake Michigan, this translates to choking congestion at times. Some 230,000 new cars are being imported into Israel every year. Add to this Israeli impatience and general disregard for the traffic rules and you have a high number of traffic accidents, injuries and deaths. 

Gridlock on the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv in 2015 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-to-seek-private-sector-help-to-limit-transportation-woes/

This is a great challenge for those responsible for our transportation and this week it was announced that they are turning to the private sector for help, an admission of defeat in view of the government's poorly executed rail projects (10). 

At the end of September the long-awaited, 1.8 billion dollar,  fast train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was opened, but only the Ben Gurion (Airport) to Jerusalem section. Its first weeks of operation have been blighted by a series of incidents and failures, including one in which passengers were trapped inside a 13 km tunnel, the longest in the Middle East, for 3 hours due to a power failure. These delays and concerns about its safety have meant that most people have continued to use their cars for the TA to Jerusalem commute. Now there is talk of building a new highway into Jerusalem from the Motza interchange bypassing the current narrow, winding and very dangerous section at the entrance to the city. 

View of the new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem fast train seen over the Ha’Arazim valley just outside of Jerusalem, September 25, 2018 (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-to-seek-private-sector-help-to-limit-transportation-woes/

The good news is that help is on its way. Noah's Ark is coming to Israel. A Dutch Christian, Johan Huibers, has constructed a replica of Noah's Ark as described in Genesis and is intending to sail it to Israel from the Netherlands (11). This project cost 1.8 million dollars and I cannot but wonder if  such a sum of money, and the immense effort involved, might not have been put to better use. 

This full-size replica of Noah’s Ark, built by Johan Huibers (Photo: EPA)
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5415765,00.html

Old Age Pension in Israel

Israel, like many Western countries, is facing an aging population as the 'baby boomers' reach old age. I have been on the national pension now for over a year and I receive just over 2000 shekels a month. Given that the average rent in this area is around 5,000 shekels a month and the cost of food per person is about 2,000 shekels, not to mention the costs of clothing, medicines and transport, you can imagine that ends don't meet for most elderly folk. Poverty amongst the elderly is a growing crisis. This last week a bill was proposed in the Knesset to increase the national pension to be equivalent to the minimum wage, of  5300 shekels per month (compare - the average wage is 9200 shekels). Sadly this bill failed to pass by two votes, apparently because of the absence of two opposition members, one because he was taking a personal phone call at the time and the other because he was "on a diplomatic mission in China" ( my guess - this is code for 'on personal business'). These MKs will be reprimanded but as the MK who proposed the bill, Itzik Shmuli,  said " the government spat in the faces of the elderly citizens who founded our country. Voting against the bill, after a measly NIS 60 were added to the old-age pension, is a crime." (12)

On that note I will bring this update to an end, go eat my lunch and head off to the pool for a swim. Life goes on.... 

References: 

1. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/IDF-launches-Operation-Northern-Shield-to-destroy-Hezbollah-terror-tunnels-573459

2 https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5416066,00.html

3. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5409063,00.html

4. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5418366,00.html

5. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5412061,00.html  shin bet foils major terror attacks

https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Shin-Bet-thwarts-Hamas-terror-attacks-inside-Israel-572543

6. https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/148-nations-disavow-Jewish-ties-to-Jerusalem-Temple-Mount-573295

7. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5411308,00.html

8. https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium-ring-of-roman-governor-pontius-pilate-who-executed-jesus-found-in-herodion-site-1.6699353

9. https://www.timesofisrael.com/jesus-image-hidden-in-plain-sight-at-negev-church-is-one-of-earliest-in-israel/

10 https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-to-seek-private-sector-help-to-limit-transportation-woes/
year.http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/164663

11. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5415765,00.html

12. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5416606,00.html


Minimum Monthly wage:NIS 5,300.00 (as of Jan 12, 2017)    https://www.btl.gov.il/English%20Homepage/Mediniyut/GeneralInformation/Pages/MinimumWage.aspx

Under article 1 of the law: NIS 9,802 (as of Jan 01, 2018).  Average wage per month