THE FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

http://www.mountmadonnaschool.org/userfiles/Fiddler.jpg

 

 

Have you ever tried to play a fiddle on a roof? I cannot say I have myself, but I suspect it is no easy task, keeping one's balance in such a precarious situation.

 

 As a Christian living in a Jewish State, in a mixed Jewish and Arab city (Jerusalem), torn daily with hatred, suspicion and fear, not to mention violence, it is no easy task to keep my balance. I have experienced at least 4 wars and three Intifada's, and have learned what it is to have enemies who want to kill me. It is very personal.  Every day as I set out to work or the shops, or just take a walk down the street, I do not know if it will be my last day on this Earth. The man walking behind me may pull a knife and stab me, the tractor pulling up behind me at the traffic lights may keep on going and crush my car, the worker at my school may be a suicide bomber, with explosives strapped under his jacket. It is hard not to fall prey to fear, which in turn gives rise to feelings of anger, hatred, revenge and violence.  And in such a climate, it is so easy to be influenced by the opinions and events around me, to allow the tiny seeds of hatred, prejudice and, yes, even violent thoughts creep into my thinking. I often have to check my balance. It is something I have to consciously do from time to time. I thank God, I have an anchor, a plumb line with which to correct my thinking and heart, the love of God for all mankind, Jew, Arab and Gentile alike. Yeshua (Jesus) taught us to love our enemies and pray for their salvation.

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’   But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:43-45.

What a contrast this is to the spirit of revenge and hatred that rules this region.

A large part of the battle in the Middle East today is the battle of the mind. Truth is being distorted, history rewritten, and values overturned. One of the main battlefields lies in the minds of our children. A generation of children are being brainwashed, filled with fear, hatred and violence.

Last week Ynet News, the online version of one of the main newspapers in Israel, interviewed a group of young children, aged between 8-13,  who were taking part in the riots in East Jerusalem, choosing to burn tires, throw rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli police, risking injury or death, rather than attend school. Why?

 



Palestinian children who have skipped school to join the rioting in East Jerusalem. (Photo: Mohammed Shinawi)

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4594812,00.html





“We are willing to die as martyrs, we have nothing else to lose,” says one. 

 

Another says,

“All of us are willing to sacrifice our lives and die as martyrs. We have nothing to lose. It is true we are kids but we have courage and strength to do many things like heroes. Israel attacks children and we will not let this happen quietly. Al-Aqsa is ours and we will not give up on it."

A third says, “Our blood is not cheap. This is the time to resist, it is more important than being at school or at work. If we do not respond they will eat us. Everyone always calls on students to join the struggle” .
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4594812,00.html

Who are these people who call the children to sacrifice their lives to save the Al Aqsa Mosque from 'the Israelis who are attacking it'?  Who is it who is feeding them the lie that Israel is 'attacking' the Al Aqsa Mosque? Who is it who dresses even the tots in the garb of a shahib (suicide bomber or martyr) and teaches them that this is their highest calling in life? Where are their parents? Why do they permit them to do this? Surely this is child abuse of the highest order!

https://themuslimissue.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/babyjihadicropped.jpg?w=610

http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/1boy-hamas-big_0.gif



Sad to say prejudice and hatred are not to be found only amongst the Arabs. It is alive and well too amongst the Jewish population.  Not very long ago a Palestinian teenager was burned alive by Jewish teenagers in revenge for the deaths of the three Jewish students murdered near Hebron.  In recent months, Jewish extremists have carried out a whole series of 'price tag' revenge attacks on Arab property, slashing tires and spraying racist hate graffiti on mosques, churches and other buildings.

Thankfully there are those, and not a few, who are working to build bridges, to counter the prejudice and brainwashing on both sides, and working for peace and understanding. One such is the "Hand in Hand" organization that runs five mixed Jewish and Arab schools around the country. Last night one of those schools was set ablaze and anti-Arab graffiti sprayed on its walls. A first grade classroom was gutted before the fire brigade brought it under control. More than 600 students, equally divided between Jews and Arabs, attend this pre-school to high school bi-lingual institution.  I am glad to say that the school opened today and classes were held in spite of all.

Firefighters inspect a burned classroom at the Max Rayne Hand in Hand Jerusalem School, Nov. 29, 2014. Photo by Tali Meir
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.629147

There are other similar mixed institutions around the city and wider Israel too, including the International School in which I work. Please pray for the staff and students of these schools which could now also become a target, by extremists from both sides of the conflict.

It is not only the Muslims and the Jews who are prone to losing their balance, Christian and Messianic believers in Yeshua may also fall.

This week  we saw the Pope praying with the Muslim Grand Mufti of Istanbul towards Mecca. Though not the first Pope to do so, it is nevertheless rather shocking. How can a man who claims to be the leader of the Christian Church worldwide pray to a pagan idol (a black meteorite) that was adopted by Islam, housed in the Kaaba  in Mecca? What is he thinking?  This is not the answer.

Pope Francis and Istanbul's Grand Mufti Rahmi Yaran pray together in the Blue Mosque. Photograph: AP
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/29/pope-francis-turkey-pray-blue-mosque-islam-cooperation

There is an answer and the only answer lies in the person of Yeshua (Jesus). He came to bring peace to the world and only in Him is there hope for forgiveness, reconciliation and love between men, Jew, Arab and Gentile.  Only He can bring healing to this broken world. As Christians and Messianic believers we must not water down the gospel for it is the only hope of mankind. We must pray for our enemies as we pray for our friends. Love is the only antidote for fear and hatred.

Here in Israel I have often been saddened by the attitudes of some of my brothers and sisters in the Lord who suffer a kind of blindness with regards to God's love for Israel, either believing that God has rejected her in favor of the church, or loving her so enthusiastically that they forget that she has rejected her Messiah and needs salvation. Though God created Israel to be the vessel through whom he would bring the prophets, the Holy Scriptures,  and ultimately the Messiah himself, it wasn't for Israel's benefit alone, nor even principally, but rather so that he could bring restoration to the whole world. One of my Jewish friends put it eloquently in an email she sent me this week. She said we need to  come

"...  back to a focus on the only place where there will ever be any peace or rest -- I should say the only one, Yeshua -- and the only focus where we will we see with spiritual eyes to see how God is actually seen to be working out the fullness of his plan from before the foundation of the earth.

If I can speak honestly, I have found that focus sadly missing from much of what I see being shared by many who love and support Israel.  While I certainly am overjoyed that the church is awakening to the whole truth about God's intentions towards Israel and the Jewish people, and that he hasn't abandoned her, nor will he, and his supernatural deliverance in preserving the physical descendants of Abraham over and over and over again; I now find myself wondering if we haven't gone too far over to the opposite extreme or into a kind of tunnel vision where it concerns Israel  (as we human beings seem prone to do about so many things).  It seems like in the midst of this kind of renewal, we're losing sight that neither is God only concerned about the Jewish people -- and really never was.  His plan from the beginning was always so much greater than that -- to bring all things under the lordship of Yeshua -- to reach out to the whole lost world."

 

And though we know the ultimate outcome that God has for Israel's good, the reality right now is the Jews are still in a state of rejection and rebellion against our own messiah, and there are consequences to that, and it remains yet to be seen how God will have to bring things about to turn our hard hearts back to him.  There's even a teaching around by some well-known teachers that there's no need to bring the gospel to the Jews, because God's going to bring about their salvation some other way.

 

We need to keep that focus, because the only real hope for peace and reconciliation amongst men is in Yeshua. Only He can heal the hurts, the fear and the anger. Only He can give us love in our hearts for one another. Only He can bring about peace on earth.

I was thrilled to learn this week that our (Messianic Jewish) congregation is opening its doors to an Arab congregation which will be using our building for its meetings. We hope that we can fellowship together from time to time and demonstrate to our broken peoples that forgiveness and love is possible in Yeshua. It is sad that there are some believers in our city, and indeed  even in our congregation itself, who oppose our position in this matter.  

Which brings me back to the "Fiddler on the Roof". Whether we are Jewish or Arab or neither, if we are truly Christian or Messianic believers we have to keep our balance. We have to love all people, no matter who they are, even or especially our enemies.  We have to pray for the salvation of all mankind and the ultimate redemption of the world. Only when this is finally completed, will there be peace and love amongst men.

May the LORD God of Israel help us all  keep our balance on the roof!!!

 

 



Day 11 of Open Ended Ceasefire

It is a quiet Shabbat morning in Jerusalem and the Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is holding. I can hear the children playing in the swimming pool down below.  Life is returning to 'normal' in Israel. Most families in the southern towns and kibbutzim have returned to their homes to repair their damaged homes and put their lives back on track. Some families however have decided that 'enough is enough' and they will not be returning to their homes in the south.

On Monday this week two million  Israeli children went back to school for the new school year. It was not a normal start however. The Education Ministry decided that the first two weeks would be devoted to allowing the children to express their experiences of the war and doing relaxing activities designed to enable children to process their emotions.  Although most children seem to take  rockets and sirens in their stride, long term emotional trauma is evident in many and can affect them all their lives. Many suffer bedwetting, nightmares, and excessive anxieties. 

http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/fn2/feeds/Associated%20Press/2014/09/01/876/493/Mideast%20Israel%20Back%20to%20School-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1

 One mother reported that  "At age 5, kindergartner Daniel Neardea of Rishon LeZion recognizes the different sounds of incoming rockets and Iron Dome interceptors and can identify Israel's chief of staff and the top Hamas political leaders"
.
Describing the summer as "loud," his mother, Enav Neardea, said her children mostly took the rockets and sirens in stride, even when they disrupted their activities at the playground or swimming pool. "I guess they understand this is part of their lives now."
http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-israel-schools-20140902-story.html

Although the ceasefire is holding it is possible the rocket fire and hostilities will resume once the talks aimed at bringing about a permanent ceasefire begin in Cairo begin soon. No doubt Hamas has taken the opportunity to rearm and regroup. It is already boasting about the 'next round' as I reported in my last post. Hamas' demands for Israel to remove the 'blockade' of Gaza entry points and ports will never be accepted by Israel. I would hope that this latest war would have made it abundantly evident to all that Israel cannot allow Hamas to have open borders. We have seen how, even with the so-called blockade, they were able to smuggle in thousands of rockets and other military supplies, and build miles and miles of tunnels - a whole underground network. Imagine what they could do if there were no controls on their imports.

On the other hand Israel is demanding that Hamas will submit to disarmament, something they are not likely to agree to, unless the world was to unite against them and force the issue, something it seems little inclined to do.



Victory celebrations in Gaza

So the question now is merely, not whether Hamas will resume rocket fire upon Israel, but rather when. It could be tomorrow or next week or next month or next year, but sooner or later it seems inevitable. Hamas is not cowed nor defeated but  feel they have won a great victory over Israel in that they held out for 50 days and successfully turned many governments and people in the free world against us.

Furthermore, as a result of this campaign Hamas' popularity has skyrocketed amongst Palestinians. Polls  carried out after the Ceasefire began by the Ramallah based Center for Policy and Survey Research in the West Bank and Gaza show that 88% of Palestinians support Hamas, and 79% believe that Hamas had won. 94% were satisfied with Hamas military performance and 78% were satisfied with Hamas' defense of its civilian population. 86% support the launching of rockets against Israel should current negotiations fail. http://www.pcpsr.org/en/node/489 

These figures are astounding and reflect the disconnect with reality resulting from biased media reporting, and brainwashing that takes place in Palestinian schools and homes from an early age. It also gives a lie to the concept of 'innocent civilians'. Clearly most of the people of Gaza back Hamas and are therefore very far from innocent.

This is what 'victory' looks like in Gaza

Now the UN World Court is intending to try our political and military leaders for 'war crimes'. HAS THE WORLD GONE MAD?
The British Colonel Richard Kemp, the former leader of the British forces in Afghanistan, and who observed the IDF operations at close quarters during the Operation Protective Edge, had this to say in an interview with the BBC, " There has never been a time in the history of warfare when any army has made more efforts to reduce civilian casualties and deaths of innocent people than the IDF is doing in Gaza . " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WssrKJ3Iqcw. He tells of one Israeli pilot he spoke to who had aborted a mission 17 times because civilians were spotted in the vicinity.

One might ask, why is the UN  not trying the Hamas leadership for their war crimes - firing over 4000 rockets at Israeli civilians and using their own civilians for living shields and propaganda? What about  the 160 Gazan children who died while being forced to construct the underground tunnels for Hamas? http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy-defense/38316-140726-report-hamas-used-child-labor-in-tunnel-building  Is that not a war crime or at least a terrible violation of human rights?

Instead of criticizing Israel at every turn (we are quite good at doing that for ourselves) the world should be thanking Israel for its courageous stand at the very front line of the war against terror, which threatens all of Western civilization and the free world. The world is under its greatest threat since World War II  and slowly, slowly, and perhaps too late,  it is beginning to wake up to that fact. Sadly the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Middle Eastern people, and the displacement of millions more,  were more or less overlooked by the West as the Islamic Salafi - Jihadist groups advanced. It was not until an American journalist was brutally beheaded that the Western world has begun to wake up to the threat.
Today a conference of 19 NATO countries  signed a pledge to bring down the Islamic State (ISIS) using both financial embargoes and military might. Time will tell if they will do so. Will they use 'proportional force'  or hold back when the first civilian casualties occur? Does the Western world have the moral courage to carry out its threats? We will see.

Even if the Nato coalition can bring down the Islamic State militarily it cannot stop the ideology, which thrives on violence and opposition. The battle is spiritual not material or military. It can only be won by spiritual means. This week I was reminded of the part we Christian believers need to play in all of this. Not many of us are soldiers in the armies of the 'free' world but we are all soldiers of God's army. This week I was watching the movie "The Hobbit" on TV. At one point Gandalf, the good wizard, remarked that in his long experience it was not the great and mighty that held back the darkness but the ordinary folk, the little people, with an act of kindness here, a smile there or a word of encouragement. Words of wisdom indeed. No matter how small we may feel ourselves to be we have a part to play in holding back the forces of darkness that are threatening to overwhelm us. Prayer is our weapon and we need in these days to wield it with strength, courage, perseverance and hope. We are all on the front line of the battle and we know that the victory is already won in the heavenly places.

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He^[ is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

        II Thessalonians 2 (NJKV)

Clearly the call for Christians today is to stand fast in prayer and to discern clearly on which side they stand. The passage above predicts a  'falling away' in the last times, and a strong delusion in which many will believe the lie. Let us all take great care we are all lovers of truth and diligently search for it.

In our praying we need to pray with understanding and in the Spirit. For this reason  I have put together a short history of Salafi-Jihadism and the Islamic State, outlined below.

Salafism 101 or 'Know Your Enemy'

Most non-Muslims have no idea what Salafist Islam is but it is important we understand what we are facing. Salafism is a fundamentalist movement that arose during the second half of the nineteenth century as a reaction against the spread of Western ideas and the perceived corruption of pure Islamic culture.  Salafists desire a return to the 'pure' form of Islam that was practiced in the earliest days of their faith, particularly during the period when Islam was ruled by the first four Caliphs (religious leaders who succeeded Mohammed). The world Caliph (Khalifa) means 'successor'. They promote jihad which is the  struggle for the supremacy of Islam and this term usually carries a military connotation. Persons who are engaged in jihad are called the mujahideen. Salafists are Sunni Muslims and regard Shiite Islam as heresy.

The Salafi-Jihadi ideology thus aims to:

• return to the authentic beliefs and practices of the pious ancestors who were the companions of Mohammed,
• To establish an Islamic State or Caliphate ruled by the strict and harshest interpretations of Islamic Sharia Law
• promote the concept of tawhid  or the oneness/unity of God ( and the denial that he has a Son!)
• endorse the waging of jihad against regimes they regard as idolatrous, including the Shiite, Jewish and Christian 'infidels'.  

Salafi-Jihadism has been growing amongst the people of Jordan and Lebanon since the 1990s and it is therefore not surprising that the founder of the ISIS (ISL or the Islamic State or Da'ish as it is now called), Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, came from the Salafi stronghold of Zarqa in Jordan. 

After the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Zarqawi, set up the forerunner of today's Islamic State in Iraq. At that time it was made up mainly of Iraqis. This organization first directed its jihad at the Shiites and in August of 2003 it bombed the Imam Ali shrine in Najav, the holiest place of Shiite worship in Iraq, killing 95 worshippers including  Ayatollah Mohammed Bakir al-Hakim, the  leader of the Shiite Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) .  

  After Saddam Hussein was toppled Shiites replaced Sunnis who had long ruled in Iraq, and this fueled Zarqawi's war against the Shiites. Zarqawi sent dozens of suicide bombers to blow themselves up in schools, cafes and markets in Shiite dominated towns. By 2004 he had joined Bin Laden's al Qaeda and he called his group Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).

Al Zarqawi began to see himself as not only an emir (a political and military commander) but as a spiritual leader or caliph. He never reached this goal however because in June 2006 he was killed by a US air force bomb.  Zarqawi was succeeded by Abu Bakr al Baghdahi, who is still the current leader. Under al Baghdadi's leadership the movement became less of a guerilla style terrorist organization and more of an organized army, numbering thousands of trained and armed men.  They opened a second front and attacked  the Shiites of Syria, and the organization was renamed ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). Baghdadi imposed strict Sharia Law on the towns he conquered,  and harshly enforced it.

By 2014 President Assad's forces had regrouped and were fighting back. He retook the city of Homs which was the symbolic heart of the ISIS uprising. Consequently Baghdadi planned a bigger strike which led to the taking of the city of Mosul, initiating a new phase in which he demonstrated a willingness to seize and control territory. Baghdadi also promoted himself to "Caliph and renamed his group "The Islamic State".  His ambition is to rule the whole region from the Mediterranean to the Gulf.  In Mosul he gave the command that 'infidels', Christians and Kurds, pay a special tax, leave, convert or face death. Thousands fled as the ancient Christian community there was targeted and those who were unable to flee were beheaded, stoned, crucified and enslaved.

In declaring himself Caliph Ibrahim, as Bagdhadi now styles himself, he may have overplayed his hand. Many more moderate Muslims see it as illegitimate, since according to the tradition, Caliphs were supposed to be chosen in consultation with all Muslim scholars. A Caliph could not appoint himself.  What is more, the institution of the caliphate has not been functioning for around 1000 years. A Caliph must also be physically whole and mentally sane, and must be of the Quraysh tribe of the Arabian peninsula. On the other hand, amongst Muslims there is a mystical belief that if you can establish a caliphate then everything will fall into place, something akin to the Messianic idea in Judaism and Christianity. The promise of  the inexorable, righteous expansion of Islam draws zealous  recruits from all over the world.

Salafi-Jihadist ideology has given rise to many  competing groups and terror organizations, and this lack of unity is their weak underbelly. Al Qaeda, although also Salafi,  disagreed with ISIS' focus on fellow Muslims (albeit Shiites) and were disgusted by their brutality and therefore broke off all ties with them in 2013. ISIS, as it was then called, was too brutal for al Qaeda!

Hamas is also based on a Salafi-Jihadist ideology but ISIS failed to support Hamas in the latest round of violence against Israel, not because it does not want the overthrow of Israel but it has a clearly defined and systematic program and the Hamas offensive did not fit in with its plans. This is its plan:

1. Build a firm base for the Islamic State in Iraq to serve as a springboard for waging war in Syria and Lebanon
2. Weaken the USA politically and economically by means of terror attacks on the USA mainland an US interests in Muslim countries
3. Expand the Islamic State to cover Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and possibly Gaza
4. Then, conquering Jerusalem and destroying Israel.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/08/isis-a-short-history/376030/2/

If the Islamic State’s history is any indication, then one should be concerned about it deepening political polarization and sectarianism in both Lebanon and Jordan, let alone trying to further its appeal by carrying out spectacular acts of violence in the Middle East or the West. The international community should internalize the fact that the Islamic State is theologically driven to apply Salafist ideology in belief and manifest action by way of jihad in the path of Allah against idolatrous regimes and unbelievers to expand “God’s realm” on earth

Robert G. Rabil  Robert G. Rabil is a professor of political science and the LLS distinguished professor of current affairs at Florida Atlantic University. http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-isis-chronicles-history-10895?page=3





Hamas soldiers in Gaza
http://patdollard.com/category/middle-east/page/11/

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY HAMAS FIGHTERS ARE ALWAYS MASKED?

Day  4 of the Ceasefire.

 

In You, O Lord, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
² Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.

³ For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
⁴ Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
⁵ Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth

Psalm 31: 1-5 (NJKV)

When I pick up my Bible these days, its so like reading the latest news paper!

On Tuesday night of this week I opted to skip the city-wide prayer meeting that was being held here in Jerusalem to pray concerning  the current Israel-Hamas confrontation. It was Day 50 of  Operation Protective Edge, and rocket fire from Gaza was coming in fast and furious. Every two or three minutes the orange and blue popups were flashing onto my TV screen announcing yet another "Code Red" warning of incoming fire. Residents in the south were having to dive for cover every 10-15 minutes. It was quieter in the center but nevertheless residents of Ashdod, Asquelon, Beer Sheva and Tel Aviv and other central towns also were coming under periodic attack.

Just as rumors of an  imminent ceasefire were beginning to be heard, I watched in horror as mortar fire on Kibbutz Nikim, near the Gaza border, struck a team of men who were repairing an electrical transformer that had been struck by a rocket earlier in the day. Two of the team, kibbutz members,  were killed and several injured, bringing the toll of Israeli civilians killed during the Operation to 6.  Then the news came in - a ceasefire had been declared by both sides and the firing was to stop at 7PM. A steady salvo of rockets kept coming over Israel right up to, and even for a few minutes after, the 7PM deadline, but then all fell quiet. Was it a coincidence that just at that moment believers from all over Jerusalem were beginning their prayer meeting?

At first it was hard to believe that the rocket fire had stopped. I kept watching with bated breath as the minutes ticked by, one hour and the ceasefire was still holding, two hours and three. It was hard to know what to think. I kept having to remind myself to breathe!

Now 4 days have passed and the Ceasefire is holding. An uneasy calm has settled over the Land.  It is time to take stock. Who won this war? Did anyone?

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4565603,00.html

Of course, Hamas claims that it won. Minutes after the ceasefire, celebrations erupted on the streets of Gaza, proclaiming their victory over the 'Zionist Entity' (Israel). No one there was asking why Hamas had put the citizens of Gaza through 50 days of terror and bloodshed only to accept the identical terms proposed in the very first ceasefire suggested by Egypt and agreed to by Israel. Here is Ismail Haniyeh, the former Hamas Prime Minister of Gaza, giving the V sign of victory while standing in the ruins of his home.  Is this victory?  Or is this victory? See the article below for a video of an aerial view of  the ruins of the Gazan suburb of Saja'iyah? It looks like an earthquake hit it! There is hardly a building undamaged.  Is this victory?
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4565726,00.html

Hamas not only brought unimaginable suffering to  all Gazans, its attempts to wreak similar havoc on Israel were foiled over and over again.  During the 50 days of Operation Protective Edge  4564 rockets, mortars and missiles were fired at Israel, but only 224 of these struck built up areas, and  735 of the larger, longer range missiles were shot down by the Iron Dome System.  In spite of this heavy barrage of fire, 'only' 71 Israelis, including 64 soldiers, one soldier on leave, and 6 civilians were killed during the Operation, and 469 people wounded.

In contrast the Israeli forces  attacked  some 5,226 targets in Gaza, destroying 1,814 targets linked to rocket firing, 109 weapons depots, 85 weapon-making factories and  312 houses belonging to people who were involved in terrorism. The air force also carried out 840 strikes to support ground forces, and 192 attacks on Hamas military or training sites. 32 tunnels designed to carry out infiltrations and terror attacks in Israel, were also destroyed, and several attempted infiltrations blocked.  
http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/50-days-of-Israels-Gaza-operation-Protective-Edge-by-the-numbers-372574
It is difficult to know just how many Gazans were killed, given the inflated figures reported by Hamas *, but it seems likely that around 1000 Hamas operatives and a similar number of civilians were killed. (* for more on this see http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2014/08/12/hamas-lies-about-the-gaza-civilian-death-toll-and-the-media-bought-it )

We could ask, "What was it that caused Hamas to call for a ceasefire that they had previously rejected?" Could it be that they were in dire straights? Their operational abilities were being drastically eroded and several of their leaders killed. Perhaps their rocket supply was running low? One thing is sure however, that whatever the reason, they called for the current ceasefire because they believe it to be to their advantage, and for no other reason. They do not care about the plight of their civilian population. Only one thing is important for them, and that is the destruction of the Zionist Entity, Israel, and Islamic Jihad. They would only agree to a ceasefire if it served that end. They wanted time to regroup and rearm so that they can continue the fight. Already they are boasting of the 'next round' with Israel.  On Thursday evening, just 48 hours after declaring the Ceasefire, Khaled Mashal, the Hamas political chief who sat out the war in his perch in a hotel in Qatar, had this to say,"This is not the end. This was not the last campaign to liberate Palestine – it was an important stop on the road to victory." http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4565395,00.html

Remember what is written in the Hamas Covenant  about negotiation:

'[Peace]  initiatives,   and   so-called   peaceful   solutions   and

international conferences are in contradiction to the  principles  of

the Islamic Resistance Movement... Those conferences are no more than

a means to appoint the  infidels  as  arbitrators  in  the  lands  of

Islam... There is no solution for the Palestinian problem  except  by

Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a

waste of time, an exercise in futility.' (Article 13)

 In a war against such an ideology there is no military solution.  The question we should be asking is  not who won the war, but what will happen now.

The mood in Israel is not one of victory celebrations. We mourn for our dead and suffering, and for those of the people Gaza.  We do not trust Hamas and do not believe the Ceasefire will hold long-term. At the same time events taking place  in the wider region  around us are of great concern. Even as we were getting used to the idea that the rocket fire from Gaza had stopped, for now,  a number of rockets were fired over the northern border from Lebanon and Syria. Israeli farmers were told to stay out of their fields and sirens blared in some northern communities. An army officer was injured. On Thursday Al Qaida affiliated rebels captured the Syrian side of the border crossing at Quneitra in the Golan Heights. This is getting too close for comfort. ISIL is promising to take Iraq and Syria and then Jerusalem, while the Western world is only just waking up to the threat on its very doorstep - perhaps too late.

As happens here after every war we are also indulging in a great deal of self criticism and the casting of recriminations. At the beginning of Operation Protective Edge Israeli citizens, well-known for their normally divisive and argumentative natures, were uncharacteristically united behind the war effort. We saw for the first time a real opportunity to crush Hamas once and for all. The international community seemed to be, if not behind us exactly, at least not very vocal in its opposition. We definitely had the military might to do the job, and felt we occupied the moral high ground. At this point polls showed 89% support for Netanyahu and his leadership.  As casualties rose in Gaza, and the international press began once again to present its lopsided 'take' on events, world opinion began, as always, to swing away from Israel. Even the USA, our only reliable friend in the past,  began to waver. Our leaders consequently hesitated to order another ground incursion, which seemed to be essential if we were to strike a fatal blow to Hamas. And then, just as such an incursion seemed to be about to happen, suddenly the Ceasefire was declared.

Many Israelis were shocked that we agreed to it. It seemed like failure. All those long days of fighting, destruction and death, and what did we have to show for it? Hamas was still in power and still armed. Although Netanyhu has repeatedly stressed that we have dealt Hamas a terrible blow,  we all know it was far from a fatal one. At this point, polls are showing only 39% support for Netanyhu's leadership. It is my feeling that most Israelis feel bitter disappointment that once more 'we didn't finish the job'. There is a lot of anger and a sense of betrayal.

I think we were caught up with a high degree of optimism at the beginning and it was not really based on reality. We dreamed of a Hamas-free Gaza, and one day a Gaza rebuilt and friendly, or at least not aggressive, towards us.  We wanted to totally destroy Hamas politically and dismantle its military apparatus. A bit of a pipe dream I think. Now we are beginning to realize that this was not really possible without the resolve and support of the rest of the world. There are those still hoping for the disarmament of Hamas when talks to bring about a permanent ceasefire begin in about a month, but this dream seems to be rapidly fading. The best we can hope for is a few months, perhaps years, of quiet before Hamas rearms and regroups and starts the next round of hostilitiesZ.

So where does this leave us, we who believe in the God of Israel and pray for His will to be done on Earth as in Heaven? We need to remember that the bottom line is that He is in total control. It is He who raises up leaders and kings, and brings them down. If he has spared Hamas for now, there is a good reason. It is  all part of His plan. We may not understand the timing or the details, but it is sure that He will bring about the final redemption of the world through the Messiah King, Jesus, and he will vindicate Israel in the end. Indeed in the spiritual realm he has already done so. It just needs to work its way out in the physical world.  This calls for much patience and longsuffering, and may test our faith to its limits. Please pray for all us who stand here on the front line of this battle, both physically and spiritually . We who live in the Land of Israel, and love her, face many difficulties every day . We need your prayers. However pray fervently for those others in the Land who do not yet know their God and do not have His comfort in these dark days. Pray that they will turn to God, acknowledge his sovereignty and find salvation through his Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), to the Jew first but also the Arab and all other Gentiles. Only when this occurs, and the Enemy Satan, manifesting in these days through the Spirit of Islam, is defeated, will the world know any peace.

I will finish with the prayer of  David, in Psalm 31 (NJKV), which seems so immediate and relevant to our situation today:

I am a reproach among all my enemies,
But especially among my neighbors,
And am repulsive to my acquaintances;
Those who see me outside flee from me.
¹² I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
¹³ For I hear the slander of many;
Fear is on every side;
While they take counsel together against me,
They scheme to take away my life.

¹⁴ But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
¹⁶ Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
¹⁷ Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You;
Let the wicked be ashamed;
Let them be silent in the grave.
¹⁸ Let the lying lips be put to silence,
Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

¹⁹ Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
²⁰ You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.

²¹ Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
²² For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.

²³ Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
²⁴ Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.

Day 47 of Operation Protective Shield.


Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
² When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
³ Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

It is a hot and sleepy Shabbat afternoon here in Jerusalem. In my neighborhood the only sound is the gentle cooing of doves and the occasional chirping of a bird.  As I look at the beautiful and deceptively peaceful view across the neighboring Arab villages and the distant, hazy hills of Jordan, it is hard to believe we are in the middle of a war.

                           http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Rise-in-rocket-fire-from-Gaza-3-Jul-2014.aspx

Just 50 km away, all is not so tranquil. As I write orange and blue pop-ups appear regularly on the TV as 'code red' sirens sound in Ashdod, Ashqelon and the towns and kibbutzim around the Gaza Strip, warning of incoming rocket fire.  Close to the Strip the sirens sound every 10-15 minutes, each one giving the residents only 10 to 15 seconds to find shelter. In the days since the collapse of the last ceasefire, we have had record numbers of rockets raining down- around 140 per day.  Little wonder that most of the towns down there are like ghost towns. Over 80% of the residents have fled to the north, and those few who remain must stay indoors, close to their 'safe rooms'. Businesses and factories lie idle and late summer crops are rotting in the fields. 

Last night the first Israeli child, Daniel Trergerman, aged just 4 1/2 was killed when a mortar hit his home. It was Friday night and the children were playing outdoors in a moment of quiet. The parents managed to get their two younger children into the shelter but Daniel just couldn't run fast enough. He died. Put yourself into his parent's shoes this morning. They had been up north in relative safety for some weeks, but had decided to return home to try and put their lives back into some semblance of normality. After two days of constant rocket fire they had begun to pack up to return to the north, but too late. Daniel is dead, another little life cut off way too soon.  Here is a facebook post about Daniel. Read the small print.

Its an impossible situation for the citizens of the south. And an even more impossible situation for the citizens of Gaza who are suffering even more. It cannot go on.  Our government is again and again telling us that we need more patience. They say that it will all end but not yet. But how long can people hang on?

The mood here is changing. People are losing patience with the slow process of negotiation and counter negotiation in the search for peace. We don't believe that Hamas will honor any negotiated deal even if agreement is reached. After all, they have broken every one of the 11 ceasefires that we have had so far, even though they themselves were the ones to call for the ceasefires . The cry is getting stronger for a quick and decisive incursion into Gaza to 'finish the job', that is to say to disarm and cripple Hamas to the extent they are no longer able to fire rockets into Israel.   There is a feeling now that this is our ONLY real option, in spite of the fact we all know that this would cause a great many casualties on both sides, and would probably isolate Israel  even more in the international community. At the beginning over 80% of Israelis were in support of Netanyahu's approach to the situation but only around 56% support it now, according to polls.  

Meanwhile the world's eyes have been distracted by the events in Iraq, as the ISIL (ISIS) forces continue their relentless march to take over Syria, Iraq and eventually the entire Islamic block. ISIL has killed thousands of innocent people, massacring whole villages, raping and selling women and children into slavery, crucifying, beheading and stoning others, yet the world paid little attention until one poor American journalist is brutally beheaded.  The Western world is suddenly shocked and appalled by their medieval barbarism, but we here in the Middle EAst are not at all shocked. We have been trying to warn the West of this threat for years. After all Hamas is but a branch of the same tree that has given birth to Al Quaida and ISIL. The same ideology, jihadist fundamentalist Islam, committed to world domination, drives them all. Its time for the Western world to open up its eyes. Their whole civilization is facing an existential threat and for the most part they are blissfully unaware.
http://libertyunyielding.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Iraq-ISIS-ISW-BBC-map.jpg

Amongst Christian and Messianic believers here in Israel there is a growing awareness that the battle lines are being drawn up for the great and final showdown between the spiritual forces of  evil and the forces of the living God of the Bible, the God of Israel. It is time for all of us to get off the fence and decide which side we are on. There is a desperate need for Christians everywhere to go back to the Bible, read it as it is written, and not to listen to the myriad voices of liberal humanism in the media and the pulpits of many churches. I challenge every Christian to read the Bible literally. Where the words say "Israel" read it as "Israel" and not the "Church" as replacement theology teaches. The place and role of Israel in God's plan for the redemption of the World has not been replaced by the Church. God's promises and plans for the people of Israel are not void. God will not abandon his people at this time, just as His word says over and over again. Israel will survive and her enemies will be destroyed. The nations will be judged by their stand at the end. Will your nation stand with Israel or against her? Will you stand with Israel or against her?

Prayer points:

• Continue to pray for God's supernatural protection on the people of Israel. We have seen many miracles during this war and it is amazing that to date only 4 Israeli citizens have died in spite of  the more than 4000 rockets and missiles fired from Gaza since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge. http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Rise-in-rocket-fire-from-Gaza-3-Jul-2014.aspx

• Continue to pray for our leaders who are under incredible pressure from every quarter, both within the country and internationally. May they make wise and righteous decisions and not allow themselves to be swayed by personal or political considerations or threats.

• Pray for the civilians of both Israel and Gaza, who are suffering daily physical danger, privation and economic tragedy.

• Pray for the  brave and selfless soldiers of Israel who are willing to suffer and sacrifice their lives minute by minute in order to protect us and allow us to more or less go about our lives as normal. Another 10,000 reservists were called up to supplement the 70,000 already called up, and the regular army. All these men and women have left behind mothers, fathers, siblings, wives and children, businesses and careers. Some have not been home for over 40 days, and are sitting out in the open with little or no  respite from the searing heat and dust of our late Summer.

• Pray for truthful, honest and unbiased reporting in the media. This issue is addressed very eloquently in this video by a Maori woman in New Zealand. http://www.israellycool.com/2014/08/10/a-maori-woman-stands-up-for-israel/

• Pray for church leaders and congregations that they will interpret Scripture according to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and not according to erroneous traditions and philosophies of men.

• Pray for your own nations and leaders that they will be found supporting the right side in this war.

• Pray for the enemies of Israel. They are the true victims in all this. They have been deceived by Satan into believing they are doing Good, destroying the infidel and winning the world for their false god, Allah. They will get a great shock when they meet the true God on Judgment Day. Pray that many will receive visions and revelations of the Truth, as some have already. Pray that they will be rescued from the Deceiver and the Father of Lies.

• Pray against the advance of the ISIL forces in Iraq and Syria,  and that the Western world will move to stop them before it is too late. Today it is Iraq and Syria, tomorrow Jerusalem and the next day, Europe. As someone in my congregation recently remarked "I am not afraid for Israel, but I fear greatly for Europe".

Psalm 27 (NJKV) from verse 11.

Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
¹² Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
¹³ I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

DAY 34 OPERATION STRONG ROCK (PROTECTIVE EDGE)


Isaiah 5:20 New King James Version (NKJV)

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

 

 

 

 

We are now over 9 hours into the latest Ceasefire and our leaders and the leaders of Hamas are negotiating to try and resolve the mess we are in. 

 

 

 

I would like to urge all those who take seriously our LORD's command to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6) to pray fervently for God's will to be done.  

 

 

 

Here in Israel there is a sense of deep disappointment that after 33 days of warfare we are pretty much back where we started it seems. In spite of all the destruction and loss of life, Hamas is still firing rockets and missiles into Israel, the threat of the underground tunnels remains, and the lives of Israeli citizens, especially those living in the south, and also those of the people of Gaza are still unbearable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furthermore we feel  pain that, once again,  world opinion is turning against us, blaming Israel for all the deaths and destruction - calling good evil and evil good. It shows us that the old-fashioned anti-Semitism that bred Nazism is far from dead. 

 

 

 

 Since 2001 Hamas militants have fired around 15,000  rockets, mortars and missiles into Israel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel#Casualties.2C_Fatalities_and_rockets_fired,) killing  31 people and injuring thousands. In the period between July 8 and August 6 this year, a total of around 3360 rockets were fired into Israel http://www.idfblog.com/blog/2014/08/05/operation-protective-edge-numbers/.  Although Israel has exhibited extreme restraint throughout the 13 years of this bombardment, the situation could not be allowed to escalate further, and it came to the point that we had no choice but to respond. What would your country have done if it had been your town or city being attacked?

 

 

 

The IDF is the most moral army on Earth and has gone to great lengths  to spare civilian lives, but yet we are told we should do more!  I want to ask our critics, "What more could we do? We warned people to flee with pamphlets, phone calls and texts. We fired warning shots. We held our fire when civilians were detected in the area. What other army in all of human history has done so? Yes, it is tragic that civilians have died, but when you consider scale of the bombing and shelling, the number of civilian deaths is extremely low, compared to other recent wars ( 20,000 in Afghanistan, 600,000  in Iraq, for example). It is also low considering the fact that Hamas deliberately uses its own population as human shields, and in this confrontation this has been proven over and over. Let us not forget also that civilian casualties are a tragic fact of war. It happens.

 

 

What of the privations and suffering of the people of Gaza? It was Israel who called for several ceasefires in order to send supplies and aid to the citizens of Gaza. How many  other armies  have fed and supplied the citizens of their enemy countries? The first ceasefire called was to enable Israeli technicians to go in and repair electric cables severed by Hamas rockets, so that the people would have electricity. In the period between  July 8 to August 5 the IDF transferred 1,856 trucks carrying 40,550 tons of supplies into Gaza. Every humanitarian ceasefire we called was broken by Hamas. What did Hamas do to help its own citizens?

 

In spite of all this, the world is shouting that Israel has committed terrible war crimes and is to blame for bringing this tragedy on the innocent people of Gaza. We could ask,"How innocent are the people of Gaza?" There is the saying " people get the government they deserve".   In 2005, Israel withdrew its soldiers from Gaza and  all Israeli settlers evacuated the area. The Palestinian Authority called an election the following year, and Hamas,  won a majority of seats in parliament. By 2007 Hamas had totally taken over the Gaza Strip by violently ousting its rival Fatah. Of course one cannot blame the little children who have been killed and injured, but to blame Israel for something the Gazans have essentially brought upon themselves is twisted in the extreme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It defies belief that so many can be so blind and so deceived. The Western media is largely to blame, but the truth is plain to see for anyone who wants to see it and is willing to search just a little. Here are some useful and reliable websites:    

 

 

 The Jerusalem Post   

The Official IDF Blog 

 

Ynetnews

Israel Today

 

How to pray today?

 

So how can Christians pray into this situation? Here are some suggestions:

• Pray for those individuals and nations who are believing the Lie and the slander against Israel, because they are essentially calling down a curse on their own heads:
  ² I will make you a great nation;
  I will bless you
  And make your name great;
  And you shall be a blessing.
  ³ I will bless those who bless you,
  And I will curse him who curses you;
  And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:2-3 New King James Version (NKJV)

 

 

 

 

As one of the women in my congregation remarked," I am not worried for Israel, but I am worried sick for Europe, the UK and USA."

 

The Bible teaches that God will judge the nations on the basis of their actions towards Israel :

 

 For behold, in those days and at that time,

When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,

     I will also gather all nations,

And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;

And I will enter into judgment with them there

On account of My people,

My heritage Israel,

Whom they have scattered among the nations;

They have also divided up My land…

 

 

 

Joel 3: 1-3, 12-21.

• Pray for protection over Jerusalem and the whole people of Israel, both here in the Land and abroad.  We have seen many amazing miracles of protection here. May we not neglect to give fervent thanks that God has watched over us - our spiritual 'Iron Dome'.

 

• Pray for our leaders that they will have great wisdom, divine inspiration, patience and courage during the current negotiations.

 

• Pray that God will take away the veil that covers the eyes and minds of the leaders of Hamas, that they might see what evil they have done to us and to their own people, repent and be saved. Pray that God will supernaturally reveal himself in Yeshua (Jesus) to them.

 

• Pray for the people of Israel that they will continue to draw near to their God, cry out to Him, give thanks to Him and also have the blinding veil removed and find salvation.

Finally, I just want to say a big THANK YOU  to all you who are praying to the God of Israel at this time. Your prayers matter and they are making a difference. You are front-line soldiers in the spiritual battle. Stand firm, don't stop praying and watch your back.