RAINDROPS ARE FALLING
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| The first anenomes, Bet Guvrin, Jan 31, 2019 |
Its been a while since I wrote and I apologize. I don't know where all the hours are going - I am sure someone is stealing them. Life seems to be full and busy. In between washing the floors and trying to rescue my garden from storm damage and rampant weeds, I will attempt, again, to write a few words.
It is a beautiful winter's day, warm and sunny, with overtures of Spring. I am sitting out in my garden in my shirt-sleeves. The week before last we had a week of freezing temperatures, gale-force winds, with blanketing dust followed by drenching rain and hail and even, in some places, snow.
Tuesday that week we got all excited here as there was a forecast of snow. The municipality lined up all their 'snowplows' in strategic places around the city and we all stocked up on food and candles. Schools closed early so that the children could get home before the snow hit closing the roads. I should explain to my more northern readers that snow here is cause for celebration and some trepidation. We are simply not used to it nor really equipped. There are no snow tires or chains, and our 'snowplows' are simply tractors with scoops on their front ends. Add to that our steep hilly terrain and, with just a little snow, traffic grinds to a halt. For more about snow in Israel see my website under Wild Israel https://taliasjoy.com/. In the event, it did snow in Jerusalem that night but it was light and did not lie on the ground for long. By the next day all was back to normal. There was however heavy snow on Mt Hermon and on the higher parts of the Golan and the Galilee. Two meters of snow fell on the skifield on Mt Hermon, more than the annual average there, and the best snowfall for many years.
Tuesday that week we got all excited here as there was a forecast of snow. The municipality lined up all their 'snowplows' in strategic places around the city and we all stocked up on food and candles. Schools closed early so that the children could get home before the snow hit closing the roads. I should explain to my more northern readers that snow here is cause for celebration and some trepidation. We are simply not used to it nor really equipped. There are no snow tires or chains, and our 'snowplows' are simply tractors with scoops on their front ends. Add to that our steep hilly terrain and, with just a little snow, traffic grinds to a halt. For more about snow in Israel see my website under Wild Israel https://taliasjoy.com/. In the event, it did snow in Jerusalem that night but it was light and did not lie on the ground for long. By the next day all was back to normal. There was however heavy snow on Mt Hermon and on the higher parts of the Golan and the Galilee. Two meters of snow fell on the skifield on Mt Hermon, more than the annual average there, and the best snowfall for many years.
On Sunday last week the skifield on Mt Hermon was opened with a good snow cover and glorious sunny weather for those who could get away from work. As happy skiers and snowboarders romped in the snow, an Iranian-made surface- to-surface missile was fired from Syria right towards the skifield. Our anti-missile defense system sprang into action and shot down the missile before it entered Israeli airspace, and no one was hurt nor damage caused. Totally unfazed, skiers took out their cellphones, filmed the vapor trails and then just carried on skiing. You can see a video of this on: https://www.timesofisrael.com/missile-fire-cant-dampen-israels-winter-wonderland-with-record-snow-on-hermon/
Later that day, and into the next, Israel retaliated by attacking Iranian-occupied installations and an Iranian-run training camp in Syria, killing a total of 21, 12 of whom have been confirmed as Iranian Quds Force officers. Fearing an escalation the army closed the skifield on Monday but the next day it reopened to crowds of around 7,000. Since then the skifield has remained open and visitors have been close to capacity, with around 10,000 every day (1). The short winter ski season is very important for the tourism industry in the Galilee and Golan area. Last year they only got two weeks of skiing, but hopefully this year will be much better.
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| The Mt Hermon skifield on Sunday https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5449753,00.html |
I am very happy to report that so far this winter the rainfall has been abundant. After 5 years of serious drought, our rivers and streams are flowing again, and our lakes and underground aquifers recharging. The Sea of Galilee has risen 75 cm so far, but still needs about 5 meters more to bring it to 'full'. The snowmelt from Hermon, once Spring arrives, will also be a big boost to our water supplies. Thank you all for your prayers, but keep praying. We have had no rain for the last 10 days. January falls between the former and latter rains and is often fairly dry, but it is very important that the latter rains in February and March are also abundant.
Apart from the weather there is as always much happening here - too much to report in any depth. In the north, Operation Defensive Shield, has been completed with the discovery and destruction of 7 tunnels reaching from Lebanon into Israel. The search continues in case there are others yet undiscovered, but operations have now been scaled back. Although the destruction of these tunnels is undoubtedly a serious setback for Hezbollah, which planned to use them to infiltrate and capture an Israeli town in its next war against Israel, the situation in the North continues to be very tense. Israel is continuing to bomb and attack sites know to harbor Iranian personnel and weapons in Syria. This week Russia warned Israel to cease these attacks, but there is no way Israel can or will do so. We know that Iran is preparing its proxies, Hezbollah and Syria, for an all-out war against Israel and we know that all these installations and weapons are intended for an attack against Israel. When this will take place is anyone's guess but tensions continue to escalate almost daily and sooner or later something will trigger the start of the next war.
In the South the situation is also very tense and once again escalating after a few weeks of relative quiet. On January 6th an explosive device attached to a model drone and helium balloons was flown from Gaza into Israel. It exploded as the police robot was carrying it away. Israel retaliated by attacking two Hamas occupied observation posts in Gaza. The next day a single missile was fired from Gaza towards the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon (2). The missile defense system shot the missile down and no damage or injuries occurred.
This was the most serious attack since the Egyptian and Qatari brokered 'ceasefire' went into effect in August last year. There has never been a proper ceasefire as Hamas has not made good on its agreement to scale down the March of Return rioting on the border and the balloon attacks until they stop altogether in return for a $90 million aid package from Qatar to pay government workers salaries. Although things have been a bit quieter the weekly rioting on the border has continued, accompanied by attempts to infiltrate Israeli territory and attacks on Israeli military personnel in the border area.
On Tuesday last week an IDF officer was lightly wounded when struck in the head by sniper fire from Gaza. His helmet saved his life. The IDF returned fire and a Hamas fighter was killed (3).
In response to the escalation of violence along the Gaza border Israel blocked the monthly transfer of $15 million to Hamas from Qatar leaving thousands of government workers without their pay. On Thursday however Israel lifted the ban but Hamas refused to accept it, saying Israel was demanding unacceptable conditions (4).
Yesterday some 10,000 Gazans rioted along the border, threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at IDF troops. In the exchange of fire one Hamas fighter was killed and at least 24 injured. The rioting continued into today as is still occurring (4).
Fearing a rise in aggression the IDF is on high alert and the Iron Dome anti-missile system was deployed in central Israel yesterday in addition to the existing deployment in the north and south.
Summing up the situation in the south today, the "Times of Israel", stated,
Apart from the tensions in the north and the south, we are also experiencing a rise in terror attacks here in the Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria. On January 11th, a couple was murdered in their own home in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood in Jerusalem (6). Two days earlier a teenage girl was stabbed and lightly injured in her hands and neck, while waiting at a bus stop right outside the house where the couple was killed. It is probable the two attacks were connected and the perpetrator has not yet been arrested. These attacks are close to my heart as they took place just across the road from the building I used to live in.
Yesterday a Palestinian youth was shot and wounded by Israeli police when he refused to stop throwing Molotov cocktails at cars passing the Shuafat Refugee Camp in East Jerusalem. Recently these firebomb attacks have become a recurring phenomenon (7). Two major highways, Route 1 from Tel Aviv to the Dead Sea and Highway 60 which goes north through Samaria, intersect outside the Shuafat Camp.
I am grieved to report that all the terrorism is not one-sided. There is a growing swell of terrorist actions perpetrated by mainly settler youth against Palestinians in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). This phenomenon is shameful and not worthy of the Jewish State. On January 6th five Jewish teenagers, all from a Jewish seminary in the West Bank, were arrested on suspicion of carrying out the stoning attack which killed the Palestinian woman, Aisha Mohammed Rabi, 47, a mother of nine, in October (8). On Thursday one of those teenagers, aged 16, was charged with manslaughter and charges of terrorism.
One cannot but ask God 'how long'? How long must we live with this continuing violence and bloodshed? The Psalmist cried out to God saying,
In spite of all this bad news life in Israel continues to flourish. Israel's first mission to the Moon is scheduled to take place next month. The privately built spacecraft will blast off from Florida and, if all goes well, make Israel the fourth nation, after the USA, Russia and China, to land on the Moon (9).
On the 7th of January, an Israel Air Force F-15 fighter plane lost its canopy at an altitude of 30,000 ft during a training exercise. In spite of the sudden drop in pressure, extreme cold and the noisy air turbulence the pilot and the navigator on board kept their cool and managed to land the plane safely(10). They have been much praised for their calm professionalism and expertise in dealing so successfully with the situation. The IAF has released the soundtrack of the cockpit recording. You can hear this, with translation, on http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/25820/listen-to-this-incredible-audio-of-israel-f-15-pilots-losing-their-canopy-at-30000-feet. The entire F-15 fleet has been grounded for training purposes pending the investigation into the cause of this accident.
There are many more interesting things going on but in the interests of getting this actually published, I am going to stop at this point. Keep praying for us all here and for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem and all Israel. God has promised a blessing on all those who bless Israel, and he has never revoked that promise.
References
1. https://www.timesofisrael.com/missile-fire-cant-dampen-israels-winter-wonderland-with-record-snow-on-hermon/
2. https://www.timesofisrael.com/iron-dome-intercepts-rocket-fired-at-ashkelon-from-gaza-2/
3. https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Report-IDF-soldier-injured-from-Palestinian-gunfire-along-Gaza-border-578277
4. https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Palestinians-resumed-their-protests-along-the-Gaza-border-578731
5. https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-threatens-massive-and-immediate-response-to-any-attack-on-gaza-report/
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/258140
6. https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-woman-found-dead-in-jerusalem-with-signs-of-violence-on-bodies/
7. https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-youths-throw-firebombs-1-shot-by-police/
8. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/jewish-teenagers-arrested-in-october-stoning-death-of-palestinian-woman/2019/01/06/fc2b6978-11ae-11e9-ab79-30cd4f7926f2_story.html?utm_term=.742f48fb41a9
9. https://www.space.com/43111-first-israeli-lunar-spacecraft-arrives-florida.html
10. https://www.timesofisrael.com/air-force-f-15-said-to-lose-canopy-at-30000-feet-lands-safely/
Apart from the weather there is as always much happening here - too much to report in any depth. In the north, Operation Defensive Shield, has been completed with the discovery and destruction of 7 tunnels reaching from Lebanon into Israel. The search continues in case there are others yet undiscovered, but operations have now been scaled back. Although the destruction of these tunnels is undoubtedly a serious setback for Hezbollah, which planned to use them to infiltrate and capture an Israeli town in its next war against Israel, the situation in the North continues to be very tense. Israel is continuing to bomb and attack sites know to harbor Iranian personnel and weapons in Syria. This week Russia warned Israel to cease these attacks, but there is no way Israel can or will do so. We know that Iran is preparing its proxies, Hezbollah and Syria, for an all-out war against Israel and we know that all these installations and weapons are intended for an attack against Israel. When this will take place is anyone's guess but tensions continue to escalate almost daily and sooner or later something will trigger the start of the next war.
In the South the situation is also very tense and once again escalating after a few weeks of relative quiet. On January 6th an explosive device attached to a model drone and helium balloons was flown from Gaza into Israel. It exploded as the police robot was carrying it away. Israel retaliated by attacking two Hamas occupied observation posts in Gaza. The next day a single missile was fired from Gaza towards the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon (2). The missile defense system shot the missile down and no damage or injuries occurred.
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| A police bomb disposal robot carries away a drone-shaped device from the Gaza Strip, borne by dozens of helium balloons, which landed in a carrot field in southern Israel on January 6 ,2019. (Israel Police) https://www.timesofisrael.com/iron-dome-intercepts-rocket-fired-at-ashkelon-from-gaza-2/ |
This was the most serious attack since the Egyptian and Qatari brokered 'ceasefire' went into effect in August last year. There has never been a proper ceasefire as Hamas has not made good on its agreement to scale down the March of Return rioting on the border and the balloon attacks until they stop altogether in return for a $90 million aid package from Qatar to pay government workers salaries. Although things have been a bit quieter the weekly rioting on the border has continued, accompanied by attempts to infiltrate Israeli territory and attacks on Israeli military personnel in the border area.
On Tuesday last week an IDF officer was lightly wounded when struck in the head by sniper fire from Gaza. His helmet saved his life. The IDF returned fire and a Hamas fighter was killed (3).
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| Masked gunmen take part in the funeral of Mahmoud al-Nabahin, a member of the Hamas terror group's military wing, in Buriej refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on January 23, 2019. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra) https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-threatens-massive-and-immediate-response-to-any-attack-on-gaza-report/ |
Yesterday some 10,000 Gazans rioted along the border, threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at IDF troops. In the exchange of fire one Hamas fighter was killed and at least 24 injured. The rioting continued into today as is still occurring (4).
Fearing a rise in aggression the IDF is on high alert and the Iron Dome anti-missile system was deployed in central Israel yesterday in addition to the existing deployment in the north and south.
 |
| Israeli soldiers stand near a battery of the Iron Dome missile defense system deployed in Tel Aviv on January 24, 2019. (Menahem Kahana/AFP) https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-threatens-massive-and-immediate-response-to-any-attack-on-gaza-report/ |
Summing up the situation in the south today, the "Times of Israel", stated,
According to Al-Akhbar, Qatar’s envoy to Gaza Mohammed Al-Emadi told Hamas that Israel was on standby in case of a military conflict with armed groups in Gaza. The daily said Hamas, for its part, warned its response would be larger than a massive exchange of fire between the sides in November that saw the largest number of rockets shot toward Israel since the 2014 Gaza war (5).
Apart from the tensions in the north and the south, we are also experiencing a rise in terror attacks here in the Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria. On January 11th, a couple was murdered in their own home in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood in Jerusalem (6). Two days earlier a teenage girl was stabbed and lightly injured in her hands and neck, while waiting at a bus stop right outside the house where the couple was killed. It is probable the two attacks were connected and the perpetrator has not yet been arrested. These attacks are close to my heart as they took place just across the road from the building I used to live in.
Yesterday a Palestinian youth was shot and wounded by Israeli police when he refused to stop throwing Molotov cocktails at cars passing the Shuafat Refugee Camp in East Jerusalem. Recently these firebomb attacks have become a recurring phenomenon (7). Two major highways, Route 1 from Tel Aviv to the Dead Sea and Highway 60 which goes north through Samaria, intersect outside the Shuafat Camp.
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| Shuafat Refugee Camp, Jerusalem, from Mt Scopus |
I am grieved to report that all the terrorism is not one-sided. There is a growing swell of terrorist actions perpetrated by mainly settler youth against Palestinians in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). This phenomenon is shameful and not worthy of the Jewish State. On January 6th five Jewish teenagers, all from a Jewish seminary in the West Bank, were arrested on suspicion of carrying out the stoning attack which killed the Palestinian woman, Aisha Mohammed Rabi, 47, a mother of nine, in October (8). On Thursday one of those teenagers, aged 16, was charged with manslaughter and charges of terrorism.
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| Aisha al-Rawbi; the passenger seat where she was when the rock hit the windshield https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5452088,00.html |
O God, how long will the adversary reproach?Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever? Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.
Psalm 74:10-11
I do not want the LORD to destroy our enemies. It would be far better should they repent and bow down to Him and recognize God's redemptive plan for the Earth, but they will not. How long will God tolerate this violence? He will judge, first Israel and then the nations. Pray that both Israel and her enemies will repent.
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An artist's impression of the Israeli spacecraft on the Moon https://www.space.com/43111-first-israeli-lunar-spacecraft-arrives-florida.html |
On the 7th of January, an Israel Air Force F-15 fighter plane lost its canopy at an altitude of 30,000 ft during a training exercise. In spite of the sudden drop in pressure, extreme cold and the noisy air turbulence the pilot and the navigator on board kept their cool and managed to land the plane safely(10). They have been much praised for their calm professionalism and expertise in dealing so successfully with the situation. The IAF has released the soundtrack of the cockpit recording. You can hear this, with translation, on http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/25820/listen-to-this-incredible-audio-of-israel-f-15-pilots-losing-their-canopy-at-30000-feet. The entire F-15 fleet has been grounded for training purposes pending the investigation into the cause of this accident.
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| An F-15 fighter plane https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/F-15%2C_71st_Fighter_Squadron%2C_in_flight.JPG?download |
There are many more interesting things going on but in the interests of getting this actually published, I am going to stop at this point. Keep praying for us all here and for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem and all Israel. God has promised a blessing on all those who bless Israel, and he has never revoked that promise.
Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
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.”
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
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: 1-3
References
1. https://www.timesofisrael.com/missile-fire-cant-dampen-israels-winter-wonderland-with-record-snow-on-hermon/
2. https://www.timesofisrael.com/iron-dome-intercepts-rocket-fired-at-ashkelon-from-gaza-2/
3. https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Report-IDF-soldier-injured-from-Palestinian-gunfire-along-Gaza-border-578277
4. https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Palestinians-resumed-their-protests-along-the-Gaza-border-578731
5. https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-threatens-massive-and-immediate-response-to-any-attack-on-gaza-report/
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/258140
6. https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-woman-found-dead-in-jerusalem-with-signs-of-violence-on-bodies/
7. https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-youths-throw-firebombs-1-shot-by-police/
8. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/jewish-teenagers-arrested-in-october-stoning-death-of-palestinian-woman/2019/01/06/fc2b6978-11ae-11e9-ab79-30cd4f7926f2_story.html?utm_term=.742f48fb41a9
9. https://www.space.com/43111-first-israeli-lunar-spacecraft-arrives-florida.html
10. https://www.timesofisrael.com/air-force-f-15-said-to-lose-canopy-at-30000-feet-lands-safely/
