Maoz Israel Blog

The Indianapolis Colts and the Bond of Unity

2012-01-31T19:53:00.000+02:00

by Ron Cantor

Peyton Manning publicly called out Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay last week for not clearing up the uncertainty surrounding the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Manning was upset that some of his closest friends had been dismissed and he was running into new employees in the Colts’ facilities he didn’t even know.

Irsay went straight to the media to chide his star quarterback, saying, “You keep it in the family. If you've got a problem you talk to each other. It's not about campaigning or anything like that.”

What is comical about this is that Irsay publicly rebuked Manning for not keeping it in the family. Voicing his concerns about Manning’s comments breaks the very rule he is expressing! It is like dragging your drunken son out of a bar only to down a few shots on your way out. But the ego is blind. Instead of helping the situation, he only caused more disunity.

Sadly, we see this type behavior all the time in the body of believers.

- One leader publicly attacking another.
- A subordinate plotting a coup against the senior pastor.
- Members of a congregation forming a faction against the leadership.

I have a very close friend whose administrator and youth pastor plotted to start their own congregation while drawing a salary from this pastor who had hired them. When confronted, they denied they had any intention of doing such a thing, but in the end did just that. What a horrible foundation for your new congregation!

God places a high priority on unity—far higher than we do. When we engage in such behavior we rarely accurately calculate the impact this has on the body. Most preachers who cause a split or turn people against leadership feel justified. I know this from my own mistakes in leadership. At the time, you feel righteous—holy indignation—God’s man willing to stand up for truth. However, most of the time you will find lurking in the background ego, self-interest and pride.

We fail to realize that attacking a minister, a congregation or causing a congregational split is a self-inflicted wound. We are one body!

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)

Paul urges believers to “live a life worthy of the calling.” And then he tells us how to do this:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (v. 2-3)

Furthermore, he seems to be emphasizing something in the following verses. He uses the word ‘one’ seven times in three verses. His point is that we are one body. When you attack the body, you attack yourself! And what person in their right mind would attack themselves?

We need to think twice (or ten times!) before we engage in any behavior that could cause division in the body of believers. In Roman Catholic Church canon law, an act of schism (causing division), like an act of apostasy or heresy, automatically brings the penalty of excommunication. How can we take this act less seriously?

Paul shares a similar thought with the Philippians.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Messiah. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. (Philippians 1:27-28)

Here, Paul compares the act of conducting oneself in a manner worthy of the gospel with standing firm in one Spirit and striving together as one. He doesn’t mention here living pure, not lying or cheating or staying away from MTV. He focuses on unity. Clearly he is not advocating any of those things I just mentioned (especially MTV!), but he is elevating the goal of unity as central in terms of importance. If only we understood how friction, gossip and division between believers breaks the heart of God, we would be more careful with our words and actions.

Yeshua’s central prayer in John 17 was that we the body of Messiah would be one, just as He and the Father are one.

Recently I heard a famous preacher (FP1) attack another slightly more famous preacher (FP2). It was a bold, public and unapologetic attack. And on its merit it was technically correct. FP2 had indeed made a mistake. However it was not a moral issue and the same point that FP1 was trying to make, he could have effectively made without mentioning FP2. (Just as we were able to make this point without mentioning their names.)

The problem with this kind of public rebuke is that it could cause division and shaking in FP2’s congregation—a fine congregation that is helping many people around the world.

Yes, there are times when, despite the command to strive for unity, we must take a public stand on a foundational issue. However, these times are few and far between and only in the case of unrepentant moral failure, false teaching or abandoning the faith. The majority of divisive acts that take place within the church world today fall outside these criteria. We would do well to place more value on unity than being right.

And being right isn’t all it is cracked up to be. I have been in many situations were I thought I was 100% in the right only to find out that pride and opportunism were seeking to become my close friends. As I have matured, I can now see that I have never been as right as I thought I was and those I was against have never been as wrong as I thought they were. In the moment, you feel justified, but the pain of division can be tragic, especially if someone falls away in the midst of the discord.

Let us value unity and the bond of peace at the same level in which God does and think long and hard before we take any action that could cause division within the body. Let’s correctly evaluate, are we following God’s heart or our own desires?

Ron Cantor is a member of Tiferet Yeshua Congregation. You can learn more about his ministry at www.messiahsmandate.org

The 2012 Intra-Muslim Predicament

2012-01-25T23:37:00.001+02:00

Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, "Second Thought”

At the outset of 2012, irrespective of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian issue, the defining geopolitical and religious schism in the Middle East is boiling, exacerbating violent intra-Muslim fragmentation, religious, tribal, ideological and geographical.

The Syrian death toll is approaching 7,000, trending toward Papa Assad's 1982 massacre of 20,000 Sunni rebels. The Turkish-Kurdish confrontation has shifted to a higher gear, exceeding 40,000 casualties since 1984. During the first week of January, a series of sectarian-driven bombings devastated Baghdad and Nasiriyah in Iraq, murdering more than 140 persons. More were killed in the Sunni stronghold of Mosul. Car bombs, suicide bombing and improvised explosive devices have become daily routine in Iraq, whose Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a Shia Arab, President Jalal Talabani is a Sunni Kurd and Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi is a Sunni Arab. Iraq has become an explosive platform for its vindictive Shia Arab majority (60%), which was dominated and oppressed by the Sunni Arab minority (20%) since the seventeenth century. The historic conflict between Iraq's Arabs and Iraq's 15% Kurdish minority - which claims independence in northern Iraq, where it also confronts the Turkish military - further complicates matters.

The Sunni-Shia confrontation, which has traumatized the Mid-East since the seventh century, has re-emerged in Iraq in the aftermath of the US military evacuation, fueled by Iran's policy of expansion. The US withdrawal from Iraq, its expected departure from Afghanistan and the perceived US abandonment of Mubarak – simultaneously with the Islamists' victories in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia - have emboldened Iran, escalating the anxiety level of the highly vulnerable pro-US Muslim regimes in the Persian Gulf and throughout the Mid-East.

The seismic Arab Winter has triggered a political earthquake effect by violently destabilizing and weakening the three traditional ideological and military power houses of the Arab world – Cairo, Damascus and Baghdad. The fact that Mubarak, Qadaffi and Ben Ali – who were perceived to be invincible dictators – were trounced decisively, attests to the expected violent intra-Muslim volatility, civil unrest, terrorism and wars during the coming months and years. Civil war is raging in strategically-located Yemen, where Ahmed Saleh, the oldest son of the deposed Ali Abdullah Saleh, commander of the Republican Guard, is participating in local tribal and religious conflicts, fanned by Saudi military intervention. The House of Saud is heavily involved – as is Iran - in Bahrain's sectarian strife, pitting the subordinated Shia plurality against the ruling Sunni minority of the Khalifa family. Although the island of Bahrain is small, the outcome of its civil unrest could determine the fate of Kuwait and other Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia. The tectonic intra-Muslim turbulence is further agitated by the artificial boundaries of all Arab countries, which were drawn by the Ottoman, French and British empires.

The Turkish journalist, Burak Bekdil, put the current intra-Muslim turmoil in historic perspective in an August, 22, 2011 article in the Turkish daily, Hurriyet: "Let's ignore the genocide [in the Sudans]. Let's ignore, also, the West Pakistani massacres in East Pakistan (Bangladesh) totaling 1.25 million in 1971. Or, 200,000 deaths in Algeria in war between Islamists and the government in 1991-2006…. One million deaths in the all-Muslim Iran-Iraq war; 300,000 Muslim [Shia and Kurdish] minorities killed by Saddam Hussein; 80,000 Iranians killed during the Islamic revolution; 25,000 deaths in 1970-71, the days of [Jordan's] Black September; and 20,000 Islamists killed in 1982 by the elder al-Assad in Hama. The World Health Organization's estimate of Osama bin Laden's carnage in Iraq was 150,000 a few years earlier…. In 2007, Gunnar Heinsohn from the University of Bremen and Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, found out that some 11 million Muslims have been violently killed since 1948, of which 35,000, (0.3 percent) died during the Arab wars against Israel, or one out of every 315 fatalities…”

Intra-Muslim violence is gleaned through entrenched hate-education and Islam's attitude toward apostates. According to Prof. Bernard Lewis, the world's leading authority on Islam, "Apostasy was a crime as well as a sin, and the apostate was damned both in this world and the next. His crime was treason - desertion and betrayal of the community.... He was a dead limb to be excised." A December 2, 2010 Pew global poll found that "the majority of Muslims would favor changing current laws in their countries to allow stoning as punishment for adultery, hand amputation for theft, and death for those who convert from Islam as their religion. For instance, 76% of Pakistanis agree – and 13% oppose – that apostates are to be killed. In a country with a population of 172,800,000 (96% of whom are Muslim) that would be 126,074,880 individuals in a single country. They are not simply a fringe group.

The delusions of the Arab Spring, the "Religion of Peace,” the Arab Coalition, and Arab peaceful coexistence are rapidly dissipating. 2012 could deteriorate into one of the most unstable years ever in intra-Muslim confrontations, completely independent of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian issue.

Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, "Second Thought: US-Israel Initiative"

www.TheEttingerReport.com

Root Causes of Anti-US Islamic Terrorism

2012-01-19T19:15:00.001+02:00

by Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, "Second Thought”

A spike has recently occurred in Muslim-American terrorism in the USA. For example, on January 9, 2012, a US-naturalized Kosovar Muslim terrorist was arrested in Florida, while plotting to bomb night clubs in Tampa - a hotbed of Muslim Brotherhood activities and organizations. In December, 2011, the DEA arrested 30 Tampa used-car dealers involved in a Hezbollah drug money laundering. Tampa is the home base of the US Central Command, located at nearby MacDill Air Force Base. In November, 2011, an Al-Qaeda American sympathizer was arrested, in New York, for conspiring to bomb police stations and post offices. This wave of terrorism follows the June, 2010 arrest of eight Muslim terrorists in North Carolina, the May, 2010 foiled Times Square car bombing, the November, 2009 massacre of thirteen soldiers at Ft. Hood, etc.

It has been suggested that Islamic rage and terrorism is triggered by US policies toward Muslim nations. However, The surge in anti-US Islamic terrorism, and the proliferation of Islamic terrorist sleeper cells and training camps in the US and Canada, occur in spite of the US-led bombing of Serbia, which yielded independence to the Muslim-dominated Bosnia and Kosovo, and despite the mega-billion dollar US assistance to the Mujahideen, which ended Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Moreover, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who opposed the war in Iraq and supported Palestinian demands, was inaugurated in June 2007, and was greeted by three Muslim terrorists-engineered car bombs in London and Glasgow. Notwithstanding the generous US foreign aid to Arab countries and to the Palestinian Authority, and irrespective of President Carter's betrayal of the Shah of Iran which facilitated the rise to power of Khomeini, the US is increasingly referred to as "the enemy of Allah” and "a modern day Crusader.” According to the leading historian of Islam, Prof. Bernard Lewis, Islam stipulates that "the duty of God's soldiers is to dispatch God's enemies as quickly as possible to the place where God will chastise them—that is to say, the afterlife.”

The most-frequently mentioned (supposed) cause of anti-US Islamic terrorism is the US support of Israel and the US policy towards the Palestinians. Nevertheless, 9/11 was planned while President Clinton and Prime Minister Barak offered the Palestinians the entire store; the October 12, 2000 murder of seventeen sailors on the USS Cole happened when Israel and the US offered unprecedented concessions to the Palestinians at Camp David; the August 27, 1998 blowing up of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania took place (257 murdered and over 4,000 injured) while President Clinton was brutally pressuring Prime Minister Netanyahu; the 1995/6 murder of 19 US soldiers in Riyadh and Khobar Towers, were carried out while Prime Minister Peres implemented unprecedented concessions; the February 1993 Twin Towers bombing (6 murdered and over 1,000 injured) transpired while Israel conducted the pre-Oslo talks with the PLO; the December 21, 1988 PanAm-103 (270 murdered) terrorism took place a few months following the groundbreaking recognition of the PLO by the US; the April/October 1983 murder of 300 Marines and 58 French soldiers, in the car-bombings of the US Embassy and Marines and French military headquarters in Beirut, occurred while the US military confronted Israeli tanks in Lebanon and the US Administration blasted Israel for its war against the PLO.

Terrorists bite the hand that feeds them.

Irrespective of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Palestinian issue, the US-Israel friendship, Israel's policies or existence, Islamic terrorism has afflicted the Middle East and the entire globe - including North, Central and South America - for fourteen centuries, long before the eruption of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Islamic rogue regimes view the US as their key moral and strategic adversary. US-style freedom of religion, expression, markets and association constitutes a lethal threat to all Islamic regimes. Their territorial imperialism has suffered a severe setback by the US military, economic and diplomatic dominance. They abhor the dominance of "the infidel” over the "true believer,” which they consider morally blasphemous and strategically wrong. They are determined to push the US out of the Persian Gulf, the Mideast, the Indian Ocean and Africa, in order to advance their megalomaniac aspirations. Humiliating a Super Power – preferably on its own soil - would be critical to the resurrection of Islamic grandeur. Therefore, no US pressure on Israel would spare Washington the wrath of rogue Islamic regimes; it could, however, transform Israel from a strategic asset to a strategic liability.

While most Moslems are not terrorists, most terrorists are Muslims, supported by Muslim states. Other than Turkey, all Islamic regimes ascended to – and maintained - power through violence. They believe in total submission to God and to them who rule, supposedly, by divine prescription. They terrorize those whom they cannot integrate domestically and externally.

The insistence on engaging – and not on confronting – rogue regimes; denying the existence of global Islamic terrorism; contending that Jihad is a process which purifies the soul; assuming that Islamic terrorists represent a Muslim minority; and deluding oneself that the Palestinian issue is a root cause of anti-US Islamic terrorism, undermines moral clarity, and therefore impairs operational clarity. It yields headwind to Western democracies and tailwind to terrorists.

Most Popular Israeli Journalist Enters Political Arena

2012-01-18T04:47:00.003+02:00

by Ron Cantor

Journalist Yair Lapid left his powerful post with Channel 2 News in order to run for the Knesset (Parliament). Lapid is one of the most accomplished entertainer/journalists in the country.

* He hosted a weekly talk show for years that received high ratings.
* He has written numerous songs that others have made famous.
* He has written screenplays for television as well as several best-selling novels.
* His weekly newspaper column is thought to be the most read column in the country.

His most recent post, as host on Israel’s most-watched news program Ulpan Shishi, was always seen as a stepping-stone before moving into politics.

However what makes this very interesting for me is I actually know the man. No, we are not friends, but through a mutual friend, I have had the pleasure of meeting him about a dozen times.

I have to admit I completely misjudged Yair Lapid when I first met him. He is a strikingly handsome man as well as a black belt in karate, and I just assumed he was a typical Hollywood-type (or in Israel, a Ramat Aviv Gimel type) — a self-absorbed womanizer. You have to understand that when I met him, I spoke almost no Hebrew — so his looks and his fame were really all I knew about him.

However, over the years I have come to see that this man has won a place in the hearts of Israelis. “Lapid is popular with the Israeli public for his charm and sympathetic interviews with politicians, celebrities and others in the news. He is seen as an honest man of the people,” wrote Harriet Sherwood for the UK’s Gaurdian. Through his interview/talk show he launched the careers of many Israeli comedians, much in the way Johnny Carson did in the US.

However several years ago he abruptly left his talk show and launched what would become Israel’s most-watched news program. Every Friday night at 8pm, after a hearty Shabbat dinner, Israelis watch as Lapid and his commentators dissect the weekly news and his correspondents report in-depth segments from around the country. Their most recent report on the abusive behavior of some ultra-Orthodox Jews in Bet Shemesh (city between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) set off a firestorm of outrage throughout the country.

Leaving his talk show for a news program was considered a risk at the time, as the show was wildly popular. The decision paid off and fulfilled its intended purpose — to present Lapid as a serious man — someone who could lead the country.

There is no doubt that Yair Lapid is a serious man. What IS in doubt is his politics. There is no question that he is left of center, but no one really knows how far left of center. His father, also a journalist who left to enter politics, stormed onto the scene a decade ago with a new political party called Sh’nu-i (meaning Change). You have to understand that unlike in the US where there are only two serious parties, in our system we have dozens of parties. We also have fad parties. These are parties that are typically centered on one issue and that one issue can get the fad party a few seats in the Knesset — at least for the short term. These parties typically have a shelf-life of two election cycles.

Tommy Lapid’s Sh’nu-i was a fad party whose platform was simply anti-religious. He was not against religion, but the control that a relatively small group of religious people had on the country. The rabbis are given authority on such important issues as immigration, marriage and divorce. Furthermore, he wanted religious men to work (many live on welfare so they can pray and study all day) and serve in the army. Most Israelis agree with this, and boom — he won several seats and became the Justice Minister under Ariel Sharon.

Now the big question is will Yair Lapid’s new party just be another fad party, or will he build something that will last. Certainly that is his desire. Initial polls suggest that if elections were held today, only Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party would gain more seats. However, if we have learned anything from watching the US Republican primaries, it is that being popular today doesn’t mean you won’t be disgraced (Herman Cain) or lose badly (Newt, Rick Perry, Michele Bachman) tomorrow.

For sure, the media will seek to pick apart his life and it is unlikely that he will continue to score such high marks. And his own channel wasted no time. One of their comedy shows put together a mock song, saying that Israel needs a king — and of course the king is Yair Lapid.

However, because he is not a career politician — like Netanyahu or Shimon Peres — he will be perceived differently. Unlike so many of our leaders who have used politics to get rich (former Prime Minister and Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert is presently under indictment for taking bribes), Lapid is leaving an extremely lucrative position, taking a massive pay cut to enter one of the most thankless, vicious professions in the world — politics. By his own admission, many of his closest friends think this is crazy.

In many ways he is trading in his gun for a target that will be attached to his back. No longer will he be exposing corruption from his news room. Instead, others will be sifting through his life looking for anything they can use against him. Cynical Israeli journalists, many of whom have been jealous of Lapid’s success for years, have wasted no time in aiming for this new bull’s-eye.

Yossi Verter, in a less than favorable column for the liberal Haaretz newspaper, mocked Lapid by saying that he has been on a long campaign to present himself as “…the ultimate Israeli. The one who understands us, serves in the army and pays taxes. The one who talks our language and expresses our desires, bleeds when pricked, laughs when tickled and dies when poisoned.”

However fans of Lapid’s talk show and more recent news hour would disagree. They see him as genuine… they believe he is an empathic and caring man.

Lapid means torch in English, as Verter noted in His column. While Lapid will seek to see his ideas shine ever brighter in the Israeli public square, others — pundits and politicians alike — will do their best to make sure his flame is extinguished quickly. Time will tell. Columnist Ophir Bar-Zohar in Haaretz aptly noted, “Israelis love nothing more than to anoint princes only to bring them back down to earth.”

When is it okay to spit on an 8-year old?

2012-01-11T01:06:00.001+02:00

As if the never-ending conflict with our surrounding and some more distant neighbors wasn’t enough, a war inside Israel has been raging.

The struggle between the ultra-Orthodox Jews and everyone else in Israel has been escalating recently, and the country is in a total outrage with this minority who decided they will make everyone else conform to their lifestyle at any cost.

This particular story just fails to leave my mind, even though it happened in December. If you have children, imagine how you would react…

An eight-year-old girl from a family of immigrants leaves her home in the morning on a less-than-five-minute walk to school. In the afternoon she returns home taking the same route.

Because her family is traditional religious, she wears long skirts, closed tops, etc. – extremely modest by our modern standards and especially in Israel, who, it seems, tries to “outdo” everyone else in the world.

However, this precious child has been called names such as “whore” and “slut” on several occasions by her neighbors who say she’s not dressed modestly enough according to the standards of the Rabbis. Those who call her names are grown ultra-Orthodox men who have nothing better to do than to stalk this little girl, waiting to verbally assault her. (Most ultra-Orthodox do not work and therefore have a lot of spare time.)

But wait! Insults and intimidation weren’t enough. One of these thugs just had to take a step further, and spit on her as she was passing by. He spat on an 8-year-old child. And he is not sorry for what he did.

The ultra-Orthodox explain that it’s okay to spit on little girls if they act against the Torah. They say a woman should not walk close to men on the streets. In fact, she should not be using the main streets at all, but go to wherever she needs to go via side streets. A woman should sit in the back of the bus. She should wear wide clothing so that no body parts are revealed while she moves.

Failing to do so brings justification to the name-calling, the verbal abuse and, yes, even spitting. I guess we, women, should be thankful they don’t stone us right there and then.

They claim to be “healthy” while the rest of us are “sick” and need help and deliverance from our evil ways. This is INFURIATING!

This treatment of women by the ultra-Orthodox is not a new thing. From time to time stories of abuse, humiliation and beatings come through the “iron curtain” of the ultra-Orthodox community. But recently, as this minority tries to impose their rules on everyone else, some courageous members of the “weaker” sex have been rising up against them. As they do, they receive more insults and even life-threats. Nevertheless, they continue fighting.

In a way, we, the Messianic Jews, and other non-ultra-Orthodox Israelis, are in the same boat – on the same side on this issue.

So I pray that this little girl, Na’ama, who is now scared to walk to and from school – even with her mother at her side – finds healing and courage to face these evil men, knowing she’s not the one who’s sick. I pray that the people of Israel will rise up in every city and get justice where justice is due and punishment where punishment is due.

We are a people who survived the diaspora, wars, pogroms, the Holocaust, and we should not allow anyone to treat others this way – not women, not children, not men – NO ONE!

But most of all, I pray for the God of love to show love to his sons and daughters – especially those “sick” who don’t even know they are sick. The God of Israel loves all His children. May all His children show the same love to one another.

Watch this Israel's Channel 2 video story with English subtitles courtesy of 972mag.com (sorry, it's not subtitled on YouTube): http://972mag.com/watch-ultra-orthodox-spit-on-immodest-8-year-old-girl-in-bet-shemesh/31268/

And he led the flock to the back of the desert...

2012-01-10T06:16:00.000+02:00

PRAYER UPDATE FROM ISRAEL, 9 JANUARY 2012
by Martin & Norma Sarvis, Jerusalem (zamrulo@gmail.com)

And he led the flock to the back of the desert...
(Exodus 3:1)

This week the Torah Portion begins the mighty book of Exodus (Sh'mot). We will draw our prayer focus for Israel from truths reflected in these first five chapters preceding the Exodus.

THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION:

From ancient times there has been a weekly portion (Parashah) from the first five books of Moses (the Torah) and an ending (Haftarah) from the Prophets read on the Sabbath in synagogues around the world. This portion is given a Hebrew name drawn from the opening words of the Torah passage. An illustration of this practice appears to have been recorded in Luke 4:16 where Yeshua (Jesus) arrived in the synagogue in Nazareth and was asked to read the portion (Isaiah 61) from the Prophets. We have found that in perusing these weekly readings, not only are we provided an opportunity to identify in the context of God’s Word with millions of Jewish people around the world, but very often the Holy Spirit will illumine specific passages pertinent to that week in our intercession for the Land and people of Israel. All texts are those of English translations of the Scriptures.

The readings for this week are called Sh’mot—“Names”—(of the children of Israel who came to Egypt)

TORAH: Exodus 1:1—6:1
HAFTARAH: Isaiah 27:6—28:13; 29:22-23

* Exodus 2:2 “So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.”

The Hebrew word for “beautiful” and “hid” are the same as the words for “goodness” and “stored up” in Psalm 31:19 (NIV)—“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”

Through the agency of a godly mother and then God-fearing midwives who had assisted her, this little “goodness” was hidden away—in fact, would be “stored up” in Egypt and Midian for the next 80 years—until being brought forth as leader on behalf of a mighty people who, under his leadership, would learn to fear and take refuge in their God.

PLEASE PRAY for protection of those “goodnesses” of God which are presently hidden away for a time of future release to the Body of Messiah in Israel. Pray for grace to trust that God is storing up goodness on our behalf as we love, fear and trust Him. Pray for courage and Heavenly guidance for believing families in Israel in storing away their children as much as possible in godly home environments before they are released into the near-paganism of many secular Israeli schools.

* Exodus 2:3 “But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.”

“Ark” is the Hebrew word teva, a box (A different word, aron—“closet”, is used for the Ark of the Covenant). The same word teva is used for the ark which God commissioned Noah to build, in which he and all his household were saved. This second ark protected the future leader of a remnant-nation from which would come a deliverer for all people, Yeshua the Messiah.

* Exodus 2:25, 3:7-8a... “And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them (Hebrew: “and God knew.”); “And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their pain. So I have come down to deliver them…’”(Emphasis ours.)

God still knows His people Israel, sees oppression against them and hears the cry of their hearts. His knowledge of them includes a fellowship in their pain. He, who came down to deliver them from Egypt and to lead them “up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey” (vs 8), would one daycome down again to deliver them—and all mankind—from their sin. He still knows and watches over them—and shall come down on their behalf again (Zechariah 8:3, 12:8, 14:4). By that day all of Israel shall at last know Him! “No more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).

* Exodus 3:5 “Then He said, ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.’”

The other place in Scripture where we find this expression “holy ground/-earth/-land” (Hebrew: adamat hakodesh) is Zechariah 2:12-13: “And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Hush! all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation.”

PLEASE PRAY for an awakened sense of the “Holy” in Israel—that we will abstain from “drawing near” carelessly and in the flesh—that we will be sensitive to the sanctity of the very EARTH where holy activity has taken place in the past, and which the Lord is repossessing for His glory today!

* Exodus 3:16b; 4:31 (NKJV). “…I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt.”…“So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD hadvisited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.”

Today the Hebrew verb liphkod usually means “to command”. However, in Biblical times, it could mean “to attend to/to care for” and often “to visit.” Thus, in Genesis 50:24,25 (NKJV), Joseph promises that God “will surely visit” his brothers’ descendants in Egypt and bring them out of that land. Here, in Egypt 400 years later, we are told that the time of that “sure visitation” has come.

In Psalm 8:4 (NKJV) David expresses awe at the amazing privilege of God visiting us, “What is mortal man that You are mindful of him, and the son of Adam that You visit him?” This visitation is life, salvation and blessing for those who love Him and are waiting for it. Job voiced this, even in the midst of painful affliction, “You have granted me life and favor, and Your visitation has guarded my spirit” (Job 10:12).

Yet God’s visitation does not come as a joy to those who are in rebellion against Him. In fact, in Isaiah 10:3 and many places in Jeremiah (8:12, 10:15, 11:23, etc.) this same word “visitation” is in the NKJV translated day of “punishment.”

Luke 19:44 shows Yeshua weeping over Jerusalem. God had sent “all the things which were needed for her peace”—but they were “hidden from her eyes.” Consequently, warfare and destruction were coming “because she did not know the time of her visitation.”

PLEASE PRAY for a powerful visitation of God in Jerusalem and throughout Israel. Pray for the Body of Messiah here to prepare and long for that visitation. The Apostle Peter left us important instructions regarding this day: “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honourable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (I Peter 2:12).

* Exodus 3:14, 15 “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM THAT I AM…Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: “YHVH, God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.”’”

English translations which read “The LORD God…” can be misleading. “Lord” is a title of respect, not a name. The point was that this God had a NAME, one by which He had been known to their fathers 400 years before, but not in a personal intimate way.

That name was YHVH (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh in the Hebrew). It was a personal name given to His people. It would become one of their most precious possessions, and countless psalms spoke of its beauty. But because of Israel’s sin, sometime after the Glory of God’s presence departed from the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 10:1-11:23), the correct pronunciation of the beloved Name was also lost.

Today it is normally not attempted to be spoken in Israel. Adonai (a Hebrew name related to the word for “master”) is used in its place, or the words Ha Shem—“the Name” (Words such as Yeho’vah, Jehovah, or Yaweh, sometimes utilized in the West, are at best educated guesses. In most English Bibles, LORD (all caps) designates YHVH. Lord (only the beginning letter capitalized) designates Adonai/Master).

In Matthew 23:39 Yeshua applied Psalm 118:26 to Himself, telling Jerusalem that she would not see Him again until she said, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of YHVH.” Yet the One, Yeshua, who will come again “in that Name,” actually already bears it within His own! The name Yeshua (Jesus) is a contracted form of the names YHVH and the Hebrew word for “salvation”—“And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Yeshua—for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

PLEASE PRAY for a spirit of grace and supplication to be poured out on the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—grace to look on the One who was pierced (Zech 12:10—14), and to realize that His holy name YESHUA bears within it the Name and Salvation of the God of their Fathers—that “All who call on the Name of the LORD shall be saved!”

* Exodus 4:2; 19b “So the LORD said to him (Moses), ‘What is that in your hand?’ He said, ‘A rod.”…“And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.”

God begins with us where we are and with what we have. When Moses in obedience yielded to God what he had, the simple rod became transformed into “The Rod of God”!

* Exodus 4:22-26 “And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus said the LORD: My son, my firstborn, is Israel. And I said to you, Send off my son that he may worship Me, and you refused to send him off, and, look, I am about to kill your son, your firstborn.’ And it happened on the way at the night camp that the LORD encountered him and sought to put him to death. And Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched it to his feet, and she said, ‘Yes, a bridegroom of blood you are to me.’ And He let him go. Then did she say, ‘A bridegroom of blood by the circumcising.’” (Robert Alter: translation).

This dark and disturbing passage has perplexed readers over the centuries probably more than any other passage in Exodus. Scholars and theologians have wrestled with its meaning, its implications—What exactly happened? Why? Why is it inserted here? (The meeting of Aaron with Moses in the following verses seems to have taken place before the events of this passage.) Are Zipporah’s words spoken in anger or submission, and what do they signify? We certainly do not presume to be able to plumb these depths. We would, however, submit for your prayerful consideration the following thoughts:

* In verse 22 a warning is made to Pharaoh in advance about the consequences of a refusal to release Israel. The last plague did not come unannounced. God considers Israel His “son”, His “firstborn.” Not releasing him to his Call will result in the death of Pharaoh’s own eldest son.

* Is it possible that within this warning to Pharaoh lay also a sober warning to Moses? Circumcision had been solemnly commanded Abraham (Genesis 17:9-14) as a sign of God’s covenant with him and his seed. All males in his household and all of their descendants were to be circumcised (17:9).

The Hebrew for circumcision means “cut off.” If the foreskin of a son were not cut away, God’s covenant had been broken and the very soul (Hebrew: nefesh) of that son would be cut off from the holy purposes destined for this people (17:14).

Moses had himself evidently been circumcised (Exodus 2:6); but he had grown up in an Egyptian court and then married a Midianite maiden. Whether at the hesitation of Tziporah or of himself, Gershom, his own firstborn had not been circumcised. Perhaps it went against his Egyptian or her Midianite cultures which they had grown up with. Perhaps it seemed cruel, not the humanitarian thing to do. And certainly neither parent at this time realized the spiritual warfare which was going on behind the scenes.

Here was the man chosen by the God of Heaven to fulfill His promise to Abraham—to bring His people of Covenant back to Canaan (Gen 15:13-16). Now Moses, the leader and model, the figurehead, was about to be responsible for causing the covenant to be broken in his own family before even getting started in his mission!

It was a terrible but essential lesson to be learned. Even as Pharaoh’s refusal to release God’s Firstborn (Israel) into its Covenant purposes would necessitate the sacrifice of Pharaoh’s own eldest, so Moses refused to release Gershom into his Covenant purposes through circumcision would necessitate that firstborn also being “cut off.”

* It is a difficult thing for any father to submit his son to the pain and bloodshed of being cut—although in reality, this was a relatively minor wounding symbolic of something far greater. Ultimately, the Heavenly-Father would send His one and only—His “Firstborn” Son to be “cut off” (Isaiah 3:8; Daniel 9:26). In his wounding would come healing for all mankind, the putting to death of sinful flesh, and a New Covenant initiated in His blood.

PLEASE PRAY for realization amongst Jews that they are still a Covenant People whom God loves and is drawing in lovingkindness. That a New Covenant has been made for them in the Blood of the Messiah Yeshua.

* Isaiah 28:5-6 “In that day the LORD of Armies will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people, for a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.”

PLEASE PRAY for the “remnant of His people” who have returned to the Land of Israel, that there awaken within them a longing for the One who rules in glorious majesty and the beauty of holiness. Pray for Justice fueled by the Holy Spirit to characterize Israel’s civil government…and courage and strength her military. Pray for the “remnant-within-a-remnant” of the Body of Messiah in Israel—for the Messianic Jewish and Christian Arab community, that it become recognized for its fairness and righteous judgment—and that it become tempered and prepared in the weapons of its warfare in the Holy Spirit, so as to recognize and turn back the battle at the gates!

[The Torah and Haftarah portions for next week, Va’Era (“And I Appeared”—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El Shaddai) will be: TORAH: Exodus 6:2—9:35; HAFTARAH: Ezekiel 28:25—29:21]

Dreadful Dream

2012-01-04T18:05:00.002+02:00

By David Ortiz

¹⁶So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. ¹⁷ Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. ¹⁸ Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. ¹⁹Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. ²⁰Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." ²¹So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. (Nehemiah 4:16-21)

Last night I had a dream.

I heard an announcement that was made from Hell, saying, "There is a sword that has been issued to cut down those that are declaring the message of salvation to the Jewish people that Yeshua is the Messiah. It should cut them down to pieces."

I could hear that the order was given from far away and from a very deep pit.

The believers were in a type of a dark catacomb, caves where there were many passage ways.

Soon a very tall man came out who had a very dark shadow on him. He came out running and swinging a machete with all his might.

People began fleeing from before him.

As he ran towards the groups of people, one of the brothers braced himself as the man was swinging and coming in his direction, but he bypassed this brother and made it clear that he wasn't the target, but the others were.

As he chased the others, I could hear the clinking sound of the weapon hitting solid rock when the machete didn't hit its mark, but some were hit. But just because he wasn't able to hit some, that didn't deter him from continuing to pursue the people in the catacombs and didn't stop him from his goal.

The brother that was spared by being bypassed was gripped with fear and backed up to the cold wall behind him in order to not be seen.

Once again, the assassin bypassed him, but this time made it clearer that he would not be targeted as long as he didn't get involved. The brother felt relieved that his life had been spared.

Among the courts of men, people's motives aren't always clear-cut and identifiable. Sometimes it isn't immediately clear if the crime was intentional, 1^st degree, 2^nd degree, or done out of ignorance, because man doesn't know the heart and it can take a long period of time or even years before the true motive is revealed.

But with God this is not the case.

Truth is evident in less than a second because all the intentions of a man's heart are laid bare and not hidden. Man stands before God completely naked and without excuse (Hebrews 4:12-13), and in the dream this was plainly understood and evident.

The reason why the brother did not get involved and didn't take interest in trying to save the others is because he was relieved that his life had been spared.

It was almost like he was in the heat of a hot a desert with no relief in sight and all of a sudden he was transported to a room that was fully air conditioned and comfortable and had all the amenities he needed to refresh himself from the trauma of what he had seen.

At least he thought so, because little did he know that his escape was temporary and he would also meet the same fate.

When I woke up, I was in shock that I had even dreamt something like this so clearly and plainly.

These words from the book of Esther came immediately to my mind:

¹³And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14)

I am a student of history, like many of us are.

As a child I always wondered how people could stand by and let others be mistreated, just so their lives could be spared.

I wondered because I was raised in a home and in a certain group of people with the mentality that felt that it was a cowardly act to stand by when others were being attacked and abused - especially if it was in your power to do something about it.

But my experience growing up and examples in history show us that when people don't stand up for others, it allows aggressors to hurt whole people groups and communities.

The Bible says in 1 John 3:17,

But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

As we see, read and hear, the Ministry of Interior, other government agencies, anti-missionary groups and non-believing religious groups that purposely target Christian groups to get funds and benefits, are making it clear that all those who work with Messianic believers will be harassed - directly or indirectly - and when applicable, visas will be taken away or put into question.

The College in Ariel has made it completely clear to Christians who come to study in their programs that if they work with or even fellowship with Messianic Jews, their visas will be revoked.

Born-again believers submit to that threat and intimidation, thereby even considering to have their right eye to be removed like in the book of 1Samuel 11.

The Ammonites came against a tribe of Israel, and the Israelites who were badly outnumbered wanted to make a peace treaty with them. The Ammonites said they would consider that, but only if the Israelites would allow them to gouge out their right eyes, thus bringing a reproach to Israel.

In the same manner, believers allow their God-given freedom of choice and worship to be taken away in order to spare themselves.

May God give us the strength when the time comes to cling to the words of Yeshua, "Greater love has no man, than to lay down his life (or his self-interest, or his ministry) for his brother." John 15:13 And to stand up for His bride that He gave and shed His blood for.

Hebrews 13:3: "Remember the prisoners as if chained with them ˜those who are mistreated˜ since you yourselves are in the body also."

Here are some practical steps you can take to help Jewish believers who have made Yeshua Lord and Savior of their lives in Israel:

* Ps 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure."

* Pray for body of the Lord that lives in Israel.

* Adopt a person, family or congregation in prayer.

* Support businesses and buy things made by believers in Yeshua.

* Request newsletters from credible ministries in Israel so you can stay informed.

* Support the more than 120 Messianic Congregations which are spread from the Northernmost to the Southernmost part of the country.

* Read your Bible, understand history, the economy, up to date events, understand disputes, facts about Israel, past present and future, know who are the Ethnic groups and religions that live here.

World War II was won with more than tanks, missiles and an army.

It was won also by something called "The Home Front" - people who took it upon themselves to write letters, make phone calls, send pictures, remember people's birthdays, send care packages, and in doing so encourage and strengthen the soldiers on the front lines.

There are numerous ministries in Israel that are doing a tremendous work for the Lord in spiritual and physical ways that the home front can strengthen and encourage.

To name a few of the outstanding ministries that are operating here:

- Maoz Israel Ministries (http://www.maozisrael.org/)
- Joseph's Storehouse (http://www.visionforisrael.com/)
- Jerusalem Institute for Justice (http://www.jij.il.org/)
- Hope for Israel (http://www.hope4israel.org/)
- http://www.igod.co.il/
- Tents of Abraham (http://www.rescueisrael.org/)
- Christian Friends of Israel (http://www.cfijerusalem.net/)
- King of Kings community in Jerusalem (http://www.kkcj.org/)
- Brian Slater (ruachyeshua@yahoo.com)
- Revive Israel (http://www.reviveisrael.org/)

These are just a few of many who are doing an excellent and vital work in Israel, and who are glorifying the Lord in this land.

Will you stand with us?

David and Leah Ortiz are leaders of Ariel Congregation. Their son Ami was nearly killed when a settler from Judea placed a bomb in a Purim basket at their doorstep. God has miraculously healed Ami.

Light of the Nation

2011-12-26T05:45:00.001+02:00

by Tolik

The feast of Hanukkah has a deep significance in the Hebraic thinking. The resistance of the God-fearing Jews to the oppressors led to an impressive victory and even a relatively sustaining reign in Judea.

No wonder, therefore, that this feast is extremely important to the modern state of Israel. The courageous stories about Yehuda Ha’Maccabee and his brothers achieving great victories are much better example than stories like uprising of Bar-Kohvah, who claimed to be Messiah and led the nation to a disastrous holocaust.

However, one major problem remains. The uprising of the Maccabees was not about them as people. It was also not about their nation or some abstract liberty. It was strictly about the freedom to worship God – the God of Israel. To be more precise, the enemy of the courageous Maccabees was not only the Greek occupier, but also the Hellenistic Jews – those, who wished to behave like the Greeks in their life and worship.

Herein lays a very intriguing irony. Today’s secular Jews, while celebrating the victory of the Maccabees, represent in many ways (if not in all) the Hellenistic Jews. Sure, the terminology is different, they look more to the U.S. culture than the Greek one, and they don't usually wear Togas. But in essence they have the same attitude towards the God of Israel and His laws.

This fascinating tension can be found in the famous Hanukkah hymn, 'Maoz Tsur' (translated into English as ‘Rock of Ages’). The original song is one of praise and thanksgiving to God, declaring his greatness. But in its secular adaptation composed by Noemi Shemer, it is, for some reason, the strength of the army that gets all the glory.

Yes, praise God for restoration of Israel, and praise Him for the success of the Israeli Defense Forcs, but let us acknowledge that it is He who deserves all the praise.

So as we celebrate the miracle of the Festival of Lights, let’s be like the Maccabees, and choose to worship the true God of heaven and earth – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – at all cost. And let us pray for the Jewish people to recognize this eye-opening truth as well.

Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
he answers him from his holy heaven
with the saving power of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
Psalms 20: 6-8

Mikve or Baptism

2011-12-15T16:15:00.004+02:00

by Tolik

According to modern Jewish thought, once a Messianic Jew chooses to be immersed in water, something terrible happens.

Jewish conservative thought sees a public statement as very significant. As a result, a religious person can believe something in the privacy of his home, but once this belief becomes a public statement, there’s greater resistance.

For example, it’s a known fact that among religious Jews there are secret homosexuals. These people are usually encouraged to be secret about their tendencies and practices.

This is why baptism is such a big deal for the Jewish believer. Often, especially for the Jew with a secular background, coming to faith in Messiah Yeshua will not be taken too seriously amongst his friends and family. It will usually be viewed as a passing phase.

However, once a Jewish believer is immersed in water, it can no longer taken lightly as there is a public recognition that this person views his faith as something significant and meaningful.

There is an interesting relationship between the Jewish and Messianic view of baptism and repentance.

The Jewish view takes “Hazarah be Tshuva” (repentance) as a one-time event in a person’s life, while the believer views sees it as a constant, ongoing, everyday process.

On the other hand, the Christian traditional view looks at water immersion as a one time thing, while Jewish thought views the “tevilah ba mikve” (being baptized in the mikve) as a regular practice.

Most people do not even realize that immersion in water did not begin with Acts 2, or even John the Baptist.

Water immersion was a significant part of Temple Judaism and played a natural role in establishing New Covenant immersion. It is also widely and regularly practiced by the Jews today.

The Demographic Scare – Repudiated by Facts

2011-12-12T18:17:00.000+02:00

Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, "Second Thought”
"Israel Hayom” Newsletter, December 8, 2011

The prophets of demographic doom have contended, since the establishment of modern day Zionism in 1897 and the Jewish State in 1948, that Jews are doomed to become a minority west of the Jordan River. The facts prove them wrong!

In 2011, in defiance of demographic fatalism, Israel's Jewish demography benefits from a tailwind while Arabs, throughout the Mid-East, experience a demographic headwind.

For instance, the annual number of Jewish births has surged by 56% since 1995 – reflecting a rising fertility rate (number of births per woman) - while the annual number of Israeli Arab births has grown by 10% - reflecting a sharp decline in fertility rate.

The annual number of Israel's Jewish births has expanded from 69% of total births, in 1995, to 76% of total births in 2011. In 1995, there were 2.3 Jewish births per each Arab birth, compared with 3.1 Jewish births per each Arab birth in 2011.

The secular Jewish sector – especially the Olim (immigrants) from the former USSR and the Tel Aviv area yuppies - is mostly responsible for the demographic surge. At the same time, the ultra-Orthodox sector is experiencing a drop in fertility, resulting from its gradual integration into the employment market and expanded service in the Israel Defense Forces.

The Jewish-Arab gap of fertility has been reduced from 6 births in 1969 to 0.5 births in 2011, trending toward a convergence at 3 births per woman. In fact, Jewish-Arab fertility convergence is already in place among younger women and in northern Israel (the largest Arab community), while the fertility rate among Israeli-born Jewish women exceeds 3 births per woman. In Jerusalem, the Jewish fertility rate (4.3 births) is higher than the Arab rate (3.9).

In fact, Israel's Jewish fertility rate is higher than most Arab countries, other than Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria. For example, Jordan, a twin sister of Judea and Samaria in many respects, features 2.8 births per woman, Egypt has declined to 2.5 births and even non-Arab radical Islamic Iran has taken a dip to 1.7 births per woman (a 2.1 rate is required to sustain the current numbers) .

The sharp decline in the Arab fertility rate, west of the Jordan River, is a derivative of the successful integration of Arabs into the infrastructure of modernity. Israeli Arabs have blended into the infrastructure of education, medical, employment, leisure, banking, agriculture, sports, politics, academia, media and the arts. Most Arab women marry at the age of 20+, instead of 15-18, and stop the reproductive process at the age of 40+, instead of 50+. The phenomenon of Arab teen pregnancy is vanishing. Family planning and the use of contraceptives has become an acceptable norm among Arabs. This process has been faster among Judea and Samaria Arabs due to dramatic urbanization: 70% rural population in 1967 and 75% urban population in 2011, burdened by 30% unemployment, a PLO-Hamas civil war and a rising divorce rate.

Modernity has also reduced the Arab natural increase - birth minus death - due to the diminishing number of births on the one hand, and the increase in the number of the elderly – as a proportion of the Arab population - on the other hand. The latter is the result of the rapid rise of Arab life expectancy, causing a rapid shrinking of natural increase.

Net-Arab-emigration, from Judea and Samaria, has been an annual phenomenon since 1950 (with the exception of six years). Most emigrants are in the reproductive age. In contrast, net-Jewish immigration has benefitted Israel, with most Olim in the reproductive age. Waves of Jewish immigration (Aliya) have occurred every 20 years: 1950s, 1970s and 1990s. Another wave is possible, should Israel and the Jewish people rise to the occasion, leveraging economic, social and (Jewish) educational realities in Russia, Ukraine, other former USSR Republics, France, England, Argentina and the USA.

In 1898, the leading Jewish demographer/historian, Shimon Dubnov, referred to Theodore Herzl, the father of modern day Zionism, as "a messianic wishful-thinker.” Dubnov projected a 500,000 Jewish population in the land of Israel by the year 2000 – an insignificant minority. He was off by more than 5 million Jews. In 1948, the founder of Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, and the mentor of today's prophets of demographic doom, Prof. Roberto Bacchi, projected a 2.3 million Jewish minority of 33% in 2001. He was off by 3.5 million Jews.

Since 1967, Israel's demographers of doom have contended that Jews are doomed to become a minority west of the Jordan River. They prescribe the panacea to the demographic threat: conceding geography (Judea and Samaria) in order to secure demography. In defiance of these demographic projections, over six million Jews constitute a 66% majority in the combined area of pre-1967 Israel, Judea and Samaria. The number of Judea & Samaria Arabs has been inflated by one million (including overseas residents, double-counting Jerusalem Arabs, inflating birth numbers, etc.) since the arrival of one million Olim from the USSR.

Demographic facts conclude that anyone suggesting that Jews are doomed to become a minority west of the Jordan River is either dramatically mistaken or outrageously misleading.

Policy-makers should base policy upon facts and not upon refuted numbers!

http://www.theettingerreport.com/

Yeshua or Jesus – is it Really Important?

2011-11-24T10:11:00.001+02:00

Tolik

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:31-32)

When the angel appears to Miriam (Mary) and tells her that she will have a son, the next piece of information she receives is that His name will be Yeshua. The purpose of Yeshua wasn’t the only significant information the angel gave Miriam. In fact, His purpose is revealed only after His name is announced.

The Jewish people and the Israeli society as whole do not only reject Yeshua as the anointed Messiah. They reject His name as well. Some people among the Israeli secular public call Him by His English name, ‘Jesus,’ but the common name that is used is ‘Yeshu.’

I find it interesting that the letter ‘a’ which they remove from His name, when spelled in Hebrew is the letter ‘ain,’ which also means an eye. A fascinating concept to ponder, especially if we remember Paul’s writing to the Corinthians:

“Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” (2 Corinthians 3:15).

Speaking about the Jewish people Paul is mentioning a veil - an eye covering. Once the veil will be removed, their eyesight would return, and so would the “ain” (eye). Going from Jesus back to Yeshua, isn’t just a cosmetic change, nor is it the end of a journey. It is the beginning of a quest to find Yeshua the person. The Jew. The Rabbi – Torah-knowing and brethren-loving.

The irony is that this Jewish Yeshua is being rejected not only by Jews, but also by the Church and often even some Messianic Jews.

SarkObaMania

2011-11-16T18:21:00.001+02:00

Oops! Once again people in power speak without checking in on who's listening. Well, we here in Israel hear you loud and clear.

After the betraying "Yes" vote from France last week in UNESCO, Israelis are now watching to see what will happen in the Security Council.

Will France keep her promise or will they side with the Palestinians, forcing the U.S. to use the veto?

If you regard Sarkozy's remark that he is 'fed up' with the 'liar' Netanyahu, one can speculate the latter. And speaking of lying, I think the entire world is now wondering what exactly did the Israeli Prime Minister lie about.

However, if you also regard President Obama's reaction of "You are fed up with him???? I'm the one who has to deal with him every day!!!" maybe for now the French abstention is secure.

In any case, the humiliating (mostly for Netanyahu) conversation between the two is proving to the world once again that Israel is very close to standing alone against the world.

We know from the first official visit of Netanyahu to Obama's White House that the two don't see eye to eye. Following the well-remembered humiliation of Israel that day, Netanyahu 'schooled' the U.S. President in a public press conference that we also remember well. It seems that Obama just delivered his next punch in the ongoing battle.

Israel's relationship with France is rocky even though this European power claims to be on Israel's side (for the most part).

What will come out of this situation? Well, truth, when revealed, sets one free.

Netanyahu will, of course, once again prove to have more class than Sarkozy and Obama together. He is a brilliant politician with thick skin and he can handle this.

But are we going to see more hostility towards Israel from her important allies? And, once again, will Sarkozy explain what Netanyahu lied about?

Time will tell.

The Unfathomable Value of One: Israel's Costly Gift

2011-11-13T15:42:00.001+02:00

by Shira Sorko-Ram

Tuesday morning. The people of Israel rose at daybreak – from bed to the TV screen.

Today was different. Israel doesn’t have 24/7 news yet, but by 6:00 a.m. all of Israel’s TV stations, (and for that matter, international media) were buzzing with reporters spread across the nation. Waiting. At the Gaza-Egyptian border. The Egyptian-Israeli border, and a small village in Galilee.

Gilad Shalit was coming home.

He was a 19-year-old soldier pulling guard duty with two other soldiers on Israel’s border, when nine Hamas terrorists appeared out of nowhere, killed the other soldiers, and then kidnapped Gilad, dragging him back through a three-kilometer tunnel they had dug under the Gaza-Israel border.
That was five years and four months ago.

This day the tension was excruciating. Would Hamas blow up the deal to release Gilad at the last moment?

It was also ironic. Though we stared at the TV, the whole nation had been instructed by our leaders that there would be no interviews. No one would ask him any questions. Not the press. Not the army. Not the prime minister. Not his parents.

Not a single Israeli – including Israel’s famed Mossad – knew of his physical or mental condition, nor even where he had been hidden for 1,942 days. But the public was instructed over and over again by the government and military, by psychologists and therapists, that Gilad must have complete quiet – even though in his home village in Galilee there were thousands waiting to just get a glimpse of “their son.”

Obviously the nation desperately wanted to hear what only Gilad could tell them. But former Israeli POW’s told his mother and father, “Just hug him and ask him what he wants to eat!” And because Gilad had become every Israeli family’s son, the nation truly wanted only the greatest good for Gilad – to be mentally and physically healthy.

Yet we had to see him! Gilad’s pictures on posters carried around for years by thousands – tens of thousands – of Israelis were five plus years old. How would he look now?

Finally after what seemed an eternity, the Israeli news anchors announced with great excitement that the kidnapped soldier had just arrived in a small white pickup at the Gaza-Egyptian border crossing. At that instant came the first pictures of a pale thin figure wearing civilian clothes and a baseball cap. He was led out of the vehicle by Hamas gunmen.

And then totally unexpected, the Egyptians whisked him off to a room to be interviewed by a famous Egyptian personality, Shahira Amin on their state TV. The interview had not been coordinated with Israel and delayed the schedule by an hour. The Israeli officials were furious.

Meanwhile, all Israel stared at the reality show coming from Egypt. Stunned. Anxious.

Gilad, who was still in the hands of masked Hamas operatives together with the Egyptians, was clearly frightened. Breathing heavily throughout the 12-minute interview, he carefully chose his words.

He was asked absurd questions such as, “During all that time of captivity, you did just one video to tell the world and your family that you’re alive,” Amin told the soldier. “Why just one? Why didn’t it happen again?” She forgot to ask, “Why didn’t the International Red Cross visit you even one time?" (Not allowing the ICRC to visit prisoners of war is against international law.)

At that moment, Gilad’s Hamas minder who was translating his answers from Hebrew to English, stopped the interview and an argument broke out in Arabic on live TV between the Hamas translator and the journalist.

Then Amin continued, “Gilad, you know what it’s like to be in captivity. There are more than 4,000 Palestinians still languishing in Israeli jails. Will you help campaign for their release?”

The Israeli nation could hardly breathe. What kind of question was that? After five years and four months of solitary confinement and malnutrition, he was being asked whether he would work to free Palestinian prisoners? Was Gilad emotionally strong enough to withstand the pressure to become an advocate for Palestinian murderers?

After a few stunned seconds, an obviously exhausted Gilad spoke – in Hebrew for all Israel to hear: “I’d be very happy if they were released,” he replied very softly, “providing they don’t return to fight against Israel.”

The Israeli TV anchors, hearing the live interview in Hebrew with the rest of us, nearly jumped out of their seats. This was the first sign that Gilad was clearly in control of his mental faculties. His response was the wisest and truest answer an Israeli could give.

However, guess what? The Hamas interpreter translated Gilad’s answer like this: “I’d be very happy if they were released so they would all be freed and could return to their own families and their own land.”

That was it. Somehow the phrase, “providing they don’t return to fight against Israel,” was lost in the Hamas translation, replaced by a new phrase.

The blaring omission and addition was repeated by the BBC’s translator though he too was independently interpreting from Hebrew in real time. In fact all of the TV stations we listened to later in the day – CNN, Fox, France24 and of course the Russian stations and Al Jazeera, dutifully repeated Hamas’ version.

I admit I was angry. Hamas? Of course they will lie. But why would journalists representing Western democratic values go along with a deliberate act of dishonest translation?

WELCOME HOME GILAD!

And then, the scene changed to Gilad walking from an Egyptian vehicle towards his own people. As we all waited, he underwent a medical check up, showered, and donned his army uniform. The army brought along three different sizes of army uniforms, unsure of his weight. It’s a good thing they did for he was a gaunt 110 pounds.

He saluted Prime Minister Netanyahu, who then gave him a big hug. After several other officials greeted him with salutes and hugs, he was in the arms of his father.

Asher Intrater, founder of Ahavat Yeshua Messianic Congregation in Jerusalem, expressed Gilad’s return like this: “In the 20 years I have lived in Israel, I have never seen the hearts of the people so touched, so softened, so unified. Gilad is certainly not the Savior. Yet there was something in his appearance and demeanor reminiscent of the image of the suffering servant of the Messiah Himself.

The deep pain in his eyes; his broken body that struggled to stand erect; his need to grip the handrails as he came down only a few stairs… and yet the clarity of thoughts; the stature of elegance and nobility; the raising of his hand in a military salute when he met the Prime Minister… there was not a dry eye in the country.

He was led out of captivity by Ahmed Jabari (head of the Hamas terror wing) and by Raad Atar (who engineered the kidnapping); he looked like a lamb who had been led to slaughter. And yet there was no hint of complaining. His brave and childlike little smile said to all, ‘I'm going to be all right.’" (www.revive-israel.org)

DRIPS OF INFORMATION

Each morsel of information gleaned, either by the Egyptian interview or a few terse words from the medics were dissected and analyzed over and over again by the Israeli media.

He had been locked in a windowless room – or dungeon – with very little human contact. He told the Egyptian journalist Shahira Amin that he was glad to be with people – with people to whom he could talk.

The medical authorities who had given him a preliminary examination reiterated that Gilad "needs his time to transition after this very long period – almost five and a half years without sunlight," saying that he's suffering from a medical condition because of the lack of exposure to light.

He had been without glasses for five years – which meant he had been unable to read anything.

At some point he was allowed TV and radio, so he knew Benjamin Netanyahu was the Prime Minister of Israel. He told the Egyptian journalist he believed one day he would be freed, but he thought he might have to wait many more years.

The nation was captivated by this son of Israel, this amazing human being who had been redeemed at such an extravagant price.

Prime Minister Netanyahu summed it up in his announcement that Gilad was back in his own country.

“The State of Israel is different from its enemies,” Netanyahu said. “Here we do not celebrate the release of murderers. Here, we do not applaud those who took life. On the contrary, we believe in the sanctity of life. We sanctify life. This is the ancient tradition of the Jewish people.”

Israelis, agreeing to release 1,027 terrorists, affirmed the sanctity of the life of a single soldier, a soldier who spoke so simply and eloquently of the Jewish people’s yearning for peace.

THE PALESTINIANS CELEBRATE

The contrast between the rejoicing of the Palestinians and Israelis was as far as the east is from the west. 1,027 terrorists had been released. The 1,027 terrorists had collectively killed more than 800 Israelis.

They came back to their families as well-fed, robust and proud as ever. Many had received a college education while in prison. Some even had conjugal privileges with their wives. The International Red Cross had regularly visited the prisoners. They had access to amenities that many Israeli citizens do not have.

They bragged to the jubilant crowds awaiting them that they were ready to return to fight Israel until she was destroyed. Reuters News reported on one Wafa al-Biss, a Gazan woman who had received permission to be treated for burns at an Israeli hospital, but was caught carrying 22 pounds of explosives in her underwear. She was planning on blowing herself up in the hospital.

The day after her release Wafa was filmed telling cheering schoolchildren in the Gaza Strip that she hoped they would follow her example, and encouraged the children to be killers of Jews when they grow up.

Hamas’ leaders promised there would be many more “Shalit” kidnappings – until every Palestinian prisoner was free.

WE’LL STAY AS LONG AS IT TAKES

"A mother cries" song written for Aviva Shalit (mother of Gilad Shalit)

Gilad’s parents had traveled the world seeking their son’s release. Then 15 months ago, Noam and Aviva Shalit decided to move to Jerusalem and live in a tent in front of the Prime Minister’s home. Noam said they would stay there until their son came home.

They ate and slept in the tent through last year’s cold blustery winter, and through the heat of the summer. The people witnessed a father’s total dedication of his life to deliver his son from death.

A blogger who was one of the thousands who visited the tent wrote: “He is a soft spoken man with a broken heart but full of inspiration and energy to protest his son's release day in and day out. I cannot imagine the amount of energy it would take to yearn for your child as well as protest for years on end and give up your life to sit in a tent all day and night; this is something truly powerful and heart-breaking at the same time.”

Noam galvanized the nation behind him. Gilad became everyone’s son. And when that day came when Gilad stepped out of the Israeli military vehicle and into the hands of Israel’s Prime Minister and Defense Minister Barak, the nation wept.

THE SOUL OF ISRAEL

Even young Arab bloggers saw the uniqueness of the people of the Book. They asked on Facebook how it was that Israel would give up so much for one soldier when their own leaders thought nothing of murdering their own citizens.

The Jerusalem Post explained, “It’s not that we are insensitive to the feelings of past terrorist victims’ families and loved ones. Nor are we unaware that many, even most, of those who will be released will return to violent terrorism – and that by paying a ratio of 1 to 1,027 we are encouraging future kidnappings.

“It’s just that none of these potential future dangers seems to be able to trump the fact that right now an IDF soldier’s life is being saved.”

Indeed, the Israeli people, the overwhelming majority agreeing with the exchange, in a way are offering themselves as a possible sacrifice for this one son of Israel.

Yair Lapid’s analysis poignantly pointed out that in this affair the Israeli street had commandeered the leadership of the nation and demanded that this one soldier be brought home: “This role reversal between the people and its leaders may be very problematic, but at least on the Shalit front it entails a sense of poetic justice. After all, the one who shall pay the price of the deal is the very same street that demanded it.

“The same street where signs were posted is where buses will be exploding. The same shopping malls where petitions were signed are where suicide bombers will enter. The echoes of the gunshots will be heard in the same squares where the protestors stood.” (ynetnews.com 19Oct2011)

Israeli Defense Minister Barak expressed the extreme complexity over such exchanges. He said that a "life-loving country cannot continue" to release over 1,000 prisoners for a soldier. "This slippery slope has to stop,” he said.

Yet Barak could not help but repeat a foundational value of the Israeli Defense Forces. “We lived up to an unwritten code on protecting soldiers who went out on missions and find themselves kidnapped. We have a supreme obligation to them." (JP 24Oct2011)

For now, Israel is basking in the joy of seeing a soul heading for death returned to life. How well we Messianic Jews of Israel understand that if one life in this world is so innately noble and precious, how great is the worth of one soul who inherits eternal life. For this reason, we give our lives to bring the Good News of Israel’s Messiah to our people.

For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord,
And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
There is hope in your future, says the Lord,
That your children shall come back to their own border. Jeremiah 31:16-17
For this we press toward the mark for the prize, the ultimate prize of God’s high calling in Messiah Yeshua, Savior of Israel.

Israel and the Messianic Jews

2011-11-10T11:36:00.000+02:00

Tolik

The modern nation of Israel and the Messianic Jewish Movement have some interesting resemblances between them.

Both are dualistic in nature: Israel claims to be “a Jewish and a democratic” state, living in that constant obvious tension, while Messianic Jews claim to be, well, Jews and members of the global “body of Believers,” which is largely gentile.

Both Israel and the Messianic Movement are resurrected movements and establishments.

Israel lost her independence about 2,000 years ago and the body of believers lost touch with its Jewish roots not long after that. For hundreds of years it was completely unacceptable to be both a believer in the Jewish Messiah and a Jew.

Culturally there is an interesting resemblance between Israel and the Messianic Jews.

The state of Israel emerged out of the ashes of the Holocaust, with one of its fundamental premises being “we can never trust anybody again.” In the same way, the Messianic Jewish Movement had its most significant awakening emerge out of the ashes of Woodstock with an equivalent spiritual premise: “We must never trust any other spiritual power besides the one true God ever again.”

The reason that the world hates Israel, is similar to the reason Israel has an issue with Messianic Jews: the object of the hate reminds the hater of what he should be, and in both cases the object of the hate does that without living up to the standard themselves.

Both Israel and Messianic Jews are being targeted first and foremost because the world does not accept God as He really is. The world rejects the God of Israel and His plan through Abraham’s lineage, just as the world rejects Yeshua as the promised Messiah.

Israel and Messianic Jews are left to suffer the consequences.

“Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Psalm 44:22)

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (John 15:18).

Cyclone of Violence

2011-11-01T11:41:00.000+02:00

Tolik

Make no mistake about it. While Israel is rejoicing over the release of Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 prisoners, the Palestinian side perceives the deal as much more than the return of their prisoners. They see it as victory.

The media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict often calls the tragic events of terror attacks against Israel and Israel’s attempt to defend herself a “circle of violence.” The term suggests that there are two sides striving for conflict, and one side’s actions drive the other to retaliate, leading to a never-ending escalation.

This, however, is far from being true. Israel, while obviously not being perfect, does want the violence to stop, while the Hamas movement operates in a matter that I would like to label a “circle of violence.” If, for example, Israel kills or arrests a Hamas member, it will be perceived as an Israeli brutality, which will “force” Hamas to retaliate in violence against Israel. If, however, Israel releases a Hamas member from prison, Hamas will perceive it as weakening of Israel, which, of course, will lead to violence against Israel.

The world often makes a fundamental mistake of assuming that the conflict in Israel is similar in nature to other territorial conflicts in the world. It is not. There is a major difference.

The I.R.A, for example, had a clear agenda: To free Northern Ireland (not to eliminate England). The E.T.A. and the Basque national liberation movement demanded a Basque state in certain Spanish and French territories (not the elimination of Spain and France).

The agenda of Hamas is not freedom for Palestinian people, or a Palestinian state, but rather the destruction of Israel. They may capitalize on the suffering of the Palestinian people, but solving the matter is not what Hamas is about.

Hamas is fundamentally about one thing: violence. Violence is the way… violence is the goal… past violence is the legend… future violence is the hope… violence is the salvation (Islamic heaven that awaits the Shaheed - martyr)… violence is the redemption… and violence is the eschatology. The violent “resistance” is not only a strategy, but also a foundation, Perhaps the fundamental one.

Therefore, I would like to suggest that the true “circle of violence” is outworked within Hamas, constantly striving to entrap others to its murderous cycle, and as this cycle is quickly spinning, like a tornado, the spectators see only the fast- approaching wave, unable to realize what exactly is coming their way.

The USA - Better Unique Ally than Honest Broker

2011-10-17T07:59:00.002+02:00

Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger,
Second Thought, Israel Hayom Newsletter
Reprinted with permission

All US Administrations have displayed a split personality when it comes to Israel.

On the one hand, US Administrations have been Israel's unique ally, implementing the will of the American People and Congress since the 17th century, thus forging a mutually-beneficial two-way street security and commercial alliance, based on shared values, joint interests and mutual threats.

On the other hand, US Administrations have played the role of an honest broker between Israel and its Arab enemies. They usually follow the lead of the UN and Europe-oriented State Department bureaucracy, which has generally been at odds with the American People and Congress, opposing the establishment of the Jewish State in 1948, still not recognizing even western Jerusalem as Israeli territory, embracing Arafat, Saddam Hussein (until Kuwait's invasion) and Khomeini (until the US Embassy takeover), and serving as Israel's harshest critic in Washington.

The split personality of US Administrations radicalizes Arab positions, undermines US and Israeli national security, and impairs US-Israel relations. It attempts to establish a false moral equivalence between Israel - a role model of counterterrorism, democracy and unconditional alliance - and the Palestinian Authority - the role model of terrorism, hate education and alliance with America's adversaries.

In 2009, former US Ambassador to Israel, Dan Kurtzer, cautioned Special Envoy George Mitchell against pressuring Israel for an unprecedented long-term freeze of construction in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem. However, pressure was applied, Israel succumbed and Abu Mazen intensified his demands, thus causing the current impasse.

In August 1970, Israel and Egypt concluded a US-negotiated ceasefire agreement, which was summarily violated by Egypt by their construction of the most-advanced Soviet-made anti-aircraft system. The US Administration pressured Israel to tolerate such a dramatic violation, which played a key role in the devastating Israeli losses during the October 1973 War.

In 1977, Israel and Egypt launched a peace process, frustrating President Carter's pursuit of an international conference and courting radical Arabs. In 1979, Israel and Egypt concluded a peace treaty, overruling Carter's insistence to require Israeli concessions on the Palestinian and Jerusalem fronts.

In 1994, Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty, totally independent of President Clinton's involvement.

The deal-maker of the only two Israel-Arab peace accords was the direct initiative and dialogue between Israel, Egypt and Jordan. The deal-breaker of well-intentioned Presidential initiatives was the undermining of the direct dialogue, thus failing to produce a single peace accord.

Arab parties to US-led negotiation with Israel cannot be more moderate than the US Department of State. They consider Israel increasingly susceptible to pressure, thus upping the ante, which constitutes a tailwind to extremism and a headwind to peace.

The current US-led initiative aims to produce a resolution of the 100 year old Arab-Israeli conflict during the term of an incumbent President, subordinating long-term strategic interests to short-term gains. The time factor renders the President more vulnerable to pressure by Arab dictators who are not constrained by election cycles. The President is at ease pressuring Israel- a democracy which is susceptible to domestic and external lobbying - to assume more risks for peace, while the boiling Arab Street mandates less risks and more security!

The Arab-Israeli conflict has never been a top priority in domestic, regional, or global politics, lagging behind - and unrelated to - the challenges of Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, the turmoil in all Arab lands, as well as Russia, China, North Korea, Mexico, Columbia, Venezuela, nuclear proliferation, ballistic missiles defense, etc. Presidential preoccupation with Israel-Arab negotiations, while the globe is increasingly unpredictably threatening, undermines vital US economic and national security interests.

The more significant the US role as an "honest broker," the less significant is its role as a "unique ally," which has produced unique economic and security benefits to the American People by Israel, "the largest American aircraft carrier, which does not require a single American boot on board, deployed in the critical eastern flank of the Mediterranean, saving the American taxpayer $20BN annually."

The smothering sandstorms emerging on the Arab Street behoove the US and Israel to enhance strategic cooperation, which should be top heavy on "unique alliance" and low on "honest brokerage."

The cycle of madness continues…

2011-10-11T14:40:00.000+02:00

On October 3rd someone torched a mosque in an Arab village. The arsonist(s) – probably radical Jew(s) – spray painted the words “Price Tag” on the mosque – a reference to Jewish settlers’ retaliation actions for attacks against Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

This incident followed a terror act near Hebron, when Palestinian rock-throwers struck a young driver in the head, causing him to lose control of the car. The driver and his infant son were killed when the car crashed.

Just a few days ago, Muslim and Christian cemeteries were desecrated in the city of Jaffa, a place where for decades Jews, Arabs and Christians have been living together relatively peacefully.

I, of course, do not under any circumstances condone burning of mosques or grave desecration – of anyone! I’ve seen too many images of swastikas on burned synagogues and overturned Jewish graves around the world. It is a horrifying sight, and I don’t wish it on anyone.

But this is a war that’s not going to end until revival comes to the Jewish people and to our Arab neighbors. There will never be peace – no matter what the U.S. and Europe try to devise.

"Price Tag"

Let’s go back just a few months to March 11, 2011. A teenage girl returns home in the middle of the night, and finds her parents, her 11-year-old and 4-year-old brothers and three-month old baby sister laying in pools of blood massacred without pity. She finds that two other siblings escaped death because they slept through the entire event.

Both murderers were caught – Palestinian teenagers – who expressed no remorse whatsoever. In the U.S. the jury would have no problem sending both to death row. Israel, however, has no death penalty. The two (one is still on trial) will now be sitting in prison, waiting for Israel to trade them to Hamas for our Israeli kidnapped soldier…..

In the natural it seems that murdering Israelis has no consequence.

So the circle of madness continues. Israel’s children are murdered by Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority says nothing and the world is silent. An angry settler torches a mosque. The world rises up against Israel. Israel condemns the acts, but her image on the world scene is damaged even further. Palestinians, emboldened by world support and apathy, find more victims and murder more Israelis. The world turns away in indifference….you get the rest of the story.

So what’s the solution, you might ask. Well, THERE IS NONE. As long as the ruler of this world is in charge, though his time gets shorter each passing day, the situation will deteriorate further. The Word of God foretells that all nations will come against Israel and wage war against her.

But in the midst of the world that is passing away, I know that I have to look up and seek the Lord for answers. I know these answers may never come in our lifetime. Nevertheless, I pray and believe that God is in control even if we don’t see it. His people will prevail and His Word will come to pass. When the children of Israel will need Him the most – He will come and save us from our enemies – no matter how many or how strong.

Pray for Israel. Pray for settlers who feel trapped in a never-ending circle of violence. Pray for our leaders. Pray for protection. But most of all – pray for all Israel to be saved according to the promise. This is the key to worldwide revival and the returning of Messiah Yeshua.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

A Few Questions for the Turkish Prime Minister

2011-09-25T15:08:00.000+03:00

by Ron Cantor

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan continued to express his disdain for Israel—or at least the current administration. He said:

“I would like to see accurate statistics on how many Israelis have been killed by the bombs thrown by Palestinians or by the rockets that were launched by them – 10? 20? 100? 200? How many? Please document it and let us know!

“But on the other hand we know that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Thousands have been killed by the Gaza attack alone. These are very clear numbers.”

If I were interviewing Mr. Erdogan, I would have had a few questions for him.

1. Mr. Erdogan, “hundreds of thousands”…really? Where did you get this figure? Arafat? That would be about 20% of the Palestinian population. In fact, the actual number is just over 6,000 between 2000 and 2010. And nearly all these deaths were in response to attacks against Israel, not Israeli aggression.

2. While you downplay the deaths that come from the Hamas rockets against Israel, surely an educated man like yourself understands that fatalities are not the only result of terror attacks. A child who has to run to a bomb shelter 5 times in the middle of the night suffers a horrible trauma, possibly for the rest of his life. Imagine going to bed each night, knowing that at any moment a blaring siren can awaken you from a deep sleep, where you then must run to shelter.

3. Are you aware that Palestinians have killed nearly 1,000 Palestinians in the past 10 years? Are you aware that under the PLO if you sell land to a Jew in Ramallah, it is punishable by death? Do you support the fact that often, suspected collaborators are hung by a lynch mob, frequently being decapitated?

4. And Mr. Erdogan, recently you called for a secular state in Egypt. Are you aware that Hamas, a militant Islamic group controls Parliament in the Palestinian Authority and has virtually built an Islamic fundamentalist state in Gaza? Do you think that they are planning for a democratic Palestine with human rights? Do you want to see another Islamic fundamentalist state in the region, like Iran? Wouldn’t you agree that a democratic Israel is better for the region than another Iran-like theocracy?

5. The question is not who has had more deaths, but who instigated the violence. If a militant group decides to go to war with me, then yes, I sure hope to inflict more damage upon them and to obtain victory. Disproportionate force is the goal any sensible nation. This will deter enemies from future aggression. Surely you know this from the way you have killed over 20,000 Kurds in Turkey since 1984 … (wink)

As you know, Israel has the capabilities to cause much more damage than she has. She has used incredible restraint despite a plethora of suicide bombings, sniper attacks against civilians, rockets (10,000!) being launched at her noncombatants, amongst other murderous acts (see Fogel family murder). I don’t imagine Egypt or Syria would show that much restraint. In fact, in just a few months of unrest, Syria has killed over 2,000 or its own civilians.

6. And lastly, Mr. Erdogan, why are you so concerned about the Palestinians, when you oppress 12 million Kurds who seek independence. It has been reported that your government has burned 3,000 Kurdish settlements to the ground and displaced two million people. Why are you so concerned about Arabs in the West Bank, when there are already 21 Arab nations that could easily absorb these people? (which was the original plan as stated in the San Remo Resolution in 1920, endored by the League of Nations and signed by 51 countries!) Why not be concerned about the more than 20 million Kurds in your own country, Iraq, Syria and Iran who have been denied the right to create a nation. 21 Arab nations—0 Kurdish nations. Hmmm… Wouldn’t you agree that this quite hypocritical on your part?

Prime Minister Netanyahu Addresses the UN General Assembly

2011-09-24T08:33:00.001+03:00

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly on September 23 - just a short while after PA President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) submitted an official request to the UN for recognition of the Palestinian State.

Following the speech video is the full speech transcript courtesy of IsraelPolitic

Ladies and gentlemen, Israel has extended its hand in peace from the moment it was established 63 years ago. On behalf of Israel and the Jewish people, I extend that hand again today. I extend it to the people of Egypt and Jordan, with renewed friendship for neighbors with whom we have made peace. I extend it to the people of Turkey, with respect and good will. I extend it to the people of Libya and Tunisia, with admiration for those trying to build a democratic future. I extend it to the other peoples of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, with whom we want to forge a new beginning. I extend it to the people of Syria, Lebanon and Iran, with awe at the courage of those fighting brutal repression.

But most especially, I extend my hand to the Palestinian people, with whom we seek a just and lasting peace. (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, in Israel our hope for peace never wanes. Our scientists, doctors, innovators, apply their genius to improve the world of tomorrow. Our artists, our writers, enrich the heritage of humanity. Now, I know that this is not exactly the image of Israel that is often portrayed in this hall. After all, it was here in 1975 that the age-old yearning of my people to restore our national life in our ancient biblical homeland — it was then that this was braided — branded, rather — shamefully, as racism. And it was here in 1980, right here, that the historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt wasn’t praised; it was denounced! And it’s here year after year that Israel is unjustly singled out for condemnation. It’s singled out for condemnation more often than all the nations of the world combined. Twenty-one out of the 27 General Assembly resolutions condemn Israel — the one true democracy in the Middle East.

Well, this is an unfortunate part of the U.N. institution. It’s the — the theater of the absurd. It doesn’t only cast Israel as the villain; it often casts real villains in leading roles: Gadhafi’s Libya chaired the U.N. Commission on Human Rights; Saddam’s Iraq headed the U.N. Committee on Disarmament.

You might say: That’s the past. Well, here’s what’s happening now — right now, today. Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon now presides over the U.N. Security Council. This means, in effect, that a terror organization presides over the body entrusted with guaranteeing the world’s security.

You couldn’t make this thing up.

So here in the U.N., automatic majorities can decide anything. They can decide that the sun sets in the west or rises in the west. I think the first has already been pre-ordained. But they can also decide — they have decided that the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Judaism’s holiest place, is occupied Palestinian territory.

And yet even here in the General Assembly, the truth can sometimes break through. In 1984 when I was appointed Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, I visited the great rabbi of Lubavich. He said to me — and ladies and gentlemen, I don’t want any of you to be offended because from personal experience of serving here, I know there are many honorable men and women, many capable and decent people serving their nations here. But here’s what the rebbe said to me. He said to me, you’ll be serving in a house of many lies. And then he said, remember that even in the darkest place, the light of a single candle can be seen far and wide.

Today I hope that the light of truth will shine, if only for a few minutes, in a hall that for too long has been a place of darkness for my country. So as Israel’s prime minister, I didn’t come here to win applause. I came here to speak the truth. (Cheers, applause.) The truth is — the truth is that Israel wants peace. The truth is that I want peace. The truth is that in the Middle East at all times, but especially during these turbulent days, peace must be anchored in security. The truth is that we cannot achieve peace through U.N. resolutions, but only through direct negotiations between the parties. The truth is that so far the Palestinians have refused to negotiate. The truth is that Israel wants peace with a Palestinian state, but the Palestinians want a state without peace. And the truth is you shouldn’t let that happen.

Ladies and gentlemen, when I first came here 27 years ago, the world was divided between East and West. Since then the Cold War ended, great civilizations have risen from centuries of slumber, hundreds of millions have been lifted out of poverty, countless more are poised to follow, and the remarkable thing is that so far this monumental historic shift has largely occurred peacefully. Yet a malignancy is now growing between East and West that threatens the peace of all. It seeks not to liberate, but to enslave, not to build, but to destroy.

That malignancy is militant Islam. It cloaks itself in the mantle of a great faith, yet it murders Jews, Christians and Muslims alike with unforgiving impartiality. On September 11th it killed thousands of Americans, and it left the twin towers in smoldering ruins. Last night I laid a wreath on the 9/11 memorial. It was deeply moving. But as I was going there, one thing echoed in my mind: the outrageous words of the president of Iran on this podium yesterday. He implied that 9/11 was an American conspiracy. Some of you left this hall. All of you should have. (Applause.)

Since 9/11, militant Islamists slaughtered countless other innocents — in London and Madrid, in Baghdad and Mumbai, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, in every part of Israel. I believe that the greatest danger facing our world is that this fanaticism will arm itself with nuclear weapons. And this is precisely what Iran is trying to do.

Can you imagine that man who ranted here yesterday — can you imagine him armed with nuclear weapons? The international community must stop Iran before it’s too late. If Iran is not stopped, we will all face the specter of nuclear terrorism, and the Arab Spring could soon become an Iranian winter. That would be a tragedy. Millions of Arabs have taken to the streets to replace tyranny with liberty, and no one would benefit more than Israel if those committed to freedom and peace would prevail.

This is my fervent hope. But as the prime minister of Israel, I cannot risk the future of the Jewish state on wishful thinking. Leaders must see reality as it is, not as it ought to be. We must do our best to shape the future, but we cannot wish away the dangers of the present.

And the world around Israel is definitely becoming more dangerous. Militant Islam has already taken over Lebanon and Gaza. It’s determined to tear apart the peace treaties between Israel and Egypt and between Israel and Jordan. It’s poisoned many Arab minds against Jews and Israel, against America and the West. It opposes not the policies of Israel but the existence of Israel.

Now, some argue that the spread of militant Islam, especially in these turbulent times — if you want to slow it down, they argue, Israel must hurry to make concessions, to make territorial compromises. And this theory sounds simple. Basically it goes like this: Leave the territory, and peace will be advanced. The moderates will be strengthened, the radicals will be kept at bay. And don’t worry about the pesky details of how Israel will actually defend itself; international troops will do the job.

These people say to me constantly: Just make a sweeping offer, and everything will work out. You know, there’s only one problem with that theory. We’ve tried it and it hasn’t worked. In 2000 Israel made a sweeping peace offer that met virtually all of the Palestinian demands. Arafat rejected it. The Palestinians then launched a terror attack that claimed a thousand Israeli lives.

Prime Minister Olmert afterwards made an even more sweeping offer, in 2008. President Abbas didn’t even respond to it.

But Israel did more than just make sweeping offers. We actually left territory. We withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 and from every square inch of Gaza in 2005. That didn’t calm the Islamic storm, the militant Islamic storm that threatens us. It only brought the storm closer and make it stronger.

Hezbollah and Hamas fired thousands of rockets against our cities from the very territories we vacated. See, when Israel left Lebanon and Gaza, the moderates didn’t defeat the radicals, the moderates were devoured by the radicals. And I regret to say that international troops like UNIFIL in Lebanon and UBAM (ph) in Gaza didn’t stop the radicals from attacking Israel.

We left Gaza hoping for peace.

We didn’t freeze the settlements in Gaza, we uprooted them. We did exactly what the theory says: Get out, go back to the 1967 borders, dismantle the settlements.

And I don’t think people remember how far we went to achieve this. We uprooted thousands of people from their homes. We pulled children out of — out of their schools and their kindergartens. We bulldozed synagogues. We even — we even moved loved ones from their graves. And then, having done all that, we gave the keys of Gaza to President Abbas.

Now the theory says it should all work out, and President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority now could build a peaceful state in Gaza. You can remember that the entire world applauded. They applauded our withdrawal as an act of great statesmanship. It was a bold act of peace.

But ladies and gentlemen, we didn’t get peace. We got war. We got Iran, which through its proxy Hamas promptly kicked out the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority collapsed in a day — in one day.

President Abbas just said on this podium that the Palestinians are armed only with their hopes and dreams. Yeah, hopes, dreams and 10,000 missiles and Grad rockets supplied by Iran, not to mention the river of lethal weapons now flowing into Gaza from the Sinai, from Libya, and from elsewhere.

Thousands of missiles have already rained down on our cities. So you might understand that, given all this, Israelis rightly ask: What’s to prevent this from happening again in the West Bank? See, most of our major cities in the south of the country are within a few dozen kilometers from Gaza. But in the center of the country, opposite the West Bank, our cities are a few hundred meters or at most a few kilometers away from the edge of the West Bank.

So I want to ask you. Would any of you — would any of you bring danger so close to your cities, to your families? Would you act so recklessly with the lives of your citizens? Israel is prepared to have a Palestinian state in the West Bank, but we’re not prepared to have another Gaza there. And that’s why we need to have real security arrangements, which the Palestinians simply refuse to negotiate with us.

Israelis remember the bitter lessons of Gaza. Many of Israel’s critics ignore them. They irresponsibly advise Israel to go down this same perilous path again. Your read what these people say and it’s as if nothing happened — just repeating the same advice, the same formulas as though none of this happened.

And these critics continue to press Israel to make far-reaching concessions without first assuring Israel’s security. They praise those who unwittingly feed the insatiable crocodile of militant Islam as bold statesmen. They cast as enemies of peace those of us who insist that we must first erect a sturdy barrier to keep the crocodile out, or at the very least jam an iron bar between its gaping jaws.

So in the face of the labels and the libels, Israel must heed better advice. Better a bad press than a good eulogy, and better still would be a fair press whose sense of history extends beyond breakfast, and which recognizes Israel’s legitimate security concerns.

I believe that in serious peace negotiations, these needs and concerns can be properly addressed, but they will not be addressed without negotiations. And the needs are many, because Israel is such a tiny country. Without Judea and Samaria, the West Bank, Israel is all of 9 miles wide.

I want to put it for you in perspective, because you’re all in the city. That’s about two-thirds the length of Manhattan. It’s the distance between Battery Park and Columbia University. And don’t forget that the people who live in Brooklyn and New Jersey are considerably nicer than some of Israel’s neighbors.

So how do you — how do you protect such a tiny country, surrounded by people sworn to its destruction and armed to the teeth by Iran? Obviously you can’t defend it from within that narrow space alone. Israel needs greater strategic depth, and that’s exactly why Security Council Resolution 242 didn’t require Israel to leave all the territories it captured in the Six-Day War. It talked about withdrawal from territories, to secure and defensible boundaries. And to defend itself, Israel must therefore maintain a long-term Israeli military presence in critical strategic areas in the West Bank.

I explained this to President Abbas. He answered that if a Palestinian state was to be a sovereign country, it could never accept such arrangements. Why not? America has had troops in Japan, Germany and South Korea for more than a half a century. Britain has had an airspace in Cyprus or rather an air base in Cyprus. France has forces in three independent African nations. None of these states claim that they’re not sovereign countries.
And there are many other vital security issues that also must be addressed. Take the issue of airspace. Again, Israel’s small dimensions create huge security problems. America can be crossed by jet airplane in six hours. To fly across Israel, it takes three minutes. So is Israel’s tiny airspace to be chopped in half and given to a Palestinian state not at peace with Israel?

Our major international airport is a few kilometers away from the West Bank. Without peace, will our planes become targets for antiaircraft missiles placed in the adjacent Palestinian state? And how will we stop the smuggling into the West Bank? It’s not merely the West Bank, it’s the West Bank mountains. It just dominates the coastal plain where most of Israel’s population sits below. How could we prevent the smuggling into these mountains of those missiles that could be fired on our cities?

I bring up these problems because they’re not theoretical problems. They’re very real. And for Israelis, they’re life-and- death matters. All these potential cracks in Israel’s security have to be sealed in a peace agreement before a Palestinian state is declared, not afterwards, because if you leave it afterwards, they won’t be sealed. And these problems will explode in our face and explode the peace.

The Palestinians should first make peace with Israel and then get their state. But I also want to tell you this. After such a peace agreement is signed, Israel will not be the last country to welcome a Palestinian state as a new member of the United Nations. We will be the first. (Applause.)

And there’s one more thing. Hamas has been violating international law by holding our soldier Gilad Shalit captive for five years.

They haven’t given even one Red Cross visit. He’s held in a dungeon, in darkness, against all international norms. Gilad Shalit is the son of Aviva and Noam Shalit. He is the grandson of Zvi Shalit, who escaped the Holocaust by coming to the — in the 1930s as a boy to the land of Israel. Gilad Shalit is the son of every Israeli family. Every nation represented here should demand his immediate release. (Applause.) If you want to — if you want to pass a resolution about the Middle East today, that’s the resolution you should pass. (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, last year in Israel in Bar-Ilan University, this year in the Knesset and in the U.S. Congress, I laid out my vision for peace in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state. Yes, the Jewish state. After all, this is the body that recognized the Jewish state 64 years ago. Now, don’t you think it’s about time that Palestinians did the same?

The Jewish state of Israel will always protect the rights of all its minorities, including the more than 1 million Arab citizens of Israel. I wish I could say the same thing about a future Palestinian state, for as Palestinian officials made clear the other day — in fact, I think they made it right here in New York — they said the Palestinian state won’t allow any Jews in it. They’ll be Jew-free — Judenrein. That’s ethnic cleansing. There are laws today in Ramallah that make the selling of land to Jews punishable by death. That’s racism. And you know which laws this evokes.

Israel has no intention whatsoever to change the democratic character of our state. We just don’t want the Palestinians to try to change the Jewish character of our state. (Applause.) We want to give up — we want them to give up the fantasy of flooding Israel with millions of Palestinians.

President Abbas just stood here, and he said that the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the settlements. Well, that’s odd. Our conflict has been raging for — was raging for nearly half a century before there was a single Israeli settlement in the West Bank. So if what President Abbas is saying was true, then the — I guess that the settlements he’s talking about are Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jaffa, Be’er Sheva. Maybe that’s what he meant the other day when he said that Israel has been occupying Palestinian land for 63 years. He didn’t say from 1967; he said from 1948. I hope somebody will bother to ask him this question because it illustrates a simple truth: The core of the conflict is not the settlements. The settlements are a result of the conflict. (Applause.)

The settlements have to be — it’s an issue that has to be addressed and resolved in the course of negotiations. But the core of the conflict has always been and unfortunately remains the refusal of the Palestinians to recognize a Jewish state in any border.

I think it’s time that the Palestinian leadership recognizes what every serious international leader has recognized, from Lord Balfour and Lloyd George in 1917, to President Truman in 1948, to President Obama just two days ago right here: Israel is the Jewish state. (Applause.)

President Abbas, stop walking around this issue. Recognize the Jewish state, and make peace with us. In such a genuine peace, Israel is prepared to make painful compromises. We believe that the Palestinians should be neither the citizens of Israel nor its subjects. They should live in a free state of their own. But they should be ready, like us, for compromise. And we will know that they’re ready for compromise and for peace when they start taking Israel’s security requirements seriously and when they stop denying our historical connection to our ancient homeland.

I often hear them accuse Israel of Judaizing Jerusalem. That’s like accusing America of Americanizing Washington, or the British of Anglicizing London. You know why we’re called “Jews”? Because we come from Judea.

In my office in Jerusalem, there’s a — there’s an ancient seal. It’s a signet ring of a Jewish official from the time of the Bible. The seal was found right next to the Western Wall, and it dates back 2,700 years, to the time of King Hezekiah. Now, there’s a name of the Jewish official inscribed on the ring in Hebrew. His name was Netanyahu. That’s my last name. My first name, Benjamin, dates back a thousand years earlier to Benjamin — Binyamin — the son of Jacob, who was also known as Israel. Jacob and his 12 sons roamed these same hills of Judea and Sumeria 4,000 years ago, and there’s been a continuous Jewish presence in the land ever since.

And for those Jews who were exiled from our land, they never stopped dreaming of coming back: Jews in Spain, on the eve of their expulsion; Jews in the Ukraine, fleeing the pogroms; Jews fighting the Warsaw Ghetto, as the Nazis were circling around it. They never stopped praying, they never stopped yearning. They whispered: Next year in Jerusalem. Next year in the promised land. (Applause.)

As the prime minister of Israel, I speak for a hundred generations of Jews who were dispersed throughout the lands, who suffered every evil under the Sun, but who never gave up hope of restoring their national life in the one and only Jewish state.

Ladies and gentlemen, I continue to hope that President Abbas will be my partner in peace. I’ve worked hard to advance that peace. The day I came into office, I called for direct negotiations without preconditions. President Abbas didn’t respond. I outlined a vision of peace of two states for two peoples. He still didn’t respond. I removed hundreds of roadblocks and checkpoints, to ease freedom of movement in the Palestinian areas; this facilitated a fantastic growth in the Palestinian economy. But again — no response. I took the unprecedented step of freezing new buildings in the settlements for 10 months. No prime minister did that before, ever. (Scattered applause.) Once again — you applaud, but there was no response. No response.

In the last few weeks, American officials have put forward ideas to restart peace talks. There were things in those ideas about borders that I didn’t like. There were things there about the Jewish state that I’m sure the Palestinians didn’t like.

But with all my reservations, I was willing to move forward on these American ideas.

President Abbas, why don’t you join me? We have to stop negotiating about the negotiations. Let’s just get on with it. Let’s negotiate peace. (Applause.)

I spent years defending Israel on the battlefield. I spent decades defending Israel in the court of public opinion. President Abbas, you’ve dedicated your life to advancing the Palestinian cause. Must this conflict continue for generations, or will we enable our children and our grandchildren to speak in years ahead of how we found a way to end it? That’s what we should aim for, and that’s what I believe we can achieve.

In two and a half years, we met in Jerusalem only once, even though my door has always been open to you. If you wish, I’ll come to Ramallah. Actually, I have a better suggestion. We’ve both just flown thousands of miles to New York. Now we’re in the same city. We’re in the same building. So let’s meet here today in the United Nations. (Applause.) Who’s there to stop us? What is there to stop us? If we genuinely want peace, what is there to stop us from meeting today and beginning peace negotiations?

And I suggest we talk openly and honestly. Let’s listen to one another. Let’s do as we say in the Middle East: Let’s talk “doogli” (ph). That means straightforward. I’ll tell you my needs and concerns. You’ll tell me yours. And with God’s help, we’ll find the common ground of peace. (Applause.)

There’s an old Arab saying that you cannot applaud with one hand. Well, the same is true of peace. I cannot make peace alone. I cannot make peace without you. President Abbas, I extend my hand — the hand of Israel — in peace. I hope that you will grasp that hand. We are both the sons of Abraham. My people call him Avraham. Your people call him Ibrahim. We share the same patriarch. We dwell in the same land. Our destinies are intertwined. Let us realize the vision of Isaiah — (speaks in Hebrew) — “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.” Let that light be the light of peace.

Israel – a nation like no other…. even in turmoil

2011-09-13T21:33:00.000+03:00

While the Palestinian Authority is preparing (with the support of many nations) to ask the UN to create an official Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital, most Israelis are preoccupied with another aspect of their lives – pure day-to-day survival.

Prices on everything – food, clothes, gasoline, rent, electricity, water – continue to climb beyond proportions, and the average Israeli now can afford either an apartment or food and bills… not both!

Well, young people have had it! After all – we have dreams. Dreams we want to see fulfilled – in our lifetime. We want a family and be able to put food on the table. We want a nice apartment – preferably with at least two bedrooms so the kids could enjoy their own space. We want to be able to go on a nice vacation and not pay an arm and a leg for it.

We want to live! Otherwise, what on earth are we fighting our enemies for?

It is now estimated that around half a million families (including almost a million children) now live below the poverty line. Is this what our forefathers envisioned? Hardly.

So the young people in desperation come out to the streets hoping someone will start listening and not only that – that they will actually DO something about it. The outcry is by far the largest in Israel’s history.

Last week over 450,000 people came out to protest the rising cost of living in the country – the largest crowd by far – ever!

But even in our turmoil Israel is so much different than the surrounding countries. The Arab Spring has been surrounded with violent protests during which the ruling governments used (and are still using!) deadly force against the protestors.

To name a few, Egypt, Libya, Iran and Syria’s families have been mourning loved ones who just wanted to see freedom and decided to go to the streets asking for it. The Western World and the United Nations continue empty threats to take measures should these violent responses by ruling tyrants continue, yet it remains a reality.

In a complete contrast, Israeli protestors peacefully march and are allowed to make their voices heard. Whether or not something will be done to change the reality of so many families in Israel remains unknown, but one thing is sure: God considers the poor and will not leave them without an avenger.

During good times and during bad times our refuge and hope and strength are in our mighty Lord through His Son Yeshua the Messiah and through the Holy Spirit we received to overcome every obstacle.

Desperate people are open people, and that’s why Maoz continues reaching out to the lost sheep of Israel, laboring for the salvation of God’s chosen people.

What If Egyptians were Attacked in Tel Aviv?

2011-09-13T20:33:00.001+03:00

by Ron Cantor

Just imainge if...A horrible thing has happened in Israel on Shabbat. A mob of thousands of angry Jews marched over to Basel Street 54, the Egyptian Embassy, and stormed inside, beating one Egyptian, lighting fires and destroying property and documents. And amazingly, the Israeli police did nothing to stop them until after the damage was done.

The Jews had been stirred into a frenzy by their wild-eyed, Arab-hating rabbis during the Shabbat services. Even though it was the Sabbath, the rabbis incited them to riot against the Egyptians.

In a secret mission, Egypt’s ambassador escaped with 80 embassy employees but six poor Egyptian security guards were trapped inside, while the mob of angry Israelis, burning Egyptian flags and chanting death to the Arabs, grew closer to breaking through a security barrier and gaining entrance into the embassy. (One lone Israeli artist was seen outside actually drawing caricatures of Mohammad!)

Israeli police finally intervened to stop the protesters, injuring as many as 1,000. This move was only after an hysterical phone call from the US State Department—maybe it was from the President himself. Details are fuzzy.

Maybe you are making a face like this guy…you know, the confused dog face…

Wait, I am sorry. I got that backwards…it was the Israeli embassy in Egypt. To be clear, the story above is just that—a story. Pure fiction. No wild-eyed rabbis and no whipped up crowd in Tel Aviv. However if you just replace the word Israel with Egypt and vice versa, it did happen almost exactly as portrayed above.

Why did I start this article the way I did? First, because it is unthinkable that Israelis would do such a thing—especially to a country with whom we have had a peace treaty since the late 1970’s. Despite how the media depicts the citizens of this nation, we simply don’t act this way. We are not an emotion-driven nation with a mob mentality.

Secondly, if for some reason we did do such a stupid and heinous act, how would the world react? Would there not be international outrage? Within minutes the UN would be involved, the Arab league would issue a condemnation and even the US would feel the need to express deep concern—and rightly so. Embassies are sacred. Once diplomats feel unsafe in their own embassy, the end of diplomacy is right around the corner.

However, while most news agencies have reported on the Egyptian attack, there has been very little international outrage expressed. While I would like to believe that this is just another example of the anti-Israel bias in the media and UN, the truth is I think it is anti-Arab bias.

Let me explain. It is not just Israel—if Americans, Brits or the French decided in mob-fashion to storm an embassy of an ally, or even an enemy, in their respective countries, the world would be in shock. Why? Because we expect more from the civilized world.

Honestly, can you even envision American citizens storming an embassy? Or in the event that it did happen, our police taking hours before deciding to intervene? It would never happen.

In fact, yesterday was a great example. Even from Israel, I was about to watch much of the September 11th coverage. There was hardly a mention of Osama Bin Ladin or Saudi Arabia or Al Queda. The focus was on the memories of the victims, the children whose parents died and the heroic actions of not only first responders, but average Americans who risked their lives, and in some instances, gave their lives, to help others.

I heard of dozens of private organizations that raised millions of dollars for interests connected to 9/11. Yes, in the beginning there was anger, but 9/11 made America stronger. It brought us together and ten years later I have never been prouder to be an American. Through tears I watched much of the coverage yesterday. I am proud of how we responded.

But the Middle East is a different story. Unless you live in Israel, you are under a dictatorship, a monarchy, an Islamic theocracy or, in one case, Iraq, a fledgling democracy. As we have said before, Arab children have no reason not to believe that America is trying to destroy Islam and Israelis are bloodthirsty savages. That is what they are taught from the time they can think.

While there were no “wild-eyed rabbis” involved in this story, there were hate-filled Egyptian imams (preachers) who fired up the masses with venom of lies and exaggerations and then sent their followers out to wreak havoc.

(Watch this video as police look on while Egyptian roiters tear down the security wall around the Israeli embassy)

But by not expressing outrage at the behavior of the Egyptian masses and the slow acting police, the UN and NATO are simply saying, what do you expect from uncivilized people. The lack of rebuke and criticism for what these people did is actually the worst form of criticism. It only underscores that Western nations have grown to expect as much from the emotion-driven, undereducated masses in the Middle East.

As one who hates oppression and loves to see people obtain their freedom, I was blessed by the Arab Spring. My left brain, the freedom-loving part of my noggin overrode the questions that were lurking in my more rational right brain:

- Can these people govern themselves?
- What will their attitude be towards Israel, given all the lies they believe about us?
- Will the Islamic extremists end up with the power, and thus enslave and indoctrinate the people at a far greater level than Gaddafi or Mubarak ever did?

My left brain is getting concerned.

Is Another 9/11 on the Way?

2011-09-12T03:50:00.000+03:00

As we remember a sunny September day that in just a matter of minutes turned into the darkest day of the new millennium, one cannot help but wonder – is another 9/11 on the way?

The western world persists that we are not at war with Islam.

Well, it’s at war with us! Not a single radical Muslim is hiding their goals and purposes. They are openly shouting them from every platform – even that of a United Nations podium.

Islam’s goal is annihilation of Israel, annihilation of U.S. and annihilation of every person who will not convert to Islam and live in subjection to the Sharia law.

The “martyrs” of Allah will not stop at anything on their way to achieving this goal. They are not afraid to die for what they believe in – even though it is a lie of the enemy of God.

“Well, it’s just a small percent of the Muslims that are radical – they are not a real threat,” you might say. Sure, ten percent does not sound like a big number….out of one hundred!!!

Have you thought about this figure in real numbers? Ten percent out of one thousand is one hundred. Ten percent out of one hundred thousand is ten thousand. Ten percent of one million is 100,000. There are an estimated one BILLION Muslims on the planet… I made my point.

So… while Islamists are plotting and scheming against Israel and the West, leaders of the free world turn a blind eye, rejoicing over the “Arab Spring” that is sweeping the nations of the Middle East. Unfortunately, even though the truth is clear, not many people want to see that this is just another roadblock removed from subjecting these Arab countries to Sharia law.

And, while the west is preoccupied with the “Spring,” Iran continues working on a nuclear bomb. Does anyone care? Doesn’t seem so.

Today’s memorial services were very moving. Scriptures were read and prayers offered. Children who were not even born spoke to their fathers who did not get to see or hold them. Ten years passed by in a flash, but the wound is still open. This wound will remain as a memorial until Messiah returns and all our tears are wiped away.

Yet even in our mourning we refuse to recognize the enemy and fight it. If the leaders of the 1940’s would have behave the way we do, our world would most probably be quite different from what we see right now. How long will we try to stay politically correct?

What is happening to us? Will we ever wake up from hibernation and face reality – which is getting more gruesome by the minute?

The enemy is on the move. It’s at war with us, and all we seem to be doing is trying to appease them. Well, they do not want to be appeased. They want to win.

We the believers know they will not win the war. But will they win another battle?

Time for Israel to Apologize?

2011-09-06T18:51:00.003+03:00

by Katy Sorsher-Smith

Israel - Turkey relationship going up in smoke?

The entire world sees Israel as a villain. Why? Because the Muslims are experts in propaganda, and Israel will not stoop as low and show the world what real victims look like. Israel won’t even use holocaust images to confront Ahmadinejad’s denial of it.

This policy has been, in this writer’s opinion, a downfall of Israel for decades, and, unfortunately, the damage has been done – and probably irreversible as well.

What is amazing, however, is even though the entire world witnessed what happened on the Mavi Marmara (largest flotilla ship) – with the “peace activists” stabbing unarmed Israeli soldiers, beating them with metal rods and even throwing one overboard to the lower deck (in hopes to kill him, of course!), most people, when asked what happened on May 31, 2010, will say Israel killed 9 innocent Turks who tried to bring aid to the poor Palestinians in Gaza.

They will not mention the seriously wounded Israeli soldiers. They will not mention the weapons found on the ship. They won’t mention Hamas, who kill their own people in Gaza when they do not cooperate with the regime…

So it’s now a year and a quarter after the event, and Turkey (now governed by a radical Muslim) still demands an apology from Israel for defending herself.

The situation is now escalating with several Israeli tourists detained and humiliated in Turkey last week, and today, after a few unprecedented moves, Turkey suspended trade and military agreements with Israel, expelling the Israeli ambassador from Ankara, demanding Israel to vacate the embassy by the weekend.

Are you kidding me?!!!

How can Israel make it clear to the world that she has to be able to defend herself? Will anyone ever understand? I’m afraid it will never happen.

In the meantime, Netanyahu said Israel is absolutely NOT going to apologize. Sea blockade on Gaza is internationally recognized. It’s enough that terrorists dig smuggling tunnels – as we say in Israel – “every Monday and Thursday.” It’s enough that even though there is a cease fire in place, rockets are still falling on Israel’s civilians. It’s enough that Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood is assisting Hamas in training terrorists and organizing attacks against Israel.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Let’s all apologize! First, the allies should apologize to Hitler. (Hey, maybe the Jews should apologize to Hitler?) USA should apologize to Saddam Hussein. Oh, and of course USA must apologize to Osama Bin Laden, too!!! After that, let’s apologize to China, Japan, Cuba and Russia, Vietnam… Let Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Slovakia apologize to the former USSR. Let Greeks apologize to Romans and Romans to the Greek, and, hey, let Europe apologize to Turkey (Ottoman Empire) as well! Let every people’s group who ever won a war against the enemy turn around and apologize to the same enemy.

SOUNDS RIDICULOUS? Then how come Israel should apologize for doing the same thing – defending herself and her children?

We will not apologize because there is nothing to apologize for!

WAKE UP, WORLD!

Egypt's Coptic Christians Feeling Very Unwelcome – in Egypt

2011-08-29T21:34:00.000+03:00

Shira Sorko-Ram

While on vacation in an Eastern European country, we met a delightful foursome – two couples from Egypt. They are Coptic Christians and constitute 10-15% of the Egyptian population. That means there are more than 10 million Copts born and raised in Egypt. (The Coptic Christians were in Egypt hundreds of years before Islam conquered the country.)

We introduced ourselves and when they learned we were from Israel, we spent time discussing the political situation in Egypt.

They explained that at the beginning of the Egyptian Revolution, they thought that the dawn of real democracy had come. Slowly it began to dawn on them that the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists were preparing to usher in a new age of Sharia law complete with Islamist rulers via the soon-coming elections.

It would appear that those elections would be Egypt’s first day of democracy and its last day – as the Brotherhood and the Egyptian Army together raise up an Islamic state – on Israel’s doorstep.

One of these two couples we met have already moved to the U.S. The second elderly couple, with a number of large businesses in Egypt, are determined to live and die in Egypt. But they are heartbroken to see what has become of the Arab Spring.

At our vacation hotel, I was able to secure the daily International Herald Tribune – the overseas edition of The New York Times.

On the front page of the August 28 edition was an article itled “Christian and Egyptian but feeling unwanted.” The article describes a family of Copts, Ayman and Enas, in their early forties, and their three daughters, who have a fine business and have lived very well in Egypt.

When the demonstrations began, Ayman and his Christian friends proudly joined in with great expectations. Then the unthinkable happened, and President Hosni Mubarak stepped down. What followed seemed to be a growing chaotic scene.

Egypt's Coptic Christians

Ayman and Enas for the first time in their lives began to follow the newspapers. They realized that Egypt was in chaos and most serious of all for them, the Coptic Christians were under threat from radical Salafists (extreme Muslims). Churches were being attacked and burned, and there was no government working to protect its Copts.

With no police protecting the Copts, emboldened Muslims are now turning on their neighbors with threats and violence. When Enas’ children went to visit their grandmother, a neighbor who regularly harassed the Copts, turned his dog loose on the children and called them heathens.

Last New Year’s Eve, a church bombing during midnight Mass in Alexandria left 21 dead.

Slowly this family, according to the New York Times, began to consider fleeing the country. In fact the stream of Copts leaving Egypt is growing in leaps and bounds.

In fact, according to the NYT, secular and educated middle-class Muslims are also looking to escape what they fear will turn out to be an Islamic dictatorship. Local news magazines are already highlighting the number of Egyptians preparing emigration papers.

Last July 29, Ayman, along with thousands of others, took part in a “Friday of Unity,” a demonstration intended to gather secularists and Islamists alike in a peaceful, nonreligious show of support for a united Egypt.

Instead, said the Times, “Tahrir Square was overrun with tens of thousands of Islamists. Many called for Shariah law, and others refashioned the Egyptian flag, removing the eagle and replacing it with Islamic inscriptions. Ayman found himself, like many secular and liberal activists, unwelcome. He left after an hour.

Plans for Ayman and Enas are now in full swing to seek a new home in the U.S. “Maybe I can take out a loan and open a profitable gas station in the United States,” he said.

Who Will Stand with Israel?

2011-08-29T17:10:00.001+03:00

By Katy Sorsher-Smith

I heard someone jokingly say today that Glenn Beck is the Antichrist. This just about infuriated me.

Many Christians reject the wisdom this man has on so many subjects simply because he is a professed Mormon.

If you ask me, the man understands more about the importance of Israel than many famous preachers of today! HE JUST GETS IT!

What I’m trying to say is that what happened in Israel last week – what Glenn Beck organized in Israel last week – was very heart-warming. Seeing someone of his caliber (probably one of the most loved and the most hated people on the planet) love Israel and stand with Israel the way Glenn does makes me want to praise the Lord, because entire nations today are – one by one – turning against Israel.

In this world where so many are blinded by anti-Israel propaganda (or simply chose to ignore the truth), Israel will, eventually, find herself alone against all other nations.

The Hebrew portion of the sign reads: "The Left is afraid and rightfully so." (Photo by AP)

But she will not be alone! First – GOD WILL BE ON HER SIDE! Is anyone considering today that by aligning themselves against Israel they align themselves with the camp of the enemies of God?

Second – Israel will have true believers (and therefore lovers of Israel) on her side. Every year during the Feast of Tabernacles, thousands of believers gather in Jerusalem to show their support for the Jewish people and the Jewish nation. This is one of the catalysts that, at the time, opened the Israeli government to cooperating with Christian groups and establishing relationships with Christians after years of mistrust and distancing from them.

So, kudos to Glenn Beck for voicing his love for Israel! Kudos to Glenn Beck for GOING to Israel and bringing so many people with him! He did not cancel his trip because of the terror acts and rocket barrages of the past week. (Many Christian groups do!) He decided that nothing will stop him from doing what is right.

Have you chosen a side yet?

Overnight Attacks in the South

2011-08-26T03:31:00.001+03:00

by Ron Cantor

Last night there was another barrage of rockets in the south after Israel killed a senior leader in Islamic Jihad (terrorist organization) in Gaza. Our Iron Dome defense system took out two rockets, while other bombs caused damage. A 9-month old was lightly injured by shrapnel and a car was completely destroyed (pictured) from what appears to be a direct hit in Ashkelon, where my in-laws live.

The aftermath of a car in Ashkelon taking a direct hit. (photo: Zeev Terectman, ynet.co.il)

The family of the young baby said they ran to a secure area, usually a bomb shelter, when they heard the siren. However the rockets had already hit their kibbutz (shared farm community). When they got to the area, they realized that their young baby had been wounded by shrapnel. "Scary," said the mother, adding, "I hope this is the last rocket to land on our kibbutz."

It is difficult to imagine the trauma one goes through, when nightly you are awakened by sirens and have to run with your family, sometimes, as in this case, with helpless infants, to a bomb shelter. Wait...go home...and then try to go back to sleep...and then go to work the next day.

While we focus almost solely on whether or not these rockets cause physical damage, we fail to realize that even a grad or kassam rocket that falls in the desert has a horrible and lasting psychological impact on the peaceful Israelis in the south.

Please pray for all Israel, that they will cry out to heaven for relief and find their Messiah. (Romans 11:26)

Day-a Kaduma (prejudice) in the Middle East

2011-08-24T20:38:00.001+03:00

by Ron Cantor

In Hebrew class today the teacher asked if we knew the phrase, “day-a kaduma.” I knew the phrase, but students are not allowed to simply yell out the word in English to prove that we know what it means. At this level of Hebrew we have to define Hebrew with Hebrew. Plus it is rude to students from Russia or South America. The easiest way is to use it in a sentence.

I spoke up, “Because of day-a kaduma the people of Egypt are protesting at the Israeli embassy.”

Egyptian officials clarify: The crisis will not end without compensation and an apology

Before I clarify, let me tell you how she responded. She told a story of her son going to Cambridge to study English. In his class were non-native English speakers from all over the world — including an Arab young man. After they got to know each other the Arab said to him, “You are the first Israeli I have ever met and you are not at all like what I expected.”

Another classmate from Holland added that she heard of a course being taught in Holland by an Arab teacher and an Israeli teacher. Some of the students voiced their concerns about Israelis at which the teacher replied, “But of course, you all know that I am Israeli.” They replied, “Oh, we are not speaking of you.” The fact that she was the only Israeli they actually knew apart from propaganda and anti-Israel media didn’t seem to bother them.

By now you know that day-a kaduma is prejudice or pre-judging. And it is a huge problem in the Muslim world. From the time a child is born in Egypt, Syria or Saudi Arabia, he is taught that Jews are the enemy and want to destroy him.

Last week terrorists attacked Israel dressed as Egyptian soldiers. They fired on Israelis from Egypt. When Israel responded, some legitimate Egyptian soldiers got caught in the crossfire. Because the average Egyptian has been taught from a young age that Jews love to feast on the blood of Arab children (It has long been taught that Jews kidnap Arab children and use their blood in the making of wine or matzah during Passover. As crazy as this sounds, it is believed by a large number of people in the Muslim world.), there was a tragic misunderstanding caused first and foremost by Egypt’s lack of control over their own border.

However because of the narrative taught about Israelis, the average Egyptian assumes the worst. Knowing how the rumor mill works in the emotion-driven cultures of the Middle East, undoubtedly stories are circulating that the soldiers were executed or molested.

This culture of exaggeration worked for Israel during her fight for independence and in the Six Day War. Small victories by the tiny Jewish army would get blown out of proportion, as the stories would travel from village to village. Much like the childhood game of gossip, the final version would hardly resemble the truth and paint a picture of a Jewish mob, fixated on rape and murder. Whole villages fled for fear of these fictitious monsters.

The culture of lying led to Israel’s capture of the Old City and the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) in the Six Day War. Israel had sent messages to Jordan not to attack Israel and we promised not to attack her. However, when King Hussein believed erroneous reports of great Egyptians gains he decided that he wanted in on the actions:

…King Hussein had already received a phone call from [President]Nasser [of Egypt]. This call was monitored by the Israeli Secret Service. Even though he knew that his air force was in ruins, Nasser told Hussein that Egyptian planes were over Tel Aviv and his armor was advancing on Israeli positions. Hussein believed him, and disregarded Israel’s plea. Had Hussein listened to Israel, the West Bank would still be in Jordanian hands. Instead he sent his troops in to the Israeli section of Jerusalem. Only AFTER its territorial integrity in Jerusalem was violated did Israel mount an assault on the Jordanian West Bank. (The Six-Day War: Israel’s defensive pre-emptive strike, David Meir-Levi (The Six-Day War: Israel’s defensive pre-emptive strike, David Meir-Levi).

There were indeed planes over Tel Aviv, but they were Israeli planes returning from Egypt. Nassar convinced King Hussein they were Egyptian. Jordan entered the war and in two days lost Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.

Even now in Libya, I just read a report from Qaddafi’s son:

Despite earlier reports of his capture, Saif al-Islam, Col. Muammar Qaddafi's son, appears at a Tripoli hotel and says his father remains in the city and that the celebratory rebels have been lured into a trap. (foxnews.com)

Had the western media been a little more clued in on Middle Eastern culture, they would have assumed that the rebels report may not be true. Furthermore, they should take with a grain of salt Qaddafi’s son’s claim that Dad is doing great, still in the city and that this is all part of the plan. Remember Iraq’s minister of [dis]information?

On this background you can understand why two nights ago thousands of Egyptians surrounded the Israeli embassy in Cairo even after we expressed remorse and sorrow for accidentally killing the Egyptian officers. One man climbed up on the embassy and tore down the Israeli flag. I can only imagine that the Israelis inside were terrified, as the Egyptian police did not seem inclined to intervene.

And why not? If you have been taught your whole life that Israelis are intent on killing Arabs and want to enslave the Muslim world, of course you would react this way. Even intelligent Arabs buy into the nonsense. Palestinian President Abu Mazen wrote his Doctoral dissertation, The Other Side: The secret relations between Nazism and the leadership of the Zionist movement, on the assumption the Holocaust was a massive exaggeration. This man has his PhD!

The Solution?

That is a tough one. How do you combat decades of lies so deeply embedded in the Arab psyche? You can’t send everyone in the Middle East to Cambridge to meet a young, well-mannered, non-Arab-child-kidnapping Jew? However, in these days where the free flow of information via the Internet is becoming increasingly difficult for even brutal regimes to monitor or prevent, we must educate.

Western countries should fund government departments solely dedicated to reaching the average man in the Middle East, with the goal of changing his view of the west. While many cried foul when President Obama gave a speech in Egypt, I have no doubt that his motives were pure. In his humanistic mind he thought, “If I can just give a speech to them they will see that we don’t hate them.” I know that is a bit simplistic, but that, no doubt, was his thinking. I am sure he realizes now he was foolish to think it would be so easy.

No, you can’t go to the leaders who benefit from keeping the masses ignorant. You must reach out via the Internet to the common man. Having said that, as a Jew, an American and an Israeli, I can’t say that I am hopeful.

Sadly, day-a kaduma in the Arab world concerning Israel is probably here to stay.

My Last Blog

2011-08-23T17:14:00.000+03:00

For the last 2 years, it has been my honor to be a part of the team at Maoz Israel Ministries.

After spending more than a decade working for the world's top media companies, in the U.S. the LORD had a new assignment for me. Help build a media department for Him, in Israel! And so He opened the door for me to make aliyah to my ancestral homeland and to get to be a part of the extraordinary events happening in the epicenter of it all.

Now, after 2 wonderful years, the LORD has a new assignment for me. So with love and gratitude and excitement in my heart I write my final blog for Maoz and I bid you our dear friends a sincere 'shalom' (or as we say in Israel "l'heet'ra'ote" [see you later]).

Since I arrived at Maoz, in 2009, my assignment from Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram (the co-founders of Maoz) was to make videos with 2 goals; 1) to show 'what is Israel' and 2) to show 'what is Maoz'.

With that charge and with my trusty camera, I set out to document what is really going on here in the Holy Land. Not what you see on CNN or read on most websites...but what is 'REALLY' going on here!

My first assignment was a crash course in the reality of being a Jew who believes in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Jewish Messiah in Israel. I was sent to the home of the Ortiz family to do an interview with them. The Ortiz's had suffered more than, perhaps, any Messianic Jew in Israel had since the days of the disciples. Someone had left a bomb at their home and their teenage son Ami was ripped to shreds by the explosive (which had been disguised as a gift basket). Finally, after an excruciating time of in-action on the part of the authorities, there was a break in the case. Someone had finally been arrested and it was my job to talk to the Ortiz's about it.

My journalistic juices began flowing. I was ready for the scoop, just the facts ma'am, it was time to report this news. But, instead of getting the traditional 'victim's' interview, you see so often on the evening news...I got something very unexpected. I got grace, love, kindness and forgiveness. The Ortiz's weren't angry at their attacker, they were sorrowful for him. They weren't out for vengeance, they were so excited to finally know who to pray for, who to concentrate on forgiving.

I soon learned this job of mine would be like none other that I had ever experienced.

God had put me in a position to be the eyes and ears and voice for the body of Messianic Jewish believers, at such a time as this, to record their stories, and to share them with the world. And so, it was and so it has been for the last 2 years.

I've been to the Golan Heights, I've been to Eilat and I've been nearly everywhere in between. From the scene of a bombing in Ariel, to the courtroom with the bomber in Jerusalem, from the aftermath of a horrific fire on Mt. Carmel to the aftermath of riots in Beer'sheva. From reporting on a baker harassed in Ashdod, to being surrounded myself by an angry mob in the same city. I've met the saints who are rescuing prostitutes and those sold into sexual slavery. I've seen with my own eyes how refugees from Darfur who've been rejected by the world are welcomed with open arms by a people who survived their own genocide just a generation ago. I've talked to a Jew on the streets of London protesting against his own people, and I've witnessed thousands of Nigerians cry out in prayer for Israelis they will never meet.

Yes, I've had a front-row to history and what an honor it has been.

And now, I offer the final video of my time as the head of the media department here at Maoz. And how fitting it is.

If you ask anyone what the most difficult issue in the world to solve is, they will tell you it's peace between Israel and the Palestinians. "It's impossible", the pundits and politicians will tell you. "It will require a complicated system of military and political solutions" the 'experts' will say.

But, I tell you I've seen it with my own eyes and it required no such things. I have seen Israelis and Palestinians repent to one another, forgive one another, embrace one another, pray for one another, weep with one another, and become the closest of friends. I myself have spent time with the former personal driver of Yasser Arafat, who himself is now an on-fire believer in Yeshua. We have eaten together, prayed together and laughed together.

Yes, it is not only possible, it is happening. But not in the Prime Minister's residence or the White House. No, it is happening amongst the believers in Yeshua. The Palestinian Christians and the Messianic Jews. Those who are united in the Holy Spirit and who's very lives have been surrendered to the one true God. They are living in friendship and peace. And so they are the model for the rest of their people.

Earlier this month, at a conference called 'Elav' which means 'To Him' hundreds of Messianic Jewish and Palestinian Christian young people came together and built a human bridge of peace and prayer and reconciliation and our Maoz cameras were there to capture it all. I pray this video inspires you as much as it does me.

And so, of all the 100+ videos I've been privileged to be a part of producing I think this one is the most satisfying and exciting. It allows me to leave this job of mine more optimistic and more certain of my faith than when I entered. I will never be discouraged by the headlines of the day. I will never put my hope in politicians and military strategists. No, I know that the only hope for Israel and the Palestinians and the entire world is Yeshua. Period.

And so I thank you for reading my blogs, for watching the videos, for following my comments on Facebook and Twitter and Myspace, etc.. etc.. I thank Ari and Shira for 35+ years of faithful service to God, for allowing Him to use them to build this beautiful ministry that is Maoz Israel. I feel so privileged to have been part of this organization and I know the team that remains will bring you even greater content in the weeks to come as the LORD will continue to do even greater things here in this land.

Yes, we are living in historic times. Israel is a nation again after 2,000 years of not being so. Hebrew is being spoken again as a national language after thousands of years of being virtually dead. And thousands of Jews are coming to faith in their Jewish Messiah. But it's only just the beginning. Our prayer is that all Israel will be saved!

I pray you'll continue to partner with Maoz until that great day comes!

With love and gratitude and shalom,
Chaim Goldberg
(former head of media, but still passionate supporter of Maoz Israel Ministries)

JOIN THE 'I STAND WITH ISRAEL' MOVEMENT

August 18th Attacks - Violence Returning to Israel

2011-08-22T16:48:00.000+03:00

Written on August 19 by Ron Cantor

As many of you know there was a terrorist attack yesterday in Israel. What made this one different is that it came from Egypt. After Egypt's recent revolution, they decided to reopen their border with Hamas-led Gaza. With easy access into Egypt, they can now attack us all along our uninhabited 266 kilometer border (pictured) with Egypt.

Journalist David Dolan delivered this report yesterday, and he graciously is allowing us to pass it on to you. His website is www.ddolan.com.

Since David published his report the death toll has risen to eight, including two sisters and their husbands. Last night Israel hit targets in Gaza and Hamas responded by launching 12 rockets, not against military targets, but into population centers. One landed in a Yeshiva in Ashdod, severely injuring two, while lightly wounding eight others.

Friends, now is the time to pray for Israel. The terrorists capabilities are growing and our response is constantly judged as overbearing by world opinion. Only God can help us.

3:30 PM, August 18, 2011

Shalom from Jerusalem,

Although I began above with the traditional Hebrew language greeting of “peace,” it feels like anything but that today in Israel. The country’s three national television channels suspended regular broadcasts just before noon as news broke of a serious shooting attack on a public bus near the southern port city of Eilat. Although at least seven passengers were wounded, including two children, it didn’t look as bad as it could have been. Reports said shots were fired from a passing car, with the terrorist attackers wearing military uniforms that the bus driver said looked like Egyptian uniforms. The attack took place on a road close to the Sinai border with Egypt.

Then the situation just kept getting worse, with two other attacks reported in the area. One assault within minutes of the first involved bombs going off near an IDF patrol vehicle traveling along the border with Egypt, leaving more wounded and two soldiers dead. At the same time, mortar shells were fired over the Egyptian border, raising the possibility that Egyptian soldiers were indeed involved in the incidents, or at least looking the other way, as Lebanese and Syrian soldiers have been known to do along their shared borders with Israel. Then a third armed attack was launched by a second terrorist squad on a private vehicle north of the initial attack, leaving a reported five Israelis dead in its wake. Mid-afternoon, soldiers are still battling some of those terrorists. We hear that overall, seven Israelis are dead so far and over two dozen wounded, with three of the terrorists killed. So it was obviously a major coordinated operation emanating from Egyptian territory—an ominous fact for sure. Israeli air force retaliation is expected at any time against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, leading to the likelihood rockets will then be fired at Israeli civilian areas near the Palestinian zone.

Israeli commentators are speaking this afternoon of all this being a possible indication that the country will once again face all out war with Egypt, the largest Arab country in the world, after over three decades of peace, even if a very cold one. At the very least, it illustrates how lawless and dangerous the country has become in the wake of the ouster of the American-backed Mubarak government. Egyptian soldiers were recently given permission by the Israeli government to enter the Sinai Peninsula (they were barred from doing so under the Camp David peace accords without prior coordination with Israel, although small border patrols were allowed). This may turn out to have been a deadly mistake, say some of the commentators. Israel agreed to the move only because lawlessness has dramatically increased in the Sinai in recent months, with Hamas openly operating there along with Al Qaida and other terrorist groups, including agents of Iran.

With Syria falling apart and a Palestinian statehood declaration scheduled for just over one month from today at the United Nations in New York, it looks like violence may be returning to the land in a big way. I will send out a full report on the situation with my monthly news summary near the end of August.

DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived and worked in Israel since 1980.

Who Says Israeli/Palestinian Peace Is Impossible?

2011-08-22T16:12:00.000+03:00

In light of the brutal and deadly weekend in Israel, where 9 Israelis were killed, dozens were injured and thousands were terrorized at the hands of Iranian-backed Palestinian terrorists... we thought everyone could use a refreshing reminder.

Peace between Israelis and Palestinians is possible, in fact...it's happening now! But not because of political or military action, no, it's only possible through Yeshua!

SUPPORT MAOZ ISRAEL MINISTRIES' WORK WITH ARAB CHRISTIANS

Compelling Video From The Deadly Weekend In Israel

2011-08-21T18:34:00.000+03:00

How Hamas uses civilians as human shields

Rockets Intercepted Over Be’er Sheva

Angry Egyptians Break into Israeli Embassy Compound:

More than 2,000 angry Egyptians broke down barriers at Israel’s embassy in Cairo, burned Israeli flags and raised the Egyptian flag.

Deadly Weekend In Israel

2011-08-21T10:56:00.001+03:00

This is the latest information, as of Sunday morning (Israel time).

The IDF says: in the past 3 days over 100 rockets have been launched from Gaza in to Israel, over 100 Israelis have been wounded, 9 Israelis have been killed, and 1 million have had to take cover in shelters.

For continuously updated stories, go to our Maoz News Twitter Page

Here is a summary of the past few days, from Reuters;

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinian militants fired at least 12 rockets into southern Israel on Sunday, drawing an Israeli threat to step up attacks in the Gaza Strip in a three-day-old surge of cross-border violence.

"The Israel Defence Forces will not hesitate to widen its actions and to respond with as much force as is needed," Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai, the military's chief spokesman, said on Israel Radio, a day after an Israeli was killed in a rocket strike on the southern city of Beersheba.

The bloodshed began on Thursday, when gunmen whom Israel said came from the Gaza Strip and crossed into its territory near the Red Sea resort of Eilat via Egypt's Sinai peninsula, killed eight people in attacks on a desert road.

Five Egyptian security personnel and seven gunmen were also killed in that day's violence.

Cairo said on Saturday it would recall its ambassador to Tel Aviv over the killing of its men, but welcomed Israel's promise of a joint investigation.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel regretted the deaths, which have sparked the most serious crisis in ties with Egypt since longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak's overthrow in February. Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979.

Israel has carried out air strikes in the Gaza Strip since Thursday that medical officials said have killed least 15 people, among them gunmen and five civilians. Israel said more than 100 rockets have been fired from the Hamas Islamist-controlled enclave at its southern towns and villages.

In Sunday's attacks, rockets from the Gaza Strip hit an empty school in Beersheba and struck the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon. There were no reports of casualties.

Several dead in series of terrorist attacks in southern Israel

2011-08-18T13:57:00.003+03:00

For the latest breaking news on today's terror attacks, click here: MAOZ NEWS

UPDATE: Latest numbers: At least 7 Israelis killed in terror attacks today (including 4 and 6 year old children), 33 injured including five soldiers who are in critical condition.

======================
UPDATE: (from Globes)

Six killed in terror attacks near Eilat; A bus was hit, but the worst incident was when an antitank missile hit a private car

In the terrorist attacks on Road 12 northwest of Eilat, terrorists who apparently infiltrated the border from Sinai killed six people and wounded 14 in three incidents. Security forces eventually killed three terrorists. The incident, which began at midday, was over by 2 pm.

"Several Magen David Adom units are at the scenes. Five critically wounded people are in the field," Magen David Adom director general Eli Bin. Magen David Adom personnel struggled to reach the wounded because of the exchanges of fire with the terrorists.

In the first attack, terrorists fired on Egged bus 392 traveling from Eilat on Road 12, which runs along the border with Sinai. Nine people were wounded in the attack. In a second attack 20 kilometers to the north, an antitank rocket was fired at a private car, critically wounding its five occupants. There was also a third shooting incident at in the area.

Bus driver Gil Toshiya continued driving despite the shooting, probably preventing more casualties. IDF troops and rescue personnel quickly reached the scene, treated the wounded, and evacuated them to Yoseftal Hospital in Eilat.

According to reports, three terrorists traveling in a private car followed the bus, before stopping and shooting at it. They escaped the scene in their car, making additional attacks.
The IDF launched two helicopters to spot the terrorists.

An IDF spokesman told Channel 2 News, "There has been a vacuum in Sinai lately, which has enabled terrorist cells to position themselves there. This may be a spin off by a cell or several cells. This was a complex and sophisticated attack."
============================

UPDATE: (from Haaretz)

Several people were killed and at least 15 people were hurt on Thursday in a series of terrorist attacks on Israeli targets near the southern city of Eilat.

The first attack, at around 12 P.M., was a shooting from a vehicle on Egged bus 392 traveling from Beer Sheva to Eilat, near the community of Netafim. Ten passengers on board the bus sustained light to moderate injuries.

Shortly after the bus attack, IDF forces engaged in a shootout with the armed men near the scene of incident. Moreover, a second shooting attack took place in which five people were seriously wounded. In addition to the shooting attacks, mortars were fired from the Egyptian border and a bomb was set off on an Israeli army vehicle.

Following the shootout with the IDF, several terrorists were killed.

According to reports, the passengers in the car opened fire at the Egged bus, which held many soldiers returning from their bases.

Israeli security forces searched for the suspected vehicle and set up barricades in the area, and once they caught up with the vehicle a shootout between IDF forces and the gunmen erupted.

Two IDF helicopters were called to the scene in order to evacuate those wounded to Yoseftal hospital in Eilat and to Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva.

This story is developing.

=======================================

Triple terror attack hits south (from ynet news)

Terrorists target Israeli bus, car traveling to Eilat, injuring several people. Shortly after, roadside bombs used against IDF forces near Egyptian border, followed by rocket fire. IDF manhunt in progress
Ahuva Mamus

Terrorists launched a multifocal terror attack on Israel's south on Thursday, injuring over a dozen people.

In the first incident, Egged bus number 392, traveling from Beersheba to the southern resort city of Eilat was ambushed. Eleven people were wounded in the attack, which took place on Highway 12,
about 30km north of Eilat, near the Ein Netafim junction.

Security forces, as well as Magen David Adom emergency services' teams, were immediately dispatched to the scene. The injured were triaged on site and rushed to the Yoseftal Medical Center in Eilat.

Soon after that a second incident was reported involving yet another shooting on a bus and a private vehicle traveling south. Five people reportedly suffered mortal wounds in the attack.

A third incident was reported at around 1pm, involving multiple roadside bombs used and rocket fire at IDF forces patrolling the Israel Egypt border fence.

According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, soldiers were among the wounded in these incidents.

All of the roads leading to Eilat have been closed. Security forces are currently canvassing the area in search of suspects. IDF aircrafts are assisting in the search, as well as extensive Counter-Terror Unit forces.

Heavy security forces presence is noted in the area. The Eilat Police have ordered an emergency deployment in the area, and a situation room has been set up at the Yoseftal Hospital, which has declared a mass casualty event.

Defense establishment sources said that the fire originated from the Egyptian side of the border. Egyptian security forces have been alerted and are reportedly conducting a simultaneous manhunt.

The Ovda airfield has been closed to all flights. Eilat's airport has been placed on alert.

Reuters and Hanan Greenberg contributed to this report

Jewish History Re-written by Palestinians

2011-08-17T18:08:00.001+03:00

From Palestinian Media Watch:

Palestinian Authority TV documentary: Arab homes will be built at Western Wall, Jews' praying there is "sin and filth"

"They [Israelis] know for certain that our [Palestinian] roots are deeper than their false history. We, from the balcony of our home, look out over [Islamic] holiness and on sin and filth (Jews' praying at Western Wall) in an area that used to have [Arab] people and homes. We are drawing our new maps. When they [Israelis] disappear from the picture, like a forgotten chapter in the pages of our city's history, we will build it anew (residential area). The Mughrabi Quarter will be built here (on the Western Wall Plaza)."

Bike Tel Aviv

2011-08-16T11:29:00.001+03:00

At Maoz we love sharing 'slices of Israeli life' with our friends around the world. Recently, the city of Tel Aviv started a new 'transportation initiative'. The city set up bicycles all over town, for the public to use.

So how does this 'bike' program work? Our Maoz Israel video crew, takes you along for the ride, as they explain this fun new venture.

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE MAOZ MEDIA DEPARTMENT, FOR MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS

Gaza's New Luxury Hotel

2011-08-15T15:53:00.000+03:00

We are told on a daily basis that the people of Gaza are suffering, and live like animals locked inside a ghetto by their cruel Israeli occupiers.

While for sure, there is suffering in Gaza, this video sheds a very different light on what's really happening inside this part of the Palestinian territory.

A new luxury hotel has just opened in Gaza, and this is a video showing what it looks like inside.

While we pray for those who are truly suffering under the brutal rule of the Hamas terrorists that run Gaza (especially the Arab Christians who are persecuted there), let us hope that this piece of video will help bring some much needed balance to the anti-Israel propaganda stirred up by 'pro-Palestinian' activists around the world.

ArcMed Hotel Almashtal Gaza***** from sandra gomez on Vimeo.

Elav (To Him) 2011

2011-08-15T10:50:00.002+03:00

The IDF Joins Facebook

2011-08-14T15:06:00.000+03:00

LINK HERE TO THE IDF FACEBOOK PAGE

LINK HERE TO THE MAOZ ISRAEL FACEBOOK PAGE

Elav (To Him) Conference For Youth and Young Adults - Happening This Week!

2011-08-14T10:42:00.001+03:00

Remember this picture from our Maoz Israel Report last summer?

These are Arab Christians from the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank, praising the God of Israel!

They were worshiping together with 500 Israeli young people at last year’s Elav (To Him) Conference.

This is God’s answer to the Middle East Conflict!

This summer Maoz is sponsoring 150 Palestinian youth who are receiving special permission from the government to travel from the West Bank to attend the Elav Conference together with 500-600 Israeli young people!

Saed Awwad, a Palestinian who fought in the first Intifada, but through salvation in Yeshua the Messiah, found a deep love for the Jewish people, will be speaking, along with other Israeli young people and an international speaker.

Thank you Maoz partners, for bringing this wonderful opportunity to 150 Palestinian young people who have chosen to follow the Messiah under very difficult conditions.

SUPPORT THE WORK OF MAOZ ISRAEL MINISTRIES

Israelis Protesting in the Streets

2011-08-11T09:54:00.001+03:00

Israelis tired of the rising cost of living are taking their battle to the street - setting up tent cities of protest and marching in tens of thousands down the streets of major cities.
See what Israelis are saying about the housing crisis and their lives in Israel in general.

Read more in our August 2011 Maoz Israel Report

300,000 Israelis Protest the Cost of Living in Israel

2011-08-08T06:32:00.000+03:00

Shira Sorko-Ram

Tonight Israelis are fixated in front of their television sets watching 300,000 Israelis, mostly young, protesting across the nation against the high cost of living.

They have been living in tent cities in many different areas of Israel as part of their protest.

People can’t pay their rent, and now food prices have gone sky high. But no one imagined that Israelis would take to the streets! That, we thought, was just for the Arab countries.

Yet there is a very deep financial gap between the 20 percent of Israelis living below the poverty line and the high middle class who live extraordinarily well.

Ynet states: Despite the growth in hi tech and finance, the majority of Israeli wage earners (over 60%) earned less than $1,450 a month last year. The researchers at the Adva institute calculated that the average Israeli wage-earner would have to work 12 years before accumulating the monthly salary of the average CEO of a big company in Israel.

Of course there is an incredible difference between Israeli and Arab demonstrations, in that there is no violence. Instead there are concerts of top singers all through the multitudes of people in all the cities. It is amazing how quickly the public can organize all the equipment and stages for first class music to make the protests an exciting “happening.”

Israelis stick together whenever danger comes from outside. But we haven’t had a war in a few years and very little terror attacks. So the public has breathing space to let it all hang out. To think of what they dream about vs the reality of living in a nation with enemies on all side and with the ultra-religious population determined that others support them.

However next month comes the UN battle to take the West Bank and give it to the Palestinians without the Palestinians giving Israel anything in return. Not even Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation!

Right now, though, all Israel is wondering where these demonstrations are going to take the nation.

Israelis are Marching in Protests Around the Country

2011-07-28T19:50:00.001+03:00

You may not know it, but for the past couple of weeks, students and young people have been protesting throughout Israel about impossible rental prices, rising food prices and in general, the extremely high cost of living for the ordinary Israeli citizen. These protests have captured the attention of the entire country day after day.

The main reason is that there is a huge lack of available housing for people with lower income. It is very hard or almost impossible to find rentals for young people who have work in the cities, for students and new couples.

Housing Protest

On the other hand, there are thousand of empty apartments owned by wealthy Jews from other countries who use their Israeli homes for a few weeks out of the year. That doesn’t sit well with the protestors.

First there was a “cottage cheese boycott” when Israelis simply stopped buying the product because the price had jumped sky high over the last few months.

Then young people began sleeping in tents along the boulevard of one of the most exclusive areas in Tel Aviv. The tent protest has bourgeoned to cover thousands of tent-dwellers in cities throughout the country.

Next doctors who have been on strike, off again, on again, for months are marching to Jerusalem. Some have been fasting while walking up to Jerusalem (2500 ft elevation) in the smothering summer heat.

They say they are fasting and marching because it is a “live and death” situation as the socialized medicine infrastructure is collapsing in Israel.

Today, 1,500 mothers are holding a “stroller march” in Tel Aviv to protest the high cost of raising children and thousands of parents are marching around the country with the slogan, “children are for the rich only.”

Stroller March in Tel Aviv

The gays will never let a good opportunity go to waste, so they too are marching “to commemorate” the killing of a gay person.

In short, the situation of the so-called middle class, which according to statistics is slowly dissipating has risen up to say, “We can’t make it any more.” The biggest drain on tax money are the ulta-Orthodox who don’t work, and expect to live off of government hand outs. These hand outs are in the billions of shekels yearly.

As all believers can see, the world is in turmoil. Israel is no exception.

Raising Future Worshipers

2011-07-28T17:47:00.002+03:00

Recently our Congregation Tiferet Yeshua hosted a concert where children from our music program sponsored by istandwithisrael.com played different instruments.

istandwithisrael.com covers 90% of the cost of the lessons and also provides some instruments on loan to the children who are interested.

The program has been in place for three years, but this was the first event of its kind.

It is such a blessing to see these young kids develop their God-given talents, which will later be used for His glory and to advance His Kingdom!

To support this project and others go to www.istandwithisrael.com.

Two Important Videos

2011-07-21T14:53:00.000+03:00

Knowledge is power. Ignorance is unacceptable. Take a few moments, watch these videos, educate yourself and then pass it on to others!

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Israel's Future

2011-07-19T11:50:00.000+03:00

Maoz Israel Ministries has a thriving (Hebrew-speaking) Messianic Jewish congregation in the heart of Tel Aviv.

Congregation Tiferet Yeshua (The Glory of Yeshua) includes ministries for our children and youth. We believe in making learning fun, for them, and helping foster relationships between our young people (some of whom are the only Messianic Jews in their entire school).

In this video we'll take you along for the fun on some of our recent outings and hear why our kids love coming to their congregation!

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING AN ONLINE DONATION TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF MAOZ ISRAEL MINISTRIES

Israelis Longing For Their Messiah

2011-07-17T18:45:00.000+03:00

This is a video produced by an Israeli college student. The goal was to show what a newscast would look like, once the 3rd Temple is rebuilt.

But, what struck this blogger, was at the 4:30 mark of the video, the subject turns to the coming of the Jewish Messiah. You can see in the interviews, the passion, excitement and longing many Israelis have for their Savior!

Please pray for the precious souls in this video and all Israelis, that their eyes would be opened to see Yeshua, for who He truly is! That they would know and understand that their promised Jewish Messiah has come once as the suffering servant and will come again as the Reigning King!!!

And please consider joining with us at Maoz Israel Ministries, as we continue our work, of bringing the Good News of Yeshua to the people of Israel. You can partner with us by clicking on this LINK.

Ad Against Messianic Jews In Jerusalem Post

2011-07-15T12:10:00.003+03:00

The group which makes it its goal to oppose Yeshua and Messianic Jews in Israel, took out a full page ad in the Jerusalem Post newspaper. Below is a photo of the ad (courtesy of Yeshua Israel).

They shamelessly use the name of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel (not even spelling his name correctly!), citing something he may or may not have said in 1995. Now, perhaps Mr. Wiesel does not like Messianic Judaism, I have no idea. But I would bet my life that this man who has devoted his life to education and seeking peace, would despise being associated with the group that took out this ad.

This ad is also the first time this blogger has ever heard of 'material in the mail, concerts, and street performances' referred to as 'DESTRUCTIVE ACTIVITIES'.

Please pray for the believers in Israel! And please pray for those who persecute us.

SEND A MESSAGE TO THE JERUSALEM POST ABOUT THIS AD

SAY: 'I STAND WITH THE PERSECUTED MESSIANIC JEWS IN ISRAEL'

We've Been Censored in Canada!

2011-07-14T16:13:00.001+03:00

This is shocking, given Canada's current very pro-Israel government. But below is a report from our friend Sid Roth about a recent interview he did with Maoz Israel co-founder Shira Sorko-Ram:

Recently the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council issued a ruling against one of our interviews that dealt with Islam. We only told the truth. However, as a result, we cannot broadcast my interview with Shira in Canada.

SEND A COMPLAINT TO THE CANADIAN BROADCAST STANDARDS COUNCIL

Why The United Nations Is So Anti-Israel

2011-07-14T14:18:00.000+03:00

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Please Pray For The Next Generation In Israel

2011-07-12T10:14:00.000+03:00

This week, Messianic Jewish teenagers from across Israel are gathering for the annual summer camp known as 'Katsir' (harvest). Maoz Israel is proud to be one of the sponsors of this camp, and some of our staff (including your friendly blogger) are volunteering at the camp this week!

This short film describes what the camp is about and how it impacts the lives of the next generation. Please keep our youth in prayer this week.

And please consider making a donation to Maoz Israel, so we can continue to support projects like 'Katsir'. Thank you!

MAKE AN ONLINE DONATION TO MAOZ ISRAEL HERE

More Persecution of Messianic Jews in Israel

2011-07-08T12:46:00.000+03:00

Ultra-Orthodox Jews harass, threaten pair

by Wayne King (Compass Direct News)

A neighbor confronts 16-year-old Donna Lubofsky about her faith.

JERUSALEM, July 2 (CDN) — A hard-line Jewish ultra-Orthodox group in Israel that singles out Jewish Christians known as Messianic Jews for harassment and abuse is taking aim at a couple it claims is manipulating minors into becoming Christians.

The group, Yad L’Achim, this week placed leaflets around the home of Serge and Naama Kogen, 37 and 42 respectively, in Mevasseret Zion, a suburban community located just west of Jerusalem. The same week someone took out a full-page ad in a local newspaper giving the couple’s address and telling residents they were part of a missionary group “targeting” the community. The Kogens are native Israelis and hence not part of any missionary group.

The advertisement invited the public to a protest planned against the Kogens, and on Sunday (June 26), about 20 of the group’s supporters demonstrated outside the couple’s home, where they denounced them over megaphones for 90 minutes.

The protests came after Yad L’Achim lost a court case against the Kogens and their congregational leader, Asher Intrater. The group had accused them of “proselytizing” minors.

During the protest, a distraught 16-year-old girl, the alleged target of the couple’s “missionary” efforts, said all of Yad L’Achim’s claims were false. Donna Lubofsky maintains that she has never converted to Christianity. She wanted to speak at the protest to give her side of what happened, but the organizers wouldn’t let her, she said.

“They are all liars, all liars! Ask them, why won’t they let me speak?” Donna told Compass at the protest. “They won’t let me speak because what they are saying is untrue. They [the Kogens] never tried to get me to believe. They are just good people.”

‘Lot of Love’

The Kogens met Donna a year ago while they were next-door neighbors. Naama Kogen said Donna, whom she described as a “genius,” had some issues adjusting to a new school, and her home life seemed problematic. The girl quickly became a regular fixture at the Kogen household and “a close part of the family,” in Kogen’s words.

“She said she had never seen a family like ours. We have a lot of love in our home,” Kogen said, adding the teenager told her the time she spent in their house was the first time she felt loved. Kogen said that during the course of the friendship, problems persisted in the girl’s home, and at times she was afraid to return there. She also said the teenager began experimenting with alcohol and other potentially self-destructive behaviors from which the Kogens were able to deter her.

“I told her she would be the only one to suffer in the end,” Kogen said. “Step by step, I started to see an improvement.”

Kogen and her husband were emphatic in their claim they never discussed religion with Donna, but that she expressed interest in attending their congregational worship. Kogen said she obtained permission from Donna’s mother, and she attended Shabbat meetings with the congregation for about two months.

But Donna’s mother, Bella Lubofsky, told protestors that the Kogens “took” the girl “every Friday.”

Despite the progress Donna was making in some areas of her personal life, her family life was still in tatters, according to Kogen. She said she urged Donna to approach her parents and try to reconcile their relationship, but things remained tense.

The problems came to a head after a disagreement at the Kogen home when Lubofsky allegedly pushed her daughter, and the Kogens had her spend the night until things calmed down. Soon afterward, Lubofsky reported the Kogens to the police for “proselytizing.”

Serge Kogen said police investigated the case, found that they had done nothing illegal and dropped the investigation. Yad L’Achim, not dissuaded by the police finding, went to court and brought charges directly against the couple and against Intrater, leader of the Ahavat Yeshua Congregation.

As with the police, the court found nothing illegal and on June 14 dismissed all charges against Intrater and the Kogens.

The Kogens said they weren’t certain how Yad L’Achim became involved with the Lubofskys. They think an Orthodox Jew in their neighborhood approached the extremist group. One day the neighbor began harassing Kogen, she said; when she fled inside her house, the man and others demanded she come outside. On its website, Yad L’Achim claims the parents of the girl approached them for assistance.

Misrepresentations

Sunday’s protest comes at a time when Yad L’Achim is trying to push new “anti-missionary” laws through the Knesset, Israel’s national parliamentary body. Under Israeli law, spreading one’s faith is legal, but “proselytizing” to minors and gaining converts through “material incentives” is illegal.

According to its website, literature and speeches, Yad L’Achim wants to make “proselytizing” by all non-Jewish groups illegal. The group does not specify which non-Orthodox groups they consider to be truly Jewish, or how groups with secular viewpoints might be similarly censored.

Started by ultra-Orthodox Jews, Yad L’Achim is known for its aggressive, confrontational style. At other protests, followers of the group have assaulted Messianic Jews. The group also places information in its publications that Messianic Jews say is either unconfirmed, misleading by its incomplete nature or blatantly untrue. They claim that Messianic Jews are enemies of the Jewish people and have no place in Israel. The group makes no distinction between Christianity and cults, or between Christians and “missionaries.”

Referring to the protest on its website, Yad L’Achim described Naama Kogen as a missionary “who has been having a devastating impact on local youths.” The group goes on to say that Donna “soon found herself attending prayer groups and being subjected to brainwashing. Gradually she came to accept J and began to pull away from her parents…”

The website makes no mention of the ultimate outcome of the failed case that Yad L’Achim filed.

Intrater said Yad L’Achim is a fringe group whose views aren’t representative of most in Israel. The group has tried to frame its argument as one of Jews against Christians and has dredged up the specter of hundreds of years of anti-Semitic persecution to lend weight to its argument, he said.

Intrater said he sees the entire issue as a disagreement between two groups of Jews. He said the first generation of Jews who believed in Jesus didn’t refer to themselves as “Christians,” and it is a title he avoids. Most “Messianic Jews” don’t use the term in reference to themselves. Instead, they prefer to be known as Jews who believe in the Messianic claims of “Yeshua,” the Hebrew name for Jesus.

“They look at us as worse than Christians,” Intrater said. “They look at us as if we’ve betrayed our people and become Gentiles. And they want to annihilate us. We see ourselves as true Jews. We see it as an argument over who is the true Messiah. What we want to say is, ‘Who is the real Messiah?’ They feel hatred toward us and see us as the enemy. We don’t look at them that way. These are our people, and we love them.”
Protest Fallout

The protest went peacefully for the most part. Surrounded by signs saying “missionaries” are “targeting” Jewish souls, a small group of protestors gave speeches, including Bella Lubofsky. Protestors refused to speak to any media they viewed as being neutral or unsupportive of their demonstration. Asked if a Jew who believes in Jesus is still a Jew, one protestor said, “No.”

The demonstrators jeered as a camera crew for an international news media outlet left. After the protest was over, a group of six Yad L’Achim sympathizers insulted and menaced a Compass reporter and a friend, then followed the two by foot for about two miles, threatening violence against them along the way. When the reporter tried to get help from passersby, the group frightened off people and shouted that the reporter was a “missionary.”

When the two reached a local mall, the hard-line sympathizers followed them inside. Mall security and police refused to help and left the two – now surrounded at a distance by the group – stranded for more than 90 minutes. Only after intervention by a group of women declaring that Israel is a free country would mall security escort the reporter and his friend to a taxi. The group of Yad L’Achim supporters, however, was never asked to leave the mall.

The Kogens still have contact with Donna, but her parents don’t allow her to go to the congregation. The Kogens, Asher and others agreed that Donna should obey her parent’s wishes as long as she is a minor. They sent her and her parents each a letter to that effect, which according to Kogen was very painful to the girl.

The evening after the protest, the Kogens came home to find Donna with a stack of Yad L’Achim literature that she had collected by hand and ripped to pieces. It was obvious she had been crying, Kogen said.

“This group doesn’t care about this girl at all, they just care about getting to us,” she said about her and her husband.

Kogen said yesterday (July 1) that the response of her community to the protest has been mixed. Before the protest, no one knew about her religious beliefs, she said. But she said now most people in her community have been very supportive. Some of their neighbors, even those who could be considered “traditional,” have made an effort to send their children over to play with her four children.

But the persecution continues. Supporters from Yad L’Achim continue to plaster her streets with leaflets. They have also started handing out pamphlets at the mall.

More insidiously, on Wednesday (June 29) the Kogens’ landlord asked them to leave their apartment because she was receiving phone threats ordering her to evict them, Kogen said. The man making the threatening call told the landlord that if she didn’t remove the couple, “we will.”

The caller said he would burn down the Kogens’ home. The landlord offered the couple money to move, but the Kogens – who had moved into the apartment only two months ago – refused to move again.

On Sunday (June 26), the landlord talked with the couple again.

At the congregational meeting yesterday (July 1), Serge Kogen told the group the landlord said, “We could stay as long as we want.”

SIDEBAR: First Person Focus

Harassment in the Holy Land – the Cost of Following Christ

JERUSALEM, July 2 (Compass Direct News) – “This is a holy land – you have no business being here.” “You’re a bad man.” “You are dirty.” “You are a demon.”

I wish I could say that when I heard these words, my first response was to love the six men who were walking, just feet behind me, spitting the insults. But indignation and anger were welling up inside, and the biblical injunctions to pray for and bless those who persecute you offered only momentary comfort.

The men following me and a friend in the Jerusalem suburb of Mevasseret Zion were supporters of Yad L’Achim, a far right-wing group of ultra-Orthodox Jews who oppose Christians in Israel. The group is known for the aggressive and often questionable tactics they use against people who follow Christ, whom they derisively call “missionaries.” The six men had all attended a protest outside the home of a Jewish couple the group had so identified.

There the 20 protestors had swarmed 16-year-old Donna Lubofsky, whom they said had converted to Christianity under the tutelage of Naama Kogen, the accused “missionary” along with her husband Serge Kogen. A woman at the protest called the girl a bad daughter for rebelling against her parents and said she was “breaking their heart.”

It didn’t matter that the women didn’t know Donna or her parents, and that Kogen said she never tried to convert the girl. It didn’t matter that Donna said she was still a traditional Jew, or even that police and a court found no reason to charge the Kogens with trying to convert a minor.

As I was walking away from the men, I was astonished by the reactions of others. When I approached a man in a car to ask for directions, the six men surrounded me and began shouting, then told the driver not to help me. Eventually the man was so terrified he refused to speak to me. My friend and I made it to a mall only to find one of the members of the group waiting for us at the entrance, arms crossed, gloating. My friend and I asked mall security personnel to help us, but they and even men who appeared to be law enforcement officers only backed away.

Every turn we took, the men countered, running up and declaring to whoever would listen that we were “missionaries” trying to convert Jewish children to the “cult of Christ.” Hebrew-speaking friends of mine called police several times, but after five calls over 90 minutes, we knew no one was coming.

My friend went into a woman’s store, and the women there became so incensed at what was happening to us that they screamed at the hard-line group. When the women were told we were “missionaries,” one shouted in English, “I don’t care. This is Israel!”

The women, by the force of their indignation, compelled two security guards to do something for us that they might have considered doing instead to the six men – they escorted us out of the mall. We were able to find a taxi and ride back to Jerusalem.

Like many who report on persecuted Christians, as I left I was struck by the “touristic” nature of the verbal abuse we had received; as an outsider I can leave the country, but I do so knowing Naama Kogen, her husband and their four children are sleeping in a home that people have threatened to burn down. –

SUPPORT THE PERSECUTED BELIEVERS IN ISRAEL

Take A 'Stand' For Israel in London on July 11th

2011-07-07T13:00:00.003+03:00

A PUBLIC SHOW OF LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL

by Mordecai Voice:

JULY 11TH WORSHIP/ PRAYER FOR ISRAEL 11-6pm, St Barnabus Church, 23 Addison Rd, Kensington, London W14 8LH (one stop to 'The Stand' by tube).

We will start the day praying and fasting purely to bless Israel and will commence this at 11am at St Barnabus Church. It will be a powerful time of prayer and worship and an excellent way to prelude the Stand for Israel as we pray for Israel in preparation for what we will undertake later that evening. There will be no charge for the day of prayer or the Stand, though we may take an offering to meet costs and bless Israel.

Many of you will agree that it is not enough just to pray and be a spiritual support, but rather because of the state of our nation, our current relationship with Israel in politics, the media and the 'official' , visual church, it is necessary that we raise a voice for Israel. It has to be more than a metaphoric voice, but also a practical, tangible and with the Lord's help and guidance, an increasingly loud voice. It is important that the nation, Israel and even the world will know and hear our support and love for God's chosen, never forgotten or rejected, but loved everlasting people!

Letters and petitions of support for Israel will be sent to governments and politicians, and the Israeli embassy, UK. For those that sign up AND DECLARE AN INTEREST, 'Stands for Israel' will be organized at the Israeli embassy in times of trouble. Israel is truly alone in the world, take the flotilla incident - when terrorists from Turkey, sprang a trap to bring world condemnation, deliberately defying an embargo which exists for safety and which any nation would do if literally surrounded by people who want her annihilated, attacking boarding soldiers who initially used rubber bullets until the attack was too severe - stabbing, slashing, beating and mob violence: look at the reaction of the Church and the world to this! At parliament the government speak or act in our name, in a way we deem unfair or biased. They will purely be peaceful stands, where the Jews and Israel will know, all are not against them in this land, but a large part of the Church stands with them. They WILL NOT be rival marches to Islamic demonstrations, and WILL NOT occur at the same time, for we must be peacemakers! We cannot be heard to be anti-any people group.

A 'stand for Israel' is simply that: we will stand in large numbers outside the Embassy of Israel in Kensington, to pray for Israel, worship the Lord and send a message with our banners/Israel/UK flags that the CHURCH we represent loves for, believes in and stands with Israel!

Please RSVP if you are coming to the Stand or the day of prayer to bless Israel by email: mordecaivoice@hotmail.co.uk, or request a form at: Mordecai Voice, The Junction 28 Church, C/O The Genesis Centre, 32-46 King St, Alfreton, DE55 7DQ

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

To contact the Maoz Israel office in London:

80 Royal Hill Greenwich, London SE10 8RT

Ph: 0208.692.2831

maozengland@maozisrael.org

West losing its focus on Iran, Oren says

2011-07-07T12:23:00.000+03:00

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Iran is "stealing bases" while the world is preoccupied with other matters, said Israel's U.S. ambassador, Michael Oren.

The West is losing focus on Iran as it grapples with economic problems and the uncertainties of the Arab Spring, Oren said in a call Wednesday with reporters arranged by The Israel Project.

"They are stealing bases while everybody is looking elsewhere," he said.

Oren noted what appears to be Iran's accelerated recovery from problems dogging its nuclear program, its support of terrorist groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, and its continued backing for and involvement in Syria's repression of protesters seeking democracy.

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Bonus Video From Nigeria - The 11th Plauge

2011-07-06T18:23:00.000+03:00

Bonus Video From Nigeria - The 11th Plauge from maozisrael on Vimeo.

What must it have been like, when God sent a plague of locusts on the land of Egypt? In their own way, our team from Israel that recently traveled to Nigeria, got to experience something like this.

On the first night of their outreach in Africa (it just so happened to be a night after a major rain storm) thousands, if not millions of flying termites and other insects 'came out to play'.

In this bonus video, you'll hear from our Israeli team, as they describe what this 'bug invasion' was like for them!

CLICK HERE TO SEE AND READ MUCH MORE ABOUT THE TRIP FROM ISRAEL TO NIGERIA

Africa Video Blog - Leaving Israel

Africa Video Blog - Arrival In Nigeria!

Africa Video Blog - Meet Our Hosts

Africa Video Blog - What A Welcome! (Part 1)

Africa Video Blog - What A Welcome! (Part 2)

Africa Video Blog - Nigerian Children Learning Hebrew

Africa Video Blog - Outreach Night!

Africa Video Blog - Blessing Our Baboon

Africa Video Blog - Keeping Kosher In Nigeria

When Israel Becomes a Light to the Nations

2011-07-05T19:03:00.004+03:00

By Ron Cantor

May 15th, 2011: It is Israel’s birthday, but I am in Africa. I am looking out into a crowd of many thousands of Nigerians.

They are chanting at my encouragement, “LORD, help Israel!”

February 14th, 2009: I was in a hotel in Lagos, Nigeria, when the Lord spoke to my heart. I had just been invited to organize a mass outreach campaign by local leaders from Adamawa State in eastern Nigeria, but I was struggling internally. Something wasn’t right!

As I prayed that morning I felt in my heart that I was not to return to Nigeria alone, but to bring Israeli young people with me so they too could fulfill their call to be a light to the nations and be deeply impacted in the process—returning to Israel on fire!

That was the beginning of our “Isaiah 2 Initiative.” On May 9, 2011 we took our third trip. Our team of seven, all from Congregation Tiferet Yeshua in Tel Aviv, traveled through Ethiopia to Hong, Nigeria.

In fact, without the generosity of the members of Tiferet Yeshua who contributed about 20% of our budget, the team would not have been able to come with me. So not only were Israelis going, they were being sent by Israeli believers.

MEETING THE KING IN 104-DEGREE WEATHER

On the first day, we visited Hong, the campaign-hosting city of some 200,000 souls along with two large villages. It was an exhausting day for our team. Daytime temperatures were at a minimum of 104 degrees and sometimes were several degrees higher. It is a tradition in Nigeria that when a visitor comes to a city, he or she is received by the mayor and the tribal king.

The king of Hong is a Muslim, and given the backdrop of Islamic violence against Christians in northern Nigeria, his words were even more powerful. “You have come to Hong and have answered my prayers.” A Muslim king was praying that we would bring the gospel to his city? I didn’t argue with him!

Everywhere we went, we were literally treated like royalty by everybody!

The joy on their faces, anticipating our coming to their village with the gospel, was humbling. I can only compare our welcome to the hysteria of teenage girls at a Justin Beiber concert—only it was all ages and genders—and the star was Yeshua!

A PLAGUE OF TERMITES FLEW THROUGH THE AIR

The first night of the outreach was a challenge. When I got out of the car, I suddenly saw a swarm of termites flying through the air. The night before it had rained heavily for several hours. That attracted these termites and they were out in force. I honestly felt like a plague was being poured out upon us. They would get on your clothes and crawl up to your neck or fly into your hair.

I didn’t think I could preach in such an atmosphere. I considered that maybe they should cancel the meeting. But before I could even fully digest that thought, a resounding NO came from my spirit. “We are going to preach the gospel tonight with or without the bugs!”

Earlier I had been talking to the team about Paul who embraced death—the hardships that he endured to get the gospel to those who had not heard it—so that life could be revealed to his hearers. (2 Corinthians 4:10-12) Obviously we couldn’t “quit” before we started!

For the next hour I battled the termites and other flying creatures while I waited to preach, still wondering how I would get through forty minutes of preaching, an altar call and then, prayer for the sick without swallowing termites. The whole team was laughing, even as we suffered, because it was so surreal. Never in Israel or the U.S. had I seen something like this.

However, we did proclaim the gospel and the people responded. We collected 3,254 decision cards that night, and the ushers told us that if they had had more time, there would have been many more.

YESHUA: SAVIOR AND HEALER

Each night at the conclusion of collecting the decision cards, we would blow the shofar and release the power of God to heal. One night, a woman brought her daughter to the stage. “For three weeks my daughter has been completely blind. All the doctor could tell us was that her problem was not medical.” As we prayed for the sick that night, God opened this little girl’s eyes. It was a very dramatic moment! Over these five nights we saw the sick healed, the lame walk, people set free from demonic powers and so many new births into the kingdom.

• A man who was deaf in one ear was healed.

• Another man had fallen out of a tree 30 years prior. It left him with serious damage to his body and brain function. He confessed that after 30 years all symptoms were gone.

• A boy who had not spoken for 10 years suddenly began to speak.

• A young man who had suffered from chronic back pain for 10 years said he was completely healed. The pain was simply gone.

• A woman who was born with a condition in which an allergy caused her eyes to tear up and were itchy all the time for 50 years said as soon as we prayed she was healed.

• An older man said he could barely stand before the prayer for the sick. I asked him if he was healed and he said, “I am standing!” The crowd roared.

• Another woman said for seven years she has had tremendous pain in her chest and that it left during the prayer. She began to jump up and down, shouting she could not do that without pain before.

• A boy was brought up on stage by his grandmother who explained he could not walk before the meeting and after prayer he walked!

It seemed that by the second night the crowd had doubled and grew each night after that. I was reminded of the passage in Matthew that speaks to the growth of Yeshua’s ministry.

Yeshua went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. (Matthew 4:23-25)

BURNING IDOLS AND FETISHES

On the fourth night we preached on “You Shall Have No Other Gods” and challenged the crowd to put away their idols, charms, fetishes and superstitions. We taught them they did not need to be afraid of the enemy and that holding on to these would block God’s blessing.

We asked them to bring anything they had connected to the occult or demonic superstitions to the last meeting where we would burn the idols publicly. When we set fire to the barrel soaked with gasoline, a mighty flame went up and the massive crowd erupted in joy.

What often happens in a series of meetings is people return to their homes and villages, saved, healed and spiritually charged. Then others with great needs, who hear the stories of God’s power, come to the meetings with them.

HEBREW SONGS SUNG BY NIGERIAN CHILDREN

Moti Cohen, one of the pastors of Tiferet Yeshua, met with a crowd of children before the Friday and Saturday night campaigns. He taught them the words to Shabbat Shalom, which Jews sing as the Sabbath comes and then on the following evening he taught them the famous song, Am Yisrael Chai (The People of Israel Live). Both nights he brought them up to the front and they sang and danced with joy. With all the bad press and negativity in the world in regards to Israel, what a joy to see these Nigerian children singing, “The People of Israel Live!”

GOD’S IRREVOCABLE CALLING FOR ISRAEL

On the last night, the campaign chairman said that this outreach was the most significant event ever to happen in their city. I received this note on Facebook: “God bless you for blessing our land. Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of Hong.” We really have no way to accurately determine the number of Africans who received salvation during those five days and nights. With assurance we can say there were many thousands.

On Passover, as Jews we ask, Why is this night different from all other nights? But I want to answer the question, why was this outreach different from all other outreaches? Truthfully there are so many ministries accomplishing amazing work in Africa. Reinhard Bonnke’s CfaN has witnessed several million professions of faith in Nigeria alone since 2000.

So why is this effort unique? We need to go back to the prophet Isaiah who spoke of a day when the word of the Lord would go forth from Zion. (Isaiah 2:3) He also prophesied about the Messianic call to be a light to the nations. (Isaiah 42:6)

I will also make you a light for the Nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6b)

While this is certainly speaking about the calling of Yeshua, Paul also applied this to every Jewish believer when he encountered resistance in Pisidian Antioch:

For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the nations, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47)

Was this not the call on Yeshua’s first Jewish disciples? What were His last words to his precious followers?

• Go into all the world and preach the gospel…(Mark 16:15)

• You will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8)

• Go and make disciples of all nations… (Matthew 28:19)

And Paul specifically pointed out that Israel’s “gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29)

It goes without saying that all Believers in Yeshua throughout the nations who have been grafted into Israel’s olive tree also have this same call upon their lives!

By God’s grace we in Israel will continue to focus on preaching the good news of Yeshua to the nations. We believe that as the body of Believers in Israel embraces its role to be a light to the nations, it will release grace on Israelis to confess Yeshua. Furthermore, there is no doubt that the young Israelis who come on these trips have life-changing encounters. Their boldness to share the good news here in Israel has been reinforced and their faith to believe for miracles strengthened.

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Israel - 100 years of Science and Technology

2011-07-05T15:58:00.000+03:00

'I Stand With Israel'

2011-07-04T12:21:00.000+03:00

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Iran Funnels New Weapons to Iraq and Afghanistan

2011-07-03T13:01:00.000+03:00

By JAY SOLOMON from the Wall Street Journal

TEHRAN—Iran's elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has transferred lethal new munitions to its allies in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent months, according to senior U.S. officials, in a bid to accelerate the U.S. withdrawals from these countries.

The Revolutionary Guard has smuggled rocket-assisted exploding projectiles to its militia allies in Iraq, weapons that have already resulted in the deaths of American troops, defense officials said. They said Iranians have also given long-range rockets to the Taliban in Afghanistan, increasing the insurgents' ability to hit U.S. and other coalition positions from a safer distance.

Such arms shipments would escalate the shadow competition for influence playing out between Tehran and Washington across the Middle East and North Africa, fueled by U.S. preparations to draw down forces from two wars and the political rebellions that are sweeping the region.

The U.S. is wrestling with the aftermath of uprisings against longtime Arab allies from Tunisia to Bahrain, and trying to leave behind stable, friendly governments in Afghanistan and Iraq. Iran appears to be trying to gain political ground amid the turmoil and to make the U.S. withdrawals as quick and painful as possible.

"I think we are likely to see these Iranian-backed groups continue to maintain high attack levels" as the exit date nears, Maj. Gen. James Buchanan, the U.S. military's top spokesman in Iraq, said in an interview. "But they are not going to deter us from doing everything we can to help the Iraqi security forces."

In June, 15 U.S. servicemen died in Iraq, the highest monthly casualty figure there in more than two years. The U.S. has attributed all the attacks to Shiite militias it says are are trained by the Revolutionary Guards, rather than al Qaeda or other Sunni groups that were the most lethal forces inside Iraq a few years ago.

In Afghanistan, the Pentagon has in recent months traced to Iran the Taliban's acquisition of rockets that give its fighters roughly double the range to attack North Atlantic Treaty Organization and U.S. targets. U.S. officials said the rockets' markings, and the location of their discovery, give them a "high degree" of confidence that they came from the Revolutionary Guard's overseas unit, the Qods Force.

U.S. defense officials are also increasingly concerned that Iran's stepped-up military activities in the Persian Gulf could inadvertently trigger a clash. A number of near misses involving Iranian and allied ships and planes in those waters in recent months have caused Navy officials to call for improved communication in the Gulf.

Iran's assertive foreign policy comes amid a growing power struggle between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Many of the president's closest aides have been detained on alleged corruption charges in recent weeks, raising questions as to whether Mr. Ahmadinejad will serve out his term.U.S. and European officials also say Iran has grown increasingly aggressive in trying to influence the political rebellions across the Middle East and North Africa. Tehran is alleged to have dispatched military advisers to Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad put down a popular uprising.

In recent months, according to U.S. officials, Iran has also increased its intelligence and propaganda activities in Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen, countries where pro-U.S. leaders have either fallen or come under intense pressure.

Iranian officials denied in interviews and briefings this week that the Revolutionary Guard played any role in arming militants in Iraq and Afghanistan. They charged the U.S. with concocting these stories to justify maintaining an American military presence in the region.

"This is the propaganda of the Americans. They are worried because they have to leave Iraq very soon, according to the plan," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast. "They are better off going home and sorting out their own domestic problems."

Iranians officials have also accused the U.S. and Israel of interfering in Iranian affairs, including assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists and supporting opposition groups. The U.S. and Israel have denied this.

In recent weeks, Iran's leadership invited the presidents of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq to Tehran to discuss regional affairs. Senior Iranian officials made it clear during those meetings that they wanted an accelerated exit of American forces from the region.

"Americans want to have permanent bases in Afghanistan, and this is dangerous because the real security will not be established as long as the American military forces are present," Ayatollah Khamenei told Afghan President Hamid Karzai last week, according to Iranian state media.

Iraq has in recent years been a proxy battlefield for the U.S. and Iran. U.S. officials in Iraq said the Qods Force is training and arming three primary militias that have in recent months attacked U.S. and Iraqi forces. Kata'ib Hezbollah, or Brigades of the Party of God, is viewed as the one most directly taking orders from Revolutionary Guard commanders in Iran. Two others, the Promise Day Brigade and Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, are offshoots of the Mahdi Army headed by the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who currently lives in Iran.

Over the past six months, Kata'ib Hezbollah has escalated attacks on U.S. forces employing weapons called IRAMs, or improvised rocket-assisted munitions. The weapons are often propane tanks packed with hundreds of pounds of explosives and powered by rockets. Militiamen launch the weapons from the backs of flatbed trucks.

Kata'ib Hezbollah claimed credit for a June 6 IRAM attack that killed six American troops at Camp Victory, near Baghdad International Airport. This week, three more Americans were killed when an IRAM struck a desert base just a few miles from the Iranian border in Iraq's Wasit Province, according to U.S. officials.

"We believe the militias see themselves as in competition with each other," said Gen. Buchanan. "They want to claim credit for making us leave Iraq."

The U.S. believes Iranian involvement in Afghanistan is significantly lower than in Iraq. But U.S. officials said they have seen clear evidence that the Revolutionary Guard has transferred longer-range rockets to elements of the Taliban that significantly enhance their ability to target U.S. and other NATO forces.

In February, British forces intercepted a shipment of four dozen 122-millimeter rockets moving through Afghanistan's desolate Nimruz Province near the Iranian and Pakistan borders. The rockets have an estimated range of about 13 miles, more than double the distance of the majority of the Taliban's other rockets.

"It was the first time we've seen that weapon," said a senior U.S. defense official in Afghanistan. "We saw that as upping the ante a bit from the kind of support we've seen in the past."

U.S. officials stressed that most of Iran's influence in Afghanistan is channeled through "soft power"—business, aid and diplomacy. But these officials said the deployment of more U.S. and NATO forces along the Afghan-Iranian border as part of the Obama administration's Afghanistan "surge" appears to have raised Iran's sense of insecurity.

These officials said Iran's support for the Taliban appears to wax and wane in relation to how successful Washington and NATO appear to be in stabilizing Afghanistan. Shiite-majority Iran has traditionally viewed the Taliban, a Sunni group, with trepidation. The two sides nearly fought a war in 1998 after the Taliban executed Iranian diplomats based in the central Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

"They're supporting the Taliban because they want us out of here," said the U.S. official in Afghanistan. "If we're making gains, I can see them upping their support. If they're making gains, they'll probably stay quiet."

In large part because of the growing wariness over Iran's backing of Shiite militias in Iraq, the U.S. is considering altering its withdrawal plans from the country, say administration and defense officials.

All U.S. forces are due to depart at the end of the year, but senior American officials have hinted loudly that they would like Baghdad to ask the U.S. to keep a viable force in the country beyond that date. Some administration and military officials have talked about retaining 10,000 troops in Iraq.

Military officials and defense analysts cite Iran as a prime justification for extending the U.S. presence. They say Iran is trying to use its military, which is much more powerful than Iraq's, and Shiite proxy militias inside Iraq to pressure Baghdad to maintain close ties with Tehran.

Adm. William McRaven, the administration's nominee to lead Special Operations Command, told a Senate panel this week that he favors keeping a commando force in Iraq that would be available to counter threats.

—Julian E. Barnes contributed to this article.

Happy Canada Day

2011-07-02T16:40:00.000+03:00

I know we're a day late (due to our Sabbath break), but we had to wish our dear friends in Canada, a happy 'Canada Day'!

We are so grateful for our friends in Canada, starting with your bold and steadfast Prime Minister Stephen Harper and on to our many faithful donors, supporters and prayer warriors in Canada.

Thank you for your friendship and we celebrate this special day with you!

To contact our Maoz Canada office:

P.O. Box 81716 Toronto, ON M2R 3X1

Ph: 613-394-2650 Fax: 613-394-2650

maozcanada@maozisrael.org

To support the work of Maoz Israel Ministries: DONATE HERE

Supernatural Events In Israel (Shira Sorko-Ram talks with Sid Roth)

2011-06-29T18:15:00.000+03:00

Maoz Israel Ministries co-founder Shira Sorko-Ram was recently the guest of Messianic Jewish TV and radio host Sid Roth.

Sid Roth is the founder of 'Messianic Vision' and hosts a program called 'It's Supernatural'. He invited Shira on his program to talk about the historic events happening in and around Israel today.

We encourage you to watch this full conversation, to help you better understand the Biblical view of today's news headlines and to help you know better how to pray for Israel.

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Video Blog - From The 'Jerusalem Market'

2011-06-29T11:05:00.000+03:00

Video Blog - From The 'Jerusalem Market' from maozisrael on Vimeo.

The third and final day of our Maoz Israel staff history tour of Jerusalem, included a 'culinary' tour of the Jerusalem market, known in hebrew as the 'shuk'.

We learned the history of this beautiful market and got to sample some of the wonderful foods that God so bountifully provides for us here in Israel.

We wanted you to come along with us, to experience some of the sights and sounds via video.

To see more photos from our trip, check out our Facebook album here: LINK TO PHOTO ALBUM

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Video Blog - From The Israel Museum

2011-06-28T00:03:00.000+03:00

Video Blog - From The Israel Museum from maozisrael on Vimeo.
One day two of our Maoz Israel staff retreat/history tour, we spent much of the day at the incredible 'Israel Museum'.

On the museum campus is a scale model of what the city of Jerusalem looked like, during the 2nd Temple period.

Here's a look at the model and some of the museum campus. Enjoy the virtual tour!

(Photos from our visit to the 'Israel Museum' HERE)

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Video Blog - From The 'City of David'

2011-06-26T16:39:00.001+03:00

Video Blog - From The 'City of David' from maozisrael on Vimeo.

The Maoz Israel Ministries staff is on a special retreat, that's really a fascinating history tour of the city of Jerusalem!

We wanted you to come along with us, to enjoy some of the beauty of God's holy city. So, here's a video blog showing you the spectacular view of the 'City of David'.

Enjoy! (Photos from our visit to the 'City of David' HERE)

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What Gilad Has Missed

2011-06-25T22:47:00.001+03:00

Today, June 25, 2011 marks 5 years since Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists.

It's hard to describe what his abduction means to the people of Israel.

The thing that's perhaps hard for Americas or Europeans to grasp, is that every Israeli 18 year old (except most ultra-orthodox who take a 'religious' exemption) must serve in the Israeli Defense Forces.

With a population of less than 8 million people, and a nation to defend from hundreds of millions of Muslims around us who repeatedly try to invade and destroy our nation, there is no choice but for all of our young people to serve. Each teenage boy must serve 3 years and teenage girls 2 years. Every Israeli family knows this day is coming, the day their children are born.

That is why the thought of a 19 year old Gilad Shalit, being abducted and held now for 5 years, is unimaginably personal and painful to every Israeli.

Gilad could just as easily have been their son.

Gilad wasn't on foreign soil, engaged in some risky mission at the time of his abduction. He was in Israel! Hamas terrorists dug a tunnel into Israel and ambushed his unit, leaving some dead and Gilad in enemy hands to this day.

Over the years, there have been innumerable reports that a deal was close to being worked out, to release up to 1,000 Palestinian terrorists from Israeli prisons, in exchange for Gilad. But each report has proven false.

In 2009, we got our first glimpse of Gilad, in a brief video released by Hamas. Just to obtain that video, required Israel to release some Palestinian prisoners.

But since that video, there has been no sign of Gilad. The Red Cross has never been able to visit Gilad, which is a violation of international human rights laws. But, then again, is anyone really surprised that Hamas ignores human rights laws? Their entire organization was founded for one purpose, to destroy the nation of Israel and turn it into a Muslim nation.

God only knows what Gilad has gone through these last 5 years. Or what conditions he's been held in.

Gilad could never imagine that I am writing about him right now. That all over Israel, his picture is plastered on bumper stickers, t-shirts, billboards, flags, etc... That foreign leaders around the world have spoken his name, and demanded his release. That the entire nation is holding vigil tonight just for him.

Could his imagination ever dream up such a thing? My guess is no. My guess is he is sitting alone in a cell, as he has every day for the last 5 years, and he thinks no one remembers him, no one is coming for him, and that he is hopelessly and inevitably alone.

5 years. Can you imagine being alone in captivity for 5 years? Think about all you've done over the last five years.

That concept hit me especially hard, yesterday, on June 24, 2011. You see yesterday, was this blogger's 4 year Aliyah anniversary. It was 4 years ago, yesterday, that I officially arrived in Israel as an Israeli citizen. 4 years!!!!

When I think back on these last 4 years, it seems like a lifetime! Arriving, trying to find a place to live, trying to learn the language, trying to find a job and friends and a congregation, etc... I've had so many memories over these last 4 years, I could fill a book!

And to think that Gilad has been in captivity for all that time, plus one additional year, just leaves me feeling sick to my stomach and heart-broken.

So why I am writing this blog? I suppose, it's just my way of joining the chorus tonight. As Israeli streets and TV and radio airwaves are full of talk about Gilad. I wanted to lend my voice too. And to ask the readers of this blog to say a prayer for Gilad and to speak his name, or to post his name on Facebook or Twitter...in a small way of showing Gilad is not forgotten.

We remember you, Gilad. We are praying for you. And we are expecting you home, any day now.

What Gilad Missed from JCPA on Vimeo.

Here Comes Gaza Flotilla Part 2

2011-06-24T19:31:00.000+03:00

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Michele Bachmann declares: "I Stand With Israel"

2011-06-24T13:43:00.000+03:00

It’s Israel, stupid
By Melanie Phillips

Yup, Michele Bachmann gets it -- and how. Bachmann is a Christian. Christianity owes its existence to Judaism. An unbreakable thread links Judaism, Christianity and America. Israel embodies American and western values. Abandon Israel and you abandon America and destroy the west. That is what Obama is doing. That is what Bachmann – a candidate for the US presidency -- has said in this video. She got to the heart of it -- why the west is going down, why Israel is the key issue of our time, why the drum now being beaten by Obama and the western left against Israel is the very same drum that is being beaten against America and the west itself.

The implications for American politics are crystal clear. Israel should become the driving issue for Republicans. Israel is the issue that, more than any other, illuminates in a pitiless glare the threat that Obama presents to America and the free world. Israel – even more than the economy – is the visceral issue which, presented correctly, could bring Obama down. Why has Bachmann made this video? Because she understands that. This is a smart woman.

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Iran's Love Boat To Gaza

2011-06-23T10:38:00.002+03:00

Bob Dylan Goes Gospel

2011-06-22T19:23:00.000+03:00

In our last blog you learned about Bob Dylan's faith in Yeshua. During his concert, Monday night, in Israel, he opened the show with this song:

Upon watching this amateur video filmed by someone at the Israel concert, I realized the words he was singing were slightly different than the original version of this song from his 'Slow Train Coming' album, the first of a trilogy of albums about his Messianic Jewish faith.

The original lyrics included:

Jesus said, “Be ready
For you know not the hour in which I come”
Jesus said, “Be ready
For you know not the hour in which I come”
He said, “He who is not for Me is against Me”
Just so you know where He’s coming from

The lyrics he sang on Monday night included this new line:

Jesus is calling, He's coming back to gather up his jewels
Jesus is calling, He's coming back to gather up his jewels
We living by the golden rule, whoever got the gold rules

On Dylan's website, it explained the song was re-written for this reason:

"as performed by Bob Dylan and Mavis Staples, on Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan"

That naturally made me curious what is "The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan". A quick Google search turned up this:

How awesome to see, that Dylan (a Jewish believer in Yeshua) is being used by God to introduce a whole new batch of music, now being sung by congregations all over the world!

Bob Dylan (the most famous living Messianic Jew) Comes To Israel

2011-06-21T19:08:00.004+03:00

Did you know Bob Dylan was a Messianic Jew? If you didn't you're not alone.

Most people have heard of the iconic singer/songwriter. Most know about his uniquely 'whiny' voice, his famous folk songs (Blowin' In The Wind, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Forever Young, Like A Rolling Stone) and his infamously reclusive image. He was called 'the voice of his generation' in the 60's and 70's.

In 2007 a film was made about Dylan called 'I'm Not There' and it took six actors to play him at different stages in his life, including Richard Gere and Oscar winners Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and Cate Blanchett.

But few know that in that late 1970's Dylan became a passionate believer in Yeshua the Jewish Messiah.

Dylan was born and raised in a Jewish family (his real name is Robert Allen Zimmerman). He's visited Israel several times, has been photographed praying at the Western Wall (which he credits with helping his image in the early days of his career - less hippie more Zionist), he is rumored to have considered living on a kibbutz at one point and his son reportedly celebrated his Bar Mitzvah here.

But in 1979 something remarkable happened, Dylan released an album called 'Slow Train Coming' featuring songs written by him, very explicitly confessing a faith in Yeshua.

The song titles include: 'Gotta Serve Somebody', 'I Believe In You', 'Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking' and 'When He Returns', just to name a few.

There's a fascinating 2 hour documentary about Dylan's coming to faith, that's available on YouTube. You can watch it here: BOB DYLAN DOCUMENTARY

In the film we hear from the pastor who's Bible School Bob attended. Fellow Messianic Jewish and Gentile believer friends who were with Bob during those early days, share stories. Even one of the leaders of 'Jews for Jesus' recalls how some on Bob's staff came to him confused and concerned about this radical change in Bob.

After 'Slow Train Coming' was released, Bob got even bolder, releasing an album called 'Saved'. Printed on the album was Jeremiah Chapter 31:31 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah."

The song titles included: 'A Satisfied Mind', 'Saved', 'Solid Rock', 'Pressing On', 'In The Garden', 'Saving Grace' and 'Are You Ready'. The lyrics got even stronger, taken right out of scripture and challenging his listeners to consider Yeshua.

His concerts became more like tent revivals, but most of his fans were not amused. They liked 'Blowing In The Wind' Bob, not 'Born-again' Bob.

So, how did Bob respond? He recorded a third album with songs about Yeshua. This one titled 'Shot of Love'. And what was written on this album?

"I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." -- Matthew 11:25

A powerful statement to those criticizing him for his new faith.

But after 'A Shot of Love' was released in 1981 Dylan stopped speaking so publicly about his faith and returned to making 'secular' music. The rumors began to swirl. Did Bob walk away from the faith? There were stories that he embraced orthodox Judaism. That he was upset at feeling exploited by evangelical believers.

But then something very interesting happened in 1987. Bob performed in Israel for the very first time, with 3 shows in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. This was 6 years after he had supposedly walked away from the faith. And what did Bob choose to sing to this Israeli audience? Several songs from his 'Yeshua' albums.

In Jerusalem he sang: 'Gotta Serve Somebody', the lyrics include:

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

In Tel Aviv he sang: 'In The Garden', the lyrics include:

When they came for Him in the garden, did they know?
Did they know He was the Son of God, did they know that He was Lord?
Did they hear when He told Peter, “Peter, put up your sword”?
When they came for Him in the garden, did they know?

When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
He said, “All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth”
Did they know right then and there what the power was worth?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?

Needless to say his song choices caused shock and outrage. So years later, does Dylan regret that decision? It doesn't appear so. In fact, last month, when he turned 70 years old, a biographical article was written about him and placed prominently on his official website. It included this passage:

"...at his two debut performances in Israel in 1987, years after he had retreated from born-again evangelizing on his albums, he chose to give both his Tel Aviv and Jerusalem audiences several Christian songs, though his repertoire was wholly different the one night from the other. Who else could, or would, do that?"

But that was 1987, surely he wouldn't do anything like that again. Well, last night, this blogger had the pleasure of attending Bob's concert in Ramat Gan, Israel. And needless to say I was quite pleasantly surprised to hear him open the show with the song: 'Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking' from his 'Slow Train Coming' album. The lyrics include:

Jesus is calling, He's coming back to gather up his jewels
Jesus is calling, He's coming back to gather up his jewels
We living by the golden rule, whoever got the gold rules

And that was just last night. June 20, 2011. Bob sang just 14 songs at the concert in Israel. Out of a library of more than 500 possible song choices!!!!! He didn't sing 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door' or 'It Ain't Me Babe' no he chose to sing 'Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking'. A powerful statement, especially in the Jewish nation.

Bob Dylan in concert in Israel in June 2011

A member of our Maoz Israel board who also attended last night's concert, also thought she heard a mention of Dylan's faith in Yeshua, during a biographical introduction about Bob at the start of the show. I was still finding my seat at the time, so I didn't hear that part. But just one more nugget of proof that this is hardly a footnote in Dylan's life.

Of course only Bob and God know what's going on in Dylan's heart. But his albums and 'ministry' from 1979-1981 speak powerfully. And what an awesome testimony, if you think about it on this level;

Think about all of those young people in the 60's and 70's genuinely seeking peace and happiness. They were fed up with Vietnam and segregation and Watergate. They were crying out and were desperate to find true peace of mind and heart. And, as we said earlier, Dylan was considered the voice of that generation, putting unspoken yearnings into song.

How magnificently loving of our great God, to answer those pleas. To reach out with His loving, saving touch, to say 'you want peace?...here I AM'.

Why would we be surprised or cynical that a true seeker like Dylan actually found what he was hoping for? The only true peace, in the Prince of Peace, Yeshua!

But how equally sad, that so many of his fans rejected that Dylan had found the truth. They preferred the endless empty cycle of sex, drugs and rock and roll, instead of following their hero's call, to 'change their way of thinking'.

For me, Dylan's story is inspiring. If the most famous Jewish singer/songwriter of our time, one of the leader's of the 'counter-culture' can come to faith in Yeshua, then no one is out of God's reach. It encourages me to press on even more in prayer and in the work we're doing here at Maoz Israel Ministries. Our heart is to see our entire Jewish family find the true peace they are seeking, just like Bob Dylan did.

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RELATED LINKS:

Dylan shines in Ramat Gan
Legendary rocker Bob Dylan plays Tel Aviv
Bob Dylan – still a work in progress
Legendary rocker Bob Dylan plays famous hits in Tel Aviv, but doesn’t address fans
Dylan plays Tel Aviv

Radical Ultra-Orthodox Continue Abusing Their Power

2011-06-21T14:50:00.001+03:00

There he goes again. Israel's radical ultra-orthodox 'Interior Minister' Eli Yishai is once again shamelessly abusing his power to cause division amongst Israelis.

Yishai runs the Ministry of Interior, which controls everything from passports to citizenship cards here in Israel. He illegally allows extreme anti-Messianic Jewish groups to be involved in official government work. For example, these groups will often stalk believers in Yeshua, or even kidnap them, and illegally search through their private information, then turn over that information to Yishai's interior ministry which is then allowed to be used against believers trying to obtain citizenship or passports.

But it isn't just Messianic Jews that Yishai is against. He believes that anyone who does not subscribe to his version of ultra-orthodox Judaism is not a Jew. That includes conservative and reformed Jews, who make up the majority of the Jewish population in America and around the world.

Now Yishai has found a new way to discriminate against non-orthodox Jews, but deciding that Israeli national ID cards should have people's religion listed on them. But, Jews that Yishai doesn't think are 'Jewish enough' will not get to print the word 'Jewish' on their cards.

To this blogger, this perverse action, almost resembles a reverse of Hitler's Nazis who forced Jews to wear yellow stars on their clothes. That way everyone knew who the Jews were, should you want to discriminate against them. But, in Yishai's case, if someone were to see your ID card and you weren't listed as 'Jewish' perhaps you could face being ostracized in your own homeland of Israel. Shameful.

As impressive as Prime Minister Netanyahu has been on the international stage, as of late, it is impossible to overlook the coalition government that he has formed, in order to be in power, with these obscene ultra-orthodox parties. By Netanyahu allowing Yishai to have such crucial power in this nation, negates everything else good that he is doing.

What good is it to defend Israel to Obama or to the world, if what you're defending is being attacked and split from the inside out?

Read more about Yishai's plans here:

Yishai's divisive meddling

Yishai working to have ID cards state one's religion

Yishai reinstates nationality in ID cards

Yishai Bringing Back ‘Nationality’ Item in ID Cards

Interior Minister plans to return 'nationality' clause to ID cards

More on the ultra-orthodox in Israel:

Brother of one of top persecutors of Messianic Jews, getting back into politics

Ultra-orthodox now on Jerusalem Bar Association

Top 10 Tourist Destinations In Israel

2011-06-20T17:05:00.000+03:00

Terror Group Hezbollah rises to power in new Lebanon cabinet

2011-06-20T11:17:00.000+03:00

In case you missed this bit of news, this week: The terror group Hezbollah now officially controls the government of Lebanon. That means we now have Hamas terrorists (funded by Iran) as our neighbor in Gaza, Syria (close friend of Iran) as our northern neighbor, Egypt (soon to be controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood) as our southern neighbor, the Palestinians (newly united with Hamas) in the West Bank and now Lebanon controlled by Hezbollah (funded by Iran).

It seems like Iran's agenda is right on schedule, surrounding Israel with the goal of 'wiping us off the map'...

Hezbollah and its allies rose to a position of unprecedented dominance in Lebanon's government Monday, giving its patrons Syria and Iran greater sway in the Middle East.

Lebanon Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced a new Cabinet dominated by the militant group and its allies after the country has operated for five months without a functioning government. The move caps Hezbollah's steady rise over decades from resistance group against Israel to Lebanon's most powerful military and political force.

Opponents of Hezbollah — which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization — say having it in control of Lebanon's government could lead to international isolation. The group's most ardent supporters are Iran and Syria, which dominated Lebanon for 29 years.

The new government opens the door for renewed Syrian influence in Lebanon at a time the Syrian leadership is struggling at home. It's a remarkable turnaround from 2005, when fallout from the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri led to massive anti-Syrian protests in Lebanon. The protests, dubbed the “Cedar Revolution,” drove tens of thousands of Syrian troops out of Lebanon and ended decades of Syrian domination over its smaller neighbour.

The ascendancy of Hezbollah is a setback for the United States, which has provided Lebanon with $720-million in military aid since 2006 and has tried in vain to move the country firmly into a Western sphere and end Iranian and Syrian influence. It also underscores Iran's growing influence in the region at a time when Washington's is falling.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called for an immediate cutoff of U.S. funds to the new government “as long as any violent extremist group designated by the U.S. as foreign terrorist organizations participates in it.”

“For years, members of Congress warned that it was unwise to fund a Lebanese government in which Hezbollah participated. It was clear that Hezbollah's influence was growing, and that the executive branch had no long-term strategy to deal with that reality, and no contingency plan to stop U.S. aid from falling into the wrong hands,” the Florida Republican said in a statement.

Fadia Kiwan, a political science professor at Beirut's St. Joseph University, said Hezbollah's dominance in the new government could backfire on the group, which was formed in 1982 with Iranian support to fight Israel's invasion of Lebanon.

“Such a government puts a great political responsibility on Hezbollah's shoulders,” the professor told The Associated Press. “A moderate, national unity government would have offered more protection for the group.”

The Islamic militant group's power has been steadily growing over the years and its new-found clout could add volatility to a region already rocked by anti-government uprisings in a half-dozen countries.

A Hezbollah-led government would obviously raise tensions with Israel, which fought a devastating 34-day war against the Shiite militants in 2006 that left 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis dead. Lebanon, torn apart by decades of civil war and deep sectarian divides, has had several major military conflicts with neighbouring Israel.

Hezbollah forced the collapse of Lebanon's previous, pro-Western government in January over fears it would be indicted by a U.N.-backed tribunal investigating the killing of Mr. Hariri, a billionaire businessman and political leader who had been trying to limit Syria's domination of Lebanon in the months before his death.

Syria denied any involvement in his killing and called the tribunal a conspiracy by the U.S. and Israel.

Mr. Hariri's son, Saad, who was prime minister in January, refused to denounce the tribunal or cut off Lebanon's 49 per cent share of the funding for it.

Hezbollah and its allies then walked out of the government, forcing its collapse, and secured enough support in parliament to name Mikati as the new prime minister. But Mikati has struggled to form a Cabinet, insisting he won't do the bidding of any one side.

On Monday, Mr. Mikati announced a Cabinet that gives Hezbollah and its allies 16 of the 30 seats. In the previous government, they had 10 seats.

The Cabinet still must be formally presented to Parliament for a vote of confidence.

The makeup of the new government is seen as almost entirely pro-Syrian. President Bashar Assad of Syria, facing a growing uprising against his rule at home, called twice to congratulate Lebanese leaders on the new government's formation.

Lebanon's politics are always fractious, in part because of the sectarian makeup of the country's government. According to Lebanon's power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the parliament speaker a Shiite Muslim.

Each faith makes up about a third of Lebanon's population of 4 million.

Talal Arslan, a politician from the tiny Druse sect, resigned Monday after it was announced he was named to the post of state minister without portfolio. He said Mr. Mikati should have given representatives of the Druse community a higher-profile post.

Mr. Mikati urged the Lebanese to give the government a chance to prove itself.

“Do not judge intentions and people, but rather actions,” he said at a televised news conference.

Mr. Mikati was quick to reiterate that his government will respect Lebanon's international commitments — a reference to the tribunal investigating Hariri's killing, suggesting that he won't cut its funding. Many in Lebanon fear Hezbollah will react violently if its members are indicted, as is widely expected.

Saad Hariri, who has described Mr. Mikati's nomination as a coup, vowed not to be part of the new government. His Western-backed coalition is now the opposition in Lebanon.

Once seen solely as Iran's militant arm in Lebanon, Hezbollah has reinvented itself as a more conventional political movement. It has joined the government and become involved in domestic politics, but fighting Israel remains the group's priority. (by Zeina Karam, Associated Press)

The Most Beautiful Country On Earth!

2011-06-19T14:36:00.001+03:00

This is the most gorgeous video we've ever seen, of our beautiful Israel. Gather the family around your best HD monitor, and just marvel at the beauty of God's holy land.

Enjoy!

Jerusalem | Filmed in Imax 3D from JerusalemGiantScreen on Vimeo.

SUPPORT MAOZ ISRAEL MINISTRIES

Watching Ahmadinejad through Israeli eyes

2011-06-16T17:57:00.000+03:00

By HERB KEINON, JERUSALEM POST CORRESPONDENT

Reporter’s Notebook, Kazakhstan: There he is, so near and self-assured, this man who arms and funds the people who are trying to kill me.

ASTANA – It’s creepy, actually, the thought of sitting in the same building with today’s incarnation of evil, with a man who, if he just could, would love to incinerate me and mine and all that is dear to me. It is foul, actually, knowing you are sharing air space with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The mind runs wild in this type of scenario – with Ahmadinejad, on the first floor of the shimmering blue Palace of Independence in the Kazakhstan capital, being politely received by leaders representing more than half of humanity, and you sequestered in the media center one floor above, and a thousand security guards away.

“What would you have done were this 1936, and you were in a building with Hitler?” the mind asks. But even before an answer can form, the thought is crushed, quashed and repressed as immature musings, irrelevant, exaggerated and overwrought.

But still.

What is creepier still is to watch Ahmadinejad on a movie-theater sized screen in the media center, looking so human, so matter-of-fact, as he spews his venom about the West and Israel, with his words translated by someone with a soothing voice and a British accent. There he goes again, talking about how for the last 60-plus years Zionism has wrought nothing but disaster and humiliation on the Palestinians and on the Middle East.

Ahmadinejad mouths the words, but what comes via translation over the headphones is a mellifluous voice and the Queen’s English. The voice of Hugh Grant; the words of – well – Ahmadinejad. Talk about a disconnect.

There is also a disconnect in the room of at least 300 journalists – from Russia, China, Uzbekistan, India, Kazakhstan,Pakistan, and a handful of native English speakers – in Astana to cover the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The disconnect is that when Ahmadinejad speaks, when he indulges in his hateful rant, there is no buzz at all.

First the president of Kazakhstan, the host country, speaks, then Chinese President Hu Jintao, followed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

They drone on and on, few in the media center seem to be paying much attention: people listening with one ear to the speech, and at the same time preoccupied with something else on their computer screens.

But then Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev calls on Ahmadinejad. I hear his name, see his face, hear his words and – with an odd mix of excitement and hatred – begin to quiver. There he is – so close, looking so self-assured: the man who equips with weapons and money and expertise those quite simply trying to blow me up.

Mine is the only kippa in the room and I imagine – and for a second even feel – many eyes on me, looking in my direction.

But they’re not. It’s all in my imagination.

I look to my left, to a Kazakh journalist, and she doesn’t even notice who is speaking. I look to my right, to a Russian journalist, and he is reading a Russian paper on the Web. They couldn’t care less – for them, it could have been Kyrgyzstan President Roza Otunbayeva addressing the forum.

And then, as Ahmadinejad ludicrously ticks off history’s horrors – starting with slavery and moving to colonialism, the pillaging of Africa, World Wars I and II and the deaths of hundreds of millions – he gets to Zionism. The blood rushes to the brain, making it difficult to type his words. And again I imagine everyone in the room is taking note, that everyone in the room is exercised, but I glance and see no change in my colleagues’ demeanor from when the president of Tajikistan had the microphone.

An hour after Ahmadinejad finishes I look to see if his words about Zionism are on the Web yet, picked up by the agencies, splashed around the world.

But, alas, they are not. Nobody pays attention. An AFP report makes note that the Iranian President launched a new attack on the “slavers and colonizers” of the West and winked at 9/11 conspiracy theories by speaking of “the creation of 9/11 under whose pretext Afghanistan and Iraq were invaded and more than one million people have been killed or wounded.”

But nary a word about his attack on Zionism. That’s all just Ahmadinejad being Ahmadinejad. At least for the world.

But for the lone Israeli Jew in the crowd it’s more than that – it’s a disgrace. A disgrace compounded tenfold by the silence of the other world leaders sitting impassively while listening to his despicable comments, and an ugly reminder of the sad truth of the first part of Hillel’s famous admonition: “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me?”