Shalom all,

Events of the last few days necessitate an update, particularly for so many who have said that they don’t get the news properly reported, or reported at all.

On September 27th, in an effort to end the seemingly never-ending missile assaults upon Israel from the terrorist organization Hezbollah, the IDF eliminated the General Secretary of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, who thought he was secure in his bunker that was built under a residential building. Then the IDF eliminated Nasrallah’s successor, Hashem Safieddine. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the successor to Nasrallah’s successor was also eliminated. And, in order to prevent an October 7th-style invasion in the north of Israel, the IDF launched a ground offensive into southern Lebanon last week. Tunnel infrastructures, more sophisticated and better equipped than those in Gaza, that were built under Lebanese towns and villages existing close to the border with Israel, were found and blown up.

Two nights ago, a Hezbollah missile landed a mile from where we live. It severely damaged a kindergarden and shattered windows in an adjacent semi-high-rise building. Five people were injured, none seriously. No lives were lost. 

Yesterday, one year after the atrocities of October 7th, 2023, the forces of evil once again tried to attack us with rockets, missiles and drones. Yet, we pressed on, with memorial services being conducted both by the government and by the families of the hostages and those whose loved ones were killed by the terrorist invasion of Hamas, the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad, and other Gazans. Testimonies of survivors, of family members, of members of the IDF, of relatives and friends, permeated the air ways on television and radio and in heart-wrenching written accounts in numerous tabloids. We will always remember the day of slaughter, burning, rape and bodily dismemberment, that shocked the State of Israel and most of the world, a day that traumatized and continues to traumatize our our nation, as we yearn for the return of all of the hostages, both those who are still alive and those who are not.

As we begin the second year following the worst disaster perpetrated upon the Jewish people since the Holocaust, the IDF reported that Hezbollah managed to launch 135 missiles today against Haifa and its surrounding communities, as well as against places in the north of Israel. See here. There was property damage and a handful of people were injured. But, on the whole, Israel experienced many miracles during these massive missile barrages. The kindergarten where one of my sisters-in-law works took a direct hit. But, there were no children there at the time, due to the orders of the civil defense establishment. Her neighbour’s house took a hit and was severely damaged. The glass-window barriers of my mother-in-law’s small balcony was shattered by a shock wave of the blast of a missile that landed only a short walking distance from her apartment building. There were minimal injuries. Since the beginning of the ground offensive in Lebanon last week, Hezbollah managed to launch over 3,000 projectiles into Israel. Amazing!

Naim Qassem, one of the few surviving members of Hezbollah’s leadership team, said that the terror group’s military capabilities remained intact, that rocket fire on Israel had increased and, according to a report in The Times of Israel, Hezbollah was “itching for ‘clashes’ with Israeli troops in Lebanon.” That’s a bit difficult to accept, in fact, more than difficult to accept. In a speech that he gave today, Qassem said that the terror group was “agreeing to a cease-fire without preconditions. First, a cease-fire achieved through diplomatic means, and then we will discuss all the details.” We’ve heard that before from the terrorists in Gaza – first stop fighting. Then we’ll see what we’ll do next. Apparently, the Hezbollah terrorist organization that has reigned supreme in this region for the past several decades is now beginning to feel the consequences of Israel’s retaliation against Hezbollah, It is licking its wounds and is not getting its expected backing from the master-terror puppeteer, Iran. It is highly likely that such an announcement would not have been made if Hezbollah wasn’t hurting and if it wasn’t previously discussed with, and agreed to by, the mullahs, who are letting their proxies take the beating while they, themselves, take a minimal role in the conflicts with Israel.

Hezbollah’s misguided Persian patron laid down its “red lines”, warning Israel not to attack either its nuclear facilities, or its energy sites. Such as move by Israel “would have an impact on the kind of response by Iran. Imagine that. After firing about 200 missiles at Israel last Tuesday, which could have caused major damage to our own infrastructures, and after it continues to pursue the development of a nuclear weapon, purportedly for strictly peaceful purposes – as if anyone really would believe that, it is now telling us not to target and go after the greatest threat to Israel today, or to damage its oil assets (which would further the economic difficulties presently facing Iran and probably cause a widespread increase in oil prices).

Iran is struggling to “maintain face” before an ever-increasing, disbelieving population. In an article appearing today in ynet in Hebrew, that was written by Azita, a resident of Teheran who strongly criticizes the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, she said that the government lies and that the population is being deceived about Iran’s so-called successes against Israel.  As she writes (my free translation from Hebrew): 

“Those who live here know that everything is staged…The regime has maybe 20 percent support in the whole country, and after the two attacks in which Iran failed to hit Israel, more and more people are asking if all of this was worth the investment – if Iran even has the ability to hit Israel…They lie to our faces … Then when the information they give about the elimination of Israel is met by the Iranian opposition that shows them to be lying, more and more people automatically stop believing them…Then the citizens see Netanyahu threatening Iran on television, and they ask themselves: ‘If they lied to us about the damage to Israel, maybe they are also lying about how they will protect our lives?’…[People] know it’s propaganda. That Israel struck Iran, in the heart of Tehran, with the elimination of [Ismail] Haniyeh. Iran was not able to repay her. Honor is a very precious currency here, and Iran was unable to maintain its honor and take revenge on Israel.

“The regime thinks we are afraid of Israel’s missiles, but the truth is – we are already waiting to see them in the skies of Tehran…Many people thought that Iran would succeed in dragging Israel into a war of attrition with Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah…And what they see is that Israel hit back with all its might, dealt a blow to Hamas and Hezbollah, and you ask yourself, okay, who’s next, and you realize you’re next.” (emphasis mine)

Former Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, says the time is right to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. In his post on “X” (Twitter) today, as reported in The Jerusalem Post, he stated, in part: “Now that the main proxies of Iran’s terror, Hezbollah and Hamas, are weakened, Israel finally has an opportunity to strike Iran’s nuclear program…This is a one-time opportunity, and we cannot miss it.” May Israel’s present leadership be granted wisdom, like that which was granted to the Tribe of Issachar, who “understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do.” (1 Chronicles 12:32)

We should never allow our enemies to dictate to us what we should do or how we should think. Notwithstanding barrages of rockets and missiles against us, and numerous failed attempts to destroy us as a nation throughout history, we remain a people called to be a blessing to all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:2-3). So, until our enemies learn that God will bless those who bless us and that they will face the consequences of cursing us, let us continue to bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin