Last night was Erev Pesach (the evening before the day of Passover, which is actually the beginning of Passover – “there was evening and there was morning, one day [Gen. 1:5]). Yet, most of the world focuses on yesterday as being “Good Friday”, the day that Messiah Yeshua was crucified. The importance of the day is related to what occurred in it. Yet, so much of the modern celebration misses the Biblical essence of the “why” that particular day in history became and remains so significant.

The Tenach, the Older Testament, consisting of Torah (Law), Neviim (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings) are intertwined like an intricate tapestry, whose beauty consists in the individual strands, each unique in itself, all of which are woven together to reveal, among other things, an unbroken theme: God’s love for His creation and His redemptive work through His chosen people, Israel. At the outset, it should be clarified that “chosen” is for a purpose, not because of anything special emanating from themselves (Deut. 7:7-8).

A few words of background are important. After the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God punished the participants (Adam, Eve and the serpent), but indicated that there would be a way to overcome the punishment of banishment from fellowship with God, which resulted from their disobedience – the Seed of the woman, who would be wounded, yet would conquer the one who wounded him (Gen. 3:12-15). After being expelled from the Garden of Eden, Eve gave birth to her first two sons, Cain and Abel. When they grew up, each of the sons brought an offering to God, Cain from the fruit of the ground, Abel from the “firstlings of his flock and their fat portions”. Abel’s offering was accepted, Cain’s was rejected and he ended up killing his brother (Gen. 4:3-8). From peace in Paradise to murder regarding one family, as related in two chapters of the Bible.

Time passed and God called Abram (later to be called Abraham) and promised to give him a land, to bless him and make his name great, to be a blessing make him a great nation and to make him a blessing, to bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him, and in him all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). God covenanted with Abram regarding Abram’s offspring through a ceremony that required the death and separation of certain animals (Gen. 15:2-11). God later revealed to Abram that his descendants would be strangers in a land not theirs, where they would be oppressed for four generations over a period of four hundred years. But, God covenanted with Abram that He would judge that nation and Abram’s descendants would return to the land with many possessions (Gen. 15:12-16). The promise made earlier (Gen. 12) was repeated to him (Gen. 17:1-8), but at the same time, God instructed Abraham to keep the covenant of circumcision, for himself and for every male descendant of his, as well as his servants (vv. 9-13), adding that an uncircumcised male would be treated as having breached God’s covenant and would have no part in the inheritance promised to Abraham (v. 14). Abram’s name was changed to Abraham. His son, Isaac, inherited the blessings (Gen. 26:1-5), which were also passed on to Isaac’s son, Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel (Gen. 28:3-4, 13-15; 32:28).

In due course, Jacob’s descendants went down to Egypt – first Joseph, who, after being sold into slavery by his siblings, achieved status as second only to Pharaoh, and then, the rest of his family followed. There, they prospered, grew in numbers to become a nation, and were eventually enslaved by Pharaoh, who did not know Joseph. They were afflicted and suffered becaused of their taskmasters. The time came for God to fulfil His promise to Abraham.

He raised up Moses, who at the age of 80, was directed by God to deliver His people who were in Egypt and “to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land … flowing with milk and honey” (Exo. 3:7-9).

Moses tried to resist God’s call to be His instrument to deliver His people, Israel. He felt he was not the appropriate person to do this, undoubtedly remembering that he failed to do so forty years earlier and had to flee Egypt. God gave him two demonstrations that were to be repeated before Pharaoh: (1) his staff, which later became “the staff of God”, was turned into a snake and then turned back into a staff and (2) Moses’ hand became leprous and was then healed (Exo. 4:1-8). Moses was being instructed that serving God requires dependence upon His presence and ability, not on his own abilities. God was showing Moses that He is able to create a danger to life and remove the danger as well. Still, Moses persisted that he was not the right person for the job, as he was “heavy of speech and heavy of tongue” (v. 10). God rebuked Moses for his lack of faith. It is recorded: “Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, ‘Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you….” (v. 14 – emphasis mine) We need to remember that there was no telephone, fax, email or internet in those days. A period of 40 years had passed since Moses left Egypt, in haste. Now, Moses is told to return and is also told that his brother, Aaron, is on his was to meet him. Both were being divinely directed and only God could accomplish this task.

Was Moses right? Was he the wrong man for the job? After all, he was 80 years old when God called him to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt. He spent the first 40 years of his life in Egypt, learning to become “something”. Then, the next 40 years of his life, he spent on the backside of the desert, being humbled and learning to become “nothing”. Finally, he spent the last 40 years of his life, leading and shepherding the children of Israel and learning the God can make “something out of nothing.”

The Biblical narrative continues: “The LORD said to Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I said to you, “Let My son go that he may serve Me”; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn‘.” ‘ ” (vv. 21-23; emphasis mine) This was not what we, in our twenty-first century lexicon, would refer to as the most politically correct statement that could be made in the circumstances to someone who was considered to manifest in his being the Egyptian god of the sun, Ra, and the god of death, Horace, who were sovereign over all other gods.

God lets Moses in on His plans and adds that Pharaoh is not going to be impressed with what he has to say, that he won’t listen to him and that he won’t let the people go. What an incredible announcement! It is not surprising that the messenger, Moses, would not want to undertake a mission which, in his mind, is doomed to failure.

Up to this point, we see that Moses is the reluctant deliverer. He doesn’t quickly say “Yes, Lord!” Quite the opposite. “Here I am Lord, please send someone else!” But, God wasn’t going to let him off the hook. And so Moses finally consents, fearful of what lies ahead, but with the assurance that God will be with him. God is the Redeemer. Moses is merely His spokesman. But, in order to lead God’s people, there was one seriously problematic sin and disobedience that needed to be removed from Moses, as we will see.

As the story continues, while Moses was on the way back to Egypt with his wife, Zipporah, and two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. It was then that “the LORD met him and sought to put him to death” (4:24). Moses’ wife, Zipporah “took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and made it touch his [Moses’] feet” (v. 25), saying “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me…regarding the circumcision” (v. 26). As a consequence, God left him [Moses] alone.

Moshe’s mission and the redemption of Israel were in jeopardy. Why would the LORD want to put him to death? Sometimes, we look for answers and try to blame someone else, when we should first take a good look at ourselves, before pointing a finger at someone, or something, else. Immediately preceding these verses are God’s statements to Moses about what is to be said to Pharaoh, namely, His relationship to Israel as a father to a son. Pharaoh needed to be told, “You are killing My firstborn and if you don’t let him go, I will kill your firstborn.” An “eye for an eye”.

The translation of the Hebrew “Çhatan Dameem” as “bridegroom of blood” in many English translations miss the point of the story, which is succinctly pointed out in the last words of verse 26: “regarding (or because of) the circumcision”. The fact that Tzipporah had to circumcise her son meant that Moses failed to do so in accordance with the covenant that God made with Abraham, as indicated in Genesis 17. The words “Çhatan Dameem” are of Akkadian origin, a dialect of Arabic, which was known to Zipporah, a Midianite, and, obviously, also to Moses after living with her and her family for 40 years. Between the different dialects, the term “Çhatan” means both circumcised and defended. In other words, the shed blood of the circumcision, in obedience to God’s covenant with Abraham, will protect Moses, at whose feet the blood was applied, from the dangers that lie ahead and threaten his life.

Moses was on his way to deliver the children of Israel. In the process, he was told in advance what the end of the day would bring forth, namely, the death of the first born of Pharaoh and all in Egypt whose homes were not protected by the Passover lamb that was to be sacrificed and whose blood was to be smattered (not spread out) on the doorposts and lintel of their homes. The expression, “Çhatan Dameem”, therefore, is directly related to the story of the Passover, which was about to unfold in the following chapters of Exodus.

Why would this be important for us? Sometimes, familiarity with a story causes us to miss the forest through the trees. At the beginning of Chapter 4 of Exodus, Moses is given two illustrations of God’s ability to deliver from impending danger and death – the rod-to-snake-to-rod and the leprous hand-to-healthy hand. In other words, God revealed to Moses that he could protect and heal. These signs were to be displayed before Pharaoh. Moses needed to experience them and follow God’s instruction to free him from those dangers. The same is true of the last plague – the death of the firstborn. The life-threatening situation that will come upon all who are in Egypt can be averted by following God’s instruction – protection from death by the shedding of blood.

Zipporah, the wife of Moses, was able to make the connection between the failure of obedience that would result in death and immediately undertook to repent and to prevent the consequences of the sin of disobedience. Why was repentance necessary? Moses was a Levi, a descendant of Abraham through Jacob (Exo. 2:1). Zipporah was a Midianite, the daughter of a priest of Midian (Exo. 2:16, 21). Midian was also a son of Abraham, but through his second wife, Keturah (Gen. 25:2). Both were under the command of the covenant made with Abraham regarding circumcision. Obedience to the covenant meant life and God’s blessings. Disobedience meant death and being disinherited.

In Chapter 4, verses 25 and 26, God revealed His sovereignty by bringing deliverance of His servant, Moses, through a woman. He displayed His sovereignty by using women at the outset of the story (Exo. 1:17 – the midwives; 2:1-4 – Moses’ mother and sister; 2:6, 10 – Pharaoh’s daughter). In Chapter 4, it is Moses’ wife, Zipporah, whom God used to deliver Moses – not from Pharaoh, but from God Himself. Zipporah intercedes for the one whom God chose to intercede for Israel. 

Time after time, Moses urges Pharaoh to comply with God’s demands and to let the people go. The original request was not to free the people, but to let them go “that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness … a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God…” (Exo. 5:4). When Pharaoh’s obstinance and disobedience to God’s commands reached its peak, God instructed Moses to choose a lamb, which became the, which became your lamb (Exo. 12:4-5). It was to be killed and the Israelites were to “take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it” (v. 7). The Word does not say to spread it, but to put it. The LORD would “pass through to smite the Egyptians and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite [you]…And when your children say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’ you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smother the Egyptians, but spared our homes’.” (Exo. 12:23, 26-27) And so it was. The children of Israel did what God had instructed and they lived. But, “the LORD struck all the firtborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon and all the firstborn of cattle. Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no hone where there was not somneone dead” (Exo. 12: 29-30). The power of Egypt was crushed and the children of Israel were no longer subject to it.

Fast forward 1,500 years. Another deliverer is sent. This time, the message was: “… [The] Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) He is the One, Who said: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have [it] abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11). More than being the Good Shepherd, He, Himself, is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). His message was first and foremost for the lost sheep of the House of Israel, but God’s greater plan was to save all Who believe in Him. The promised child Who was born to us, the son Who was given to us, the One Who would be called “Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6), our Messiah, “our Passover, has been sacrificed for us (1 Cor. 5:7). He was betrayed by those whom He came to save, placed on a piece of wood that was from a tree that He brought forth, pierced by nails made of material that He created. He was crowned with thorns and his blood stained the top of the altar upon which He was sacrificed. His blood from His hands stained the crossbeam. From the torture rack of the cross, He called out: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). When His shed blood made atonement for us, the Lamb of God gave up His spirit. It was the event that made the day, not the day itself. What we refer to as “Good Friday” was the saddest Friday in all of creation.

God’s Lamb died for our sins according to the Scriptures and He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4). His message that remains is simple and straightforward: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but inherit eternal life” (John 3:16). God loves us with an everlasting love and with His lovingkindness continues to call us. This is our reason to celebrate. 

Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path (Psalm 119:105).

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding (Prov. 3:5).

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Have a great week.

Marvin

Yogi Berra, the American baseball legend, would come out with classic statements, some of which would cause people to double over with laughter. For example: “Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical.” Or, “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours.” We chuckle at how ridiculous some of his “Yogi-isms” are. But, one of his statements embodied the attitude of “don’t give up, no matter how difficult things might appear to be”. In 1973, he came out with: “It ain’t over till it’s over.” That could well have been the catch phrase the night of the elections for Israel’s Prime Minister that took place on April 9th.

The pollsters tripped all over themselves. At first, they were leaning towards the success of Benny Gantz, the former General-turned-politician, who is the leader of the Blue and White party. He was favored to be the main opponent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, head of the Likud party. In fact, he and the three other major figures in his party, two retired Generals and Yair Lapid, a former journalist, who also is the head of the Yesh Atid Party, declared an early, upset victory on the basis of the “polls”. Some believed it to be over even before the majority of the votes were in. It was a long night and despite the neck-and-neck race between Netanyahu and Gantz, it became obvious that it was premature to declare victory – and that, in front of the cameras – because things could change. And, in fact, things did change. By 01:30, the two leading candidates were tied, with 35 “mandates” (seats) each.

The closest to them were two religious parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, with 8 seats each. It began to look like the handwriting was on the wall: the two front-runners going neck-and-neck, while the two major camps were being split unevenly: 65 for the right and 55 for the left/center-left. Under Israel’s political system, the President of the country, Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin, would request the leader of the party that would most likely be able to form a new government to do so. In this case, it would be Netanyahu, who was on his way to an unprecedented fifth term in office.

Then, as the night grew on with little change in the two major camps, the dawn appeared and with it, surprise time! The pollsters were wrong! Gantz did not defeat the seasoned politician who constantly seems able to pull rabbits out of non-existing hats. The Zehut party, originally expected to win half a dozen seats or more, didn’t make the cut and is out. Yisrael Beytenu, the party of Avigdor Lieberman, was considered a political has-been by many after severing ties with Netanyahu, but proved everyone wrong and is still in the game with 5 seats, one less than what his party was able to garner in the last election. The New Right party, headed up by Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, both of whom broke ranks with the Jewish Home party, did not garner enough votes to make the cut for a continued presence in the Knesset. When it seemed that “it was over”, some still said that we all needed to wait because “it’s not over until all votes are counted”. In other words, things could still change. And, they were right.

Still an open question is which way will Avigdor Lieberman go? Despite being groomed in the shadow of Netanyahu and the Likud, he has proven over the years to be an adept politician and a skilfull negotiator, able to work with Netanyahu, as well as to work against him. He could hold out until the last minute, as he did following the last election, when he finally decided to join the coalition government and became Minister of Defense (until last year).

In similar fashion, Moshe Kahlon, leader of the Kulanu (All of Us) party, barely made the cut and it is still not clear whether Kulanu will end up with 4 or 5 seats. Despite his relatively successful service as Minister of Finance, he fell victim in the shadow of the political battle between Gantz and Netanyahu and his party ended up losing ground. It is doubtful that he will have much influence in the setting up of the new government, unless he agrees to be wooed back to the Likud by some of the party faithful, a possibility hinted at by Likud’s Gideon Saar on election night. This could well occur. Kahlon has demonstrated that he can get the job done, is well-respected by many in politics and he would be warmly embraced by the leadership of the Likud if he did so, as his return to the fold would serve to strengthen Netanyahu’s leadership. But, he would need to backtrack on his statement during the campaign that the Prime Minister cannot continue to lead the nation after the filing of a criminal indictment against him. There is no doubt that if Kahlon gets a ministerial post in the new government, he will be a stabilizing influence between the Likud and some of the extreme-right parties, particularly the ultra-religious. And, Bibi could trust him. So, we’ll see what happens. 

And what about the Labor and Meretz parties? Back in the early ’90s, they constituted a formidable leftist alliance, with all that resulted from their joint perspective on being willing to compromise the safety and security of the people of Israel. They managed to scrape together 10 between them. It’s time to say good-bye to them both.

Today, after tallying votes of those serving in the military, the New Right was revived and was looking forward to being part of the new government. But then, it turned out that they fell short by 1,000 votes, which meant that they again did not make the cut. Bennett is, of course, asking for a recount. And, it turns out the 35-35 tie was broken, with Bibi getting a 36th mandate and United Torah Judaism losing ground to 7 seats. The United Right party (headed up by a former military officer who also served as the Chief Military Rabbi of the IDF) also dropped from 5 to 4 seats. If Bennett and company end up making the cut, it could give Bibi a “right camp” of 67 seats against 53 to the left/center-left. If they don’t get it, the “right camp” could end up with a 64 to 56 majority. The final tally, including some 200,000 votes that still needed to be counted as of this afternoon, is expected to be in by the end of the day.

There is no doubt that the big winner in the election is the Prime Minister, Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu. Notwithstanding on-going criminal investigations and the major opposition of three former IDF Generals, his party received, as of this writing, 36 seats. A dream fulfilled, enabling Bibi to gather under the wing of the Likud, the various right-wing parties and to have a clear majority in the Knesset. He has demonstrated his ability to provide stability to his party, something which the other parties hoped for, but were unable to attain. 

Much more can be said regarding the results of the election, including speculation, some of which is reasonable, on who will get what ministerial post in the next government. But, why get into that now. After all, “it ain’t over until it’s over.”

With that said, where do we go from here? Yair Lapid, the fourth major player in the Blue and White party, and who was slated to switch with Gantz as Prime Minister, one year on and one year off, has promised that the Blue and White party, which will now lead the Opposition, will make life miserable for the government. What does it take for Lapid and company to get it into their heads that the people have democratically made their decision for the government to be headed up by the Likud, with Bibi as the Prime Minister, not as a king?

One TV personality blamed the media for Netanyahu’s victory, stating in part (in Hebrew): “My friends in the media, don’t be confused. The victory of Bibi and the ultra right-Haredi coalition that was here is registered on your name…You thought that if you would give the chosen leader of Israel no rest even for a minute, that you would leak the conversations in the investigation files, ignore and disdain his accomplishments, bark at him in interviews, in the end he would fall. And what came out of that? He didn’t fall, he is stronger than at any time, and the new government doesn’t even have a representation of center. Nothing.” Then, he referred to a conversation that he had with someone on the street, who told him – “I don’t care if Bibi stole, he can even take a thousand shekels a day, the main thing is that he will be the head of the country. You thought that in the name of legal correctness the nation of Israel would give up on someone it perceives as the leader of a generation. Not only did you err, but now you pushed him to be more right-wing than he is…You wanted to bring the left back to rule, but in fact, you smashed it to pieces.” He concluded his article with: “And now what?…Keep going your way, because that is what you know to do, or will you draw conclusions? To the sounds of your scornful snores I say to you – take a break. Bibi won’t stand trial during his tenure. Let the guy work, let the public rest from you…at least change the frequency, accept the decision of the majority….“ (emphasis mine)

After the final results are in, will it be over? Or will we just be beginning the next round of political confrontations and battles? We’ll soon see.

Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. (1 Chronicles 29:12)

Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall rule over My people. (1 Samuel 9:17)

May the prayer of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be: Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours? (2 Chronicles 1:10)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Thirty-Seven years after he was killed in the Battle of Sultan Yaaqub, in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, the remains of Israeli-American Staff Sergeant Zachary Baumel were returned to Israel and he was buried yesterday, 4 April, 2019, on Mt. Herzl, in Jerusalem.

Upon reading of the events of the First Lebanon War back in 1982, I learned that Zachary Baumel, along with Yehuda Katz and Zvi Feldman, was reported missing in action. It was a name, connected to an event, that was connected to a distant place, a place that was pulling at my heart strings. Year after year, from childhood on, the words “Next Year in Jerusalem” took on greater meaning. Three years following that war, after leaving family, friends and business in the U.S. and crossing the Big Muddy to this tiny stretch of desert sand, a different reality took hold in my life. I related to every soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) as a member of my family. Every loss was a personal loss. There didn’t seem to be enough tears for all of them. And I wasn’t alone. Israel does not allow the nation to forget those whose have been captured, or were reported missing in action. The names of Baumel, Katz and Feldman were mentioned in many different settings. They were young men, who were reported as missing while defending the country. Their families longed for their return, praying, hoping and yearning to see their loved ones again, to embrace them, to weep for joy over their return. The years have passed, thirty-seven of them, and along with them, some of the members of the families of those who were missing in action.

Israel is committed to bringing all of its sons home. Yaron Blum, special negotiator for hostages and prisoners of war at the Office of the Prime Minister, and formerly a senior official with the Shin Bet security agency, said that this commitment is “not a cliché and not a statement that has something to do with the elections. This is a tremendous commitment; we must act tirelessly to bring the captives and the missing home.”

Many attempts had been made since 1982 to locate Baumel’s remains. According to Blum, “[Over] the years, we perfected the intelligence, until we succeeded in pointing, according to the coordinates, [to the spot] where according to assessments, the remains were located…[But this] would not have happened without the Prime Minister’s special relationship with [Russian President Vladmir] Putin. No less important is everyone’s success in putting their ego aside and working together to get results.” He emphasized that the success in bringing Baumel’s remains to Israel for burial proved that “it’s never too late. . . the time aspect is of significance, but we dod not abandon these issues, even if many years have passed” and that efforts continue to return all of the MIAs from all of Israel’s wars and conflicts. The complete interview of Yaron Blum to Israel Hayom can be seen here.

The funeral service drew thousands from every walk of life, even some who had not yet been born when Zachary Baumel went missing in action. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin were among the many who delivered eulogies and speeches. But, the most moving eulogy was that of Zachary’s sister, Osna Haberman, who stated, in part: 

“I thought of what I would do here in this place. Even hugging is impossible. So I thought of turning to the ground and asking the land to embrace him, to hold him tight. And a few minutes later I realized I don’t need to ask. There is no need to ask. The land is hugging tightly. And why? Because there is absolute love between the son who gave everything for the land and the land itself, there is a complete union here, you are together now….

“***I pray for the families who have lived apart from their loved ones for so many years, some more and some less. I pray that there will be a union, that they will come together in one way or another. You’ll be together someday, I’m praying for it.

“This is the place where we will pour out our prayers, because this is a holy place. The family asks from this place to give abundant thanks first of all to the Master of the Universe. The life you gave us every day, and the favor that is greater than the pain. The Sages say that favor in the world is five hundred times more than disfavor. There are times when it is hard to see it, there are times when it is easier. Let us see it every day. Thank you for showing us favor every day.

“I would like to say thank you to the Prime Minister that you . . . personally handled the matter. And heartfelt thanks from the family. I want to say thank you to all the security forces, you do not know how many there are, until you get home together, everyone who worked and did will come and get his reward. Thanks from the family personally. I can not come and tell everyone because you are so many.

“Thanks to the people of Israel who held us, that we could be here today after thirty-seven years. Without you, and you know who you are, everyone who prayed, who wrote, who thought, everyone who hoped in the heart, because of you we are here. Thanks to the people of Israel for this day. 

“Now I want to turn to my dear brother, Zechariah, that we grew up together. A young man so modest, so humble, so unselfish. He would say what are we doing here today, what is happening here, he would not understand. And I say to him this time, yes, for you, particularly because you gave everything. You were dressed with the Spirit of God when you were recruited. Until then you were a mischievous, lighthearted, cute guy, and from the day that the army touched you, suddenly a different spirit dressed on you. I did not understand who this boy was, like [he was] someone else. And I hear stories about the performance and the connection and the giving and I say I do not know who about whom they are speaking here, because it’s you, yes, it’s you, too, Everyone knows something else.

“I am saying goodbye for myself, I can not say good-bye for anyone. . .My prayers are that all the POWs and MIAs will come to unite with their families. . .

“We are parting from you today, I am releasing you to the land, because the land is very, very good. Rest in peace, my dear brother. . . We are in a difficult time and I think that all of our prayers need to be lifted on high.”

Israel’s President, Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin, added these words:
“Zachary, 37 years ago, a few days before the battle in which you fell, you wrote to your parents: ‘Don’t worry, everything is OK, but it looks like I won’t be coming home soon’. Thirty-seven years have passed since then, but today you returned home. You returned to the soil of our homeland, to Jerusalem. . . Look around, Zachary, if you could see your friends, your officers – some of them already have grandchildren, but we are interning you today as a young warrior, only 22 years old. . . Today is a day that the State of Israel fulfils its oath to out soldiers, our sons and our daughters. Today we are able to unanimously testify that we do everything, even the unthinkable and the unbelieving in order to fulfil our oaths to return our sons who did not return home from battle. Today, we are able to say with full faith and humility to our soldiers, in the past in the present and in the future, we did not forsake and we will not forsake this holy mission until all of our sons who fell in the defense of this nation and land will return home.”

Zachary Baumel’s body was one of several bodies brought to Israel this week as part of Operation Zemer Nugeh (Sad Song). In Israel, they hoped that the bodies of the three missing soldiers – including Yehuda Katz and Zvi Feldman – were among those who were located. But, the forensic institute examination identified only Baumel, and the three were not buried together.

Some have tried to accuse Prime Minister Netanyahu of timing the return of the remains of Zachary Baumel just before the elections, scheduled for 9th April. While the timing may be fortuitous, it is almost insulting to say that it was a move designed to influence the elections.  This was an ongoing operation that required the cooperative efforts of many different government departments, including the personal involvement of P.M. Netanyahu, who used his relationship with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to recover Zachary’s remains.

The IDF has a special unit, known as “EITAN”, that is tasked with finding all soldiers who were captured or reported as missing, with some 95 files still open from 1948 to the present. It is manned by about 50 reservists, who are called up for a few weeks each year, who continue the research for those who are still unaccounted for. They come from different walks of life and devote their entire reserve time to researching the files of those who are missing. They don’t give up. It is part of the commitment of the IDF to bring all of its sons home, no matter how long it may take. Like so many who have suffered trauma of one sort of another, they need closure. New sets of eyes look on old, still-open files, hoping to find something that may have been overlooked. More on the EITAN unit can be seen here.

Baumel’s first name, Zachary, is Zechariah in Hebrew. It comprises the two words: “zachar” and “Yah”. Put together, zachar-yah (or Zechariah) means “God remembered”. God remembered Zachary Baumel and brought his remains home to the land. May his memory be blessed (yehi zicharono baruch). May God strengthen the hands of those who serve day and night to protect us from our enemies. May He grant wisdom and unity of decision to the leaders of the IDF and may He guard the going out and coming in of every one of our sons and daughters in uniform, that they will go out in peace and return in peace.

Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are my servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. (Isaiah 44:21).

Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you (Isaiah 54:15).

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Shabbat Shalom,

Marvin

The holiday of Purim is a joyful festival. It is based on the Book of Esther, whose events occurred in Persia, the former name of present day Iran. The existence of the Jewish people during the time of Queen Esther was threatened by people in power in Persia. Two thousand five hundred years have passed and not much has changed. In fact, it has only gotten worse. Iran has again emerged as a threat, not only to Israel and the Jewish people, but to the nations of the world.

Some stories, like true vintage wine, become better with age. One of them is the story of the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. We are commanded to tell the story from generation to generation. It reveals the presence of God, His might, His power and His holiness and ability to save the people whom He has chosen (Deut. 7:7-8). These attributes of God are also present, and He remains mighty to save, even when He is not in the forefront of the action, but in the background and even when He is not referred to or mentioned by name. This is the situation in the Scroll of Esther (Megillat Esther). It reveals the presence of Him Who is invisible.

We know the story and it is a great one. It is a story of absence – absence from the country where the sons of Jacob were to shine, to prosper, to worship God in the majesty of His holiness, to be blessed and to be a blessing. It is a story of the absence of a national leadership amongst the captives from Judea and Samaria who were taken first to Babylon during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, some of whom were later brought to Persia (modern-day Iran) and who were living during the reign of King Ahashverush (Ahasuerus). It is a story where the absence of God in the lives of the captives stands out by the failure to refer to Him. It is a story that serves as the background for the complaint of the people, as revealed in the explanation of the vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel, namely, an absence of hope: “Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off”.'” (Ezekiel. 37:11) But, even in the blatant absence of specific reference to Him, still, the Holy One of Israel continues to exercise His sovereign control over all the fortunes and misfortunes of the people, whom He referred to as “the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8).

This comment is being written on the 13th day of the Hebrew month of Adar [Bet], the day “when the king’s command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them”. (Esther 9:1)

We look at the story with the benefit of hindsight. It is written for us and we can see how the pieces that seem disjointed all fit together and reveal the Hand of God and His unseen presence among His people, during one of the lowest times in the history of the nation of Israel. The major players are Mordechai, his niece Hadassah (whose name in exile was changed to Esther), King Ahashverush, who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia and Haman, to whom the king gave exceedingly great authority. The king commanded that all of his servants, who were at the king’s gate, were to bow down and pay homage to Haman. But, Mordechai did neither.

From a political perspective, we see a “situation developing”. One man, who was at the king’s gate (i.e., was part of those who were close to the seat of power and who were able to come in and go out of the court without a special permit), defied the command of the king and would not bow down before Haman. It is recorded for us that Mordechai was living in the citadel of Susa. He was a descendant of Kish, who was a Benjamite and part of the upper class families who were taken captive and exiled along with King Jeconiah of Judah. (Esther 1:5-6) Another famous descendant of Kish was Saul, Israel’s first king, who disobeyed the Lord’s instructions given through Samuel the prophet, to strike and totally destroy Amalek. King Saul defeated the Amalekites, but allowed their king, Agag, to live – an act of disobedience that resulted in the Lord rejecting Saul from being king. Ultimately, the prophet Samuel killed Agag.

But, Haman is said to be “the son of Hammedatha the Agagite”. So, the consequences of Saul’s disobedience had future consequences for the nation of Israel. The descendants of Agag came to distant lands and some of them, like Haman, ended up in the service of the king of Persia. And so, once again, a descendant of Kish meets up with a powerful Amalekite.

However, as mentioned above, not only is Mordechai a descendant of Kish, he is also a Benjamite. Benjamin was the last son of Jacob. He was born after Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, after Jacob crossed the Jabbok and after he and all of his household bowed down before Esau. (Gen. 32-33, 35:16-18) Therefore, Benjamin, who was the only son of Jacob who was born in the land of Israel, did not bow down before Esau. And, his descendant, Mordechai, stood his ground, as well, and did not bow down before Haman. When questioned by the king’s servants why he refused to bow, his answer was that “he was a Jew”. (Esther 3:4)  The refusal of Mordechai to bow down before Haman “filled [Haman] with rage”. When he was told “who the people of Mordechai were … Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordechai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahashverush (Ahasuerus)”. (Esther 3:5-6) Lots (Purim) were cast to determine the day that this would take place.

Haman’s understanding went beyond the simple fact that there are a people under the king’s rule who have a different religion. The issue was not the existence of a different religious belief, which could be tolerated, but rather, the Jewish people, whose existence would not be tolerated by the descendant of Agag, the Amalekite. Even though only Mordechai refused to bow down, the entire nation was going to suffer the consequences of his act of defiance.

The rest of the story continues, with Haman convincing the king to issue an edict that the Jewish people be destroyed. Haman was even willing to pay money into the king’s treasury if the king would agree to his request. Mordechai publicly demonstrated against the king’s edict and enlisted his niece, Hadassah (i.e., Esther, after whom the Scroll is named) to appeal to the king. Esther was chosen to replace the deposed Queen Vashti, when the latter refused to appear before the king and his drunken friends, who had been partying for seven days. Esther explained to Mordechai that her life would be endangered if she came into the presence of the king without being summoned. Mordechai wisely explained the situation in a clear and unequivocal manner: “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14) Things don’t get much clearer than that. Esther understood the gravity of the situation and that it was not her life only that was at risk, but those of the Jewish people who were under the rule and reign and authority of the king – her husband.

She requested that all of the Jews in Susa fast (and impliedly, pray) for her and not eat or drink for three days. She and her maidens would do the same and afterwards, she would go to the king, contrary to law, and, as she said: “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16) And she and they did so and on the third day, the fate of Esther and the Jewish people was decided. The sentence of death had already been passed. Now, would the sentence of death be carried out, or will there be life? The golden scepter was extended to her and with it, life for her and eventually, life for the Jewish people. She chose the manner of presenting her petition to the king and the timing of it. In the meantime, the king had a bout of insomnia and instructed that the chronicles of the kingdom be read to him. It was then that he learned that Mordechai discovered and informed about a plot to kill the king, who now decided to publicly honor and reward Mordechai by dressing him in royal garments and having him paraded through the city square on a horse, on which the king himself had ridden. Haman was appointed to do this for Mordechai and to proclaim before all the people: “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desire to honor.” (Esther 6:10-11) This further enraged Haman.

When Esther revealed to the king what Haman had done, the king issued another edict that allowed the Jews to defend themselves, inasmuch as by law, he could not cancel his own decree. Haman was the recipient of the king’s wrath, as he and his ten sons were hanged on the gallows and what had been meant for evil was turned around for good. (Esther chpt. 9) Mordechai recorded the events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces under the authority and rule of King Ahasverush (Ahasuerus), obliging them to annually celebrate the 14th and 15th days of the Hebrew month of Adar, “because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday … for Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them…Therefore they called these days Purim after the name Pur…So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants…The command of Esther established these customs for Purim and it was written in the book.” (Esther 9:20-32)

At the end of the story, Mordechai was exalted to a position of power and authority, second only to the king himself. He was “great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation.” (Esther 10:3)

There is much that this story reveals and many aspects of it have significant, and indeed, eternal ramifications and applications for those within the Messianic community, as well as for the whole world. We see how the Hand of God was moving behind the scene, using the drunken feast of the king to embarrass the then queen, who was removed because of her disobedience to the command of the king (by the way, there was significant reason for that refusal); the choosing of Esther to replace her; the positioning of Mordechai as one who was at the king’s gate and his overhearing the plot to kill the king; his being of the descendants of the tribe of Benjamin; his refusal to bow before Haman the Agagite; the unsuccessful attempt to destroy the Jewish people and Mordechai’s being exalted with power and authority, second only to the king himself.

Our God reigns! “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” (Prov. 16:33) What the enemy of our souls meant for bad, God used for good.

Israel sorely needs men like Mordechai today. He was the godly remnant amongst a people who believed that God had forsaken them. He represented the hope of a national restoration, when there had not yet been any experience with exile. Living outside the land, away from the Temple service, away from the place where God commanded the blessing, was all that the people knew. Yet, one man stood in the gap. He said “no”. He would not bow down to man and certainly not to a descendant of those who sought to destroy the Jewish people. Today, we see and experience that once again, the nations conspire together against God and against His people, saying, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation that the name of Israel be remembered no more” (Psalm 83:4). The Lord God of the universe, creator of heaven and earth, knows if you and I are alive “for such a time as this”.  Looking at the situation today in Europe, in Asia, in the Middle East and in North America, we cannot fail to see that the Hamans of this world abound and have multiplied. Some have even been elevated to positions of power, giving them a platform from which to curse and condemn the Jewish people. But, where are the Mordechais? We need to be people who are willing to proclaim who we are, as we face the plans and pursuits of nations to divide this land and scatter God’s people. God doesn’t change. He remains the same yesterday, today and forever! A little faith can move mountains. And God is not removed from us, even though we do not see Him physically, but only with the eyes of faith. He is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.” (Psalm 125:2)

“I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse.” (Gen. 12:3)

So Bless, be blessed and be a blessing. Happy Purim!

Marvin

For the last month, most of the blurbs of information that appeared in the news media here focused on the upcoming election, presently slated for early April. Of course, there were other articles and discussions, covering a range of subjects – politics, terror tunnels, confrontations along the border fence with Gaza, anti-semitism, health and medicine, economics, religion, family, archeology, crime, hi-tech inventions, entertainment and sports and more. They were the regular items that make up the heartbeat of the country. But, the heavy emphasis was on politics. Sometimes, I think we need a national pacemaker to keep us on an even keel. Then there were reports regarding the unholy alliance that makes up the Iranian-Shiite axis throughout the Middle East that encompasses Iraq, Syria, Hezbollah (in Lebanon) and Hamas (in Gaza) and their existential threats to Israel. We shouldn’t forget that Russia continues to flex its muscles and exert its influence, primarily in and around the Syrian arena. 

Granted, the next election will probably be one of the most important in our history. Platforms will be important, but less important than the personalities of the people who lead the different parties. There is a concerted effort by committed leftists and newly-declared (and undeclared) middle-of-the-road, leftist leaners, to remove Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu. Over the years, Netanyahu has proven to be a skillful politician and an adept statesman, turning enemyship of various countries to friendship. Who is best suited to run the country and provide for its defense – a seasoned politician or a former military commander? The next election will provide the country with an unprecedented opportunity to answer that question. In this regard, it is fair to say that most of those who held high positions in the military, who strategized and fought for the defense and protection of Israel, somehow, somewhere along the line, fail to see the same objectives once they leave the military and don a suit (with or without a tie, depending on the audience).

The past year, as well as this past month and even this week, witnessed the growing cancer of anti-Israel activity by individuals, organizations and countries. This tiny stretch of desert sand has become an obsession with some, who continue to make baseless comparisons of Israel with evil and despotic dictators and regimes, who seek to impose economic boycotts on goods and services emanating from different parts of this country and who even want to criminalize commercial ventures with us. 

We are a resilient nation, unwilling to lay down and die. We exist as a fulfilment of a promise that God made that He would gather us from the nations and bring us back to this land. It is absurd to ask us to account for our legitimacy. “Never again!” means just that, “Never again!” As our former Prime Minister, Golda Meir, once said: “We refuse to disappear, no matter how strong and brutal and ruthless the forces against us may be.” 

There is a spirit within the people here that says that difficulties are only challenges that we need to find a way to overcome. Our perception of the problem, rather than the problem itself, usually determines how we will respond to it.

Such was the situation with Corporal Joshua (his real name is not used here). He was born a “preemie”, weighing in at only 415 grams (14.6 ounces), the equivalent of two pieces of chocolate, and he had cerebral palsy. The doctors gave him only a 5% chance of survival. Last week, he received a Certificate of Excellence from the IDF following his involvement to foil a terrorist attack. In his words, “I proved that even a guy like me can carry heavy responsibility on his shoulders.”

The article appeared on the website of the IDF on 31st January, 2019, in Hebrew. His story began long before he was able to cross-reference the data that would result in saving human life. He was the youngest preemie in Israel ever to survive up to that point. The doctors thought he would never be able to walk or to speak. But, their negative evaluation did not discourage his parents, who were not willing to give up on him. He was their son. They wanted the best for him. They wanted him to succeed. With full cooperation of the medical staff, they got him to stand on his feet and walked with him the entire way with one goal: that he would grow up and become independent. And so, today Corporal Joshua is a regular soldier in a combat intelligence unit of the IDF.

He spoke his first words when he was two and a half years old and began to walk at the age of three. But, the celebration didn’t last long. At the age of five, while crossing the street with his father, a speeding car hit him head on. All his work up to that point was for nought, as he began a long period of rehabilitation and had to learn how to walk all over again. During this time, the doctors emphasized over and over again that, apparently, he would not be able to use his legs again.

But, Corporal Joshua was not willing to accept what others claimed to be his fate. At the end of months of rehabilitation, he learned to walk again and was determined, more than ever, to embark on a new course in his life. “I never lived under any illusions; I knew from an early age that I was not exactly like everyone else, but I have a motto that goes: ‘What is possible – we will do, and what is not – we’ll break down barriers’ [adding] I wanted to prove to everyone that notwithstanding all of the predictions [concerning me]… there wasn’t anything that I wouldn’t be able to do.” 

He went to a special-needs school until the second grade and then continued in the regular educational system, completing high school just like everyone else … and without any special privileges. After receiving his first induction notice [which students usually receive in the 11th grade], the medical staff informed him that he was released from having to serve in the military. This resulted in a lengthy process during the course of which he requested to volunteer to serve the country.

After completing twelfth grade, he attended a pre-military induction course, where he was taught to press on to the full extent of his ability, to accomplish every goal he needed to accomplish and to make the impossible possible. It was during this time that an army officer came to speak to the class. Corporal Joshua saw this as his opportunity to fight for his place in the system. After the meeting, he approached the officer, introduced himself and succeeded to convince the officer to take him under his wing. The same officer helped him to complete the process of volunteering. 

To the surprise of “the system” that exempted him at the outset from enlistment, Corporal Joshua actually flourished in the military. His peak came about two weeks ago. At that time, he brought important intelligence information that resulted in our forces in Judea and Samaria undertaking a nighttime operation to capture a warehouse loaded with weapons, that would likely have been used in a significant attack against Israeli citizens. As he stated: “I received an assignment to investigate a certain area, and after I cross-referenced many sources of information, there was an indication of weaponry in one of the villages in the sector.” On the basis of that information, a combat unit was dispatched to that location and it discovered a warehouse full of weaponry of different kinds.

Following the successful operation, Corporal Joshua received a Certificate of Excellence directly from the commander of the unit. “It was only after the [military] operation was completed that I was able to grasp that the information that I supplied helped to thwart a future attack … I am glad that I had the privilege to lead to this accomplishment, but for me, as soon as this operation was over, I moved on to the other missions that were lying on my desk. The greatest thanks goes to everyone in my department who does a great job every day to discover terrorism and to thwart it in time.” He added in conclusion: “During the time of the pre-military induction course, the instructor used to say: ‘When we walk alone we arrive quickly, and when we walk together we go far’. I am happy to take part in a corps that really does a significant job and succeeds in achieving objectives precisely where my story has released me from taking part. I proved that even a guy like me can carry heavy responsibility on his shoulders. I get up every morning in order to do the best that I can, with a desire to prove that even the sky is not the limit…I believe that if we want something, we need to achieve it, and so what can be done – we do, and what is difficult to do – we need to exert effort until finally, we also succeed.”

Way to go, Corporal Joshua! May there be a multitude of others who are willing to face the challenges before us with a proper attitude, even the attitude of an 85-year-old man of faith who, after receiving a promise, said some forty years later: “Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken.” (Joshua 14:10-12)

It’s a new year and the right time to get a proper perspective on who we are and Whose we are. Both will help us to think and to act in a manner that will honoring and glorifying to the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. 

[W]hatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

You will also decree a thing and it will be established for you; and light will shine on your ways. (Job 22:28)

What a help you are to the weak! How you have saved the arm without strength! (Job 26:2)

Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any; He is mighty in strength of understanding. (Job 36:5)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

Marvin

As we approach the end of the year 2018 and take a glance at what the year was like, what did we see? Here are a just two dozen of them.

1.  Israel celebrated its 70th year of independence! Yay!!!

2.  Israel obtained evidence of Iran’s continued efforts of uranium enrichment and activities towards nuclear capability.

3.  The United States withdrew from The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the formal name for the Iran nuclear agreement).

4.  Hamas began and continues its weekly Israel-Gaza border fence uprisings, with the use of incendiary kite balloons and the widespread burning and destruction of agricultural land and other property in and around communities in the south of Israel.

4.  U.S. President Donald trump signed into law the Taylor Force Act, which cut funds to the “PA” over its practice of paying terrorists (“pay to slay” stipend).

6.  The United States moved its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and a few other nations followed suit. 

7.  Incidents of anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic statements by public officials and groups in different countries rose considerably during the year.

8.  Exposure and destruction of no fewer than five cross-border tunnels by Hezbollah from Lebanon and the failure of the U.N. to condemn that terrorist organization as a terrorist organization. 

9.  The U.N. mission on the Israel-Lebanon border marked its 40th anniversary – of ineffectiveness.

10.  The U.N. Secretariat claimed that Israel was responsible for the damage to the UNRWA facilities in the 2014 Gaza War, despite the fact that Israel proved that terrorists used U.N. facilities to hide weapons and fire rockets towards Israel.

11.  The U.S. finally decided to defund U.N.R.W.A., which totally failed in its mission to re-settle Arabs who left Israel prior to the War of Independence.

12.  Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., a strong voice of moral, forceful American leadership in the world and a staunch defender of Israel in that world body, resigned as of the end of this year.

13.  The Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) passed a quasi-constitutional law, which has come to be known as the “Nation-State Law”. It has been the center of controversy at home and abroad since its enactment. Proponents hail the legislation as a breath of fresh air, claiming, among other things, that it puts Jewish values and democratic values on an equal footing. Opponents condemn it, asserting that law discriminates against Israel’s minority communities. Much of the opposition stems from political overtones and a failure to understand the reason for the Law’s passage and how it impacts Israeli society as a whole.

14.  Tehran continued to destabilize the region and threatened the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia, utilizing its proxies in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza.

15.  The 7-year civil war in Syria is winding down, with Bashar Hafez al-Assad remaining in power as President of that country. 

16.  The terrorist organization, ISIS (also known as “Islamic State”) was widely defeated in Syria, although it remains active in other locations.

17.  With the defeat of ISIS in Syria, U.S. President Trump decided to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, much to the satisfaction of Iran, Russia and Turkey, as well as Syria.

18.  The “PA” refuses to have anything to do with the Trump administration and continues to pay terrorists and their families for the consequences of their anti-Israel activity.

19.  On-going rocket and missile fire from Gaza into the southern communities in Israel, including an extensive rocket barrage of some 400 projectiles in November.

20.  Israel’s Minister of Defense, Avigdor Liberman, resigned over disagreements following the November events concerning Israel’s response to the attacks from Gaza.

21.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under investigation for possible corruption (charges of bribery and breach of trust), including his receiving a gift from a billionaire of expensive cigars (“Cigar-Gate”?).

22.  Netanyahu called for new elections, which will take place in April, 2019.

23.  Immigration to Israel is up.

24.  WE’RE STILL HERE!

Was that ALL the news? Far from it. We had the excellent, the very good, the good, the less than good, the bad, the very bad and the worst. But, we made it through another year, with successes and failures, with gains and losses, with tears of joy and of sorrow.

Not the least of these events is the recent missile fired from Syria this week, which landed in a coastal area north of Tel Aviv and south of Haifa, resulting in an immediate military response by Israel.

And, the worst of the worst – the tiniest victim of “Palestinian” hatred and terrorist attack: A little boy, born prematurely, who lived only four days after his mother was shot in a drive-by shooting while waiting for a bus. Her husband was also wounded, along with others. They remained in the hospital and were not even able to attend the funeral of their infant son, whose young life ended before it began. One writer expressed it thus: “Until Israel negates the PA and calls it what it really is…never a partner…always an enemy…nothing will have changed. Nothing will have been learned.” (see The Shimon and Levi Option).

So, what about Netanyahu, the dissolution of the Knesset and the call for new elections? In a nutshell, it is probably going to be one of the most important elections in Israeli history. More on this to follow.

As we approach a new civil year, please keep my youngest son, who is serving in the north, in your prayers for protection, wisdom and strength. 

What can we say about all of the above? If God is for us, who can be against us?

“You have crowned the year with Your goodness”. (Psalm 65:11 – Ee-tar-tah shnat tovatecha)

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness and her salvation like a torch that is burning.

The nations will see your righteousness and all kings your glory;

And you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD will designate.

You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD and a royal diadem in the hand of your God…

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen;

All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth…

Go through, go through the gates, clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway, remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples.

Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth,

Say to the daughter of Zion, “Lo, your salvation comes; behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.” And they will call them, “The holy people, the redeemed of the LORD”; and you will be called, “Sought out, a city not forsaken.” (Isaiah 62:1-3, 6-7, 10-12)

May the new civil year 2019 bring you the blessings of good health, wisdom and grace and favor in the sight of God and man.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

When dealing with politics, there is always something to observe, always something slightly different and sometimes even something new. Occasionally, there are some surprises, but even then, some surprises are often expected. For example, most political pundits expected that the coalition government in Israel would fall after the resignation of Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and the unaccepted “ultimatum” of members of the Jewish Home Party to have its chairman appointed as the new Defense Minister. Surprisingly, but not unexpectedly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged victorious, pulling an invisible rabbit out of a non-existing hat, resulting in his continuing to lead a paper-thin coalition of 61 members. All this, while holding four ministerial positions (3 temporarily) and while facing ongoing criminal investigations of possible misconduct in different areas while in office. On top of this, he manages to handle international diplomacy, while keeping his hand on the pulse of enemy activity from the Gaza Strip and from our not-so-distant cousins in Lebanon. 

A year ago this week, the President of the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A ray of light began to shine in the darkness and since then, there have been many efforts made by the darkness to smother that light, without success.

Seventy-seven years ago on this date, the American naval base at Pearl Harbor was bombed. The following day, then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt began his speech to the U.S. Congress with the words that December 7th, 1941, is a date that will live in infamy forever. 

Earlier this week, Jews around the world began to celebrate the festival of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights (Hag Ha’Ureem, in Hebrew). It commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem following the successful Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire. It is celebrated for eight nights and days (there was evening and there was morning, one day) and observed by the lighting of a special nine-branched menorah called a “Hanukkiah”. On the first night, one candle is lit. On the second night, two candles, on the third night, three candles and so on until all eight candles are lit. There is a ninth candle called the Shamash, which is lit first. It is then used to ignite the other candles and so serves them and imparts its light to them. There are many traditions accompanying this particular joyful festival, which falls every year on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, that could be between late November to late December according to the Gregorian calendar.

I’ve read many stories of heroism and miracles during this past week. Of the many stories that are moving and which stir the emotions, there was one which a close friend shared with me this morning, which I would like to share with you. It is a special story about Hanukkah. It touched me and I believe it will touch you as well. It contains a message relating to darkness and light, of death and life, of determination to curse and of desire to bless. I have no doubt that most of you who read this post and will see this video will relate to it in one way or another. Its message for each individual should be clear. It speaks volumes and will undoubtedly  remain long in our memories, particularly when we face difficulties and spiritual forces of wickedness. It deals with the Hanukkah Menorah and the Swastika. Please take a moment to look, to listen, to ponder and reflect and to acknowledge that light will always dispel the darkness.

I could easily share a sermon about Hanukkah. I’ve actually given such sermons in the past. Older Testament and Newer Testament combine to give the message that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. He proclaims that light will shine out of darkness and that light is the light of life. 

For those who celebrate this festival of lights, may you do so with good health, with joy and with abundant blessings. For those who do not celebrate it, my prayer for you is that you will also experience good health, joy and abundant blessings.

Be assured that God’s Word is eternal. It is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths. It teaches and instructs us in the way that we should go. It helps our feet not to deviate from the path of obedience that leads to life and helps to guard our lips that our mouths would not speak evil. It is a mirror that reveals to us what we are really like and what He wants us to be like. And so, I find myself beginning a sermon that was not intended. I’ll leave it at this point.

May you enjoy a peaceful Sabbath’s rest.

Remember: Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

During two days this past week, a multitude of rocket barrages containing over 460 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into the south of Israel. They were sent towards civilian communities adjacent to and surrounding Gaza. Lives were lost, many residents in the south were injured and there was much loss of, and damage to, property. Israel responded militarily and pounded some 160 designated targets in Gaza. And then, as was expected, Hamas called for a cease-fire. And, as expected, we agreed. Despite heavy destruction to strategic sites in Gaza, Hamas claimed victory. Following the cease-fire, Israel’s Minister of Defense, Avigdor Liberman, resigned, stating, among other things: “There is no definition, no other significance, but capitulation to terror…What we are doing now as a country is buying short-term quiet at the cost of our long-term security.” As a result of Liberman’s resignation, Hamas then claimed victory number two, this time, a political one. The events of this past week are not a game of chess. Neither side “won”, but both sides suffered loss.

The resignation of the hard-liner, Liberman, meant the withdrawal of his Israel Beiteinu Party from the coalition government, leaving Netanyahu with a paper-thin majority. Naftali Bennett, the leader of the Jewish Home Party and present Minister of Education, demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appoint him as Minister of Defense to replace Liberman, under a threat to leave the coalition government and force early elections. Due to ongoing conflicts between Netanyahu and Bennett, such an appointment was not expected to take place. And it didn’t. That left the government no choice, but to call for elections, which will most likely take place during the first quarter of 2019.

If the above events were not enough for us in one week, yesterday (Friday) the “Fourth Committee” (“Special Political and Decolonization Committee”) of the General Assembly of the United Nincompoops (U.N.) passed no fewer than nine resolutions condemning Israel, which included one asserting that “unlawful Israeli practices and measures” were responsible for the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip, totally ignoring the fact that in 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gush Katif area surrounding Gaza. All in all, one could hardly say it’s been an encouraging week for Israel.

Then, as if to add insult to injury, Hamas terror organization leader Yehya Sinwar claimed Hamas seized Israeli weapons during this week’s confrontation and threatened to kidnap Israeli soldiers, adding: “I advise Israel not to try and test us again.

This time you did not have a lot of casualties and you managed to rescue your special forces…You should not try again, because next time you will have to release thousands of prisoners…Our hands are on the trigger and our eyes are open. Listen Netanyahu, and listen whoever will receive the defense portfolio. Anyone who tests Gaza will find death and poison. If we are attacked, we will let the barrage on Tel Aviv do the talking. Our missiles are more accurate, have a longer range and carry more explosives than before.” This threat  is more an expression of bravado than reality. If Hamas had “more accurate” missiles, they would have directed them against more strategic targets, rather than lob them in the direction of residential communities in the south. 

But, the question lingers on: Why did the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stop short of neutraliziing the on-going threat from Hamas and “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad (PIJ)? After being involved with three wars with Hamas over the past 10 years, the threats of yet another war with Gaza inches closer each week, as the riots continue along the fence separating Gaza from the communties in the south of Israel. Despite the eight months of border riots, and despite the government’s rhetoric about dealing with the situation and warning Gazans not to approach the fence, Israel has restrained from pursuing a military solution that would extinguish the fuse that can ignite the entire region in another war, which would in all likelihood be a multi-front war.

It is obvious to all, both Israelis and the terrorist organizations that control the Gaza Strip, that Israel has neither intention, nor desire, to take over the coastal enclave. The cost, in terms of manpower, equipment, economics and international condemnation, would be enormous and would far outweigh any potential benefits that may accrue to Israel. The hoped-for calm and quiet that Israel, in general, and that residents in the south, in particular, desire would be elusive at best and destructive, at worst. And then, there remains the unanswered question: Who will take over if Hamas and PIJ are eliminated from Gaza? The gnawing response leads to the oft-repeated phrase, “The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know.” In either case, the devil remains the devil.

Unfortunately, both Hama and PIJ are both aware of Israel’s political and practical dilemma and have learned how to push Israel to the brink of war, to boast of successes in confrontation with the IDF (despite their own significant losses of military infrastructure), as well as in politics and, on the whole, international opinion. In short, Israel needs to re-evaluate its priorities, strategies and goals regarding its Gazan “thorn in the flesh”. A realistic approach would be to eliminate the leadership of Hamas and PIJ, while leaving the residents of Gaza to replace them with a leadership that is concerned more for the people than about eliminating the State of Israel.  The world won’t like us if we pursue such a goal. But, then again, it doesn’t like us now, either. In short, Israel needs to initiate action, rather than retaliate against action that is taken against it.

Part of the problem is Israel’s expressed pursuit of a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. In reality, such a “solution” is not only un-Biblical, it is totally unworkable. A political attempt to resolve the conflict that fails to factor in the Islamic perspective regarding a claimed occupation of Islamic land by foreign powers is doomed to fail from the outset. The land, promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has come under the control of Islamic forces during centuries past. Islamic theology holds to the belief that land once controlled by Islam remains holy to Islam, even if Islam is “temporarily” removed from it and the land comes under the control of foreigners, who are considered “occupiers”. Hence, the claim of “occupied territory”, as espoused by the “Palestinians” and surrounding Arab countries, would apply to all of Israel, not just to Judea and Samaria, commonly referred to as “the West Bank”. Keeping the prospect of a two-state solution alive only fuels the fire of continuous conflict and opens the possibility that an Israeli government would actually enter into an agreement to allow the establishment of an enemy state in our midst. 

Another part of the problem is that Israel does not want to become entangled in Gaza, while it faces the threat of what Israeli officials and military personnel have referred to as a “northern war”, namely, a confrontation between Israel and Iranian-backed forces that would most likely occur with both Lebanon and Syria. Iran refuses to leave the Syrian arena, while Israel has repeatedly stated that it will not allow Iran to become entrenched in Syria. The recent delivery to Syria of Russian-made S-300 ground-to-air defense systems has created additional challenges for Israel to act against Iranian military influence in Syria. Assad’s victories over rebel insurgents, with the help of Russia and Iran, as well as fighters from the terrorist Lebanese Hezbollah, has refocused attention on Syria’s desires to regain control of the Golan Heights. Reliable estimates are that Hezbollah has over 100,000 missiles that can reach every major population center in Israel. The missiles are far more sophisticated and potentially accurate than they were during the last war. No doubt, Israel’s defenses would be able to deter many of them. But, the sheer number of missiles would pose a serious challenge to its air defense systems. 

Most military experts are of the opinion that another war with the Hezbollah is inevitable, the only open question being when it will happen? The unpredictability of volatile conflict necessitates a constant readiness to respond to what would certainly be a multi-front war – Hezbollah and the Lebanese army, Syria (including Iranian military support and Russian involvement) and various Shiite militias. Iran would most likely pull the strings of its puppets, Hamas and PIJ, along with other potential actors. No matter how we look at it, the next “northern war” will make the past week’s Gaza no-war war seem like a walk in the park.

Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:4)

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. (Isaiah 62:6-7)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing!

Have a great, God-honoring week.

Marvin

It was only a week ago when a major Lebanese newspaper reported that Israel and Qatar were moving forward with attempts to reach an agreement that would establish a sea passage between Cyprus and the Gaza Strip. According to the report, the route would be monitored by international forces, but under Israeli security supervision. The deal would remove a sizeable portion of the sea blockade and considerably extend the permissible fishing area.

Due to the ongoing friction between Fatah (the PLO faction in Judea and Samaria) and Hamas, the President of the “Palestinian” Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has withheld transferring funds to Gaza. This, in turn, creates an economic crisis which stirs more violent activity each week for the past eight months along the fence separating the Gaza enclave from the communities in the south of Israel.

In an effort to alleviate the economic distress, Qatar has offered to step in and pay, at this point, only the salaries of Hamas civil servants, starting with back pay from July, at the rate of $15 million per month for six months, or a total of US $90 million. This payment, however, has stirred concerns by other “Palestinian” factions about Qatar’s involvement in “Palestinian” affairs and the deal allegedly being worked out on their behalf by Qatar and Israel. The financial “deal” purportedly would reduce, but not eliminate, the ongoing militaristic actions of Hamas and Islamic Jihad along the Gaza fence.

Needless to say, the Qatari cash payments intended for Hamas-controlled Gazan residents was condemned by Israeli Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who stated: “This is capitulation to terrorism, and in effect Israel is buying short-term calm with money, while severely undermining long-term security.” Qatar has also said it would hand out $100 to each of 50,000 poor families, as well as larger sums to “Palestinians” wounded in clashes along Gaza’s border with Israel. A source close to Mahmoud Abbas said the “The PLO did not agree to the deal facilitating the money to Hamas that way” (i.e., in suitcases – “like a gangster”), adding that such a deal, bypassing the PLO, was damaging to efforts to reconcile the PA and Hamas. In direct contradiction to the recent reports of progress regarding Egypt’s involvement as mediator of talks between Israel and the “Palestinians”, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar denied that any deal with Israel was in the works, saying that an understanding is being worked out between Hamas, Egypt, Qatar and the U.N., adding that whoever says that “there is a deal or understandings with the occupation does not tell the truth”. That statement evidences the underlying attitude of Hamas and its unwillingness to even recognize Israel as an existing nation state.

Whatever may be the situation concerning a “deal in the making” – the situation has seriously deteriorated since last night (Sunday). An elite unit of the IDF special forces managed to infiltrate some 3 kilometers (almost 2 miles) into Gaza in a civilian vehicle. Something went wrong and a fire-fight broke out. When it was over, a Lt. Colonel of the IDF was killed, another officer wounded and seven Hamas terrorists were killed, including Nur Barakeh, the commander of one of the battalions of a Hamas brigade in Khan Yunis.  The nature of the mission was not revealed, but military officials said it was “very meaningful” to Israel’s security. Israeli air support was called in to help in the evacuation of the IDF unit. The Lt. Colonel was buried this afternoon with thousands in attendance. He was 41 and left a wife and two  children.

“Red Alert” sirens have been sounding all across southern Israel this afternoon (Ashkelon, Sderot, Netivot, the area of Beer Sheva and the Dead Sea) and evening. Within the last few hours, barrages of hundreds rockets have been fired towards Israeli communities from the Gaza side of the fence.

Hamas has claimed responsibility for the rocket barrages. Response time to get to a shelter when the sirens go off varies from 15 seconds to a minute and a half, depending upon how far the person is from the source of the rockets. The striped, dark red to the left of the diagram shows 3 points in the Gaza Strip. The red, orange, beige and yellow are Ashkelon, Ashdod, Beer Sheva and Jerusalem, respectively. The blue patch to the right is the Dead Sea. The IDF has responded by attacking more than 70 terror targets of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, killing several terrorists in the process. Following widespread shooting, the IDF also placed units inside of the settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip as a defense against the threat of infiltration and/or terror-tunnel activity. In addition, dozens of IDF armoured vehicles are on their way to the south to reinforce the units around the Gaza line. A spokesman for the IDF stated: “Hamas is leading the Gaza Strip to destruction and will feel the intensity of the IDF’s response in the coming hours. So far we have attacked a wide range of targets. Firing squads, military compounds and observation posts. The attempt to harm civilians is unacceptable to us and we will continue to respond with force.”

Lest we forget, prior to the events of the last 24 hours, the violent border protests continued with deadly clashes between “Palestinian” protesters and the IDF, at times prompting serious concerns of an outbreak of a new war. And now, here we are once again, “on the brink”.

One would have to ask how a right-wing government has allowed the situation to deteriorate to such a point that we are restraining ourselves from putting an end to the terrorism of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, at the expense of residents in the communities in the south of our country,  citizens who, once again, need to run to secured shelters to get away from rocket barrages emanating from the Gaza Strip. We can’t continue to talk about trying to enter into yet another ceasefire with Hamas. This is an exercise in futility. Even when Egyptian-brokered talks were supposed to be approaching agreement, Hamas and Islamic Jihad continued their violence against Israel. Only yesterday, when Prime Minister Netanyahu was in Paris, together with representatives from countries around the world, to commemorate the end of “The Great War”, he said that there is no political solution for Gaza. If that is the case, then we must follow that statement with: What IS the solution? War? The situation is building up to that. But, to what end? Or, is it agreeing to the establishment of a “Palestinian” state? This is also a non-starter. It would be inviting those who are sworn to our destruction to set up an enemy state in our midst. 

Then there is the option of continuing the “tit for tat” belligerence that falls short of war. The major confrontations are with Hamas-controlled Gaza. But, the recognized leadership of the “Palestinian” Authority is based in Judea and Samaria, commonly referred to as “the West Bank”. The two so-called “Palestinian” entities have been at constant odds with one another for control over those who call themselves “Palestinian”. In essence, their inability to come to terms with one another has set up, de facto, two quasi states, both claiming to be “Palestinian”.

This has served Israel’s interests for the past 11 years, despite the occasional, necessary military actions against Hamas. Most of the time, Israel “responds” to Hamas aggression and when that aggression crosses Israel’s pre-conceived red lines, the IDF steps in to strike hard at Hamas to bring them back into line, until Hamas seeks a cease-fire, to which Israel readily agrees. And so, the cycle continues. The main problem is that Israel does not have a considered strategy concerning Gaza primarily and Judea and Samaria secondarily. And so, we continue to respond, instead of to initiate, leaving the fate of the residents in the south of Israel to the whims of “Palestinian” bureaucrats and Holocaust deniers, like Mahmoud Abbas, or to terrorists, sworn to the destruction of Israel, like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who decide when they want to aggravate Israel. At some point, Israel will cease trying to compromise with our enemies and decide to finally defeat them. 

Until then, every response of the IDF to the aggression of Hamas and Islamic Jihad is intended to systematically weaken their military infrastructure. But, is it enough to accomplish the ultimate goal of getting them to stop attacking us? Hamas will not stop unless it believes that its actions will result in its being removed from power. If that is, in fact, the case, then we should use force to end the force being displayed against us. Hamas knows that Israel can wipe them off the map. Israel knows that as well, but exercises restraint far beyond what other nations would do under similar circumstances. That is because Israel recognises that the world does not treat it like other nations. When Israel is involved in a matter, there is always the double standard of expectation and condemnation.

We are “The People of the Book” – the Bible. Shouldn’t we learn from the innumerable lessons that are presented in the Scriptures for our benefit?

When Elisha (the prophet) became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him …Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows” … Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” … then Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. He said, “Open the window toward the east” … Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” … And he said, “The LORD’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram (Syria); for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them.” Then he said, “Take the arrows [and] Strike the ground” and he struck it three times and stopped. So the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.” (2 Kings 13:14-19)

What country in its right mind would put up with a situation like this?

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow and the LORD will be with you. (2 Chronicles 20:17)

Thank you for your prayers for wisdom for the government, strength and courage for those who stand in the gap to defend us, grace to bear up under trials and favour in the sight of God and man.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

Marvin

The cold-blooded murder of 11 Jews in a Pittsburgh synagogue last weekend has been described as the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in the history of the United States. The members of the congregation mourn the massacre of their fellow members. The city mourns the tragic consequences of blind hatred. A nation mourns the ever-increasing law-lessness being expressed by anti-semitic acts. A people thousands of miles away mourn yet another deadly assault upon the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If history teaches us anything, it should be that if we ignore what happened, it is reasonable to expect that it will happen again.

It was only a week ago when a gunman entered the Etz Haim (“Tree of Life”) Synagogue with an automatic rifle and several pistols and yelled “All Jews must die”, before opening fire and killing 11 congregants, the last of whom, aged 97, was buried yesterday (Friday). The gunman not only killed 11 people, he injured others in the congregation, along with four policemen. With multitudes on both sides of the ocean and around the world, still reeling from the outworking of unbridled hate, and while relatives of the victims sit “Shiva” (7 days of mourning), another deranged individual acted out his own brand of Jew-hatred, by setting fire to seven Hasidic (ultra-orthodox) institutions in the South Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. The places that were set on fire were synagogues and places of learning (“yeshivot”). On Thursday, vandals spray-painted “Kill All Jews” on the wall of one reform synagogue,, apparently picking up on, and trying to emulate, the statement of the Pittsburgh killer. In addition to the fires set yesterday, the past week has evidenced swastikas graffitied in Brooklyn Heights, as well as the Upper West Side of Manhattan, among other things, including verbal threats against a Jewish man in Brooklyn.

The Pittsburgh massacre has evoked emotions from most people with half a brain. Those who don’t have half a brain deface and set fire to synagogues! And they flood cyberspace with online hate.

Some pictures truly speak louder than words. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published on its front page yesterday (Friday) the beginning of the Mourner’s Kaddish – the prayer, which Jews recite upon the passing of a relative. It has no reference

to death in it, but is totally a prayer of praise to God. The opening words are: Yitgadal v-yitkadash shemay rabah – it is a prayer in Aramaic and means [the opening words]: “Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name….” That this appeared on the front page of the newspaper speaks volumes about the respect and identification that the Pittsburgh community has with the gravity of this despicable crime.

Many others expressed sympathy with the Jewish community following the murders that took place last week. One of them was

the American football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who tweeted on October 27th: “We send our thoughts and prayers to those affected by this morning’s tragedy in Pittsburgh. We will continue to pray for everyone involved.” The logo of the Pittsburgh Steelers was turned into a symbol of solidarity with the Jewish community, when it added a Star of David to it. According to one tabloid, one of the doctors in Pittsburgh, who was involved in treating the wounded following the shooting, shared the edited logo next to the words, “Stronger Than Hate.”

The same is true for Pittsburgh’s Penguin Pete.

Surprisingly, two Muslim groups began a fundraising campaign that raised over $40,000 for the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. The crowdfunding campaign on “LaunchGood”, stated: “The Muslim-American community extends its hands to help the shooting victims, whether it is the injured victims or the Jewish families who have lost loved ones. We wish to respond to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action.”

Clearly, there were independent voices within the Muslim world who spoke out against the recent terror attack in Pittsburgh and likewise would have been equally critical, even if the terror attack had occurred inside of Israel. One Saudi Arabian journalist stated: “I want to express my deepest sympathy and condolences not only to the Jewish communities, but to all around the world.  What happened in Pittsburgh is sad and a coward act of terrorism and beyond anything that I can imagine. Very, very sad to see innocent lives lost in a place of worship.”

A co-founder of Defend International, Dr. Widad Akreya, who is of Kurdish ancestry, stated: “It is heartbreaking to hear about the horrific Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and their friends.  I am grieving with you and hoping for a speedy recovery of the wounded.  May our love surround and comfort all of you.” These are, indeed, noteworthy comments and are undoubtedly genuine.

However, while it is noteworthy that representatives of Arab countries, including members of the news media, condemned the murderous attack, some took advantage of it to condemn Israel and Jews. I won’t take the space here to repeat those condemnations, which are, or should be, familiar to all.

The above events happened in the United States – a staunch defender of freedoms – of speech, of expression, of congregation … and of religion! It is not the Middle East, where differences of religion can affect local standing, civil rights and even the right to live. It is not Nazi-era Germany, where Kristallnacht marked government-sanctioned attacks upon Jewish people, institutions and businesses on November 9-10, 1938. These things can’t happen in the U.S. … or can they?

The events of Pittsburgh, and now Brooklyn among other places, are expressions of a growing disease of anti-Semitism. We can try to talk about it, try to rationalize it and to politicize it (as many have attempted to do this past week), but none of them offer a cure for it. This is not a time to play politics. It is a time to mourn with those who mourn. It is a time for soul-searching and to be honest with ourselves. How we feel about others reflects how we think about them, speak about them and act towards them. Blind hatred is a disease of a sick mind. It doesn’t go away, but only grows worse until it consumes the one who hates. And one of the worst things about hatred is that it is contagious! 

God chose the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be a blessing to the world, among other things. In a letter dated August 18, 1790, following his visit to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island, President George Washington wrote, in part: 

“May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants – while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light, and not darkness, upon our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in His own due time and way everlastingly happy.”

What starts with one will end with many. It may be needless to point out what history has demonstrated over and over again, namely: that hatred that begins against the Jews doesn’t end with the Jews. What happened in Pittsburgh, and again in Brooklyn, is becoming the new normal. Think for a moment: the gunman could have entered a different religious gathering and, instead of yelling, “All Jews must die!”, he could have yelled: “All blacks must die!” or, “All Muslims must die!” or, “All Christians must die!” We are all exposed to the spreading disease of hate. 

Words can kill. America is killing itself with everyone accusing everyone else of everything that they don’t like. And it is spiralling out of control. Hatred, like politics, cannot offer a cure for itself. It has to come from outside. If, indeed, the United States still believes in its motto: “In God We Trust”, now is the time to ask for His help. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)

Then you will call and the LORD will answer; You will cry and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness and if you … satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.” (Isaiah 58:9-10)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

It has been a few weeks since I last wrote. In the midst of the pressures of daily life, we all desire to get some rest, while at the same time try to get a handle on the events that unfold, some of which boggle the mind.

The most recent event, of course, is the shooting in conservative synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during a Shabbat service. As of this writing, 11 people were killed and at least six others, including four police officers, were wounded. The gunman entered the Etz Haim (“Tree of Life”) Synagogue and, according to a local radio station, yelled “All Jews must die.” The victims ranged in age from 54 to 97 and included, among others, a husband and wife and two brothers. When the police arrived on the scene, the shooter opened fire on them, but was reported to be injured himself and taken into custody. One can only imagine the kind of hatred that leads a person to enter a religious service and start killing people, because of their faith.

Following this slaughter of innocents, many jumped on the “gun control” bandwagon, again arguing that this type of incident, like an increasing number of others in recent months and years, would not have happened if there was tighter control over who can purchase a weapon. People will continue to kill and injure others, irrespective of whether or not there is more strict control over access to weapons. The issue is not so much one of “gun control”, but of “hate control”. Governments can legislate against “hate speech”, but they can neither legislate against, nor deal with, the source of the hate. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. Only God can deal with that.

The hatred and cold-blooded murder that took place in Pennsylvania occurred five thousand miles from here. Yet, distance cannot prevent our hearts from being united with the families of those who were killed and wounded. Nor does it prevent our prayers from being offered before the Throne of Grace. Sometimes, we wait too long to tell people that we think of, and care about, them. As the Rabbi of the Pittsburgh congregation told those who gathered in the synagogue the following day: “Reach out to the people you know, call the people who you haven’t spoken to in a while.” No matter how strong we think we are emotionally, no education or theological seminary can prepare us for an event like this.

Closer to home, we have other expressions of hate, which are also designed to kill and maim. 

Escalation in the South

The escalation in the south of Israel continued this past weekend. The IDF reported that it struck a four-story building that was used as the new general security command center of the Hamas terrorist organization. This was in response to the rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip towards the settlements in the area surrounding the Strip Friday night.

Over 30 launches were identified as being fired into Israeli territory during the night hours between Friday and Saturday. The “Iron Dome” defense system shot down about ten of them. Two rockets landed within the Gaza Strip (see the outlined photo to the left, from the website of the Spokesman for the IDF, showing some of the areas 

targeted by the IDF in response to the rocket barrage) and the rest fell in open areas. In its response, the IDF attacked about 80 locations of Hamas, including centers for the manufacture of advanced weaponry; military facilities; a command center; a training center  and an observation post. A video of some of the rocket barrages and the response of the IDF can be seen here.  You will need to scroll down to the second screen and click on the arrow to see the rocket fire and aerial defense of the Iron Dome. Also targeted by the IDF were military compounds of the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad terror organization, which also operates in the Gaza Strip. Among the targets were weapons manufacturing facilities in the north of the Gaza Strip and a factory for the manufacture of equipment to reinforce tunnels. These are not 4th of July fireworks that are sent from the Gaza Strip, but explosive projectiles that are intended to kill men, women and children at random and to destroy as much as possible. 

Israel holds Hamas responsible for all that happens in and from the Gaza Strip and the consequences of terrorist activities against Israeli citizens.

Following the cessation of the rocket attacks from the Strip, the Ministry of Defense allowed life in the southern communities of Israel to return to almost normal.

The “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad, which was directly responsible for Friday night’s escalation,  usually operates in coordination with Hamas, with whom it is aligned ideologically. It is the second largest military organization in the Strip. Its present, ideologically extreme leadership is based in Damascus, Syria and serves the interests of Iran. It wants to establish a new kind of equilibrium, by responding with rocket attacks when “Palestinians” are killed during confrontations at the border fence. This is clearly unacceptable to the IDF.

The primary difference between Hamas and Islamic Jihad at this time has to do with their respective ties with Iran. Both Islamic organizations are Sunni. However, while Hamas receives financial support, weaponry and technical assistance from Iran, the Islamic Jihad receives not only money and weapons, but also instructions. In all likelihood, the primary reason that it initiated the rocket attacks last Friday night was because Iran had instructed them to do so.

In trying to figure out what prompted the Islamic Jihad to suddenly initiate the rocket attacks against the Israeli communities along the Strip, there are two possibilities that come to mind: The first is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a “secret” meeting with the leadership of the country of Oman on Friday. Following the meeting, Oman reported that the time has come to accept Israel in the region and offered assistance in the “peace process”. It described Israel as an acceptable country in the Middle East. The Security Minister to the Sultan responsible for foreign affairs in Oman stated in a security summit in Bahrain: “The State of israel is a fact on the ground and we understand this. We are not saying that the way is now easy and paved with flowers, our preference is to put an end to the conflict and to move to a new world.” Such statements fly in the face of the reason for the existence of Hamas – the destruction of Israel. While this event probably did not warm the cockles of the hearts of either Hamas or the Islamic Jihad, it is doubtful that this event was the primary factor that precipitated the rocket attacks against Israeli communities.

What is more likely is the second event that was published on Friday, namely, that after lengthy on-and-off negotiations, Egypt finally achieved an understanding with Hamas to restore calm to the area, more or less (mostly less) similar to what existed following the last Gaza War, Operation Protective Edge. The agreement purportedly calls for an end to the violence of the protesters along the border, but does not include an end to the border protests.

As mentioned in earlier posts, “saving face” is of critical importance in this area of the world. And, if you do not decisively lose a conflict or war, you are deemed to have won. This is particularly applicable when dealing with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. They can’t just stop fighting. They have to go out with a “bang”, a large one, so that both the populations that both organizations control and the patrons who control both organizations, will be satisfied. Thus, a substantial rocket barrage was necessary to usher in a period of relative calm. To appear victorious, both Hamas and Islamic Jihad were willing to suffer significant loss, so that following a visible display of military might, they can “agree to” a ceasefire and walk out among their people with their heads high. Israel, for her part, was willing to make a strategic, but painful, decision not to initiate ground action to retake the Strip. 

What kind of picture does this present for us? It’s like another round of tit-for-tat. “You hit us, we hit you back. You try to demonstrate power, we have more power.” So, Israel restrained itself, while the protest marches, incendiary kites and balloons, flaming arrows and explosive toys were sent over the Gaza fence, destroying valuable acres of farmland and other property and causing injury and death on both sides of the fence. In essence, Israel bided her time to allow Egypt to complete its negotiations with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. If the negotiations occasionally ran into difficulties, a new round of escalation would push Egypt to get them moving again, even more seriously than before.

Apparently, Israel is willing to settle for proportionate responses, instead of pursuing the alternative solution, namely, initiating a major military offensive in the Gaza Strip with its consequent loss of life and other losses and damage, which would end up like Operation Protective Edge – a cease fire with no future guarantees.

The residents in the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip are less interested in strategic stop and go, on again-off again attacks and counter attacks. They want to live without fear of rocket attacks and to rear their children without having to worry about whether another siren will blare, warning of more incoming missiles. On the whole, they would prefer war to this type of uncertainty, which takes its toll both on individuals and property. 

Obviously, Israel is in an ongoing quandry about what to do with the Gaza Strip. If it moves in militarily and takes it over, what will Israel do with it? The last thing we need is to try to gain control over the people of Gaza. Israel cannot, and does not want to, take on this responsibility. The drain on manpower and resources would be enormous, far beyond what could be justifiable. Nor would the people of Gaza want to live under Israeli control or authority or agree to do so. Transferring the Gazans to Arab countries surrounding Israel is not the most welcome idea in our military-political strategy for reasons that should be obvious. 

If, on the other hand, Israel succeeds to “eliminate” both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the natural question is: “Who will step up to take control of the people of Gaza?” No one is waiting in the wings, who would advocate living in peace with Israel. 

In the meantime, each new rocket attack allows Israel to systematically destroy the military infrastructure and capability of Hamas and its cronies, their buildings, tunnels, fighting forces and more. Viewed from this perspective, if push comes to shove and war becomes inevitable, Hamas and Islamic Jihad will have considerably reduced capacity to fight. But, every cease-fire has presented opportunities for Hamas and Islamic Jihad to regroup, renew their strength, increase their forces and prepare for the next round of confrontations with Israel. On our side of the fence, absence of rockets and border fence confrontations will restore, to a degree, the pastoral nature of the communities in the south and allow them again to prosper. A trade-off? Not a good one. A tense quiet. The question always remains: How long will the “quiet” last, before the next assault upon Israeli communities from Gaza?

O God, do not remain quiet; do not be silent and, O God, do not be still. For behold, Your enemies make an uproar and those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people and conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, ‘Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more’.” (Psalm 83:1-4) – emphasis mine

Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to him, and their time of punishment would be forever. (Psalm 81:15)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (known as the BDS movement) is a global campaign, which began in 2005. It is coordinated by the “Palestinian” BDS National Committee and encourages various forms of boycott against Israel, urging people and nations not to buy Israeli products, not to participate in Israeli cultural events and to rid themselves of all kinds of investments in Israel, Israeli companies and research projects.

Israel, such a small country that has reached three score and ten years of age, has been responsible for a multitude of inventions and products that are beneficial to all of us on a daily basis. Some of the BDS supporters may have availed themselves of some of the following, but will probably not admit it. The following list barely scratches the surface of what Israel has invented, developed and contributed in its brief history.

Robotics

ReWalk is a bionic walking assistance system that enables paraplegics to not only stand upright, but to walk.

Mazor Robotics is an Israeli medical device company and manufacturer of a robotic guidance system for spine surgery. As of September, 2013, the company’s robotics technology was installed in 54 hospital (28 of which were in the U.S.) and has been used in more than 4,000 procedures worldwide. Its initial product, SpineAssist, became the first commercially available mechanical guidance system for spinal surgery.

Chemistry

For those who try to maintain a high protein diet, the discovery of the role of the protein Ubiquitin, by two researchers at the Technion Institute, in Haifa, led them to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Optics

Medigus Ltd. developed the world’s smallest video camera (0.039 inches in diameter; 0.99 mm). The camera is designed for medical endoscopic procedures in hard to reach regions of the human anatomy. An endoscope is an illuminated optical, typically slender and tubular instrument that is used to look deep into the body and used in procedures called an endoscopy. It is used to examine the internal organs like the throat (esophagus), bladder (cystoscope), kidney (nephroscope), colon (colonscope), abdomen or pelvis (laparoscope), among others. They can also be used to examine visually and diagnose, or assist in surgery, such as an arthroscopy. Anyone who has had to undergo a medical procedure using an endoscope is thankful for the development of the tiny video camera.

In line with the smallest video camera of Modigus Ltd. is the “Pillcam”, developed by Given Imaging. It is the first capsule endoscopy solution to record images of the digestive tract. The capsule is in the size and shape of a pill and contains a tiny camera. It is Israel’s “camera in a capsule” that has been approved for esophagus diagnosis. For BDS supporters, this may be a hard pill to swallow.

Medicine

Azilect (or Rasagiline) is used to treat symptoms in early Parkinson’s disease, or as an adjunct therapy in more advanced cases. The Israeli pharmaceutical company, Teva, marketed the drug, in partnership with others, in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere. For additional news along these lines, click here.

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science are responsible for the development of the Copaxone immunomodular drug (also known as Glatiramer Acetate and as Copolymer 1) for treating multiple sclerosis.

Interferon proteins were also discovered by a researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Interferons are a certain type of “signaling proteins” released by host cells in response to the presence of certain pathogens (for example, viruses, bacteria, parasite and also tumor cells). The release of interferons by an affected cell alerts nearby cells to heighten their anti-viral defenses.

Breakthrough in a cure for leukemia. A research team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Faculty of Medicine developed a new biological drug that had a significant success rate in the laboratory. The drug acts like a cluster bomb and attacks several leukemic proteins at once, making it difficult for the leukemia cells to activate other proteins that can evade the therapy. This “single-molecule drug accomplishes the work of three or four separate drugs. If it were to be used in humans, one of its potential advantages would be to reduce the number of different drugs – each with its own side effects — to which cancer patients would need to be exposed. The other promising aspect of this new drug is its ability to eradicate leukemia stem cells. This has long been the big challenge in cancer therapy and one of the main reasons that scientists have been unable to cure acute leukemia.”

Nano Eye-Drops – a potential alternative to laser correction, glasses and contact lenses. The eye drop adjusts the refraction of light through the cornea, the protective layer that rests above the eye’s lens and the iris.

Computer Hardware / Software

The USB flash drive – a “disk on key” memory data storage device integrated with a USB interface, is said to be the brainchild of the  Israeli company M-Systems, working in partnership with IBM. 

The Intel 8088 is the first PC CPU (central processing unit) from IBM that was designed in Israel at Intel’s Haifa laboratory. A CPU is the electronic circuitry within a computer that carries out the instructions of a computer program, by performing the basic operations specified by the instructions. Everyone who uses a computer can be thankful for this development.

Quicktionary Electronic Dictionary is a pen-sized scanner able to scan words or phrases and immediately translate them into other languages, or keep them in memory in order to transfer them to the computer. It was developed by the Israeli company, Wizcom Technologies Ltd.

Laser Keyboard is a form of computer input device, whereby the image of a virtual keyboard is projected onto a surface. When a user touches the surface covered by the image of a key, the device records
the corresponding keystroke. Some of them connect to Bluetooth devices, including smartphones, tablets and mini-PC devices.

Babylon is a computer dictionary and translation program developed by the Israeli company Babylon Software Ltd., established in 1997. It is a tool used, among other things, for translation and uses a text-to-speech agent, so users hear the proper pronunciation of words and text. 

ICQ (which derived its named from the phrase “I Seek You”)  was among the first stand-alone, instant messengers and the first online instant messenger service.

Viber is a proprietary, cross-platform instant messaging, voice-over-Internet Protocol (IP) application for smartphones.

Mobileye vision-based, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) providing warnings for collision prevention and mitigation. Many companies developing autonomous vehicles, such as BMW, rely on Mobileye’s technology. In some places, use of this invention could reduce the costs of car insurance.

OrCam MyEye is a portable, artificial vision device that allows the visually impaired to understand text and identify objects through audio feedback describing what such people are unable to see.

Waze is a GPS-based geographical navigation application program,
which provides turn-by-turn information and user-submitted travel times and route details is available in over 100 countries.

WeCU (pronounced ‘We See You’) Technologies, is a technology able to pickup, analyze, and identify in real time terrorists and is being implemented in airports around the world to help identify potential terrorists.

Defense

Among Israel’s many developments in the area of defense, used worldwide, are the following:

The Uzi submachine gun.

The Python short-range air-to-air missile.

The Protector USV unmanned surface vehicle – the first of its kind to be used in combat.

The Iron Dome mobile air defense system, designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells.

The Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile defense system capable of shooting down ICBMs and other long range missiles.

David’s Sling – an air defense system capable of intercepting enemy planes, drones, tactical ballistic missiles, medium- to long-range rockets and cruise missiles.

MUSIC (Multi Spectral Infrared Countermeasure) – a system that counters surface-to-air heat-seeking missiles.

MagnoShocker – combines a metal detector and a taser to immediately neutralize a dangerous person.

Wall radar – a unique radar, that allows its users to see through walls.

Injured Personnel Carrier – A unique evacuation method, comprises a strap which allows someone to carry a wounded person on his back. See the demonstration on YouTube.

The Emergency Bandage is a first field dressing which can be applied and secured with one hand to prevent bleeding from battlefield injuries.

One more item that was reported in the news this past week is: 

The Bullet-Proof Back Pack. Made by the Israeli company, Masad-Armour. itt is a bullet-proof backpack that transforms into a bullet-proof vest to protect against the threat of school shootings in less than two seconds. To see the demonstration, scroll down to the video portion and see how quickly it can turn into a protective bullet-proof vest.

In addition, Israel has also been at the forefront of advances in mathematics, agriculture, economics and theoretical computer science, among a multitude of other matters, including consumer goods, such as “Epilator” (originally “Epilady”), Wonder Pot and games like Rummikub and Taki. The list is simply too large to describe in this post. You can check this link for a few additional innovations that have been beneficial to people all over the world.

For the BDS people to remain true to what they preach, they should not take advantage of any of Israel’s technology. But, their ideology will eventually yield (if it hasn’t already done so) to their unwillingness to give up their conveniences and when it comes to dealing with issues related to their health. If they ever need a surgical procedure that requires using an Israeli invention, it is doubtful that any of them would be willing to die, because they refuse to use the Israeli invention that could save their lives. So, if BDS people try to distract you from supporting Israel, tell them that they have lost their way, but that they can get back on track by using Waze – a remarkable Israeli invention that will help them find the right way in the shortest possible time. We can explain truthful and reasonable things to them, but we are not responsible if they fail to understand them.

“*** I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Two of the prophetic Fall feasts of Israel, the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonements, are now behind us. Beginning at Sunday evening at sundown, Israel began to celebrate the seventh and final feast, Succot (the Feast of Tabernacles). Officialdom in Israel (government offices, schools and all kinds of businesses) will be closed for eight days, with the first and last days being major feast days. After this holiday, Israel will settle down and return to normal activity, while children wait for the next school-holiday, Hanukkah, in December. 

Tensions remain high in the region, particularly because of the on-going civil war in Syria and the constant threats from the leader of the Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and from the chief mucky-mucks in Iran. The situation was made even more tense following the terrorist attack that took place on Saturday against the military parade in the southern city of Ahvaz, which left some 30 people dead, about half of them from the Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, and another 70-plus wounded. Even though at least two organizations claimed responsibility for the attack, no evidence was forthcoming from them to prove that they carried it out. Other organizations, which were named as being possible perpetrators of the attack, denied having any involvement. At the end of the day, it was not known who was responsible for the attack. 

That event was an embarrassment for the theocratic regime of Iran and its Revolutionary Guard Corp. The fact that the attack was carried out at this time and within the borders of Iran was a particularly difficult blow to Iran’s security establishment, which has boasted of its ability to repel any external threat and revealed that even Iran’s best military unit is vulnerable to a properly coordinated military action. Therefore, it was necessary for them to quickly accuse one or more potential aggressors. In this regard, Zarif accused the United States of being behind the attack, while a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guard accused Saudi Arabia of backing the terrorists. Zarif threatened revenge and the Guards vowed retaliation. “Iran holds regional terror sponsors and their US masters accountable for such attacks. Iran will respond swiftly and decisively in defense of Iranian lives”. Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are fragile, to say the least. Whatever may have been the situation in the past, it never reached such a scale, where so many soldiers were killed inside Iran itself. Even more embarrassing for Iran and a serious blow to its national pride is the fact that the attack was carried out at a military parade commemorating the 30th anniversary of the 8-year war with Iraq. Moreover, the attack came only days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s address  today to the U.N., where he spoke, among other things, about Iran’s destabilizing “aggression and expansion” and sponsorship of terrorism in the region. It is doubtful that Iran will be affected by anything that Trump said.

It would appear that Iran is once again looking to further its threats against both the United States and Israel and may try to use the attack against its Revolutionary Guards as an excuse for additional military action in the region. Even though Iran has no evidence of U.S. or Israeli involvement, the deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards accused them both and said they they should expect a “crushing and devastating” response from Tehran.

Iran chooses to ignore, at least officially, that this particular attack was in response to Iran’s aggressive actions in the Middle East theatre. Iran (formerly known as Persia) is a Shiite-dominated theocracy. It has become more and more involved and entrenched in this region. Its proxies include not only Syria to the northeast of Israel, but the terrorist Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is directly north of Israel and which has played a significant role in the Syrian civil war, supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Last week, Hezbollah’s General Secretary, Hassan Nasrallah, threatened that his organization “possesses precision and non-precision rockets and weapons capabilities…If Israel forces a war on Lebanon, Israel will face a fate and a reality it has never expected on any day.” 

Earlier this month, Iran openly fired multiple missiles on a base in northern Iraq, housing an Iranian Kurdish opposition party. A dozen people were killed and several dozens of people were wounded as a result. The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (“PDKI”), an anti-Iranian organization, accused Iran of using “long-range missiles in a coordinated attack on PDKI’s bases and adjacent refugee camps”. The Kurds, who number about 30 million, have sizeable communities in various countries in the Middle East. The PDKI threatened retaliation for Iran’s actions and it is reasonable to credit that organization with carrying out its threats. If Iran can attack Kurds outside of Iran’s borders, then the Kurds can attack Iranians within Iran’s borders. If, in fact, they were the ones responsible for the attack on the military parade of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, then it would be another example of the eye-for-an-eye mentality so prevalent in Middle East conflicts and portends that more of such incidents will follow.

Iran’s accusation are like “the pot calling the kettle black”. It loves to blame others for behaving as it does. 

According to the United States Department of State’s Annual Country Reports on Terrorism 2017, released 19 September, 2018, at page 218: Iran creates “instability in the Middle East and “uses regional proxy forces to provide sufficient deniability to shield it from the consequences of its aggressive policies” Iran’s nature being what it is, the cycle of cross-border attacks that we’ve seen take place this month will most likely not end soon. The only real question for Israel is: How far will Iran, itself, go to carry out its threats against Israel?

We’ve gone through a few “almost war” scenarios since the beginning of the year, but the actions and threats have fallen short of actual international belligerence.

The two countries weren’t always at odds with one another. In fact, it was quite the opposite.  Israel and Iran were actually friendly and cooperated with one another on many levels, including military cooperation, even after Iran cut diplomatic ties with Israel following Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1979. Today, however, the situation is completely different and Israel views Iran as an existential threat.

In the light of the present, on-going tensions between the two countries, it is difficult to imagine that the two of them ever got along with each other. The “friendly” relationship between the Jewish people and Iran goes back to the time of the Persian King, Cyrus the Great, who allowed the Jews living in Persia to return to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-2, 7-8; 3:7; 4:3; 5:13-14, 17; 6:14; Isaiah 44:28; 45:1, 13). Fast forward to modern times, Iran served as a convenient intermediate point of transit for Jews fleeing Iraq shortly following Israel’s independence in 1948. Ironically, Iran followed Turkey’s lead and, in 1950, it became the second country with a Muslim majority to recognize Israel, although in a de facto manner at first and more officially several years thereafter. The relationship was mutually beneficial for many years, with Iran supplying oil to Israel when other oil-producing countries would not. Israel, for its part, provided assistance to Iran in many different areas, such as agriculture, medicine, construction and military intelligence.

During the 1950’s and 1960’s, Iran was split between its secular and religious elements, with the latter pushing for Iran to join Arab countries in their opposition to Israel. However, the country maintained its secular perspective until the Shah was deposed in 1979. The primary issue that divides Iran and the Arab world today is a religious one. Most of the Arab world are Sunni Moslems (headed up primarily by Saudi Arabia), while Iran leads the minority Shi’ite element. After the secular Shah was deposed in 1979, the religious fringe which took over the country was overtly anti-Israel and promptly severed all relations with Israel and, over time, eventually led to the establishment of local proxies, like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, as well as in other places. However, even after the ties between the two countries were “officially” at an end, Iran purchased hundreds of millions of dollars worth of arms from Israel during the early years of the Iraq-Iran War in the early 1980’s. Religious zeal yielded to secular needs.

When the former U.S.S.R. came apart, things became progressively worse between the two countries and former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an ardent denier of the Holocaust, openly called for the annihilation of Israel. The U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran – a move strongly encouraged by Israel – added to the anti-Israel stance of Iran. It is no wonder that Iran condemns and threatens Israel at every opportunity. 

With Russia’s entry into the Middle East arena, Israel needs to re-evaluate its strategy for multi-front warfare. After Syria shot down a Russian plane, resulting in the death of

some 15 Russian personnel, Russia blamed Israel for what Syria did and now plans to reward Syria and supply it with S-300 air-defense systems – a serious concern for Israel.

Pray for wisdom for our political and military leaders, for strength and boldness for those who stand ready, day and night, to defend us from attacks from our enemies.

“No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.” (Isaiah 54:17)

Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with joy.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

Many things have happened over the past ten days, significant things that will have long-term implications. The U.S. decided to close the Washington, D.C., office of the PLO, then it expelled the PLO ambassador. An Israeli-American, the father of four, was stabbed to death by a “Palestinian” terrorist in broad daylight. And earlier today, Russian blamed Israel for Syria’s shooting down of a Russian jet, following Israel’s attack on the Syrian port city of Latakia. These and other events happened quickly and each deserves its own space. In addition, the Day of Atonements, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, will begin at sundown tonight and continue until sundown tomorrow. From an official perspective, the country will be in a shut-down mode. 

The last post dealt with the background for the establishment of UNRWA and the clear fact that it was devoted exclusively to deal with one class of alleged refugees, with manner of operation that goes contrary to all other relief organizations. Billions of dollars have been poured into this agency by different countries, including the United States, with little or no accountability to those donor countries for how the funds are used. 

Even though throughout the years it was widely believed that the U.S. is biased in favor of Israel, the regrettable reality is that the U.S. is not exempt from bearing its share of responsibility for the broad international acceptance of the false “Palestinian” narrative, a narrative that the “Palestinians” repeat at every opportunity to whoever would listen. This false narrative starts with the unfounded and historically inaccurate claim that Israel stole “Palestinian” land and now illegally occupies it. The myth of stealing the land has been repeated so often and so loudly that the lie has filtered down to the generations that have been born sinice 1948, who are willing to die for a lie. Other aspects of the “Palestinian” narrative include, among other things: that as a result of the claim of Israel stealing “Palestinian” land, so-called “Palestinian refugees”, who now number about 5.5 million, have a “right of return” to reclaim that land and that the Jews have no claim to Jerusalem, all of which belongs to the “Palestinians”. Until now, neither the U.S. nor any other democratic country  was willing to publicly challenge the “Palestinian” narrative. Attempts by the U.S. to give the appearance of being impartial in the Arab-Israeli conflict have not helped to resolve the conflict. Countries have turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to the truth, not wanting to upset the Arab oil-producing nations.

Clearly, the time has come for truth telling with regard to the false claims of the “Palestinian” narrative. One of the most important issues that needs to be dealt with is the falsehood regarding the so-called “Palestinian refugees”. It began as, and continues to be, a political tool that UNRWA perpetuates in an effort to justify its own existence (and the money that it receives and disburses) and to keep the narrative alive, as well as keeping a multitude of people in refugee “camps”. Lest we forget, those who can be legitimately be defined as “refugees” number only about fifty thousand today. The rest are descendants of people who have since died. These descendants never lived in Israel and cannot be considered as refugees under the  definition of the Refugee Convention, mentioned in Part One of this blog, but who are, nevertheless, considered as refugees by UNRWA. Even if the Arab world would agree to resettle them, grant them citizenship and the opportunity to live normal lives, UNRWA would still consider them to be refugees. This position fans the flames of the modern 70-year-old conflict and only makes it worse. It creates a false hope, that is passed down from generation to generation, that the descendants of the Arabs who left Israel prior to the outbreak of the War of Independence will be able to reclaim the land by force and cleanse it from any Jewish presence. UNRWA does its part in this as well, as can be seen here and here. Every country with half a brain in its diplomatic head recognizes the impossibility of Israel agreeing to repatriate millions of alleged “Palestinian” refugees. Clearly, other alternatives need to replace this part of the “Palestinian'” false narrative.

In all fairness, it should be pointed out that Israel had also been willing to placate the international community and allow the continued existence of UNRWA and its support by the international community, rather than attempt to persuade the world that this agency needs to be revamped or cancelled. However, in June, 2017, Israel finally took a stand and declared that UNRWA should be dismantled. The position, announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was based on the argument that there is a lot of incitement against Israel in some of UNRWA’s institutions and that UNRWA’s work perpetuates the “Palestinian refugee” situation, rather than helps to resolve it. Somewhere along the line, the world seemed to overlook the fact that UNRWA’s teachers union and workers union had both been under the control of Hamas for years before Hamas gained control over the Gaza Strip in 2007 – without a word of opposition by UNRWA. And, while we are dealing with UNRWA’s silence, we should be vocal about the fact that UNRWA did not voice any objection to Hamas using its facilities to teach school children to become involved in the war against Israel, as seen in the above videos. So, it was not surprising that the day finally came when Netanyahu announced, “Therefore, the time has come to dismantle UNRWA and merge its components with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR].” There cannot be any real disagreement with the fact that UNRWA was politicized from the outset and has been used as a tool used by the “Palestinians”, who live under the delusion that Israel would one day agree to commit national, demographic suicide by permitting the country to be flooded by millions of so-called “Palestinian refugees”.

While Netanyahu’s belated call for dismantling UNRWA may have been unrealistic, defunding that organization might ultimately accomplish the same goal. This idea has been given a substantial “push” by the United States, who expressed its intention to defund UNRWA. The decision, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, mixed diplomacy and business and made the first conditioned on the second. If the “Palestinians” refused to negotiate peace, they would pay the financial penalty for their failure. In this regard, Trump the businessman was still looking to make his “deal of the century” – a deal that would end the Arab-Israeli conflict. This has long been a policy in international relations – if you want money, be willing to participate in the game and play ball.

At the beginning of this year, the issue became more crystallized, with President Trump tweeting: “But with the ‘Palestinians’ no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?” Good question! It should have been asked decades ago.

Fast forward to 31 August, 2018. The U.S. State Department announced:  “Beyond the budget gap itself and failure to mobilize adequate and appropriate burden sharing, the fundamental business model and fiscal practices that have marked UNRWA for years – tied to UNRWA’s endlessly and exponentially expanding community of entitled beneficiaries – is simply unsustainable and has been in crisis mode for many years. The United States will no longer commit further funding to this irredeemably flawed operation.”

The U.S. move to cut funding to UNRWA was welcomed by Israel. Even the head of Israel’s opposition party, Yair Lapid, said that not only does that organization provide “cover to terror”, it also caters to “5.5 million fake refugees … [and] perpetuates the big Palestinian lie” regarding the number of refugees and their non-existent “right of return”.

Obviously, the decision did not warm the cockles of the hearts of the “Palestinian” leadership, who broadly condemned the move. Only a few days prior to the U.S. announcement that it would cut off the funding to UNRWA, PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat and the main “Palestinian” negotiator in Israeli-“Palestinian” peace talks, responded to another US decision to cut $200 million aid to the “Palestinians”, stating: “The international community is not doing the ‘Palestinians’ a favor by providing them with financial aid. This is a duty of the international community, which bears responsibility for the continued Israeli occupation.” His statement was published on 25 August, 2018, in Arabic in Wafa, the official news site of the “Palestinian” Authority.  This is an incredible statement. The “Palestinians” see themselves as being victimized by Israel and blame the international community for allowing it. In their view, the international community is now indebted to the “Palestinians” and, therefore, obligated to provide it with financial support because of the international support of Israel. Talk about ingratitude! It would appear that the “Palestinians” themselves are not aware of all of the anti-Israel resolutions that have been passed by the “supportive” international community.

Nikki Haley, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, has been a thorn in the side of Israeli-bashing countries in the U.N. since her first day in office. In an interview conducted with her on 29 August, 2018, she stated, among other things, that if the countries that receive funds from the U.S. shout “Death to America”, why should the U.S. give them a single penny? She added: “When you look at UNRWA, there’s a couple of issues there. First of all, you’re looking at the fact that … there’s an endless number of refugees that continue to get assistance, but more importantly, the Palestinians continue to bash America. … They have their hand out wanting UNRWA money. We were supposed to give them $130 million. We cut it in half, saying that they really needed to reform and fix the things they were doing, because they teach anti-Israeli and anti-American things in their textbooks. They are not necessarily doing things that would cause peace. They didn’t say thank you (for the money we did give). UNRWA had them protest in the streets that we didn’t give more.”

At last, U.S. leadership that is prepared to stop funding countries – and organizations (like the PLO) that call out “death to America”. This is so incredibly basic. When the recipient bites the hand that feeds him, why has that hand continued to feed? If the answer defies logic, then we need to look for the answer from a different perspective.

Will rich oil-producing Arab countries step in and make up the shortfall in the funding for UNRWA? Time will tell.

“[The] eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

“Restore us to You, O LORD, that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old“ (Lamentations 5:21)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

If you choose to fast this Yom Kippur, may it be an easy one for you.

Marvin

Shalom all,

The major buzz around here this past week, just before the Jewish New Year (Rosh HaShanah – or Feast of Trumpets) was the excitement, good and bad, over the possible defunding of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) by the United States. This post is intended to provide a background to this matter, which will be followed up by the next post. Since the end of Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, efforts have been made by international agencies and governments to “deal with” the so-called “Palestinian refugee” issue. The issue has gathered momentum and has cost tens of billions of dollars and it seemed as though it was impossible to bring it to a peaceful conclusion. But, God, for Whom nothing is impossible, brings light into darkness and exposes the deceptions of the father of lies.

“Alice: There’s no use trying … one can’t believe impossible things. 

The Queen: I daresay you haven’t had much practice….When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” (Lewis Carroll, 1871, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, Chpt. 5)

In the introductory chapter to her classic work, From Time Immemorial (J. KAP Publishing, 1985), Joan Peters stated: 

“It was 1974, two and a half decades after the war against Israel’s statehood, with several Arab-Israeli wars since, and these . . . people were still refugees . . . . “Why were the Arab refugeees, unlike refugees on other continents, not yet rehabilitated but still in camps?

* * * *

“But the increasingly insistent depiction of the Arab Palestinians as victims of Israel’s existence is difficult to avoid. The high visibility causes nagging doubts. The provoking of doubts is well financed and carefully orchestrated: a mere phone call to request refugee estimates from the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) brings to me, by return mail, not only the requested data, but politically focused brochures and eight giant elegantly printed photographic posters, eloquently and sympathetically depicting Palestinian women and children – ‘Survivors who go on surviving.’ News cameras that once captured ‘terrorist’ Yasser Arafat with his revolvers in the United Nations later find him cuddling infants in the smoking ruins of Lebanon, and still later, as the ‘moderate’ under siege by ‘extremists.'” (Peters, pages 4, 6)

By October, 1948, less than half a year after the establishment of the State of Israel, there was heated debate over the exact number of Arab “refugees” who left Israel. According to the United Nations, the number was estimated to be about 500,000. On December 8, 1949, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 302, establishing an agency under the jurisdiction of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR – whose primary purpose is to resettle and rehabilitate refugees). This agency, UNRWA, was given the unique responsibility to “direct relief and works programs” for the “Palestinian” Arab refugees and for them only. After spending several hundreds of thousands of dollars in an attempt to establish a census, whose purpose was to separate genuine from fraudulent claimants, it finally reported that “it is still not possible to give an absolute figure of the true number of refugees as understood by the working definition of the word.” (Report of the Director, Special Report of Director and Advisory Commission, UNRWA to Sixth Session, General Assemblym UN Document A/1905)

By 1961, the then Agency Director of UNRWA acknowledged that the number of refugees included in the counts by the United Nations, included “other victims of the conflict of 1948”. These were persons neglected by their own, Arab governments, who should not have been included in those considered to be Arab refugees from Israel. “[By] continuing to be unfaithful to its own mandate, UNRWA contributed to further distortion of an already misrepresented and misunderstood refugee situation” (Peters, p. 19)

The Inclusion Clause in Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Refugee Convention provides that a refugee is a person who:

“… owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.”

However, the UNRWA, for the purpose of its trying to obtain a census of Arab refugees in 1950, defined “refugee” as “a person normally resident in Palestine who had lost his home and his livelihood as a result of the hostilities and who is in need.” This definition was modified by UNRWA to include those people who had lived in “Palestine” a minimum of only two years preceding the 1948 conflict. These definitions differed from that of the 1951 Refugee Convention and further perpetuated the great cloud of unresolved doubt regarding the true number of Arab refugees. But, instead of being absorbed by the Arab nations in and around the Middle East, the matter of the refugees remained a political tool, which exploited and perpetuated the issue of the so-called “Palestinian refugees”. UNRWA played a major role in this matter, allowing the definition of a “Palestinian” refugee to also include the descendants of the original so-called “refugees”, resulting in the multiplying of the numbers of alleged “refugees” by hundreds of percent over the original numbers of 1948, whatever they actually were. So, instead of resettling and rehabilitating so-called “Palestinian refugees”, UNRWA has actually perpetuated their existence . . . and its own, thus furthering, rather than resolving, the “Palestinian refugee” issue. The claim of “refugee” status is based on voluntary information supplied by the individuals who seek to benefit from the services of UNRWA.

Present numbers are estimated  to be some 5.5 million refugees. Even if some of these so-called “refugees” became citizens of different countries, they are still treated as “refugees” by UNRWA and eligible for its aid. The “repatriation”, of these alleged “refugees” is one of the major demands of the so-called “Palestinians”. The political structure was and remains well-oiled, well-funded and enables UNRWA to continue its unending goal of providing for the ever-increasing numbers of “Palestinian refugees” – until now. Part Two of this blog post will deal with the present resistance to the continued existence of UNRWA.

It is important to get a perspective of where the billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money have gone over the years. Some of it, unsurprisingly, has ended up in the pockets of the Hamas terrorist organization, many of whose members are openly on the payroll of UNWRA’s full-time staff of some 23,000 people. Despite the almost 70 years since its creation and a present annual budget of hundreds of millions of dollars, getting these so-called “refugees status in different countries is not any closer now than it was back in 1948. UNRWA’s creation was flawed from the outset. It was devoted to one people group and has acted over the last three score and ten years to perpetuate not only the Middle East conflict, but its own existence. The world community has been duped and has been paying a hefty price for the privilege of being used as a financial tool to help prolong a situation that it condemns and wrongfly blames Israel for causing. If you want to know where the problem areas of the world are, follow the money.

The time is long past due for UNRWA’s existence to come to an end and for Arab countries in the Middle East to absorb all of the so-called “Palestinian refugees”, which they have refused to do for the past 70 years. A lie has been perpetrated during all that time. It was repeated over and over again, more and more loudly over the years and is even believed by those who promulgated the lie, to create a great myth – the myth that Israel stole “Palestinian” land. One cannot steal from someone what that someone never owned.

To be continued ….

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19)

“… God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” (Genesis 50:24)

“[In] a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52)

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessolonians 4:16-17)

May this Feast of Trumpets, which begins tomorrow night, bring with it the sound of the Heavenly Trumpet, that when we hear it, our eyes would see the coming of the Glory of the Lord.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

Have a healthy and joyful Rosh HaShanah.

Marvin

Shalom all.

“*** [The] issue of Jerusalem is a misleading one. Whether or not there will be an independent “Palestinian” state somewhere is not the focal point of the conflict. The bottom line is the unwillingness of the Arab states to recognize and allow a Jewish state to exist in their midst. Iran desires to re-establish the Persian caliphate. Turkey wants to re-establish the Ottoman Empire. ISIS wants to establish an Islamic caliphate and usher in the Third Imam. None of these things are possible as long as Israel is in the land of its forefathers that was promised to it by the God of all the earth. To the Islamic mind, the Jew is an infidel, whose presence in the midst of the Arab nations prevents the coming of the Islamic messiah. Therefore, the struggle to remove Israel will continue, whether or not Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, or East Jerusalem will be the capital of a future “Palestinian” state. Real peace will not be based on possession of any particular stretch of desert sand, but upon a recognition and personal acceptance of the Prince of Peace, Messiah Yeshua.

“The only question I have at the moment is ‘What price is Israel going to have to pay for this announcement?’.

In response to the question posed at the end of the quoted segment, one of the long-time readers of this blog wrote: “I believe there are no free lunches. We will be forced to compromise on something significant in exchange. That’s the nature of a deal.”

And so it is. A little more than a month and a half after U.S. President Trump’s historic anouncement, recogning Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel and the Jewish people, he opined that Israeli and “Palestinian” attempts at peace failed because of the inability of both sides to agree over Jerusalem. So, his recognition of Jerusalem was his way of taking the issue of Jerusalem off of the negotiating table. At a press conference held on 26 January, 2018, Trump stated: “there were never any deals that came close because [of] Jerusalem. You couldn’t ever get past Jerusalem. So when people said, oh, I ‘set it back’ – I didn’t set it back. I helped it. Because by taking it off the table, that was the toughest issue. And Israel will pay for that.” (emphasis mine) The removal of Jerusalem from the “peace” discussions prompted the chief “Palestinian” negotiator, Saeb Erekat, to condemn the President’s remarks and to comment that taking Jerusalem off of the table was the equivalent of “taking peace off the table”, as if the issue of peace was ever genuinely a matter for negotiation from the point of view of the “Palestinians”.

About a half year has passed since then, with the proposed “deal of the century” being drafted and re-drafted. And lo and behold, once again we face the reality in politics that “there are no free lunches”. 

Last week, at a rally in West Virginia, President Trump re-shuffled the cards and wanted to deal out a good hand to the “Palestinians”. He referred again to the fact that Jerusalem was “off the table” and that there is a price to pay for that, saying: “We took it off the table. In past negotiations, they never got past Jerusalem. Now Israel will have to pay a higher price because it’s off the table (i.e., because of the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital). The Palestinians will get something very good because it’s their turn next.” (my emphasis)

From the point of view of the “Palestinians”, Trump’s “higher price” in peace talks declaration fell on deaf ears. They dismissed his comments are “meaningless”, asserting that President Trump’s declaration was “a continuation of U.S.’s biased policy in favor of Israel. The U.S. administration is peddling an illusion, as if the ‘deal of the century’ can be implemented without Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state in any future agreement” [and] that if the U.S. does not cancel its statement that the issue of Jerusalem is “off the table”, there is “no chance for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.” As a result of the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the only alleged “compensation” that the “Palestinians” say would be acceptable to them is “to recognize the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.” But, Majdi al-Khaldi,  the senior diplomatic adviser to “Palestinian” Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, hit the nail on the head when he stated that from the “Palestinian” point of view: “The obstacle in the path of the peace process is not Jerusalem – it is the occupation.” And so we come full circle and return to the opening paragraph of this post: The bottom line is the unwillingness of the Arab states to recognize and allow a Jewish state to exist in their midst….Therefore, the struggle to remove Israel will continue, whether or not Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, or East Jerusalem will be the capital of a future “Palestinian” state. 

Things are bound to heat up somewhat, as the U.S. is planning to announce that it rejects the “Palestinian” claim to a right of return and will take this issue “off the table” as well.  If that’s not enough, the waving of the “Palestinian” flag in the public sphere in Israel might become illegal. Such a potential prohibition would apply to the flying of flags of all enemy states and not specifically, or exclusively, to the “Palestinian” flag.

Realistically, we have nothing to talk about with the “Palestinians”. They will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. For our part, we cannot give up any land in the heart of Israel to allow the setting up of a “Palestinian” state in our midst. Such an action would be sheer madness on our part. When will the dead peace process be finally buried? Maybe then, talk about a two-state solution will cease. This is not, and cannot be, an acceptable solution for Israel, but an opportunity for the “Palestinians” for further conflict against Israel.

The proposed “deal of the century” will soon be put on the table. And “the cost of the lunch” will be …..

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” (Ps. 122:6)

“May the L0RD bless you from Zion, He who is the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Ps. 134:3)

Have a great week.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

On 19 July, 2018, the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) passed a quasi-constitutional law, which has come to be known as the “Nation-State Law”. This legislation has been cheered by many and objected to by many more. It has been the center of controversy at home and abroad since its enactment. It has generated public protests attended by tens of thousands. At least seven petitions have been filed with Israel’s Supreme Court in an attempt to have the law declared “unconstitutional”. And, as with most matters of controversy in Israel, it has taken on political overtones. Proponents hail the legislation as a breath of fresh air, claiming, among other things, that it puts Jewish values and democratic values on an equal footing. Opponents condemn it, asserting that law discriminates against Israel’s minority communities. Some of the comments will be mentioned below.

When dealing with legislation, two primary questions need to be asked, namely: (1) What does it say? and (2) What does it mean?

The law itself is relatively short, only 11 provisions. So in answer to the first question – What does it say? – I decided to include here a full translation of it, so that it can be seen as a whole:

Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People

1 – Basic principles

A.  The land of Israel is the historical homeland of the Jewish people, in which the State of Israel was established.

B.  The State of Israel is the national home of the Jewish people, in which it fulfills its natural, cultural, religious and historical right to self-determination.

C.  The right to exercise national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people.

2 – The symbols of the state

A.  The name of the state is “Israel.”

B.  The state flag is white with two blue stripes near the edges and a blue Star of David in the center.

C.  The state emblem is a seven-branched menorah with olive leaves on both sides and the word “Israel” beneath it.

D.  The state anthem is “Hatikvah.”

E.  Details regarding state symbols will be determined by the law.

3 – The capital of the state

Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel.

4 – Language

A.  The state’s language is Hebrew.

B.  The Arabic language has a special status in the state; Regulating the use of Arabic in state institutions or by them will be set in law.

C.  This clause does not harm the status given to the Arabic language before this law came into effect.

5 – Ingathering of the exiles

The state will be open for Jewish immigration and the ingathering of exiles.

6 – Connection to the Jewish people

A.  The state will strive to ensure the safety of the members of the Jewish people in trouble or in captivity due to the fact of their Jewishness or their citizenship.

B.  The state shall act within the Diaspora to strengthen the affinity between the state and members of the Jewish people.

C.  The state shall act to preserve the cultural, historical and religious heritage of the Jewish people among Jews in the Diaspora.

7 – Jewish settlement

A.  The state views the development of Jewish settlement as a national value and will act to encourage and promote its establishment and consolidation.

8 – Official calendar

The Hebrew calendar is the official calendar of the state and alongside it the Gregorian calendar will be used as an official calendar. Use of   the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar will be determined by law.

9 – Independence Day and memorial days

A.  Independence Day is the official national holiday of the state.

B.  Memorial Day for the Fallen in Israel’s Wars and Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day are official memorial days of the State.

10 – Days of rest and sabbath

The Sabbath and the festivals of Israel are the established days of rest in the state; Non-Jews have a right to maintain days of rest on their Sabbaths and festivals; Details of this issue will be determined by law.

11 – Immutability

This Basic Law shall not be amended, unless by another Basic Law passed by a majority of Knesset members.

That’s it. Relatively short and to the point. After it had been debated and revised for over a year, it was passed by a vote of 62 in favor, 55 against, with two abstentions. Commenting upon the legislation immediately after its passage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated this was “a pivotal moment in the annals of Zionism and the State of Israel…We enshrined in law the basic principle of our existence. Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people, that respects the individual rights of all its citizens. This is our state — the Jewish state. In recent years there have been some who have attempted to put this in doubt, to undercut the core of our being. Today we made it law: This is our nation, language and flag.”

As for the second question – What does it mean? – this is the part that has sparked such ongoing opposition and antagonism. The primary argument of critics of the law is that it is discriminates against minorities in Israel. This claim is expanded upon and embellished, and is filled with accusations of wrong-doing, including the enshrinement into law of racial superiority, relegation of minorities to being second-class citizens and insensitivity to their feelings.

In a nutshell, the language of the nation-state law is designed to make sure that Israel does not succumb to multi-culturalism that would destroy its national identity, its historical and Biblical right to the land and its unique culture, that was generated primarily by Jews who returned to their ancestral homeland, bringing with them both diversity with identity. What Israel wants to achieve with this law is exactly what its opponents want to prevent – an attempt to make the obvious explicit: Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, with all that such a statement entails. That means it can have an official language, a flag,  national holidays and that it possesses the sole right to expand its tent pegs to settle the land, from “Dan to Beer Sheva”. It is this latter aspect which is the crux of the opposition to it. Just as a brief aside: The law refers to the “development of Jewish settlement”, not the setting up of “settlements”. There is a significant difference between the two.

If the “exercise [of] national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people”, that precludes non-Jews from being able to claim the right to self-determination as a nation within the borders of Israel. The need for such a provision is abundantly evident in light of the unrelenting efforts of the so-called “Palestinians” to claim a non-existent right of return to the land to set up a “Palestinian” state. As has been mentioned time and time again, the Islamic perspective is that Judaism, along with Christianity, are false religions and that Islam has replaced Judaism. From that perspective, Islamists assert that there can no basis for the establishment of a Jewish state. But, Jews can continue to live, along with Christians, under Islamic law and rules. So, if there is no “right” to a Jewish state, the argument naturally follows that Jews also have no right to defend it, i.e., Israel should have no army or other defenders of the nation, but Jews and others should live at the mercy of Islam.

But, there is more. Israel’s Arab neighbors reject Israel’s very existence as the “nation-state” of the Jewish people. Their constant claim is that Judaism is a religion and not a nationality and that “Islamic history” negates any Jewish connection with “Palestine”. This denial of genuine historical fact regarding the ties between the Jews and the land known as Israel is an essential part of Islamic theology, which asserts that any land that was ever under the control of Islam remains holy to Islam, even if Islam’s rule is temporarily removed from the land. Viewed from this perspective, all of Israel is considered as “occupied territory”, as it was once controlled by the Ottoman Empire, which was Islamic.

Thus, the enshrining into this new law the factual existence of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people runs contrary to everything that is claimed by the “Palestinians” and Islam and is a difficult pill to swallow.

In this regard, the real underlying opposition to the law became abundantly clear during one of the rallies that took place a few weeks ago, during the course of which “Palestinian” nationalist symbols, like flags, were displayed. Stated differently, the outcry against the new law is that it fails to treat all Israeli citizens equally. And the intention behind the argument of inequality is that it denies “Palestinians” the right to “national self-determination”, i.e., to set up a state of their own “in the State of Israel”. And so it is as it should be! The calls for “Palestinian” national rights at the protest gathering were what the opposition is really all about. Those calls were interspersed with calls in support of a “Palestinian” state and against Israel, even including the oft-repeated cries of Hamas terrorists, “With blood and fire, we will redeem ‘Palestine'”, as well as “Millions of martyrs are marching to Jerusalem.”

The new law is not intended to be legislation in the normal course, designed to guide the daily affairs of the country’s populace. It is intended to be a formal “declaration” of what Israel is, historically, nationally and Biblically – the place where God has called the Jewish people, the place where He wants to bless them and, as a consequence, to bless the world through them.  The desired equality that opponents of this law desire could well eventually result in the same multi-culturalism that Islamists have successfully used to bring about the cultural suicide that Europe is experiencing in our day.

All the issues raised by the Nation-State law are not dealt with here. Some things in the law will still need to be ironed out. For the time being, the controversy will continue.

Then the LORD said to him [Moses], “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants’.” (Deut. 34:4)

This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: Save [us], LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. (Psalm 120:2)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

It seems like a long time since I last wrote. Well, maybe because it is a long time, some of which is attributable to my being abroad and some from severe jet lag. While in the U.S., I experienced what some would refer to as “culture shock”. It simply is not the same place that it was when I left there in the mid-80’s. My wife’s suitcase was “lost” on the way over and then “found, three and a half weeks later, the day before the return trip. On landing in Tel Aviv, my wife and I discovered that her suitcase did not make it on the plane together with us. But, the airline was prompt and diligent to deliver it to our home the very next day. The great part about the trip was catching up with dear friends and even having a mini-family reunion. There were times of sharing the Word of Truth in local congregations, as well as about our pro-life ministry in Israel. We were in four states and drove through two more. All in all, we had sweet fellowship with precious brethren and were able to catch up with family members. The time seemed to fly.

Upon returning to Israel, the big issue of the day was the backlash against the passage of what is known as the “Nation-State Law”. Its passage has resulted in renewed accusations of apartheid, caused at least one politician to submit his resignation as a Member of Knesset (Israel’s Parliament), generated mass protests and created a serious rift with the Druze community in Israel, which, up to the time of the Bill’s passage, had been strong supporters of Israel and, and, and….

What is it about this new law that has generated such antagonism and split even further the political divide? Is the criticism justified or is it merely the result of a lack of understanding regarding its content and consequences? This is what was on my mind, but it took second place to the recent events taking place in the south of Israel.

As a brief reminder, every Friday for the last several months, violent demonstrations have taken place along the Gaza fence, which separates Gaza from Israel communities in the south of Israel. As part of those weekly incidents, whose participants number in the thousands, terrorists use all kinds of weapons against the soldiers who are protecting our southern border. While various weapons have been used by terrorists from Gaza against the IDF, causing injuries and even one soldier’s death, the Hamas terrorist organization has also used incendiary kites that have destroyed wide areas of agricultural property and have caused damage to residences, businesses, and individuals here. 

However, beginning this past Wednesday night and continuing into Thursday, Hamas once again broke the cease-fire that it asked for and about 200 rockets were fired from Gaza into communities by Hamas terrorists. The Reuters News Agency captured one of the Hamas missiles exactly at the moment when it was intercepted and destroyed by Israel’s Iron Dome Defense System. But, when Hamas tried to stretch its wings and fired a rocket toward

Beersheva, that was the trigger that resulted in the IDF retaliating and destroying a building in Gaza City that was used by the internal security forces of Hamas. Israel retaliated against approximately 140 Hamas military targets. People on both sides of the conflict have been injured or wounded, some seriously, some mortally.

The missile barrage on Israel of some 200 projectiles within the space of less than 24 hours was picked up by many media sites. But, not all of them bothered to deal with the essential facts, so that the matter could be put into proper perspective. This appears to be particularly true when the one on the receiving end is Israel. As is often the case when reporting about Israel, the realities of the situation are twisted to the point of casting blame on the victim, Israel, instead of Hamas.

Case in point, as reported in Hebrew by Ynet:  The British Broadcasting Company (the BBC) issued a Tweet, whose headline read: “Israeli airstrikes ‘kill woman and toddler'”, without any mention of the rocket barrage fired at Israel. A spokesperson from the Israeli Foreign Ministry responded: “This is a formal complaint by [the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs]. This title is a deliberate misrepresentation of reality (that’s the polite equivalent of “this is a LIE”, if you don’t get it). Israelis were targeted by Hamas and IDF acts to protect them. Change it IMMEDIATELY!!!”

While the Twitter account did not change the headline right away, the news site changed the headline to read: “Gaza air strikes ‘kill woman and child’ after rockets hit Israel.” Later on, the original Tweet in Twitter was deleted and a new Tweet was written: “The Israeli army says it attacked Hamas targets in response to the firing of dozens of rockets at Israel.” What should be noted about the “P” report of the mother and child is that the “Ps” actually took the photo from somewhere else. It is a photo of an American baby that they downloaded from Instagram.

Most of the larger news networks were fairly balanced in their headlines, even those which chose to include in the bylines the death of the “Palestinian” mother and her daughter, following the Israeli response to the missile barrage. But, the popular Italian newspaper, “La Republica”, stood out in its blatant failure to every try to present the reality of the situation. It read: “Gaza: A pregnant Palestinian mother and her daughter, a year and a half old, were killed by bombings.” In the sub-headline, there appeared only: “Among the victims was also a 30-year old man. The present escalation in the Gaza Strip comes when Egypt and the U.N. are brokering an attempt to bring about a cease-fire.”

The firing of missiles from Gaza was not mentioned at all in the article that appeared on the front page and only those who bothered to read further were able to discover the information about the firings from Gaza. It seems that only when we do something, that it becomes newsworthy – distorted, but newsworthy.

I could easily relate to the multitude of different news sites that bothered to report on the matter, which didn’t even try to put first things first. But, this would only repeat what has already been written. Prejudice against Jews and Israel is expressed in many forms and, sometimes, it is expressed by its failure to present the entire picture, thus creating a misleading impression, which allows one’s innate attitudes to take over.

But, where do we go from here? There has been yet another “temporary” cease-fire. If things go as they have always gone, the present cease-fire will soon cease – Hamas will once again fire missiles into Israel and we will once again retaliate. And we will be blamed again for defending ourselves and for surviving and for the consequences of our retaliation to the instigation of Hamas.

Expressed somewhat differently, we are, and will continue to be, accused of a disproportionate response. And the cycle will begin again. Residents in the south of Israel are willing to risk war for the sake of gaining long-term peace and quiet. Mothers do not want to constantly be in a situation where they need to decide which child to save when the sirens sound, signaling incoming missiles.

As a result of the missile bombardment, Air Force personnel were called up and ground troops were being prepared for a move southward for another military engagement with Gaza. Israel is pragmatic and knows that at some point, it will have no choice, but to re-enter Gaza. Most of us will agree with the words of President Thomas Jefferson: “I have seen enough of one war never to wish to see another.” War is not our goal, nor is it our desire. It never has been. But, it is a reality that we have dealt with in the past and will, unfortunately, have to deal with again before too long. 

So, why haven’t we already put an end to this on-going cycle of “If you hit me, I’ll just hit you back, harder”?

Several possibilities exist: (1) Gaza is simply a time bomb with a fuse, that once it is ignited, it will cause the entire region to explode, something that Israel does not want – nor do most of Israel’s neighbors; (2) If a war breaks out with Hamas, which is an Iranian proxy, Iran could pull the strings with its other proxies in the region and bring about a multi-front war with Israel – Hezbollah in Lebanon (north), Assad in Syria (northeast) and Hamas from Gaza (southeast), as well as the possibility of direct confrontation with Iran (from the far northeast). While being far from an ideal situation, Israel is already planning for this eventuality; (3) Another war with Hamas is likely to generate a worldwide backlash, particularly from a media point of view. Regrettably, Israel has not done well in the war of public opinion. 

And so we wait. 

In the meantime, proposals are being considered in order to bring about another, admittedly, “temporary peace” with Gaza. But, none of the proposals are good for Israel. We cannot allow our enemies to dictate to us terms for peace. The consequences of “them” deciding, rather than Israel, will be disastrous. It’s been said that “War settles nothing.” 

“And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples, And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.” (Isaiah 2:4)

Have a great week and remember: Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

No fewer than 18 times, the Bible refers to this land as “a land flowing with milk and honey”. We can argue about what “milk and honey” means, but it would be difficult to interpret the positive perspective of “flowing” in any way other than what the rational mind would understand it to be, namely, abundance and, when combined with “milk and honey”, abundantly fertile. Twice, within the context of describing the land that God gave to the Israelites, He refers to it as “flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.” (Ezekiel 20:6, 15).

There is a proper place for trying to understand what is meant by that phrase. We can take it apart, word by word, and attempt to explain what we think it means today, what we think it meant to those who were living in Bible times and were about to enter this land, as well as what we think was understood by those who actually did enter. There is a beauty that the Scriptures reveals and proper examination of it illumines the eyes of our understanding and quickens our heart to anticipate “the glory of all lands” that still awaits us.

When the Israelites entered the land after forty years of wandering in the desert, there was work to be done. It had to be “cleared” before it could be properly enjoyed. The Israelites faced constant opposition and attempts to steal and destroy what they sowed and wanted to reap. Their enemies encouraged one another, saying “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be no more.” (Psalm 83:4) The more things change, the more they remain the same. 

After two thousand years of diaspora “wandering”, the descendants of Abraham, Isaach and Jacob returned to the land. It needed to be “cleared” before it could be properly enjoyed. They met considerable opposition, yet they persevered. The “dry bones” (Ezekiel 37) were revived and once again, the land began to flow with milk and honey. Agricultural cooperatives were set up “from Dan to Beersheva” (i.e., from the north to the south of Israel). We taught a multitude of countries how to cultivate their lands, fatten their cows and irrigate their deserts. In the midst of opposition and despite and multitude of wars, this country grew, developed industry, cultural programs, technology and centers for higher education. The dry areas were fertilized and yielded produce, which was exported to nations all over the world. Israel was becoming a physical and material blessing to the nations. 

But, there is another consideration that cannot be overlooked, namely, that Israel is to be a spiritual blessing whereby all the families of the earth will be blessed by it. (Genesis 12:1-3). “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”‘” (Zechariah 8:23). This remains an event for a future day. Hopefully, it is not too far off.

Yet, today, efforts are being made to turn blessing into cursing. Movements abound that try to delegitimize Israel and to condemn the Jewish people. If some could have their way, we would be blamed for every evil under the sun. The “father of lies” is very good at what he does and is not without gullible adherents. Most people tend to condemn what they do not fully understand. Some are taught to hate from childhood on. Blame is always put on “the other guy”, who, more often than not, turns out to be a Jew or the nation of Israel. So it is today.

During the last two months, our neighbors to the southwest, in Gaza, have attempted to breech the security fence between Gaza and communities in Israel. They have been warned not to approach the security fence, but those warning went unheeded. Stirred on by the terror organization Hamas, civilians are used as human shields. Weapons are used against Israeli troops, who are doing their job to defend our population from terrorist infiltration. Some people are killed, many are wounded. Israeli is blamed by the community of nations, who condemn Israel for continuing to exist. The latest i

n the arsenal of weapons used by “Palestinians” is the “terror kite”. It is a regular kite, usually with a swastika put on it, to which a Molotov cocktail is attached. It is sent over the fence, explodes and causes severe fire damage to agricultural and other lands and property in civilian areas, resulting in considerable economic loss and severe ecological pollution.

Look at the contrast: This is what some of Israel looks like, because of the desire to build a nation and an infrastructure that will benefit the population of Israel. This, on the other hand, is what Hamas desires to do to Israel.

Billions of dollars have been pumped into the “Palestinian” Authority, which has been used to fund three wars against Israel since Hamas took over Gaza in 2007. It has been used to develop a terrorist infrastructure, instead of one that will help to improve the life of the citizens of Gaza. They don’t have anything that they want to protect, so they try to take what we have and what we want to protect. And that totally useless organization, the U.N. (I won’t even credit it with its full name) once again is being asked to condemn Israel for its actions to protect what belongs to it. This is where I live and I will do what I can to protect my home and my family. If this were your home, wouldn’t you do the same?

Please keep my two sons in your prayers. One is on active duty and the other is on reserve duty. Thanks.

Have a long life, peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. (1 Sam. 25:6)

The LORD said to Abram … “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your deascendants forever.” (Genesis 13:14-15)

Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah* as far as the western sea, and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’;” (Deuteronomy 34:1-4)

* For those who may think that we are occupying “Palestinian” land, it should be noted that “the land of Judah” includes Gaza (Joshua 15:1, 47), which they are temporarily occupying.

Have a great week.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

Marvin

In a scathing article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal on May 20th, entitled: The Truth About Hamas and Israel, the IDF Spokesperson, Brig. General Ronen Manelis, summed up the method of Hamas’s “war” against Israel and reminded the vast readership of the paper of the goals of this terrorist group: “Their [i.e., Hamas officials’] modus operandi is simple: Lie. Their lies support the stated goal of Hamas: the delegitimization and destruction of Israel.” He accused the Hamas terror organization, which has been ruling Gaza since 2007, of orchestrating “theatrics” for an international audience – theatrics which resulted in the deaths of dozens of “Palestinians” during the violent weekly, Friday demonstrations along the Gaza border fence. And, the worst thing about it is that the leftist media bought the narrative, hook, line and sinker. There was international outrage, calls for probes by the U.N. Human Rights Council (there’s a misnomer if there ever was one) and calls for setting up an international force that would protect (can you believe it?) the population of Gaza.. There were gatherings and events all planned to voice complaint against Israel for the deaths of alleged “innocent” victims of the Gaza fence uprisings. Then, Hamas itself revealed that 50 of the some 60 “Palestinians” killed were Hamas members. Islamic Jihad added 3 of its members to those who were killed. One would think that the bottom fell out of the arguments of those who condemned Israel and that they realized that the vast majority of the “innocents” were, in fact, active members of terrorist organizations, armed with weapons, hunting slingshots, explosives and “kite bombs”, who mixed in with the crowd and stirred them on. But, that wasn’t the case. 

Michael Oren, Israel’s Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy, recently stated: “There’s a war being waged and we’re not even on the battlefield.” He added: “Hamas can’t cut through the fence, so it wants to get people killed in order to delegitimize Israel. And the press plays into that, the press enables Hamas to win.” And, much to our regret, in words of Lt. Colonel Jonathan Conricus, the head of the IDF’s internationl media department, regarding the fight for international public opinion, Hamas won an “overwhelming victory, by [a] knockout”. Conricus continued: “Hamas wanted the casualties, Hamas wanted people to die. Hamas wanted the pictures of the wounded and the overflowing hospitals and everything else…It’s been very difficult to tell our story”, adding that some of it is his fault.

If that wasn’t bad enough, along comes the article by Thomas L. Friedman, in the New York Times of May 22, 2018, entitled, Hamas, Netanyahu and Mother Nature. I could discuss the inconsistencies and errors, prejudices and presumptions contained in the article, which was simply another in a seemingly endless series of articles getting on Israel’s case. But, rather than do so here, I refer to you to a somewhat lengthy, but nevertheless informative, criticism of Friedman’s latest condemnation of our country and government, appearing in Israpundit. This will give you an idea:

But even compared to his past inanities, [Thomas Friedman’s] latest column, “Hamas, Netanyahu and Mother Nature”, is a real doozy—a “masterful” blend of personal bile and bias, liberally laced with logical inconsistencies, factual inaccuracies and even blatant non-sequiturs.

….

Friedman has of course, been long been captive to the seductive deception of two-statism. At the base of this dogma is the belief that, among the Palestinian-Arabs, there is a leader sufficiently reasonable to cut a deal acceptable to Israel and sufficiently authoritative to ensure its implementation.

Accordingly, in order to sustain their political credo, (or rather, “cult”), two-state adherents have to conjure up imaginary Palestinian-Arabs and an imaginary Palestinian-Arab society, significantly different from those that actually exist on Planet Earth.

It is difficult to refrain from commenting myself on statements that are based on historical error and misinformation in Friedman’s article. But, since others have done so, I will forego it at this point. Many years ago, before immigrating to Israel, I enjoyed reading The New York Times, which tried to live up to its slogan, “All the News That’s Fit to Print.” But, news that is distorted is not “fit to print” and should not be treated as news at all. With ethical considerations no longer part and parcel of a reporter’s responsibility, allowing him/her to “make”, rather than “report”, news. So maybe the slogan should be changed to “All the News That Fits We Print”. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that this is not my opinion only, but the opinion of all those who really want to know what is going on, factually, not fictionally. 

The “Palestinians” want Israel to answer for the Gaza incidents before the International Criminal Court, totally ignoring their own responsibility for the deaths of their own citizens. Israeli farmers are planning to retaliate and will seek to hold Hamas legally and criminally responsible for the destruction of Israeli fields, property and produce, resulting from the “kite fire bombs” that the “Palestinians” sent over the Gaza fence. The destruction of Israeli fields and vineyards from the “kite terror” is now a daily event and a genuine concern. Israel is totally justified in defending its borders against infiltration, whether against one or against a multitude. But, as Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated: “History has shown us time and again that what is right is not what is popular.” 

With the commencement of the month-long Moslem celebration of Ramadan, which began this year on May 16th, violence along the Gaza fence has not diminished. The focus of world attention has shifted from Iranian involvement in Syria to violent clashes along the Gaza border fence. The weekly, Friday confrontations continue. The leadership of Hamas continues to send Gazans to confront the Israel Defense Force, which is determined to prevent “Palestinian” infiltration into Israel communities. And, of course, the leftist media continues to miss the mark and fails to understand that these demonstrations are not for the benefit of the Gazan population. The people are being used as “walking bombs” by the Hamas leadership in its goal to win the war of public opinion. The price: 50 Shekels (about US $14 or £10.50 or CAD $18.20). 

In his excellent article entitled Hamas: Fight to the last Gazan, Dr. Mordechai Kedar brings us full circle to the need to recognize the role that the media plays in encouraging “Hamas’ satanic plans”. As Dr. Kedar states, in part, in his article, which I heartily recommend that you read: 

“Every person killed is a public relations accomplishment for Hamas, every person wounded is a propaganda gain to mislead viewers in Europe and America who have no understanding of Hamas’ satanic plans to use the people of Gaza as live ammunition against Israel, knowing that they will be killed as soon as they try to break through the fence….Everyone in Gaza…now knows exactly what happens to anyone who comes near the fence. That makes the rioters themselves and the Hamas organization which sends them fully responsible for the deaths of these live bullets.

However, the foreign press is another responsible party of which the public must be made aware. Anyone who understands Hamas’ plans knows full well that without media coverage all the riots near and at the fence would not have occurred. After all, why would Hamas waste human ammunition unless it could make an impression on world opinion?

This is where Israeli idiocy steps in, as Israel allows foreign media to reach the immediate surroundings of  Gaza…[The] media act as tools of the Hamas terrorists, useful idiots who spread Hamas propaganda without charge.”

Why doesn’t Israel shut down, at least temporarily, the internet access which it supplies to Gaza? We provide the internet that allows Hamas to spread its propaganda. We supply Gaza with electricity, that allows Hamas satellite television broadcasting. Maybe the world outcry against depriving the “Palestinians” of access to media outlets would be considered a fate worse than death. 

Dr. Kedar closes his article on an optimistic note: 

“There   is no question that Israel will defeat Hamas, because Israel is fighting a just war and Hamas is a terror organization whose reign of terror over Gaza turns its population into disposable ammunition with its own evil hands. The fate of Hamas is not in doubt: It will be dumped in the ash heap of history, along with the other Arab dictators who were overthrown in the “Arab Spring.”  Hamas, the despotic and tyrannical terror movement, is no different than they, because it, too, is prepared to sacrifice the Palestinian Arabs down to the last man on the altar of its own survival.” 

In the meantime, the violence continues, also in places other than along the Gaza border fence. Staff Sergeant Ronen Lubarsky, a 20-year-old IDF soldier, who served in the elite Duvdevan unit, was critically injured a week ago Thursday, during an operation in a refugee camp near Ramallah. He was struck by a large marble slab thrown on his head from the third floor of a building. He died of his injuries two days later and was buried last Sunday morning. Despite the tragedy of his son’s death, Ronen’s father stated, in part: “Also in these difficult days I am content, because the nation of Israel has embraced my family with a strong embrace that I did not believe existed. Our great victory is that we will live full lives.” Ronen was a close friend of one of my youngest’s son’s friends. May the God of all comfort touch the hearts of his family and grant them all His abundant comfort.

Ronen’s death is a tough reminder of the fact that among the many tasks that the IDF has, one of them is to go into the refugee camps and other places in the administered territories to search for and arrest “Palestinians” wanted by Israeli authorities, some of them before they perform an act of terror. This is an ongoing activity for the unit, which operates on a moment’s notice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year long. 

Then there are the rockets that Hamas fires off in the direction of Israeli civilian communities. They shoot the rockets. We retaliate. Two days ago, Hamas asked for a cease fire. We agreed. They immediately violated the cease fire. We struck back. Have you ever had a rocket land close enough to you to shake the foundations of your residence and your entire neighborhood? That is our reality. What would YOU do? 

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

The LORD your God is in your midst. A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy. He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. (Zephaniah 3:17)

[The] Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

Marvin

On January 18, 2018, an article appeared in American Thinker, entitled “The moral inversion of ‘humanitarian groups luring the poor into death traps”. It opens with the question: “How do you say ‘chutzpah’ in Spanish?” It focused on the accusation of two “purported ‘humanitarian’ groups” that blame the deaths of border violators on the U.S. Border Police, who destroy the food and water left by these two groups for the migrants who try to infiltrate the border. The writer continues: “Providing food and water to lure people into a potentially fatal journey is reprehensible….Anyone who encourages people to violate our laws and do so in a life-threatening manner is doubly culpable in my book….We are supposed to be outraged by the sight of Border Patrol agents executing their protective function.” No one would seriously deny that the United States has the right to defend its borders against those who would illegally seek to infiltrate its territory.

Let’s move some nine thousand miles east to the State of Israel and the wire fence separating Gaza from Israeli communities in the south of the country. Tens of thousands of Gaza residents attempt to storm the fence, tear it down and infiltrate into Israeli territory where they can destroy property, injure, kill and kidnap Israeli citizens. In the process, they use whatever weapons they have at their disposal, some resulting in personal injury and others causing considerable property damage. Standing between the infiltrators and their intended goals of “returning” to themselves what never belonged to them is the Israel Defense Forces (“the IDF”). The leaders of rioters make promises to them that they can never keep and urge civilians to put themselves at risk of injury or death in their attempts to get to the other side of the fence. The IDF holds its position and repels the attempts to infiltrate Israel’s borders. Gazans are shot, many are wounded, some are killed. 

Most of the reactions by the leftist media and by many so-called democratic governments around the world, with very few notable exceptions, are “outraged by the sight of [the IDF] executing their protective function”. Some foreign, cultural functions in Israel are cancelled, diplomatic representatives are called home and countries call for the investigation of Israel’s use of “disproportionate” force. We live in a world that does not wince at applying a “double standard” whenever Israel is involved. We usually find ourselves on the wrong side of the “moral inversion”, being blamed for surviving attempts to kill us and for defending against those who would steal the land that has been restored in accordance with God’s promise and possessed after the shedding of the blood of our relatives and friends. 

The Hamas terrorist organization instigates its people to go on suicide missions against the IDF. From the perspective of the depraved leadership of Hamas, the more dead Gazans, the better. The international media thrives on pictures of bleeding bodies, but ignores pointing a finger at the ones responsible for the deaths and injuries – the obsessed leadership of Hamas – and instead accuses Israel of acting improperly and even of committing war crimes. Writers need to fill their word quota. Newspapers need to increase their circulation. Media outlets are unrestrained in accusing the wrong person, because reporters are no longer bound by ethical standards. Truth and balanced reporting, if they truly ever existed, are now things of the past.

The reasons given for the violent uprisings – not peaceful protests, but terror attacks, are without foundation. In years past, there was the “intifida” that began following a “Palestinian” accusation that Israel had “invaded” the Al-Aqsa Mosque, or was trying to “destroy” the mosque, or that allowing Jews to visit the Temple Mount in Jerusalem would “defile” the holy sites of the “Palestinian” people. The most recent uprisings along the Gaza fence is allegedly in opposition to the announcement of U.S. President Trump which declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and because the U.S. moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This is absolute nonsense. The recent uprisings are in connection with the “March of Return”, and have no connection with anything that the U.S. did or intended to do. The main events took place along the Gaza fence, not in Jerusalem or in the capitals of other Arab countries in the Middle East. 

Hamas leaders were so confident that the Gaza border clashes would result in victory, that they handed out detailed instructions via social media, informing the protesters which “Palestinian” leader would be giving a victory speech after the border was breached. But, the leadership of Hamas did not take part in the border clashes. They sent members of their terrorist organization, who were dispersed among the civilians. Hamas later admitted that 80% of the fatalities of the border incidents in April and 85% of those killed this past Tuesday (Nakba Day) were Hamas and Islamic Jihad military personnel. Yet, instead of reporting on these admissions, the western media continues to condemn Israel and call for the prosecution of Israel’s leaders. Major General (res.) Yaakov Amidror of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies rightly commented on this earlier last week: “They sit in air-conditioned offices in Europe and think that we’re facing demonstrations in Brussels against the central bank, and then preach to Israel about how to handle the riots.”

As David M. Weinberg, vice president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, stated  on May 18th: 

“It is stomach-churning that people call the Gaza border death toll “disproportionate.” How many Israelis have to die for the sake of symmetry and ersatz Western scruples?

“It is also annoying that Western do-gooders seem to accept Palestinian “days of rage” as tolerable behavior. As if the Palestinians can’t help themselves from throwing a tantrum. As if responsible and reasonable behavior, such as negotiation, democratic discourse and normative state-building, can’t be expected of the Palestinians.

“This is the soft bigotry of low expectations and the counterpart hard bigotry of demands for impeccable/impossible conduct from Israel. This stems, I sense, from an inability to internalize the fact that despite Israel’s Oslo Accord concessions and multiple peace offers ever since, much of the Palestinian national movement has not changed its goal of annihilating Israel and replacing it with a Palestinian state. That is, of course, the meaning of Hamas’ so-called “Great March of Return.”

“It is incredibly hurtful when people who should know better focus only on Israel’s alleged shortcomings and not on the venality of those who instigate the violence so as to generate a maximum number of casualties. This only encourages the terrorists to keep at it, believing that useful idiots in the West will act to isolate the Jewish state until it collapses.” 

Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander of British military forces in Afghanistan, told the UN Human Rights Council last week: 

 “If Israel had allowed these mobs to break through the fence, the IDF would then have been forced to defend their own civilians from slaughter and many more Palestinians would have been killed….Israel’s actions therefore saved lives of Gazans, and if this council really cared about human rights, it should commend the IDF for that, not condemn them on the basis of lies….I ask every country in this council: You have all been telling us that Israel should have reacted differently. But how would you respond if a jihadist terror group sent thousands to flood your borders, and gunmen to massacre your communities?”

And, if that isn’t enough, here is the report from someone who was there, in real time, serving as a reservist, on the front line along the Gaza fence. Before the liberal media condemn those who defend our country, let them put on a uniform, become targets, put their lives in danger, pretend that they are defending their families and their homes, and then report from the front lines. It just might reverse their moral inversion.

“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 62:6)

“I am zealous for Zion with great zeal.” (Zechariah 8:2)

“For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brighteness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns.” (Isaiah 62:1)

Happy Shavuot / Feast of Weeks / Pentecost (Lev. 23:15-16; Acts 2:1)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

Have a great week.

Marvin

On Tuesday, May 8th, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States was withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal – that was signed between Iran and six world powers, referred to as “the P5 +1” (it would have been easier if they just referred to the P6 to prevent everyone from having to do the math) and that it would be renewing economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran. In his televised speech, Trump stated, among other things, that the deal “should have never been made. It didn’t bring peace and it never will.” The action by the U.S. was certainly in its best interests and boosted Trump’s image as a decisive leader in the international community. And, irrespective of what may think about him from a number of different perspectives, when it comes to Israel, he knows how to make the right decision. He and the U.S. will be blessed as a result (“I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse…” Gen. 12:3). He walks the walk.

As expected, Iran was not a happy camper. It had continually threatened that there would be “consequences” if the U.S. pulled out of the nuclear deal.

The following night, May 9th, Iranian military forces stationed in Syria fired 20 rockets towards the Israeli portion of the Golan Heights. Some of them were shot down by Israeli’s Iron Dome defense system, while the others fell on Syrian soil. Windows in Haifa and in various places in the north of Israel were rattled when the Israeli Air Force responded by sending 28 jets into Syrian airspace, which fired some 60 missiles at Iranian targets, severely damaging its infrastructure on Syrian soil. In the process, Syria fired anti-aircraft missiles at the Israeli jets, which all returned unharmed and safely home to Israel. Israel also destroyed the anti-aircraft batteries. The number of Iranians who were killed in the Israeli retaliatory strike varies, depending upon the source of the reports, but in all, 23 troops were killed, 18 of them being non-Syrians.

Israel’s Defense Minister, Avigdor Liberman, warned Tehran: “If you give us rain, you will get a flood.” The U.S. and other countries joined in condemning Iran and in supporting Israel’s right to defense herself. In a rare announcement, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister said that all countries in this region have the right to defend against Iranian agression. Others, like Russia of all places, called upon the parties to act with restraint.

Iran was clearly embarrassed by Israel’s successful retaliatory strike against its various installations in Syria. While Iran says that it is not interested in escalating the tensions between the two countries or in the region, it is clear that none of Iran’s media pronouncements can be trusted. The missile barrage could be an opening shot, to test Israel’s response (which was undoubtedly more than what Iran had expected). At the same time, it announced that as a result of the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement, Iran would push ahead with uranium enrichment on an industrial scale. In line with this, Iranian cleric Ahmad Khatami warned yesterday (Friday): “We will expand our missile program and our capabilities despite pressure from Western countries … to let Israel know that if it acts foolishly, Tel Aviv and Haifa will be totally wiped out.”

Notwithstanding statements like those from Ahmad Khatami, Iran continues to blame others for the escalating tensions in the Middle East, while portraying itself as one who is acting to diminish those tensions. In an almost ludicrous statement, Syria joined Iran’s narrative and accused Israel as the one that is destabilizing the region: “…Syria has expressed dismay over the overnight airstrikes and blamed Israel for disrupting the peace and stability in the region. Iran has not yet made a statement about the attack.” Apparently, some of the chemical agents used by Syria have fallen on its media personnel.

There is, however, an over-emphasis by the media as to whether Tehran will respond to these latest developements and to its being embarrassed by Israel’s retaliation and destruction of much of its military infrastructure in Syria. The more formidable enemy is Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, the Hezbollah, which is not getting the media attention that it should. If Israel had acted in Lebanon the way that it did in Syria, it could have prevented the massive buildup of rockets and missiles now possessed by the Hezbollah, which are said to number over 100,000, all pointed in Israel’s direction. This terrorist organization has turned into a sizeable military force since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and many in their organization have gained combat experience by being active participants in the 7-year civil war in Syria. In all likelihood, if a serious military confrontation takes place with Syria, or with Iran, directly or indirectly, the Hezbollah will be active participants in that,as well. As I mentioned in previous posts, Israel is preparing for a multi-front war, the opening shots of which may have been the Iranian missile barrage from Syria last week. For now, as we begin a new week, there is an uneasy quiet on the northern front.

Increasing Tensions in the South

If the northern arena is taking a breather, the southern arena is picking up steam. The weekly, Friday confrontations along the Gaza fence are growing in intensity and in the damage that is being done to the fields on the Israeli side of the fence by “Kite Bombs” prepared by the “Palestinians”. Acres of land here have been destroyed by this unconventional, new weapon, that as of now, Israel is struggling to cope with.  The facade of these weekly confrontations being “non-violent” has long been negated. During yesterday’s demonstration, “Palestinians” set fire to gas pipelines that carry gas from Israel to the Gaza Strip. As the expression goes, they are “shooting themselves in the foot”.

It is expected that the violence will reach its peak on Tuesday of this coming week, as we begin the week with Jerusalem Day (commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967) on Sunday, the dedication of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Monday (coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment according to the Gregorian calendar) and Nakba Day (what the “Palestinians” refer to as the day of catastrophe) on Tuesday.  One leader of the terrorist organization, Hamas, hinted that it is possible that hundreds of thousands of “purely peaceful” protestors would storm the fence. Israel’s forces will continue to defend against any terrorist attack and “Palestinian” attempts to breach the border, instigated by Hamas. A massive protest and confrontation will undoubtedly result in a multitude of casualties, which would be in keeping with Hamas’s goals of gaining as much media coverage as possible, in the hope that the international community will  not only condemn, but take action against, Israel. This coming week’s Gaza fence confrontations will provide the headline coverage that Hamas has been waiting for. It should be clear that one of the easiest ways to negate so-called “Palestinian” claims to the land of Israel is by noting their readiness to destroy it.

“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15)

“No weapon that is formed against you will prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17)

“Blessed be the LORD from Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 135:21)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

“Fix It Or Nix It.”

Iran put on a good show. It is a good actor on the international stage of the ship of fools. It bamboozled its negotiation partners into believing that it was sincere in its proclamations and its alleged willingness to put its nuclear ambitions on hold. It got what it wanted – a deal signed in July, 2015, that totally serves Iran’s purposes. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the formal name for the nuclear agreement – “the agreement”) that was signed does not prevent Iran from upgrading its centrifuges and, among other things, it allows Iran to assert that any site within its borders is a military site and, therefore, is exempt from inspection. The agreement fails to restrict Iran from developing its missile program, which would be the “means” by which it would deliver any nuclear payload and it totally ignores – and therefore, allows – Iran to continue with its plans for Middle East hegemony. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been an ardent opponent of the agreement with Iran and has, on more than one occasion, said “Fix It or Nix It”. As slogans go, this is a nice one. But, neither fixing, nor nixing, the agreement, by itself, will stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. As for “fixing” the agreement, that is not a practical solution for Iran, which made a “good deal” for itself. Therefore, it has no reason to agree to amend it. Serious, crippling economic sanctions were imposed on Iran and it only agreed to come to the nogotiating table because of the economic pressures that it was facing. Once the agreement was signed and the sanctions were removed, it immediately entered into various business deals with different countries and private companies. And while it smiled all the way to the bank – and friendlier relations with the European Union – it continued its pursuits to attain a nuclear weapon, which would enable it to join an exclusive club of nuclear-capable nations and, give it the freedom to say and do as it pleases. Lest we forget, when the agreement was signed, it was touted as a great success that was brought about by the joint efforts of many of America’s allies. Now, with the discovery that Iran lied from day one and that it negotiated the JCPOA in bad faith, the nations that praised it as the deal of the century now have a difficult time to admit that they were wrong. The ugly pride of politics This is where skill in diplomacy enters the picture. 

If “fixing” the deal were to be a realistic option, it would serve Iran’s interests even further. Iran could agree to re-negotiate and drag out those negotiations for an extended period of time, possibly even years, that would bring it close to the 10-year breakout period, that would free it of all obligations. And, with Russia and China involved in the renewed negotiations, the matter can be delayed time and time again, even as it was during the original negotiations and make a farce of any attempt at agreeing to any revisions.

So, then, if “fixing” the deal is not really practical or reasonably workable, that leaves us with the second part of the “either/or” situation, namely: “nixing” the deal, accompanied by strong, economic sanctions imposed by the international community … and enforced!. Enter President Trump, who tonight (9 p.m., Israel time – 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in the U.S.) withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear agreement and said that it would reimpose “powerful”, economic sanctions. If other countries will continue to deal with Iran, they, too, might be subject to sanctions. 

Clearly, “nixing” the JCPOA is an encouragement to its critics, not the least of which is Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose status has increased before the international community, as the leader of the opposition to this disastrous agreement, and as the one who, in a very real sense, was the prime mover behind the U.S. deciding to withdraw from the agreement. It also served to present President Trump as someone who does what he says he will do, a fact that he clearly emphasized.

How does this decision impact Iran? Despite Trump’s announcement, Iran will not kowtow and easily abandon its nuclear ambitions, nor its nuclear program. In order for it to pursue its desire to gain hegemony over the Middle East, it must reject outright the action of the U.S. It must act in defiance of Trump’s announcement and accuse the U.S. of acting illegally, among other things that it will come up with. It must make every effort not to “lose face”, particularly in the eyes of the countries of the Middle East. The imposition of economic sanctions, even severe economic sanctions by the U.S. alone, will not immediately bring Iran to its knees. This will take time, which works in favor of Iran. The U.S. will need the support of other nations to make the sanctions effective. This, too, will take time. The only way for Iran to be stopped in its tracks is for it to realize that it is in a genuine and serious danger of a coordinated military strike against it. Only then will it sit up and think through the consequences of being on the wrong side of military attacks.

Iran has threatened that there will be consequences if the U.S. pulls out of the agreement. In this regard, it must be remembered that Israel and the U.S. are strong allies and have a common position with regard to the nuclear deal. Also to be remembered in this entire scenario is Iran’s threats to retaliate against Israel for the attacks on its bases in Syria during the last few months and, particularly, the one on April 9th, which killed Iranian advisers and members of the Revolutionary Guards. The Israeli military is on “high alert” and is prepared for an Iranian missile attack from Syria and Lebanon. It also has a dozen warships in the Mediterranean, along the northern coast of Israel, as well as tanks in some northern cities. In addition to a potential rocket and missile threat, there is concern about the possibility of attempted physical infiltration. While writing this post, I received an alert that the IDF instructed communities in the area of the Golan Heights to open up public bomb shelters, even as F-16s are flying overhead and are circling in the skies over the Syrian portion of the Golan. The IDF also called up some members of the reserves.

The big questions now are: Where do we go from here? What is Plan B, or Plan C, who will participate in it and how long will it take to put it into place? And now, the political pundits are preparing to prophesy.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

“Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.” (Deuteronomy 3:22) 

Keep looking up!

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

The Price for Fulfilling a Vision

It’s the little things that catch our attention, things like:-

∙ May 1, 2018: the statement by Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington and now serving as a deputy minister for diplomacy in the prime minister’s office, that the expected peace plan of U.S. President Trump will undoubtedly require Israeli concessions, but that Israel would be foolish to reject it. In his opinion, no U.S. President has been a more favorable ally to Israel than Trump. Therefore, we should welcome the peace plan, irrespective of its content. In his words: “My own feeling is to strongly recommend that the Israeli government accept this plan with an open mind, if not open arms, that we engage with it energetically and that we certainly don’t reject it out of hand.”

∙ May 4, 2018: a report that President Trump revealed his proposed peace plan to Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman during the latter’s visit to Washington last week. This plan, long-awaited by many, will require Israel to give up four areas of East Jerusalem that would serve as the capital of a “Palestinian” state. One Hebrew language, daily newspaper here reported that Trump’s plan does not include the Old City of Jerusalem, which would be recognized as “international territory”. But, the proposed peace plan is also reported to contain total U.S. support of Israel in any matter concerning Iran. This is a broad provision and is expected to include support of Israel before the international community, as well as provide military aid and weaponry, in the event that Israel would decide to take action against Iran, even if initiated by Israel. The office of the Israeli Defense Minister refused to comment. Trump’s peace plan is expected to be made public after the U.S. Embassy is re-dedicated, this time in Jerusalem, on May 14.

∙ May 5, 2018: In an interview given by Defense Minister Liberman, he commented on the upcoming move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, saying: “There are no free meals. National ambition and fulfilling a vision has a price. Opening the US embassy in Jerusalem will have a price too and it is one worth paying. I hope there won’t be, but I think that this decision is historic, important and dramatic. We have to welcome – and be prepared to pay prices. No one gave us our country on a silver tray.”

So, the summary of the above statements is: take it, whatever it is; we’ll probably have to make concessions (it seems that we are always the ones having to do that); favors come with a price and big favors come with a big price. 

On December 7, 2017, after Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital, I asked: “The only question I have at the moment is ‘What price is Israel going to have to pay for this announcement?'” Now, we get a glimpse of what it will cost, though foggy. Soon, we’ll see it clearly! Woe to those who try to divide up God’s land (Joel 3:2), whoever it is.

Iran, again. Things are definitely heating up.

A month ago, a Syrian base was bombed and 7 Iranian military advisers and members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were killed. Iran said that it would retaliate for the strike. Israeli defense officials are preparing for a possible revenge attack by Iran, from Syria, with rocket and missile launches directed at northern Israel. While Tehran is not looking for an all-out war with Israel, it is anticipated that Iran’s retaliation will be directed against military, as opposed to civilian, targets. According to a report on one of Israel’s major TV stations: “Israel has recently identified with certainty Iranian preparations to fire at the north…We are not on the eve of war with Iran… but Iran is very determined to carry out an attack to avenge the T-4 strike and the deaths of its military personnel”. According to the TV report, the Israel Defense Forces reportedly claimed that they would hit all Iranian targets in Syria, if an attack was launched against Israeli territory. And, of course, Defense Minister Liberman said only a week ago that “If Iran attacks Tel Aviv, Israel will strike Tehran.” But, there is the Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy in Lebanon, which has over 100,000 missiles aimed in our direction. If Iran launches a missile attack from Syria, even if against military targets only, there is a great likelihood that the Hezbollah will join the fray and be less discriminating in its choice of targets. Not to be forgotten is Hamas, Iran’s other proxy in Gaza, who is still trying to make its mark on the world with its “kite bombs”, among other violent means. We have various anti-missile systems, but if we blow all of their projectiles out of the air, what will follow after that?

Earlier today, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “We are determined to block the Iranian entrenchment, even at the cost of confrontation…We don’t want an escalation, but we are prepared for every scenario. We don’t want confrontation, but if there needs to be one, it is better now than later.“ (my emphasis) 

Yes, it is the little statements that grab our attention. 

This is not exactly what I wanted to share this evening, but it’s definitely on the front burner.

“Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.” (Joshua 10:8)

“‘They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you’, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 1:19) 

“The Lord bless you from Zion, and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.” (Psalm 128:5)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

The “Nuked” Truth

As expected, the media was all over the presentation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The left pooh-poohed it, while the right applauded it. The charts and physical files and computer discs certainly aided him in his presentation. And, the fact that Israel’s Mossad was able to get into the heart of Iran and get all of the documentation is an accomplishment of major proportions that will certainly have Iran thinking twice before acting. The biggest argument against Netanuyahu’s “revelations” is that when all was said and done, there was no clear showing that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons agenda now. Iran responded to Netanyahu’s presentation, claiming it was merely another raving from “the boy who cries wolf”. What effect did it have on other countries and governments, as well as upon individuals? Undoubtedly, in the final analysis, much will depend on what their respective perspectives were regarding both the nuclear deal and Netanyahu prior to the broadcast.

Granted, his presentation did not reveal a smoking gun. But, it did focus world attention on Iran’s false and misleading conduct, which lead to the signing of the nuclear agreement in the first place. Are we missing something here? Are we failing to see the forest through the trees? From the outset, P.M. Netanyahu has been arguing against the deal that was made with Iran and six world powers (the P5 +1, it sounds more like a rock band than international leadership) that was intended to delay Iran’s entry into the realm of nuclear capability. He said that the agreement would, in effect, grant to Iran an open road to developing a nuclear weapon. Last night (Monday), he offered proof of his claims. If what he claimed is true – that Iran never stopped pursuing its nuclear ambitions – then the world needs to sit up and not only take notice, but to respond accordingly. And, if his claims are true, then the intelligence communities of the world have been duped into believing an outrageous lie, that the leopard has, indeed, changed his spots. Even John Kerry, who was then serving as Secretary of State during the Obama administration, said that the U.S. had “absolute knowledge” about Iran’s pursuits of developing nuclear weapons capability. The Israeli Mossad succeeded in obtaining a vast multitude of documentation that, if valid, would put to shame the faulty intelligence information that the six world powers possessed when they signed the agreement with Iran. Potential test sites and designs for nuclear warheads are enough to create serious concerns about Iran’s believability. Again, this information was only now disclosed, again pointing to faulty intelligence gathering by the “world powers”.

But, the consequences of the disclosures made by Netanyahu yesterday are far-reaching. If Israel’s claims are shown to be correct regarding Iran’s systematic lying to weapons inspectors and the International Atomic Energy Agency, then it could also impact the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that was signed by Iran. If it lied the “big lie” once, the likelihood is that it continued to lie all along. Will the international community seek to penalize Iran for its deception? It’s difficult to say at this juncture. Much will depend on how President Trump will deal with the situation by May 12th. Netanyahu believes that Trump “will do the right thing”. Undoubtedly, he will do what he believes to be right. People usually do what they want to do, even if others close to them are against it. The bottom line that we always ask here is “whether it will be good for Israel”? If the U.S. cancels the deal, Iran will, indeed, have an open road to do what it wants. Sanctions against Iran have been removed and the nations of the world are only too happy to continue in business ventures with Iran. So, if the deal is nixed, why would Iran want to sit down and re-negotiate it? It could be affected and encouraged to renew the talks if new, strong and paralyzing sanctions are put into place. Is no deal better than a bad deal? It really depends on who the players are. If the nuclear deal with Iran comes to an end, the big question will be: Is there a “Plan B” for what will happen afterwards? 

Moving Towards War?

If the war planes that have been flying overhead all day are any indication, the natural perception is that Israel is preparing for war with Iran … and with some of its proxies in the region.

Responding today to Irans threats to, among other things, “annihilate” the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa, Israel Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman stated: “Israel can not afford to ignore Iran’s threats that its leaders promise to destroy Israel…The threats from Tehran come week after week. They do not need excuses for that.” He did not expand on that and there is increased speculation that Israel might make a pre-emptive strike on strategic Iranian targets. One can beat the war drums for only so long before the drums stop and the tribes go after each other.

“I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.” (Psalm 120:7)

“And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.” (Isaiah 2:4) May this speedily come to pass.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Iran Lied, Big Time!

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, gave an historic speech this evening dealing with Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In a nutshell, he showed from documents and electronic media that the Nuclear Agreement that was signed in 2015 was based on Iran’s lies and deception. Israel obtained 55,000 pages of information and 55,000 files on 183 CD’s relating to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Don’t ask how Israel obtained the information. At this point, the “how” is not the key factor. Rather, the content of the files is the heart of the issue.

The detailed statement followed a Sunday evening missile attack in northern Syria, which, according to reports, killed a few dozen members of the military, most of whom were said to be Iranian. It is believed that the missiles struck an arms storage facility and also targeted Iranian surface-to-surface missiles that were to be deployed by Iran in Syria. Although Israel was accused of being behind the attack, Israel remained silent regarding the latest missile strike, which was of such a magnitude that at first it was thought to be an earthquake. A senior official in Israel warned Iran and Syria against trying to attack Israel, which is on high alert against a possible Iranian response. The big question is where will the response come from and who will be involved in it.

Netanyahu briefed U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the intelligence information. As an outspoken critic of the Nuclear Agreement reached with Iran, Netanyahu said that rather than minizing Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons: “The nuclear deal gives Iran a clear path to producing an atomic arsenal.” Indeed, this is in line with the “warning” issued today by Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, stated on Iranian TV that “Iran is not bluffing … Technically, we are fully prepared to enrich uranium higher than we used to produce before the deal was reached… I hope Trump comes to his senses and stays in the deal.”

President Trump is due to decide by May 12th about whether or not the U.S. will continue with the Nuclear Agreement as it presently exists. Trump is on record for referring to the 2015 agreement as “the worst deal” that the U.S. ever made. Other countries, Germany and France in particular, are not presently in favor of killing or modifying the nuclear deal. Whether they are now willing to change their minds remains to be seen. Netanyahu’s statements give support to Trump’s inclination to negate the deal or demand its modification. This, too, awaits a response.

For now, what has been hidden has been revealed and made abundantly clear. Iran is not to be believed in its protestations that it did not plan, and is not furthering, a nuclear program. “The [nation] doth protest too much, methinks.”  (Hamlet, Act III, Scene II, by William Shakespeare)

In the meantime, the Israeli Knesset just authorized the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Defense to go to war “under extreme circumstances”. Push is becoming shove as the situation with Iran, particularly in Syria, is gradually becoming worse. Prayer for wisdom is definitely welcome. 

Shifting Winds Regarding Arab Support for the “Palestinians”?

In a meeting held last month in New York between Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and the heads of various Jewish organizations, Salman is reported to have said: “In the last 40 years, the Palestinian leadership has missed again and again the opportunities and rebuffed all the offers it was given…It is time for the Palestinians to accept the offers and agree to sit at the negotiation table – or they should shut up and stop complaining.” Is the broad Arab support for the “Palestinians” beginning to change? 

“May the LORD bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 134:3)

“Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:4)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

There is a desparate attempt on the part of the leaders of the Hamas terrorist organization to convince the world that the last five weeks of Friday protests are non-violent. The leftist media, who cover their ears, eyes and mouths when it comes to facing pure evil, are an encouragement to Hamas, whose immediate war with Israel is a war for world opinion. Hamas places civilians in the line of fire, in order to protect the terrorists who are hiding in their midst. The resultant injuries and deaths are then paraded before the cameras for the world to see. Sympathy naturally leans in favor of the civilians victims. But, their deaths and injuries need to be placed at the feet of Hamas, not at Israel. The best defense in this type of war is truth, but only if people are willing to accept it.

What the liberal, media moguls tend to gloss over is that the purpose of the so-called protest “march” is to “return”. From the “Palestinian” perspective, “return” means to cause all of the land of Israel to “return” to them. Stated differently, their goal is to eliminate the State of Israel. With that understanding, the protest marches can be seen for what they really are – violent and becoming more violent with each passing week. Interspersed with the civilian protesters are Hamas militants, who use guns, bombs, rocks, sling shots, burning tires, molotov cocktails and, most recently, they added kite bombs, which were sent over the Israel-Gaza fence in an effort to set fire to fields and local communities on the Israeli side of the fence. So much for peaceful demonstrations. Israel has no choice but to keep the border intact and prevent infiltration by Hamas terrorists. 

Of course, the big complaint is that Israel is over-reacting and that its response is disproportionate to the actions of Hamas and those pressing closer to the fence. If the threat of breaching the border increases, the response to it will increase as well. And it must be so. But, maybe it is much ado about nothing. After all, the March of Return is supposed to be peaceful, according to those who want to take over all of Israeli territory and force the Jewish people into the sea. The weapons used by Hamas are not really guns with bullets that kill, but plastic. The rocks are only paper mache. The fire bombs are only flashing electric lights. The kites do not carry real explosives, but only confetti. And the moon really is made of swiss cheese.

We will be condemned by the international community, not because we act to protect our country and our citizens, but because we continue to exist. Siding with Israel means to incur the anger of the Muslim world. So, however we respond, it will be considered to be too much, inappropriate and disproportionate. The U.N. will also condemn us. Oh, my goodness, the U.N. Of all the organizations of the world. Yes, the united nincompoops of the world will sit in judgment of Israel, the only genuine democracy in the Middle East, while democratic regimes all over Europe are endangered by the increasing influence of Islam. There are none so blind as those who will not see. 

Perhaps a succinct analysis of the situation was best expressed by Hillel Neuer of UN Watch, who made the following remark to an Israeli-born Hollywood personality who has recently generated much controversy in the media: “If 30,000 rioters were at your borders; approaching your family in Los Feliz, and they were orchestrated by a terror group that advocates the murder of all Jews, I believe you would ‘in good conscience’ support officers doing their best to protect you.” 

Along these lines, brief mention should be made of the 29th Arab Summit that took place in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, two weeks ago on April 15th. This year’s gathering was labeled named “Al-Quds Summit” (i.e., “the Holy”, the nickname for Jerusalem in Arabic). Among the many decisions that were made intended to affirm “the importance of promoting Arab joint action to address challenges facing the nation” was the following: “We reaffirm that the Palestine Cause is the entire Arab nation’s main priority, stressing the Arab identity of occupied East Al-Quds as the capital of the State of Palestine.” Note that the use of “the ‘Palestine’ Cause”, as opposed to the “Palestinian” cause is a subtle shift in terminology. At first blush, it would appear to reflect an intention to focus on territorial “return”, as opposed to the establishment of another Arab state. But, other decisions of the Arab Summit continue the “Palestinian” narrative and the demand for a separate “Palestinian” state, while condemning the decision of the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It would seem wise to see whether the use of the expression “the ‘Palestine’ Cause” will continue to be used, together with the call for a “Palestinian” state. What is interesting to note is that the Arab Summit ignored the weekly so-called “protests” along the Gaza fence, leaving Hamas and its actions outside the consideration of most of the Arab states.

Hamas, in turn, realizes that its actions must remain in the headlines. It also recognizes that the only way for that goal to be achieved is through violence. As such, the March of Return cannot be non-violent. It would go contrary to the grain of the “Palestinian” charter and Hamas’s glorification of martyrdom. Even if the Gazan citizens wanted to demonstrate peacefully, the likelihood that Hamas would allow them to do so would be a non-starter. They can never take over the land of Israel by peaceful protests. Their strategy includes, among other things, that Israel must be provoked into action and that there must be innocent victims. Otherwise, Hamas’s efforts would be of no avail. The leaders of the organization would “lose face”. In this part of the world, losing face would be the beginning of the end of their influence in Gaza – a situation that they would make every effort to prevent, short of putting themselves on the front lines where they, themselves, could be injured or killed. If we think about it for a moment, we would naturally ask: Why should they be worried about potential harm to themselves, if their March of Return is really peaceful? Maybe it’s because their leaders think that martyrdom is for “the other guy”, not for those who direct them to become martyrs.

And so, Israel prepares for another round of “peaceful violence”, which will increase in intensity each week, as we draw closer to Nakba Day, which some Arabs refer to as the Day of Catastrophe, the day when Israel declared its independence, usually remembered on the 15th of May. The confrontations will only get worse.

National Celebration One Week – National Tragedy the Next

The joys of Israel’s 70th Independence Day celebration turned to mourning and shock, as only one week later, 10 teenagers met their deaths in a flash flood during a hike in the Judean Desert, near the Dead Sea. Tears of joy from the week before turned into tears of sorrow. The teens were all high-school seniors, who were on a trip to the Arava Desert, as part of a pre-military preparatory program. While hiking in what is usually a dry river bed, they were caught up in a flash flood, which resulted from the heavy rains that have fallen on Israel late in the season. There was considerable concern over the cold and wet weather conditions, as both meterologists and the police cautioned against going on the trip. One of the nine girls who was killed texted some of her friends a few hours earlier, saying: “This is tempting fate. We will die. I’m serious. I can’t believe that I’m actually going on a trip in this weather. It makes no sense for us to go to a place where everything is flooded.” Words fail in the face of such a tragedy and only memories remain, until they begin to fade. The pain of sudden, unexpected loss, leaves one almost numb. But, the tears will continue. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If so, then 10 pictures should tell the story.  

                     Photo appearing in Jerusalem Online, 27 April 2018. http://www.jerusalemonline.com

“There’ll be a time I hear tell

When all will be well

When God and man will be reconciled

But until men lose their chains

And righteousness reigns

Lord, protect my child.”

From “Lord Protect My Child” (Words by Bob Dylan [1963])

“‘Comfort, O comfort My people’, says your God.” (Isaiah 40).

“[God] comforts us in all our affliction, so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor. 1:4)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.

(Psalm 30:5)

Sunset to Sunset – Turning National Sorrow to National Joy

How can a person go from shedding tears of sorrow one moment to tears of joy the next? By being present in Israel as the sun sets on the day when we remember those who gave their lives in the defense of this country, so that we, who are alive, could celebrate the remembrance of the day that we became a nation. At sundown on April 17 (which is the beginning of the next day, April 18th), we remembered those who fell in our wars and those who were killed by terrorist acts. It is always a difficult time, as Israeli media tells and re-tells the stories of our sons and daughters, who fell victim to a bullet, a bomb or a missile, a stabbing or a car-ramming. A day or two later, many would share how they were glued to the television, with an never-ending stream of tears, riveted to the stories that were told and pictures that were shown throughout the day and night of those who hugged and kissed, who sang and laughed, who played and who fought, but who now are gone, most of whom were cut off at an age at which they were supposed to begin to enjoy life. 

But, in addition to the multitude of Hebrew-language stories, the mothers of two American-born IDF soldiers participated in an English-language Memorial Day ceremony in Jerusalem. One of the “lone soldiers” who was killed in the battle of Shejaiya, during the 2014 Gaza War and whose funeral I attended was Nissim Sean Carmeli. His funeral was one of the most moving events of my life and demonstrated the attitude and respect that Israelis have for those who leave family and friends to live and fight, side by side, with those who are willing to defend Israel and to pay the highest price in doing so.

Now, almost four years later, as the sun began to set on the Day of Remembrance, the national mood underwent a subtle change. There was a growing expectation of celebration, of joy that is just around the corner, waiting only for the sun to settle just below the horizon. The country prepared well in advance for the events marking the 70th anniversary of its independence. Switching gears as a nation when evening descended on our national day of mourning to fireworks and celebrations all over the country is no small feat. Those who lost father or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister, husband or wife, or a friend in one of our many wars, or as a result of one or more of the multitude of terrorist acts perpetrated upon us during our short period of existence, do not put aside their remembrance of their loved ones just because the clock says it is time to celebrate. For some, the tragedy continues year to year, month to month, day to day and almost every waking hour. Eli Ben Shem, the Chairman of the Yad Labanim (Memorial to the Sons) organization, who lost his son 21 years ago in what has come to be known as “the helicopter disaster”, expressed it this way during the 66th Independence Day celebrations: “Like many other bereaved parents, I live under two clocks that measure time differently. One tracks the time of the living; the hands of the other one stand still at the point our son was killed…Bereaved parents, the ones who carry two clocks, fight constantly not to forget. The fear of, God forbid, waking up one morning and forgetting our child makes us alert and precise…Today, we give up the memorial clock we carry every day for a short while. We don’t need memorial days. As the cliché says – for us, every day is a memorial day. Today, the State of Israel takes the mourning upon itself. Everyone comforts. Everyone seeks comfort. Without a drop of cynicism. The show of solidarity comes from an honest place, not moralizing or self-righteous. The acknowledgment that we paid the price of living in an independent country with our children’s blood does not leave a single heart indifferent or eye dry.”

Hollywood can’t compare to real life. Every year, we see, hear or read stories about those who were killed and who were added to the growing list of those who have left this world before their time. This year, the number of fallen soldiers grew to 23,645, while the number of terror victims grew to 3,134. These figures may not seem to be large to those who live in countries with tens of millions of people. But, in Israel, every loss is like losing a member of the family and every effort is made to go behind the numbers and show the victims as individuals. The tears that flow from these stories can fill the Sea of Galilee! They touch the lives of families in every strata of society. These are the true “reality” shows that make an impact on our hearts, our minds and our memories. We don’t need a history class to remind us of national tragedies, or of attempts to destroy us as a people throughout our Biblical, and more modern, history. We need a release from the tears of the past. So, it is no major surprise that Memorial Day is followed immediately by Independence Day, a time to celebrate new life – as a people, as a nation, as families and as individuals.

Celebrating life is part of our national DNA. We lift a glass and toast “L’chaim” – “to life”. It is part and parcel of our national resiliency. It causes us to try to turn sorrow into joy and crying into laughter. It enables us to look with anticipation to the future and not to dwell on the problems of the past. It is engrained in the attitude that allows us to keep going forward and to see the good even in a bad situation. It appropriates the understanding that a cheerful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22) and we try to cultivate a sense of humor even in the worst of circumstances. So, when we have an opportunity to celebrate, we take it seriously.

The official ceremony that was held last week on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem was a technological extravaganza, interspersed with a few speeches, songs and dances, among other things. The mood was one of true celebration, of thanksgiving, praise and appreciation of all those who labored to turn the desert of this ancient land green, to drain swamps and turn them into agricultural cooperatives, to build cities, to create a strong, economic infrastructure and to develop dynamic and innovative technology that benefits the world – even our enemies use devices developed by Israel. Celebrations continued throughout the night and the following day, with spectacular events, including some that were put on by the Israeli Air Force.

As was expected, there were some who tried to steal the joys of the day and who intended to carry out terrorist attacks. Israeli Police prevented a knife attack and just before the beginning of the Independence Day celebrations, security forces arrested a “Palestinian” at a checkpoint, after finding what was described as a “powerful explosive device” in his vehicle, which took a long time to defuse. The explosions that we experienced were those of controlled fireworks that lit up the night sky. The explosions that our enemies planned for us were defused. 

Many try to “mystify” the fact that this year was Israel’s 70th year of existence. Much can be said about 70 years from a Biblical perspective. Maybe that should be discussed. But for now, I just want to be thankful that God has brought me home to Israel. There really is no place in the world like it and there aren’t enough words that can adequately describe it.

And then there is Iran.

Nothing new about the Iranian threats against Israel. We’ve adjusted to them, even to those that overshadowed our Independence Day celebrations. But, they turned out to be clouds without water. There is no doubt that the constant rhetoric and increasing severity of the threats will, of necessity, generate genuine conflict with the descendants of our Persian enemies. But, that was not to be during the time of Israel’s joyful celebrations accompanying last week’s events.

We’ve been through a lot over the past 70 years. Wars and threats of more wars have filled the pages of our tabloids and airwaves. It is an annoying reality, one that accompanies our daily existence. Much as we try not to talk about it, Israel lives and amazingly functions to rise above the ongoing threats to our existence. We are all aware of the realities. We don’t ignore them, but face them head on. Against the backdrop of Iran’s threats against us, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during his Memorial Day speech, one day before Independence Day, “Anyone who raises a hand against us won’t be spared.”  Maybe Iran was listening and taking note. But, if it didn’t, God stepped in and gave Iran a direct reminder that Israel has a Friend in the highest of places. In the midst of Iran’s increased threats against Israel, Iran experienced a major sandstorm that blanketed an entire province in the heart of Iran last week. It was also hit with a severe earthquake that registered 5.9 on the Richter Scale a few miles from its only operating nuclear power plant, at a time when Israelis were celebrating the 70th anniversary of our independence as a nation. May Israel remember always, that He Who shakes the mountains and the earth has also inscribed us on the palms of His hands.

“[He] who touches you touches the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8).”

“Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish…Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.” (Isaiah 41:11-12)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

The Blame Game

A coalition of armed forces from the U.S., England and France, launched precision, military strikes in Syria, after they alleged that the regime of Syria dictator, Bashar al-Assad, used chemical weapons containing chlorine gas against citizens and insurgents during an attack in the country a week ago. The chemical attack, which killed 40 and injured some 500 people, mostly women and children, occurred in Douma, located about 10 miles east of Damascus. According to U.S. Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, no follow-up attacks are presently planned, as long as Assad doesn’t repeat his use of chemical weapons.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Marine General Joseph Dunford said  that the coordinated strike targeted three main chemical weapons facilities, which were hit by missiles from both the sea and aircraft. Syrian officials claim that Syrian air defenses downed one-third of the missiles, later changing it to about two-thirds. Russia said that all of the missiles aimed at four key Syrian air bases were shot down. The Syrian government said that they had a heads-up from Russia and the targeted sites were evacuated days before the strike.

According to French President, Emmanuel Macron, the goal of the military operation was to target Syria’s “clandestine chemical arsenal”. British Prime Minister, Theresa May, said that she “authorized British armed forces to conduct coordinated and targeted strikes to degrade the Syrian Regime’s chemical weapons capability and deter their use.” In his statement to the nation, President Trump said: “The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons…. The evil and the despicable [chemical] attack left mothers and fathers, infants and children, thrashing in pain and gasping for air. These are not the actions of a man; they are crimes of a monster instead.” While condemning Russia and Iran for their continued support of the Assad regime, Trump added, “The nations of the world can be judged by the friends that they keep [and that] Russia must decide if it will continue down this dark path or continue with civilized nations.” 

Russia, who was not notified about the coordinated, planned strike, said that such action was an insult against Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and that there would be consequences. Putin denounced the strike as an “act of aggression” that will make the humanitarian crisis in Syria much worse. But, he added that “Russia in the most serious way condemns the attack on Syria where Russian military servicemen help the legitimate government to fight terrorism”. What an incredible statement of support of a government that uses chemical weapons to control any opposition to its oppressive rule. Adding to the fake news that has permeated the media of late, Putin stated that the alleged chemical attack in Douma, which prompted the coordinated strike on Syria, was false and that the Russian military experts found no trace of chemical residue in Douma.

Russia called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, while at the same time saying that it would consider supplying Syria and “other countries” with S-300 surface-to-air defense missile systems.

And where are the Syrians in all of this? After the attack on the chemical weapons factories and airfields, the Syrians who support Assad took to the streets of Damascus and protested against the military strike, waving flags of Syria, Iran and Russia, calling out: “Oh Trump you are a monkey. Oh Trump you are an animal”. Assad contacted his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, and told him that the strikes only increased Syria’s resolve to “fight and crush terrorism in every inch” of the country. Rouhani, for his part, told Assad that Iran would continue to stand by Syria.

As for Israel, it believes that the US-led strikes against Syrian targets were justified, because of the “murderous actions” of Assad’s government. Yoav Galant, a member of the Security Cabinet and a former IDF General, tweeted: “The use of chemical weapons crosses a red line that humanity can no longer tolerate.” Israel has been accused of being responsible for an attack upon an Iranian drone base in Syria, which killed 14 military personnel, half of them Iranians.

Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah in Lebanon, stated in a televised speech (he doesn’t show himself in public for fear of being assassinated) following the attack upon the Iranian base in Syria, that they (Israel) “have committed a great folly and have put themselves into a direct fight with Iran.” Tehran blames Israel for the attack on the Iranian base. Deputy Hezbollah leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, said the air strike against the Iranian drone base constituted an assault “on both Syria and Iran that has consequences which I do not know the limit of now.”

What’s the result of the US-led strikes against Syrian targets? Each side claims what it wants to believe is the correct result. Syria, Lebanon, Iran and Russia all believe that the consolidated attack failed to accomplish its purpose. The countries that were part of the military coalition and Israel all claim that the attack was a warning against further use of chemical weapons and that it severely weakened Assad’s ability to access those weapons.

In reality, however, almost nothing has changed. There has been some damage to facilities in Syria, but Assad remains in power. True, the military strike was not intended to interfere with the 7-year civil war, which continues. But, Assad has scientists and chemists at his disposal who are experts at making chemical weapons. If one chemical factory was destroyed, another can easily be built to replace it and Assad can quickly replenish its stocks. It is doubtful that Assad will be deterred from using chemical weapons again in the near future. Despite a September 2013 agreement between Russia and the Obama administration for Moscow to remove chemical weapons stockpiles out of the Assad regime’s control, over 50 reportrs of deadly attacks using chemical weapons were reported in Syria during 2016 and the first 3 months of this year. As long as the continuation of Assad’s regime is not seriously threatened, he will continue to do what he wants, particularly as long as he has the backing of Shiite Iran and, more particularly, the backing of Russia. If the coalition forces limited their attack to very specific chemical weapons plants, it could well be because they did not want to act in such a way that would necessitate Russia’s active military involvement against the allied forces. The major players in the Syrian theatre today are the two superpowers, the U.S. and Russia. All the rest are pawns!

A note about absurdity: Despite its use of chemical weapons, Syria has been appointed to preside of the U.N.’s annual Conference on Disarmament to take place in Geneva. Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of the NGO UN Watch, said this past Monday: “Having the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad preside over global chemical and nuclear weapons disarmament will be like putting a serial rapist in charge of a women’s shelter.” He urged the U.S. and the E.U., along with other democracies, to walk out of Conference during the four weeks that the Syrian representative serves as the Conference president.

The March of Return Campaign in Gaza

With the war in Syria now in its 7th year, and despite the regular use of chemical weapons against the insurgents and the civilian population in Syria, the focus of world attention remains on the events between the so-called “Palestinians” in Gaza and the Hamas-organized “March of Return” and Israel’s response to it.

We should not be deceived by the claim of the Hamas terror organization that the March of Return is just a series of peaceful demonstrations. Yesterday (Friday) marked the third week of demonstrations at the fence separating Gaza from Israeli settlements in the south. As with the first two weeks, violence was part and parcel of these alleged “peaceful protests”, the goal of which was clearly expressed by Hamas spokesman, Hazem Qassem, prior to the demonstrations of last week, who said that the “struggle [will continue] until they [the “Palestinians”] achieve their freedom and restore all their lands”, adding that their “right to all of the soil of ‘Palestine’ was absolute and clear” – a statement without historical or legal foundation. These protests are disguised violent, terrorist demonstrations, during the course of which some terrorists tried to breach the fence and were shot and killed or wounded by the Israel Defense Forces.

Realistically, the leadership of Hamas does not expect that it will be able successfully breach the fence and march towards Jerusalem. But, each week that its actions continue brings with it a degree of psychological success from an international media point of view. Hamas uses civilians in its protests, with armed terrorists in its midst. The terrorists stir up the crowd and urge them on towards the fence. They burn tires to provide cover for Hamas terrorists to cross over the fence and try to kill Israelis. The demonstrators hurl stones, or fire bombs, or shoot at the Israeli soldiers, who defend the border area, with resultant deaths or injuries on the “Palestinian” side. The international, leftist media eats this up, resulting in widescale condemnation of Israel for acting militarily against what the media hypes as “peaceful demonstrations”. Hamas, who had been sidelined in the media for an extended period, is now flexing its muscles and trying to take advantage of the renewed media interest in Gaza and the “Palestinians”. By re-focusing attention on the Israeli-“Palestinian” conflict, the leadership of Hamas is making every effort to divert attention from the multitude of internal problems that it is now facing (massive unemployment by its population, energy crisis, decreasing finances and split with the “Palestinian” Authority based in Samaria, among others). The easiest way to avoid being the focus of these problems is to draw Israel into another media fiasco.

However, what the media fails to understand is that the Gaza Strip is a powder keg with a short fuse attached to it, which could blow up with the smallest spark. But, if the situation in Gaza erupts into another war, the participants will include our neighbors in Syria and Lebanon, along with other players in the region. All of the sides recognize that the next Middle East War will be a mess and include many players and no one is looking to cause it to explode at this time – no one, that is, except Iran, whose war rhetoric is reaching the point of no return. All the while, Hamas is building up its militia and preparing for another military conflict with Israel. And the border protests are just what the “Palestinian” doctor has ordered.

The success in garnering international media attention once again is the shot in the arm that the Hamas leadership was looking for. It was more psychologial than military. It brought about the need for widepsread deployment of Israeli troops along the Gaza border, forcing it to confront a multitude of civilians, some of which were casualties in the anything-other-than-peaceful-demonstrations by the “Palestinians” along the border fence for the past three Fridays, including today. And, public opinion, particularly those abroad, who are influenced by the media, naturally leans in favor of civilians, as opposed to a strong military force.

While the protests usually are set to take place on Fridays, there will be additional protests on Tuesday, April 17th, to mark Prisoners’ Day, and again on May 15th, which coincides with Israel’s 70th anniversary of its Day of Independence, referred to by “Palestinians” as “Nakba” or day of catastrophe. It will also coincide with the planned move of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This will be followed by the Moslem month of Ramadan and is expected to be accompanied by violent protests during this entire period.

During Hamas’s recent campaign during the past three Fridays, Israeli Arab members of Knesset, most notably Ahmad Tibi and Hanan Zouabi, have been urging Arabs in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah and elsewhere, to participate in mass violent protests in those areas, in acts of solidarity with the Gaza demonstrators. If Hamas does not succeed in mobilizing support in the above cities, as well as in other, Arab-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria, it will not be able to achieve its goals and will suffer yet another, humiliating defeat at the hands of Israel. Hamas has its work cut out for it. Ever since the Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2007, residents in those areas have taken on the posture of being bystanders, rather than active participants in acts against Israel. The previous “successes” that had been achieved during and following the intifada of 1987 and the ongoing terrorism since then that continued into the early years of 2000, was due, in large measure, to the fact that both areas, Gaza on the one hand and Judea and Samaria on the other, rose up in terrorism and violence at the same time. That “cooperation” ceased when Hamas took over the rule in Gaza in 2007. The same is true in recent years with “lone intifada” actions, which were committed primarily by residents of Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, while Hamas and Gaza remained out of the picture. Much of this is due to the political divisions that have prevented the “Palestinians” from acting in unity. May it be that their divisions will remain and not be resolved and that the Gazan demonstrations will fail for lack of participants.

The “Palestinians” want for all of the refugees who voluntarily left Israel prior to the beginning of the War of Independence, and all of their descendants, who today number in the millions, to be able to return to Israel. This would be accompanied by their demand for soveriegnty over East Jerusalem, the “Old City’, Judea and Samaria, and Gaza. No Israeli government in its right mind would allow such demands to be met, as it would result in Jews in Israel becoming a minority and Israel and Israel then being democratically voted out of existence by its Arab population. Whatever “successes” Hamas may ultimately achieve with its March of Return, they will not include the ultimate goal of returning over 5 million descendants of Arabs who left Israel prior to the War of Independence. God promises to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a people and a land. The enemy of our souls says he will kill our people and take our land. Who do you think has the final word here?

An interesting side-note on the burning of tires by the “Palestinians”, which created a health and ecological hazard. Muhammad Hamdan, a spokesman for the “Palestinian” Authority Transportation Ministry, stated that “We have been informed by the Israeli side that imports of tires have been halted until further notice, [adding] There is no doubt stopping tire imports will have a negative effect on “Palestinians” in Gaza especially considering there is shortage of them there.” Hamdan said:“We are going to exert all efforts so that Israel reverses its decision.” Some things are so outrageously ridiculous that to comment on them will only detract from the laughter.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

I usually have comments about this particular day of the year, which is always a difficult time for me. This year, my daughter, Hannah (Hanni), wrote a brief blog about it and I respectfully refer you to it. https://asweetsavor.wordpress.com/2018/04/11/and-the-world-remains-silent/

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Have a simply great week. Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

It’s Been 100 Days

It is hard to believe that only 100 days ago, Jerusalem was recognized as the capital of Israel by American President, Donald Trump. It was an historic declaration that that gave recognition to reality and shook up the international political arena. The announcement rattled the foundations of anti-Israel countries and organizations and created a rift in the long-standing agenda of the “united” nations, whose reactions to Trump’s announcement reflected their collective disappointment that their plan to dissect Israel would be further delayed. Yet, a few rays of light shone through the darkness, as a handful of countries praised the recognition of Israel’s eternal capital and even decided to do likewise.

The “Palestinian” Authority, an organization that came into being in the 1960s, with whom we are supposed to make peace, considered President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as sounding the death-knell of what was already the dead “peace process”. Trump, in essence, replied to the “Palestinian’s” intransigence to peace as “their loss”.

Let’s think about this for a moment. For dozens of years, Israel is being asked to make peace with a terrorist “organization”, which seeks its destruction, so that this “organization” can set up an independent, enemy country in the midst of Israel. What normal country in the world would do that? This question presumes that countries act normally. But, in asking the question, I momentariy forgot that when it comes to Israel, the vast majority of the countries of the world act irrationally. Returning to reality – this terrorist organization has been recognized by a multitude of countries around the world, many of whom have already set up embassies in East Jerusalem and are chomping at the bit in anticipation of adding yet another entity to the list of nations that seek to undo the recognition of Israel as the only democratic country in the Middle East. Israel, on the other hand, has learned the lesson that most countries still refuse to learn: When our enemy says that it plans to kill us and remove us from the map (which removal has already taken place in the education system in the “Palestinian” Authority), we take its words seriously. The world forgets the basic lessons that our school children learn each day: first taught, then tested. We have constant reminders that our enemies are intent on carrying out what they say they will do.

Only yesterday, before the entry of the Sabbath, in a vehicle-ramming incident, killed an IDF Officer and another soldier, and wounded two other people, one of whom seriously. Hamas, the terrorist faction of the PLO, openly welcomed the attack, stating, “The attack in Jenin comes 100 days after Trump’s decision and makes it clear that our people’s intifada for Jerusalem is continuing.” In an attempt to clarify its position, Hamas added, “The protest against the decision and against the occupation is not a wave of anger, but an ongoing matter until full freedom is achieved for our people.”

Commenting on the attack, Israeli Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said following the attack. “We will act to sentence the terrorist to death, to demolish his house and to punish anyone who was involved. There’s no ‘lone terrorism.’ It’s terrorism that is supported by Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] and the Palestinian Authority, which pays money to the families of the terrorists.”

In recent days, we’ve seen a number of incidents that reveal the serious rift existing between the political parties that vie for the leadership of the “Palestinian” Authority. It seems that the only thing they can agree upon is that they both hate Israel and seek to abide by the original charter of the PLO that calls for the destruction of Israel.

The Disaster of the Oslo Accords – Israel’s Biggest Political Blunder

It is almost a quarter of a century since Israel signed onto what has been referred to as the “Oslo Accords”. From day one, I had referred to that agreement as the “Oslo Disaster”, but hardened peaceniks kept saying “we need to give it time”. Time is an illusion that is believed to make everything work out well. But, for Israel, the past twenty-five year has been a nightmare, internally and internationally.

The constant yearning of Israel to live in peace with its neighbors gave rise to one of the biggest political blunders in its short history, resulting in serious ideological divisions and a de-stabilized political system – not to mention the number the number of resolutions passed against Israel by the united nincompoops of the world, which, hopefully, is now coming to an end with Nikki Haley’s presence in the UN.

It is not my intention to review the multitude of problems generated by the Oslo agreement, but an enumeration of some of them would seem to be in order.

The Oslo Disaster gave overnight recognition to a terrorist organization that had launched two major intifadas against Israel (one in 1987 and the other, after the signing of the accords, in 200) and to a multitude of “lone-wolf” incidents, particularly in very recent times (car rammings, stabbings, shootings and explosions). This organization exists in the heartland of Israel (Samaria) and along its southern coastline in Gaza (which, by the way, was apportioned to the Tribe of Judah – Joshua 15:21, 47). Terrorists put on a suit and we began to call them diplomats. But, the classic photo of Rabin, Peres and Arafat puts an abrupt end to wishful thinking. The photo shows Arafat in his military uniform, wearing his kfiyah that was usually covering his shoulder in the shape of Israel. For the “Palestinians”, it was pretending for peace with a pen, while continuing to seek soverignty and submission by the sword. Time and time again, the PLO was asked to renounce its chartered commitment to destroy Israel, which it blanketly refused to do and/or ignored. And the world community remained silent and if it spoke, it only did so if it condemned Israel for the failure of the Oslo Accords.

Then there was Israel’s failure to point out that it ended its “occupation” of population of the “Palestinian” territories within three and a half years after signing the Accords – a political blunder that has given rise to over two decades of condemnation over an issue that doesn’t exist in fact.

The Oslo Disaster polarized our political discussions and, as a consequence, the views of the country, focusing on our willingness or flexibility to “make painful concessions” for peace, which nothing was demanded of the PLO, other than to be willing to make a genuine peace with Israel, which its leaders would not, and could not, do. This is aptly demonstrated by the fact that on two occasions, the PLO was offered approximately 98% of all of the territory taken as a result of the 6-Day War, it turned down the offer. The pursued goal for the “Palestinians” was not peace, but prestige, power and prominence throughout the Arab world through total victory over Israel. Its attitude is what is referred to as “zero-sum” game – a sought-for, entire victory for one side, balanced out by an all-defeat for the other side. Enemies give all they have to achieve their desired victory over the other and when the balanced gains and losses are added up, they result in zero. But, here, it is all a “Palestinian” ploy. Pursue peace? The “Palestinian” attitude is “let’s not and say we did”. And the world remains silent and does not call the “Palestinian” leadership to account.

What the Oslo Disaster did achieve was to allow for the emergence of repressive “Palestinian” regimes, both in Samaria and in Gaza. Their leaders play on the misery of their own people, a misery that in large measure they, themselves, have brought about. They obtain billions from foreign governments and international organizations, which are intended to create a socio-economic infrastructure for the betterment of their population, only to have most of it funneled off into private pockets bulging from the misery of the people. The media focused and continues to focus on poverty-stricken areas, while ignoring that in places like Gaza City, the population flourishes with five-star hotels and restaurants that would rival those of any major city in the world. And the world remains silent in the face of media manipulation.

Almost twenty-five years have elapsed since the signing of the Oslo document and peace is ever more elusive now than it was before. Five successive Israel governments have extended their hands in peace, only to have them slapped away by “Palestinian” leaders, who are willing for peace to exist, if, and only if, the existence of Israel would disppear. Peace’s illusion. They really don’t understand peace, at all. The Oslo Disaster worsened already existing troubled waters, that only God’s direct involvement will be able to bridge. When that happens, the world will not be able to say anything.

Rejoice, O nations, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people.” (Deut. 32:43)

The LORD bless you from Zion, and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. (Psalm 128:5)

Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Micah 4:2)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Have a great week.

Marvin

=======

Shalom all,

Multi-Front Planning for War

The infiltration of an Iranian drone into Israeli airspace two weeks ago, along with its consequent events, is a definitive event marking a shift in Iranian policy from “covert” intervention against Israel by its proxies to “direct” intervention by itself. Iran crossed the line, prompting an immediate and severe Israeli response.

On the strategic level, Iran’s enemyship toward Israel is part and parcel of its desire to achieve regional hegemony and reestablish the Islamic caliphate. Iran has been at the forefront of leading the “anti-Israel resistance axis”, which includes the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and military proxies all over the Middle East, including a substantial military presence in war-torn Syria. Together with Russia’s intervention, the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad was strengthened. The substantial presence of Iranian forces in Syria enabled Iran to achieve its goal of establishing a “Shiite Crescent”, comprising Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. In addition to personnel, Iran set up military bases and airports in Syria.

It would appear that Iran’s presence in Syria has two basic objects: the stabilization of Assad’s regime and the furtherance of the anti-Israel resistance axis, uniting the various military forces in the different Middle East countries which serve as Iranian proxies into a single military force, under Iranian leadership.

The situation is being carefully watched by Israel, which acts when necessary to protect our country and our citizenry, while making plans for a multi-front war. No matter how we look at it, the next war with Lebanon, Syria and Gaza will be ugly.

Still Talking About a Middle-East Peace Plan

The Security Council of that infamous UN-organization once again devoted its time to discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but to no avail. The United States is still waving the potential peace plan that is supposedly being formulated by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Trump. One would have to ask “Why?”

Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the “Palestinian” Authority is pushing for multilateral negotiations headed up by Russia, instead of the U.S. But, he has made it as clear as can be that the “PA” does not recognize Israel’s legitimacy – in any borders. So, why should anyone give any credence to his feigned claimed of wanting to establish any kind of peace with Israel? Those who follow what is happening on the “Palestinian” streets recognize that Abbas is in a constant  struggle with the Hamas terrorist organization for control of the PA. His rhetoric is intended to win the public opinion of his people by demonstrating that his hatred of Israel is greater than the hatred of Hamas. But, he is careful not to force a confrontation between himself and Hamas, which could result in his losing his position, power and privileges. Playing the game and making the effort, although it is doomed to failure, can work to Iran’s further encouragement of its Hamas proxy and trigger another Gaza War. It could also trigger a war with the Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy, only this time across the borders of both Lebanon and Syria.

As also noted above, with the Netanyahu government facing the possibility of collapse because of the investigations instituted against him, this is not a good time for the U.S. to try to push for renewed peace talks – particularly since Abbas declared that Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel marked the death knell of the peace process. So, once again, we need to ask the question why would anyone seriously consider a new peace plan, which would undoubtedly require making more concessions to the “Palestinians”? At this point in history, with enemies facing us from the north, the northeast, the further east and the south, making any concessions to the PA would not endear Netanyahu to either his colleagues or his constituents.

So, that leaves the peace-plan push in the hands of Mr. Kushner and his father-in-law, President Trump. The latter, being a business man, is still bent on dreaming the impossible dream to make the deal of the century, or the millenium. He wants to succeed where others have failed, even though the likelihood of success is dim to non-existent. But, it has become “tradition” – to do what his predecessors have done and to make the effort, because that’s what he is expected to do. For the time being, the wisest thing would be for Mr. Trump to put his proposed peace plan on hold, indefinitely.

When will foreign politicians stop playing politics with Israel’s future? Maybe when they come to know that “There is none like the God of Jeshurun” (another name for Israel), in Whom Israel takes refuge and Who will drive out her enemies (Deuteronomy 33:26-27).

“Cigar Gate” – Is the Netanyahu Era over?

The major focus of events this past week was the two new criminal investigations that were opened against Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. These follow the first investigation where he was believed to have improperly received gifts of expensive cigars from a billionaire. One of those cases is looking into the ties between government officials and the Bezeq tele-com giant and the granting of “governmental favors” in exchange for getting more favorable coverage of Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, on a news website owned by the controlling shareholder of Bezeq.

The other case involved a suspected offer, made by another confidant of Netanyahu, to a former judge in exchange for her favorably closing out a pending criminal case (not against him).

This latest bombshell comes only a week after the police recommended that the Prime Minister be indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in two corruption cases. When that recommendation was released, Netanyahu was defiant and determined to continue to lead the country until those legal matters were resolved in his favor. He received support from his own party (Likud) and from various coalition partners, who were willing to stand by him, while adopting a wait-and-see approach whether the Attorney General would make a decision whether or not to indict the Prime Minister.

The latest investigations against Netanyahu caused political pundits to question whether his coalition government is now facing the beginning of the end of its rule. Still, he has the continuing support of the Likud party and from other, leading members of his coalition, who remain faithful and are not willing to abandon ship, trusting that their captain will be able to repair the damage and see it safely into port. At this point, there are four potential criminal matters against the Prime Minister that the police are investigating – Files 1000 to 4000. Culture and Sport Minister, Miri Regev, made a statement in defense of the Prime Minister. She began her statement by mocking the four pending investigations: “I have to update you, just now Case 7000 has been published with serious allegations against teacher Shoshana, a kindergarten teacher who apparently gave Netanyahu an extra cookie at the end of the kindergarten. At this moment, researchers are investigating if that is the reason that she is still a kindergarten teacher to this day. Tomorrow, a photograph of Netanyahu with the cookie will be published in all the newspapers.” Some things simply need to be put into perspective.

In light of the present situation, where Netanyahu’s political enemies are chomping at the bit, looking for the collapse of the government, what are the most realistic possibilities?

First, the government could fall if one or more coalition partners quits, leaving the coalition without a majority. In that instance, new elections would be called and would most likely be held as quickly as the system will allow. Avi Gabbay, the head of the Zionist Union, the second largest political party in the Knesset, in a letter sent to party members, said that “the Netanyahu era is over. We must prepare for an election soon.”

A second possibility is that the Likud led coalition remains in power, but without Netanyahu, who would be replaced. Yair Lapid, the head of the Opposition, has suggested that the Prime Minister “step aside” or take a “leave of absence” until the air is cleared regarding the criminal investigations against him, even if new elections are not held.

The third possibility is also very realistic, namely, that the great expectations of the opposition parties and the efforts of the media to discredit Netanyahu and his wife, fail, and he remains in office. This is a viable option, given the present security situation that is fragile enough to explode, whether intentionally or unintentionally. An eye-opening and thought-provoking article by Rabbi Prof. Dov. Fischer is worth a few minutes read.

If, or stated more pragmatically, when, the next military conflict erupts, natural efforts towards self-preservation kick in, causing political enemies to join forces until the crisis is over.

It should be noted, there is no one within the Likud who is willing to step up and challenge Netanyahu’s leadership, a move which could split the party faithful, jeopardizing their own political future. The legal system here will make the final determination regarding the matters that the Prime Minister needs to deal with, matters that undoubtedly weigh heavy on his mind, in addition to his running the country.

“And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel” (2 Chronicles 20:29)

“Have a long life, peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.” (1 Samuel 25:6)

And so, we begin a new week.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin