It’s the kind of story that Hollywood script writers love to turn into an emotional action movie. Only this is real, not fictionalized script. It’s the type of encouraging news that the Israeli public longed to hear during the last few months since the murderous onslaught of Black Saturday.
A bold, complex joint operation between the IDF, the Israeli Security Forces, an Armored Brigade, a commando unit, Israeli Police special counter-terrorism force and the Israeli Air Force, succeeded last night in freeing two elderly male hostages being held by Hamas forces in the al-Shabura refugee camp, north of Rafah city in southern Gaza, near the Egyptian border. In a difficult fire-fight between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists, one Israeli soldier was lightly wounded.
This was actually the second time that the IDF was able to free a live hostage from Hamas captivity inside of the Gaza Strip, the first time being on October 30, when Private Ori Megidish was freed in the northern part of the Strip.
The two elderly men were abducted by Hamas and other terrorists from the Nir Yitzhak community on October 7th and have been held in captivity for over four months. Last night, shortly after midnight, the consolidated Israeli forces succeeded in freeing them.The IDF related that “the planning was meticulous, with excellent Shin Bet [Security Forces] intelligence on the location of the terrorists and hostages.” Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF Spokesman, added that “every operation has great risks. There were models before the operation. The forces waited for the conditions for the operation…There is great complexity in reaching the target in the heart of Rafah [Rafiah]. The forces arrived covertly, in a complex operation on the second floor of the building where they were held.” He also described the conduct of the operation: “A breach is made into the building, there are guards at the entrance and inside the house. The forces storm in a hot breach, the door was locked. At the same time, fire was activated from the ground and air. The two men, aged 61 and 70, were pulled out of the apartment, at the same time as heavy aerial fire, accompanied by an attack on many Hamas targets, thus allowing the force to exit the building…During the operation, one soldier was lightly injured, not from fire. The force disengages contact and arrives at a landing pad [where] a helicopter … was waiting…..”
Rear Admiral Hagari added: “From the moment of the breach and entry into the apartment, Yamam [the special counter-terrorism unit] forces shielded Louis and Fernando [the two hostages] with their bodies, initiating a daring battle and heavy exchanges of fire at several locations simultaneously, with many terrorists…The troops pulled Louis and Fernando out of the apartment and rescued them under fire, [escorting them-insertion in original] until they reached the safe zone…It was a very tense and very touching night. Such an operation was made possible thanks to the great sacrifice of the standing army and reserve troops who fell and were injured in the battles. Without their sacrifice, we would not have reached this moment.”
Immediately after they were rescued from the building, the two men were transferred by the fighters to vehicles that were waiting for rescue in the narrow alleyways of the refugee camp and from there they were quickly driven to a makeshift airstrip, where a rescue helicopter was waiting for them that flew them to the Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer, where they underwent examinations.
From Sheba Medical Center it was reported: “Early in the morning, two Israeli hostages who were freed by our forces from the Gaza Strip arrived at the Sheba Medical Center. After an initial medical examination, the condition of the two is defined as good and stable, and they are now staying in a designated compound…These are sensitive moments for the families and for the returnees to Israel…We ask to maintain their privacy and dignity. We are happy for their return home and wish for the return of all the abductees. A media statement will be issued later. We will continue to update.”
The rescue operation in Rafiah lasted about an hour and was accompanied by massive fire power from both the Israeli Air Force and special ground forces. If Israel had listened to the many voices urging them not to press on into Rafiah, the two hostages who were released last night would still be held by Hamas, instead of being home with their families.
There is no question that the heroic and successful rescue operation inside Rafiah, a Hamas stronghold, is a moment of morale building and encouragement, both for the IDF, as well as for Israel as a whole. Yair Lapid, the leader of the Opposition in the Knesset, joined in the praises of the accomplishment of this heroic operation: “A morning with a little light, amid the pain and difficulty.”
The hostages, as well as the Hamas terrorists, are dispersed throughout the Gaza Strip. Last night’s operation will undoubtedly cause the remaining hostages to be kept under heavy guard. Nevertheless, we should never allow the difficulty to prevent us from pressing on to accomplish what needs to be done.
Members of the IDF, both soldiers and officers alike, are highly motivated to defeat Hamas and to free the hostages, even at the risk of their own lives. That was demonstrated many times over and again last night. We need to continue to pray for them that God will grant them wisdom and strength, discernment and boldness, skill and exactitude, that with His guiding Hand, there will be more successful operations, similar to the one last night. This operation was called “The Golden Hand”. Indeed, there was an unseen, but ever-present, Hand of the One who has called, formed and established Israel to be here and remain where He has planted us. He will not leave us, nor forsake us, and we will not be moved!
Joshua then said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.” (Joshua 10:25)
“It is now evident that the tactical victory that Hamas achieved on Oct. 7 with all its scenes of unimaginable horror has become a leading driver of its strategic defeat, by compelling the Israeli government to persist in spite of the atrocious plight of the hostages, by motivating IDF troops to fight until its destruction, and by forfeiting much potential support even from within the Arab world, allowing all Arab governments that had them to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. That feckless American college students sing its praises will not avert the well-deserved fate that awaits Hamas, and without the heavy casualties that some feared while others gleefully anticipated.”
It is a bit too early to sing the praises of “total victory”, but there is certainly cause for optimism. Hamas militants have surrendered in different locations during the course of the war. Two days ago, one of the commanders of a Hamas elite Nukhba unit, along with two other Hamas fighters, refused to open fire on advancing Israeli forces, despite being sufficiently armed with weapons. “We sat in the room [inside a tunnel in Khan Younis – my insertion], we placed all the weapons outside…We sat and we waited. When the [Israeli] army arrived, we put up our hands and surrendered.” When asked by Israel’s Shin Bet (Security Service) intelligence officers if he had any advice for other Hamas terrorists, the unit commander said, “I recommend to everyone to surrender, because your destiny otherwise is to die.” A portion of the interview can also be seen here.
The New York Post yesterday (February 9th), published an eye-opening editorial, entitled: “Joe Biden throws Israel under the bus in a sad ploy to win on Election Day”. Biden verbally accused Israel, that our “response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top” and added, “I’m pushing very hard to deal with this hostage cease-fire. There are a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying, and it’s gotta stop.” That’s his perspective and it’s a shameful one, for the leader of a country who has touted “an unbreakable bond” between our two countries. America has lost its understanding of what it means to really fight a war and to press on to win, as opposed to fighting with the expectation that a political compromise would be achieved. America is not in a struggle for survival against visible enemies whose entire life’s goal is to destroy America. Biden’s concern is not Hamas, or Islamic Jihad, or the P.L.O., which threaten the very existence of Israel. As noted in the above editorial, his concern is his “obsessive fear that supporting Israel too hard will alienate Arab-American voters in Michigan…[where] Islamist extremism and Jew-hatred have a worrying foothold there…Whatever his thinking, the gratuitous Israel-bash means his defense of our greatest regional ally, currently locked in a struggle with genocidal, Jew-hating terrorists openly committed to its destruction and the murder of its citizens lasted all of three months…And it wasn’t even much of a defense to begin with: He’d already been pushing the lie that the IDF is bombing indiscriminately; he’s been trying to hem in Israel’s efforts to defend itself almost since the atrocities of Oct. 7.” So much for friendship and “an unbreakable bond”.
Ambassador Danny Danon is a senior member of Israel’s Knesset and chairman of World Likud, who previously served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, minister of science and technology and deputy minister of defense. In an interview with Jewish News Syndicate earlier this past week, he stated, in part: “[One] cannot expect us to win the war with our hands tied behind our back. We expect our allies to realize that we have to use force to eradicate evil. We can’t do it without our air force or with humanitarian aid going straight to Hamas.” That statement reflects the difference between fighting “to win the war” (Israel’s perspective) and fighting without an expectation of vanquishing the enemy (Biden’s perspective). If the U.S. and other countries are so desirous of ending the Gaza War, they should do everything possible to exert pressure on Hamas and on those who support Hamas in one way or another, to push for a Hamas surrender and the immediate return of the hostages. Pressuring Israel to end the war, because of the alleged number of civilian casualties, is to put the ac-cent’ on the wrong syll-a’-ble.
While Israel is advancing militarily against Hamas, the renewed American “push” for “Palestinian” statehood is another slap in the face to Israel. American politicians must have fallen asleep during their grade school classes in geography. The creation of a “Palestinian” state uniting the “West Bank” (Judea and Samaria) with the Gaza Strip, will necessitate a diagonal slicing of Israel to create a contiguous enemy state in our heartland. Such a declaration would also be contrary to every normal understanding of what essentials are required in order to create statehood, none of which exist with regard to the people group that calls itself “Palestinian”.
The two “issues” – fighting the Gaza War and creating a so-called “Palestinian” state should not be treated as being interrelated. The Gaza War was undertaken to ensure that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel. Allowing Hamas to remain in Gaza would be an unacceptable resolution to the war and will not only enable, but encourage, future attacks against Israel by terrorist organizations, as Hamas representatives have already publicly stated. The creation of a “Palestinian” state is a political consideration that will not bring peace in this region. It will only establish a terrorist base that is within our borders from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea that will be a catalyst for repeated assaults upon Israel, only this time it will be from inside the country, instead of from outside.
Right now, there are protests in various parts of the country calling for the return of the hostages being held by Hamas and by who knows whatever other organizations and individuals. In essence, the call is for Israel to end the war, as demanded by Hamas, as a preliminary for entering into a deal for the staggered release of the hostages, as well as a renewed call for new elections here. But, these are not the only voices being heard. Two days ago (February 8th), thousands of Israelis, including “soldiers, parents of fallen soldiers and relatives of Hamas hostages, took part in a rally…[that] concluded a five-day cross-country march titled, ‘Victory March: Keep Going Until IDF Victory’.” It was established by IDF reservists, who served in the Gaza War, as well as those who served along our northern border with Lebanon, since October 7th. So, Israeli society is being pulled from both directions, in addition to the pressures being placed on the government from outside sources.
A possible solution that is being bounced around to end the war and bring about the return of the hostages is to allow the main Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammad Deif, along with four other senior Hamas leaders, to be sent into exile. That consideration is still a possibility, but has not moved forward since November.
Some of you will remember the request for prayer for Urijah Bayer, a non-Jewish, Israeli-born, evangelical of German extraction, who was wounded in the fighting in Gaza and eventually died from his wounds. Many articles have appeared regarding him, including reports on major television news stations here. His father, Gideon Bayer, spoke recently to a group of journalists at a Foreign Media Event about the call to live and serve in Israel and his son’s involvement in the IDF. The entire program was over two and a half hours in length and included other speakers, who were family members of some of those being held hostage. The story about Urijah starts at 2:13:30. At the end of the various presentations, an opportunity was given to those who were on the panel to add a message to the representatives of the foreign press. Gideon Bayer shared that his family sat Shiva (a week of mourning for a dead relative) in Israel as well as in Germany, where he was asked why Urijah joined the IDF when he didn’t have to. He explained, among other things, that he and his family believe in God and that his firm belief is that those who truly love God should also love Israel. He asked them what he considered to be a legitimate question to ask all true Bible believers, “How far does your love for Israel reach? Urijah didn’t have any boundaries regarding this question.”Joel Rosenberg, who moderated the panel, responded to this statement and quoted the Lord Yeshua, who said:“Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
Have a healthy and God-honoring week. Bless, be blessed and be a blessing. Marvin
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 224. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is estimated at 136.
THIS PAST WEEK REVEALED the involvement of 10% of UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip, including teachers in schools run by that U.N. agency, are connected with terrorist organizations and are Hamas or Islamic Jihad operatives and at least a dozen were involved in the October 7th massacre. As a result of these disclosures by Israel, gained through interrogations of militants arrested during attack on Black Saturday, UNRWA fired “several” employees “to protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance”. As the above reports further indicates, the spokesman for Antonio Guterres, the U.N. Secretary-General, said that he “is horrified” by the accusations and that an “urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA will be conducted”. Unfortunately for UNRWA, following those disclosures, the U.S. State Department temporarily halted funding the that agency, a move that was followed by Canada that review will be too little and too late. A review of the continued existence of UNRWA should have been conducted many decades ago, when it outlived its original purpose.
According to its website, titled United Nations Relief and Works Agency for “Palestine Refugees”, UNRWA was established by the U.N. General Assembly in 1949, “with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered “Palestine” refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight…Tens of thousands of “Palestine” refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.” One with any sense of perspective and understanding would have to ask: “Why, after 75 years, are there still refugees from the Israeli War of Independence in 1948?”
My posts of September 8 and 18, 2018, entitled “UNRWA-Debunking and Defunding a Deception”, parts one and two, dealt extensively with the politically-motivated establishment of UNRWA and answered the above question. The first of those posts stated, in part:
“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….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….
“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 UNRWA’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 wrongly 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.”
In 2018, it was already known that Hamas members were on the payroll of UNRWA. So why did this matter rise to the surface only now? Because it was politically expedient for everyone involved to ignore it. How many of the billions of dollars that were funded to UNRWA ended up in the hands of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in Gaza? We may never know. But, we do know that the tunnel infrastructure that was built by Hamas over the past 17 years required massive funding. Some of the tunnels were under UNRWA-supported institutions. Maybe those expenses were written off as “renovations”!
Despite the decision of the U.S. to pause funding of UNRWA, the Biden Administration sent millions of dollars to UNRWA, which were said to have been committed back in November, 2023. “Critics have long argued that UNRWA is directly tied to Hamas terrorists. On Tuesday, New Jersey GOP Rep. Chris Smith introduced a bill, known as the ‘Stop Support United Nations Relief and Works Agency Act of 2024,’ that would cut off U.S. funding.” It’s about time!
The Dry Bones Blog – 28th January, 2024
AND THEN, the Biden administration dropped its bombshell on Israel, when U.S. State Department spokesman, Mathew Miller, told reports last Wednesday, January 31st, that the United States was “actively pursuing the establishment of an independent “Palestinian” state. According to an article in The Jerusalem Post, citing the Hebrew website Walla, “US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken order the US State Department to prepare staff work that will examine the possibility of American and international recognition of the state of “Palestine” the day after the war in Gaza.” One would would think that such a one-sided step could not be implemented, given the long-standing U.S. policy that such recognition, if it were to happen, should be the result of direct negotiations between the parties involved. But, as mentioned in the above article: “A senior US official said that the war in Gaza and the efforts to find a diplomatic solution opened the way for a re-examination within the administration of many old paradigms in the policy of the United States towards the Israel-“Palestinian” conflict. According to him, there are elements within the Biden administration who recommend changing policy and moving towards recognizing a “Palestinian” state as a first step in a renewed peace process and not as a last step that would be the result of negotiations between the parties.” This is sheer lunacy on the part of the Biden administration and reveals a total lack of understanding of the nature and underlying causes of this ongoing conflict.
The establishment of a so-called “Palestinian” state is not the real issue and, in any event, it is not really desired either by the people in Gaza or by those in Judea and Samaria. The real issue is the existence of the State of Israel anywhere on land that was once occupied by Islam, which remains holy to Islam, even if they are no longer in control of it. Hence, the proclamation “from the river to the sea” is not a call for “Palestinian” independence, or for statehood, but rather a call for the elimination of the State of Israel fully and completely. In its purest sense, this decades-old conflict since the establishment of Israel in the midst of a sea of Islamic countries is a holy war that has existed from the days of our forefathers and, at its core, is not only regarding the existence of the State of Israel, but the continued existence of the Jewish people, who need to recognize and call upon the Messiah of Israel.
WHILE WE ARE TRYING TO FIGHT A PHYSICAL WAR, the present politics of the Biden administration are working to grant success to Hamas and the defeat of Israel. In Jonathan S. Tobin’s lengthy, but extremely cogent and astute article, appearing in Jewish News Syndicate yesterday, he summarizes it all in the title: “It’s Biden who’s playing politics with the Gaza war, not Bibi.” Tobin then goes on to state, in part: “[Netanyahu] may be pursuing two goals that cannot both be achieved as well as clinging to his pre-war strategic objective of getting Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel. Yet the real scheming going on right now is in Washington, not Jerusalem. It is Biden who is playing a double game in which he seems willing to ensure Hamas’s survival in power in order to settle scores with Netanyahu, as well as to defeat former President Donald Trump in November…That’s the context for the discussions about the latest proposal for a ceasefire and the release of 136 hostages—some living and some presumed dead—in which the double-dealing government of Qatar is playing a central role. Whether or not this effort, like previous ones, will be shot down by Hamas, Netanyahu will continue to face enormous pressure from both the families of the hostages and the United States to either pause or end the war…as the war heads towards its fifth month, Biden’s practice of talking out of both sides of his mouth on the conflict—backing Israel while also bashing and pressuring it to scale down its military campaign—has escalated to the point where a tipping point may soon be reached. American involvement in the hostage talks seem not so much to be focused on freeing the captives as they are on hamstringing the Israeli war effort and wrong-footing Netanyahu.
“While Washington’s focus on demands for the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a far-reaching postwar deal involving Saudi normalization may be wildly unrealistic, it is only understandable if seen in the context of a gambit to topple the Israeli coalition while winning Biden back the favor of left-wing and Arab-American voters whose anger over his supporting Israel’s right to self-defense has imperiled his re-election campaign…It’s also clear that Biden’s attempts to balance his support for Israel and not stopping the flow of arms resupply that enable the continuation of the war (which he has threatened to halt) with talk of a Palestinian state and gestures like sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of violence against Arabs are nothing more than cheap political maneuvers…No matter how [Netanyahu] navigates the current crisis or whether he survives in office, he seems not so much to be playing politics as his opponents claim as clinging to the only stand that makes any sense if Israel is to truly ensure that there will be no more Oct. 7 attacks. Biden, on the other hand, is doing nothing but playing to his party base, seeking to convince them that he shares their contempt for Israeli lives that is a key element in the calls for a ceasefire before Hamas is eliminated…[Biden’s] cynical tricks may or may not gain him votes, but the real loser in his politicization of Middle East policy is the security of a Jewish state that is being endangered by his vendetta against Netanyahu.” (Emphasis mine) The once believed and often touted “unbreakable bond between the U.S. and Israel” is being strained to the breaking point. Politicians need to hear and to heed the voice of their constituents. U.S. voters can press their representatives to continue to support Israel. They will be blessed in return. That is part of God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3).
AS FOR THE PRESENT HOSTAGE DEAL NEGOTIATIONS, I am referring you to Carolyn Glick’s explanation of the current negotiations and why their implementation means defeat for Israel. While I would encourage you to listen to the entire presentation, which touches on a number of different issues, it is particularly important to listen to the comments from minutes 4:14-8:14.
ONE FINAL NOTE: The situation in the north is reaching a boiling point. Hezbollah aggression has reached the point where Israel will need to do more than just respond to rockets, RPGs, anti-tank missiles and UAVs. Lebanon is unable to control the Hezbollah, who has ignored its obligation under U.N. Resolution 1701, which brought about the end of the Second Lebanon War, in 2006. Israel MUST pursue action to move the Hezbollah north of the Litani River, and create a buffer zone, as stated in Article 8 of the above Resolution, “free of armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon [weak as it is – my addition] and of UNIFIL” [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon], which will not engage in any fighting. If we wait too much longer, we will end up with tens of thousands of missiles being launched into Israel, which will cause extensive damage to Israel’s infrastructure, particularly in the north, but also to areas south of Haifa. And then, Israel will follow through with its warnings and Beirut will be turned into a second Gaza.
Yes, it’s been quite a week.
And notwithstanding all that has been said here and the attempts of the prince of the power of the air to discourage us, God also has a few things to say:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will also go.” So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.’ 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 8:20-23)
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 194. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 530. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is estimated at 136. The number of war-wounded is far beyond what any of us want to state out loud.
We are a country that is bleeding, physically and emotionally. Israel is dealing with major pressures from outside the country, both from our “friends” as well as our “foes”, to immediately cease the military operations in Gaza. We’ve dealt with foreign pressures before and usually stood up against them. But, this time, the international pressure is being supplemented by massive demonstrations in Israel, calling upon the country to “Bring them home, NOW!” So, while not directly demanding a cessation of hostilities – although there are a number of “minor demonstrations” that do make such demands – the message from the demonstrations is that Israel should do everything possible to bring about the return of the hostages. The demands are being made primarily, although not exclusively, upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There are, of course, those who consistently claim that Netanyahu is keeping the war going in order to remain in power. I don’t deny that such a possibility exists. Nevertheless, he is not the only one that makes decisions regarding the continuation of the war.
But, the internal voices are becoming more vocal. While families genuinely want their loved ones to return, alive, there is also no escaping the fact that the protests are being backed by powerful individuals with a lot of money, whose goal now is the removal of Netanyahu as Prime Minister and the calling for new elections – now, in the middle of a war, possibly the most serious and difficult war since our War of Independence. The Times of Israel refers to a report in The New York Times, which quoted four IDF commanders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, that “the dual objectives of freeing the hostages and destroying Hamas are now mutually incompatible.” I’ve been saying that since the ground offensive began. I’m glad that they finally agree with me. The question now, as it has been the question all along, is which goal needs to be sacrificed in order to achieve the second goal? What is the “greater good” here, if in fact there is a “greater good” in this situation?
Without question, the biggest complaint against Israel is the number of civilian casualties in Gaza. The figures are almost exclusively provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas. Every report issued by that ministry that is reported in the Israeli media is usually accompanied by a statement that the figures reported cannot be independently verified. Well, the IDF has different figures, which are substantially lower than those reported by the Hamas Health Ministry.
Colonel Richard Kemp, a former officer in the British Army and anti-terrorism expert, sides with the IDF and actually concludes that the IDF has the lowest civilian casualty rate ever recorded in history, 1.5 to 1, while the UN estimates that the global average is a staggering 9:1 So, where is the world getting its information from that causes some to accuse Israel of committing genocide? But then, when one is accusing Israel of any time of wrong-doing, facts really aren’t important, are they? What Israel bashers want to do is to make the accusation and then put the burden on Israel to disprove the claim.
There are actually some people that understand the situation of blind hatred towards Israel. Sometimes their eyes are opened and they acknowledge the simple fact that the goal of Hamas is to destroy Israel. Such was the case with Shefali Vaidya, a social media influencer from India. She was part of a 13-member delegation of Muslim and Hindu journalists and social media-recognized personalities, who toured Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities whose members were massacred and butchered on Black Saturday. The tour was organized by the grassroots organization Sharaka, an organization seeking to strengthen the positive relationship between Israel and the Arab and Muslim world. She tweeted, in part: “Hamas does not want land or concessions. What it wants is the complete annihilation of the state of Israel and death of every last Israeli citizen. It was a sobering realisation of a chilling fact! “
Then, there are others, who don’t directly acknowledge the goal of Hamas to destroy Israel, but recognize the need for Hamas to be dismantled. The European Parliament called for a “permanent ceasefire” in the Gaza War, but conditioned it on the dismantling of the Hamas terrorist organization and the unconditional release of the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. Following the decision of the U.E., Haim Regev, Israel’s Ambassador to the E.U., was quoted in “Politico”, as saying that “We are happy to see that the European Parliament understands the need to release the hostages and disarm Hamas before any ceasefire.” Elon Levy, the government spokesman for Israel also commented: “The European Union wants Israel to win this war against Hamas… The European Parliament just demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages and dismantling of Hamas. It said no permanent ceasefire until then.”
Not everyone was happy with the decision of the European Union, as can be understood from the statement of the representative of the “Palestinian” Authority, who denounced the vote as “a moral failure of the European Parliament.”
Two days ago, P.M. Netanyahu had a lengthy conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden. It would have been great if we could have listened in on what was discussed and the tone of the communication between the two leaders. Following the conversation, Biden intimated that Netanyahu may be open to accepting some kind of “two-state solution”, but the P.M., in a rare statement issued today, Shabbat, repeated the same position that he held for years, namely: that after the elimination of Hamas, “Israel must remain in full security control of the Gaza Strip to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel – and this conflicts with demands for “Palestinian” sovereignty.” So, they can’t both be telling the truth. While Netanyahu credibility before the public has diminished considerably, particularly since the beginning of the Gaza War, I would still accept him position that a “Palestinian” state will not be established “on his watch”. This is in agreement with Biden’s assessment also, that an independent “Palestinian” state is not possible as long as Netanyahu remains in office. Apparently, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is not thrilled with a refusal to accept a two-state solution. While speaking in Kampala, Uganda, he stated: “The refusal to accept a two-state solution for Israelis and “Palestinians”, and the denial of the right to statehood for the “Palestinian” people, are unacceptable…The right of the “Palestinian” people to build their own state must be recognized by all.” I have no problem with the so-called “Palestinians” setting up their own state, as long as it is not anywhere on the land of Israel.
This week also saw terrorism committed on the streets of Ra’anana, a central city here. The acts of terrorism were accomplished by two residents from a community near Hebron in Judea. A woman in her late 70s was killed and at least 17 others were wounded, including 4 minors, in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack. The adult victims were hospitalized and were reported to be in serious to moderate conditions. The terrorists were apprehended by the Police and it was discovered that they were employed in the industrial area of Ra’anana, but without valid work permits. It turned out that both suspects were known to Israeli security forces. We continue to make the same mistake, over and over again, and allow people to work in Israel who should not be allowed entry.
Yesterday, we had a large gathering of family members for an erev Shabbat (Friday evening) meal. In the middle of our conversations, loud sirens went off throughout Haifa, indicating a potential threat from a projectile. We all got up and went into the “secured room” in our apartment. We bolted the metal door that protects the window and locked the reinforced metal door to the room. Admittedly, it was a bit crowded. But, after 10 minutes, we were able to leave the room and resume our time together during the evening. The nature of the projectile was not immediately disclosed, but was said to be “a suspicious aerial target” that was intercepted by the IDF. The reports did not indicate whether or not the drone was armed. Our conversation turned to speculation over the possible destination of the projectile: the oil refinery on the outskirts of Haifa, the Naval Base next to Rambam Hospital or the natural gas facility off the cost of Haifa. Inasmuch as it came from the north, the likelihood is that is was a “smart” projectile, that was either programmed or controlled electronically. The IDF didn’t say and we didn’t ask. We’re thankful that no one was injured.
And, to round off The Week That Was, the Gaza War has become the subject of network television. I’m not referring to the local news, but to the season premiere of the long-running TV series, Law & Order, which aired this past Thursday. According to the Forward, “The episode, titled ‘Free Expression,’ manages to cram just about every major headline even tangentially related to Israel from the past few months into its hour run time.” It would be interesting to see how Hollywood relates to real-life, present-day events that are taking place thousands of miles away, and brings them into your living room, as though they are happening in New York City.
There’s a lot more, but I think this is where we’ll stop.
Have a safe, healthy, encouraging and God-honoring week.
The number of IDF members killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive is now up to 131.
Rachel continues to weep for her children. Another military funeral, similar to others, but definitely different. It is difficult to describe in words what a military funeral is like in Israel. I’ve attended a few and wept with the families, the friends, the companions-in-arms and others who participated in the ceremony simply to honor and respect the fallen soldier. Today, it was the funeral of Sergeant First Class, Urija Bayer, 20 years old, for whom many of the recipients of this blog prayed for.
It was about an hour’s drive from Haifa to the military cemetery in Ma’alot-Tarshiha, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of the northern city of Nahariyya. I drove with my oldest son, who was released from reserve duty after serving for two months, and his wife (whose sister is married to Urija’s cousin). We anticipated traffic, so we left a little early, planning to arrive between 30-45 minutes before the funeral service began. As we were approaching the entrance to the cemetery, we saw a long line of people lining the roadway, holding Israeli flags. The number of roadside participants increased significantly by the time we reached the cemetery. Vehicular traffic was directed by the IDF and we were able to get a parking space very close to the entrance. By the time we arrived at the cemetery, literally hundreds of people were already present – Urija’s family, of course; friends; members of the unit where he served, along with what appeared to be a sea of members of the IDF. By the time the actual funeral service began, about a thousand people were in attendance, including my daughter, who came down from Jerusalem, and my other son, who is on full-time, active duty in the IDF in the north of Israel.
We heard the echo of the loud speaker being turned on and then the announcement, requesting that the crowd make way and not block the path of the procession that was about to begin, on schedule. The crowd separated, making an uneven divide, but clearing a path wide enough for the pall bearers and the honor guard to pass, followed by family and just about everyone else, to the actual plot where Urijah would be interred.
The military funeral is arranged fully by the IDF. Each funeral has similar aspects – the arrival of the casket and its burial; eulogies by members of the IDF, including a rabbi, the commanding officer of the unit where the deceased soldier served, a testimony by another officer about the person and service of the solder, a prayer to the Father of Mercies, eulogies by members of the family, the “Mourner’s Kadish” (a prayer exalting and praising the greatness of God), a three-volley salute and the declaration that the service is officially over.
But, while all of the above elements were present, still, this military funeral was considerably different from almost all others. Urija was not Jewish, but was an Evangelical Chrisitian. Although he held the status of a permanent resident, he did not have Israeli citizenship, and so was exempt from mandatory military service. Nevertheless, like his four siblings before him, he volunteered to join the IDF, and served in the Maglan Special Forces unit, which is part of the Nahal Brigade. He is the youngest of five children, all of whom were born in Israel. His parents are German Christian Evangelicals, who founded “Zedakah” (meaning “charity”), a German Christian charitable organization that runs the Bet Eliezer Nursing Home in Ma’alot, which has one goal: to comfort and console elderly Holocaust survivors. Urija’s grandparents founded and operated the Beth El Guest Home, located in Shavei Zion (not far from the city of Naharriya), which hosts Holocaust survivors and their families for free.
In her eulogy, Urija’s mother related, among other things, to the meaning of the name “Urija” from a Biblical point of view. She spoke of the sovereignty of God in all things and of the salvation offered by faith in Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel – a subject almost never mentioned at a military funeral in Israel. The emotional impact of her words were clearly evident upon many of the faces of those present, as some wept and others wiped away tears. Urija lived out his faith in Messiah Yeshua and found favor in the sight of God and man. The testimony that he left behind will be remembered and spoken about by the people whose lives he touched.
Urija was described by officers and enlisted men, and women, as a highly dedicated and competent combat soldier, who was always ready to perform the most difficult tasks. He was quiet and always smiling, encouraging others in his unit to press on. He was dedicated to the defense of Israel, and was honored and respected by everyone in the IDF who knew him. Last Thursday, during difficult combat in the southern portion of the Gaza Strip, he sustained severe head injuries, from which he died on Sunday. All of the members of the IDF who spoke at his funeral closed with the words, “may his life be bound up in the bundle of the living” based upon 1 Samuel 25:29, which is a prayer of faith in the eternal life of the soul. The Hebrew letters that form an anagram from those words appear on almost all gravestones of Jewish people. May Urija’s memory be blessed.
The Gaza War continues in earnest, as units of the IDF continue to find and destroy additional tunnels that are part of a vast tunnel system, some of which are able to accommodate trucks. It is nothing short of a miracle that one of these larger tunnels, which is located a relatively short distance from one of the Israel-Gaza crossings, was not utilized by Hamas to overrun the IDF units in charge of those crossings and cause an even greater massacre inside of Israel than that which took place on October 7th.
The northern arena is no longer a place for irritating, cross-border incidents. Now, there is ongoing military action throughout the course of the day. The question on most people’s minds these days is not “if” a second front will develop, but “when”. In conversations with representatives of the United States, Israel expressed its desire that the Hezbollah be moved northward, at least 6 miles from the border with Israel. It is doubtful that the U.S. will be able to bring that event to pass and, even if it does, 6 miles will not prevent the Hezbollah from launching a missile attack upon Israel. The slightly increased distance will only result in a minimally longer “warning time”, that would enable people on our side of the border to find shelter.
Hostage negotiations – Israel is almost pleading for renewed negotiations with the Hamas terrorist organization, which remains adamant in its position that it will not negotiate for the release of hostages until Israel, essentially, stops the war. As has been the case for the last few days, “unnamed sources” relate information to news media, who then pass on the information to us, the “uninformed”, as if the information being communicated is true in every respect. We need to be careful about accepting third-party, “hearsay”, information.
Be that as it may, a report in Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) today, refers to an article appearing in the London-based newspaper, The New Arab (Al-Araby Al Jadeed), which claims that Hamas is ignoring feelers put out by Israel for renewed negotiations for a hostage/prisoner exchange and ceasefire. The Qatari-owned newspaper reported that according to an unnamed Egyptian source, “The leadership of the Hamas movement refused to respond to a proposal put forward by Tel Aviv regarding the possibility of completing a prisoner exchange deal that includes female soldiers and some elderly people as a first stage, followed by other stages.” Note the language: “Hamas movement” – no reference to it being a militaristic, terrorist organization; “put forward by Tel Aviv” – this is an attempt to refer to Israel’s capital as Tel Aviv, rather than Jerusalem; “first stage, followed by other stages” – The final release/return of ALL of the hostages will be negotiated in stages and definitely over an extended period of time. All during that time, if the IDF doesn’t “behave” properly, it is clear that Hamas will play its “on-again, off-again” game, putting the IDF and Israel to shame before the Arab world and the world community itself.
JNS added: “Hamas leadership won’t accept any proposals that don’t include a ceasefire as a ‘good faith gesture,’ the Egyptian source added. Israel’s offer included the release of prominent Hamas prisoners who had been in jail for long periods, said the source, who according to the paper was briefed on recent meetings between Egyptian officials and Hamas terror representatives in Doha. However, Hamas views the offer with suspicion, seeing it as an Israeli tactic to sow division among the various terror groups operating in Gaza, and so insists that ‘any future negotiations will not be limited to leadership prisoners from Hamas, but will include the leaders of all Palestinian resistance factions,’ the source said. The involvement of CIA Director William Burns is a sign that the United States and Israel are eager for a deal and that the Biden administration ‘believes that it is possible to reach a new agreement similar to the previous agreement, if Egypt and Qatar exert pressure,’ he added.” (Emphasis mine) Israel has rejected those demands and has stated that the war will continue and that it will be be ready for a ceasefire only when the hostages will be released.
The terms expressed above need to be understood from the point of view of Hamas wanting to “save face”, which is of critical importance in the Middle East, as well as to get what it originally requested, namely, the release of all “Palestinian” prisoners being held in Israeli jails. Although the language used is “leaders of all ‘Palestinian resistance factions’,” that is a starting point: first get the “generals” out, then get the “soldiers” out, who will be the military might that follows the instructions of the “generals”.
Israel needs to WAKE UP! We’re being played by Hamas. Even though we say now that its terms are unacceptable, if we continue to run after them and reduce our demands each time, then at some point we will give in to their demands in order to satisfy the demands of the families of the hostages. While we are at it, it should be obvious that to no small extent, and notwithstanding anything that the U.S. Department of Defense might say, we’re also being played by the Biden Administration, that is telling us how to conduct our war, when to finish fighting and what to negotiate. If our “friend” wants us to win the war, it can’t shackle us and tell us to do so with one hand, or maybe both hands, tied behind our backs. If the U.S. is sending in its top negotiator, who helped bring about the last “deal”, then it wants us to compromise regarding the goals we set for this war. The end result will be that the hostages “may” be released (we don’t know who is alive), how many negotiated deals will be necessary to bring that to pass or how long. And worse, Sinwar and his other evil cohorts will live to fight another day and to plan more massacres of Israelis. We should stop trying to make a deal with the devil. All of Israel wants the hostages returned. But, we also want to prevent a repeat of October 7th. We cannot compromise. Agreeing to the prerequisite demands of a purely evil, blood-thirsty terrorist group is a recipe for disaster. The good of the few should not take precedence over the good of the many. We need to make our own decisions. We can’t pursue winning the Gaza War and negotiate over what will cause us to lose it.
“Don’t Let Us Grow Old Here.” That is the title of a brief video, in Hebrew and English, that was released by Hamas yesterday, which features 3 elderly men who were taken captive on October 7th. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF Spokesman, said that the video was an “atrocious terrorism…It shows the cruelty of Hamas against elderly civilians, innocents, who require medical attention…The world must work to allow medical aid and to verify their condition.” And we are supposed to sit with their kidnappers and play “Let’s Make A Deal”? Hagari added a personal note to the hostages: “We are doing everything to return you safely. We will not rest until you are back.” While I respect Hagari, in my opinion it would have been best if that last statement was left out. If the “everything to return you safely” is a reference to the negotiations, then their safe return will come at a tremendous price tag that will endanger Israel.
The release of the video yesterday was obviously intended to play on the emotions of the Israeli public, in the backdrop of the rumors of an attempt at another negotiation, probably to put more pressure on the Israeli government to do whatever is necessary to bring about the release/return of the hostages. The emotional notch was increased a bit by including the well-known phrase (at least here, in Hebrew) from Psalm 71:9: “Do not cast me away at the time of my old age; Do not abandon me when my strength fails.” It should be a clear reminder of the totally immoral, insensitive people that we are dealing with.
Friends stand with their friends and defend them, when wrongfully attacked. United States Representative David Scott made that clear on October 25th.
So, what happened between the time that United States Representative David Scott declared that they not only will stand with Israel, but that they will fight with Israel? Why are we getting mixed messages from Uncle Sam? In all likelihood, it has to do with politics. There it is again. Politics!
The Dry Bones Blog – 19 December, 2023
Some friends “go the extra mile”. They not only defend in words, they give valid explanations for their positions. AND, they make it clear and unambiguous.
Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down, that the mountains would quake at Your presence—as fire kindles brushwood, as fire causes water to boil— to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence! (Isaiah 61:1-2)
The Week That Was 