Shalom from the lush Jezreel Valley! Looking from my home to the vast swaths of farmland below, it is hard to believe that my country is at war. It is beautiful, serene, pastoral – until an Israeli Air Force fighter jet flies at low altitude over my head coming in for a land at the nearby airbase. On the one hand is a magnificent colorful bounty filling the land. On the other is war. That has been the juxtaposition of Israel for millennia.
Because of the unique nature of this nation, however, the battles are not limited to the physical. Yes, there is the war in Gaza, the constant skirmishing with Lebanon and Syria, and the indirect conflict with Iran through its proxies, which sometimes, like last week, becomes very direct. It is this action of blood and bombs that gets the headlines, leads to protests, causes the United Nations to pass silly resolutions, and is turned into political fodder for upcoming elections. And it is right that this violent conflict receives its proper attention. Lives are being lost on both sides of the battlelines and humanitarian suffering is rife due to the disregard which Hamas feels for their own people, using civilians as human shields and turning hospitals and schools into military bases.
The other war, however, did not begin on October 7. True, it has been exacerbated since then, but it is a battle that has been going on since the early church. This is a spiritual battle for the legitimacy of the Jewish people and, since 1948, the State of Israel. It is astounding to me how many Christians believe that God is done with the Jews. Whether it is because of their idolatrous past that led to their exile or because there were a group of them 2000 years ago who were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, they feel that God finally had enough of that rebellious people and kicked them to the curb in favor of the church. And, once again, this is nothing new. The whole reason Paul wrote Romans 9-11 was to address this exact fallacy. It’s also the reason why several years ago, I wrote the book Israel and the Church.
Israel
The IDF is on its highest alert this weekend due to a convergence of events on Friday. 1) It is the last Friday of Ramadan. 2) It is Lailat al-Qadr (“Night of Power”), which celebrates the night the Quran was given. 3) It is Iran’s Quds Day (“Jerusalem Day”), a once-a-year show of support for the Palestinians. 4) Iran has already vowed to avenge the attack on Damascus, as described below.
Individually, each is excuse enough for a terror attack. Taken together, they are an ominous warning. The commander of the Israel Defense Force’s (IDF) military intelligence said today, “We are not convinced that the worst is behind us. We are facing some very loaded and complicated days.” After the horrific events of October 7, we now recognize that we can no longer take any chances. We will not be caught off-guard ever again!
It was a difficult week for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on two fronts. First, Sunday saw him at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem where he underwent surgery for a hernia. The procedure went well, and he was released on Tuesday. Second, a four-day rally protesting his government turned into a small riot on the third night as those gathered tried to break through police barricades to the PM’s house. The emotion of the moment was heightened by the presence of some family members of hostages.
A vast majority of Israelis are strongly united against the common enemy of Hamas. However, these protesters are a very vocal minority who are heavily funded by outside sources that are looking for more pliable leadership in Israel.
The IDF Home Front Command is preparing to launch a media campaign to prep Israelis for war against Hezbollah. The terrorist group has at least 100,000 fighters on its rosters, many with battle experience from the Syrian Civil War, and is expected to fire up to 5000 rockets per day at Israel. The government is building up massive emergency supplies of fuel, food, and medical gear and is fortifying the electrical grid. The Bank of Israel has told smaller banks to prepare for a high cash demand in case of a run on currency. Amazingly, despite these bleak forecasts, the past couple of weeks have seen the Israeli stock market soaring as high as it’s ever been.
A UAV struck an Israeli naval base in Eilat, damaging a building but causing no injuries. Apparently fired by the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, the drone traveled through Jordanian airspace and past Israeli defenses before hitting the site.
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