Middle East updates

Shalom from Northern Israel –

I’ve said it before and I will say it again – My region of the world never takes a holiday. This has become all the truer since October 7, 2023. The past five months and counting have resulted in greater levels of stress than I’ve dealt with in a long time – maybe my entire life. If the massacre of that Saturday wasn’t enough, we’ve been at war with Hamas for five months now. Adding to that, we’re dealing with an imminent war in the north with Hezbollah seemingly any day now. On top of both of these realities, there is a never-ending battle with the global bias against my beloved country…

…but God. 

Even in this tragic season, I see the faithfulness of the Lord. And one of the primary ways I see this is through the preservation of His people, Israel. He’s preserved us throughout the ages and He’ll preserve us now.

Malachi 3:6
“For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

I can’t thank you enough for all of the wonderful pictures and words of encouragement you’ve been sending over the past several weeks. They’ve had a greater affect than you know. Despite the circumstances, Behold Israel is moving full steam ahead in pursuit of the ministry God has entrusted to us for 2024.

Current Events

As I summarize some key happenings from the last week, please make sure to check out and subscribe to My Telegram Channel if you haven’t already, as this is the platform I use to provide real-time updates concerning Israel, the region, and events happening around the world on a daily basis. 

Gaza & Hamas

Adding insult to injury, the US began supplying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip last week. If it’s not enough that the people of Gaza were seen throwing some of the aid in the trash because it came from the US, some locals were also killed in the process. Apparently, some of the aid was incorrectly dropped from the sky leading to fatalities. And don’t be fooled, there’s plenty of evidence revealing there’s no food shortage in Gaza. The people have plenty of access to food.

Sadly, the news doesn’t get better regarding US involvement in our war with Hamas. In a recent interview, President Biden explained that he would never cut off defensive weapons. This means the current administration would be willing to cut off offensive weapon supply as leverage against Israel in the future in an attempt to prevent further operations in Gaza. Both the US and Hamas share at least one thing in common – they have completely unrealistic expectations regarding what it will take to bring an end to this war. 

Tragically, Israel has learned that at least 34 abductees of the 134 taken to Gaza on October 7 have died. On a positive note, #3 in the Hamas hierarchy is believed to have been eliminated over the weekend.

The US is slowly but surely becoming our greatest obstacle when it comes to obliterating this terrorist organization. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even had to correct Biden in a recent statement saying, “When he says that my policy is against Israeli interests and against Israeli public opinion, he is wrong on both counts.” No matter what, Netanyahu remains determined to win this war. I’m glad to have a strong leader at such a time as this.

None of this should surprise us, as the Biden administration has gone out of its way to save face with the pro-Palestinian audience over the last several weeks, especially since the beginning of Ramadan.

Lebanon & Hezbollah

With Hezbollah increasing its aggression, Israel has been the recipient of a multitude of rocket barrages from Lebanon over the last several days, which has forced the IDF to respond with a number of strikes in Southern Lebanon and Syria. While our primary military conflict has been with Hamas in Gaza, we’ve been dealing with these terrorists north of our border as well. At least 240 of them have been killed as a result of Israeli strikes since October 2023, which have happened in multiple cities and towns.

Tensions are only on the rise. Given recent developments, Israelis are expecting an imminent war with our enemy in the north. I encourage you to watch my most recent breaking news segment concerning this very issue!

The United States

It’s of no small concern to see what’s happening in the United States. Its sympathy towards the Muslim mentality is extremely alarming. Look no further than Times Square, where Muslims gathered for prayer at the onset of Ramadan. Beyond this, amid the war in Gaza, disgusting pro-Palestinian fliers were seen in New York City stating, “Rape is resistance”, and “Babies are occupiers too”. This is the direction the west has been heading for years. It’s no surprise that NYC is seeing a rise in Islamic terror propaganda.

As our war in Gaza rages on, it’s becoming clearer by the day that Biden is living in a fantasy world when it comes to his perception of the Middle East. He appears to think that Palestinians are eager for peace and Israel’s government is at odds with its people. Both are anything but true.

Russia

Since the onset of the war, Russia has stood by the side of the Palestinians. Just days ago, they denied the report of the special envoy investigating the sexual crimes committed against Israeli women throughout the massacre – crimes that left an overwhelming trail of evidence. If the Russians hadn’t already made their position clear concerning who they side with, they’ve now left zero room for doubt. 

Yemen & the Houthis

After sinking a British-owned ship, the Iranian-sponsored Houthis continue to initiate terror in the region. Late last week, the group fired a pair of ballistic missiles at a Singapore-owned ship. Thankfully, the missiles missed their target. Within 24 hours, coalition forces and the US Navy intercepted 15 Houthi drones in the Gulf of Aden. Furthermore, the Houthis announced that they targeted a US container ship in the Red Sea with several naval strike missiles. The Houthis are now reportedly testing hypersonic missiles and are preparing to produce them as well.

Israel

Needless to say, Israel has its hands extremely full right now. In addition to what I’ve mentioned above, we have approximately 15,000 troops deployed in the West Bank for the month of Ramadan in order to counteract and prevent terror. The IDF has been extremely proactive in dealing with terrorists coming out of the West Bank throughout this war. Sadly, our readiness doesn’t stop those who love violence. Even today, we’re dealing with the aftermath of multiple isolated acts of terror.

I have zero doubts that my country demands strong leadership right now. The polls reflect this, as Netanyahu is overwhelmingly desired in contrast to his opponent(s). Amir Tsarfati