Shalom from the Balkan Peninsula! My family and I have taken some much-needed vacation, so that we can spend time together here along the Adriatic Sea. Thankfully, for the short period that I’ve been here, no Iranian retaliation has taken place nor has there been a great offensive by Hezbollah to the north.
It could have been a different sort of week. On Sunday, a clean-shaven, very normal looking man, Jaafar Mona from Nablus, walked along Lehi Road in Tel Aviv. On his back was a backpack that looked like any other backpack. What was inside, though, had the potential to kill dozens, if not more. While just ten minutes away from a crowded event at a stadium, the terrorist’s plot was thwarted when the explosive in his backpack prematurely blew up. He was immediately shredded to pieces, while just one bystander was moderately injured.
Hamas quickly took credit for the attempted bombing. As for the early detonation, I would also like to give credit where it is due. Thank you, God, for protecting your people. This had all the makings for another horrible massacre. You didn’t allow it to happen. While we don’t know why You step in at times and hold Your hand back at others, we trust You knowing that You will always do what is best. So, all credit for the premature blast goes to You, Lord.
On the flip side of the coin is what happened on October 7. I will admit to you that I am writing this paragraph on Wednesday immediately after viewing my Telegram premier of “October 7th: Unfiltered”. This is not my first time seeing this footage, but I once again find myself stunned at the brutality of what took place that day. How can people do this? I am angry, heart-broken, aghast, and devastated. It takes my breath away.
As I watch the Democrat National Convention in Chicago and hear the chants of “Free, Free Palestine”, I want to round all those people up into an auditorium and show them the heinous violence of these “innocent” Gazans. And, yes, I know that it is not all of those who are living in Gaza. But there is a huge majority there who cheered the massacre and only wished that more Israelis had died. The people in Chicago and at the Olympics and in London and all over the world who are wittingly or unwittingly chanting for the perpetrators are brainwashed by an antisemitic ideology that the enemy has spread across the globe. They believe the perpetrators are the victims, and the victims are the perpetrators.
That is why it was so important for Behold Israel to show “October 7th: Unfiltered” on my Telegram channel. We must never forget what took place. We must never let time reverse the roles of who is the aggressor and who is simply fighting for their own peace and safety. If you have not watched the video yet, I would encourage you to do so. I’ll warn you, it is not easy. Some of the images you see may never leave your mind. The benefit, though, is that you will never again doubt who started this whole mess, and you’ll have complete understanding why Israel is compelled to finish it.
Despite the ugliness of October 7, we’ve been provided with an opportunity to display hope in an hour of such darkness. I’m asking you to consider joining us on this mission – Operation Extended Hand.
Operation Extended Hand became our mission after we were made aware of the extremely difficult economic situations our ministry partners in Israel have been facing ever since the horrific terror attacks of October 7, 2023. Many Israeli small businesses heavily rely on consistent tourism in order to provide for their families. Tragically, tourism has been nearly absent since the attacks. Our partners in Israel consist of custom jewelers, gift providers, cosmetic specialists, a tour guide, and a professional bus driver – all of whom will be immensely blessed by your business and generosity during this trying time. Thank you in advance for joining us on this mission to extend a hand to those who need it most.
The Middle East
Below is just a brief snapshot of the news that’s taken place over this last week. If you want the full story, please subscribe to my Telegram channel. There are quite a few fake channels out there using my name, so be sure to only sign on with the one that has over 560,000 followers.
Hezbollah in Lebanon
The conflict between Israel and Lebanon has been very noisy of late. Hezbollah has been launching dozens of rockets towards Israel. On Tuesday, more than 200 projectiles were fired at two IDF positions in the Golan Heights and at other places in northern Israel. The next day, the terrorist group launched more than 50 more. Many of the rockets were directed at and around Katzrin. A number of private homes were hit, and a 30-year-old man was moderately injured.
Israel has been striking back with very precise and targeted fire. Last Saturday, a warehouse containing Burkan missiles was destroyed in Nabatieh. The target of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) then turned the eastern Lebanon Beqaa Valley region. On Monday night in Beqaa, secondary explosions in Baalbek following an airstrike confirmed to Israel that they had hit an ammunition storage location. Then, yesterday there were more strikes. Also, yesterday, the IAF ended the life of Khalil Hussein Khalil Al-Maqdah, a terrorist affiliated with the Iranian IRGC, who was involved in directing attacks and transferring funds and weapons to Judea and Samaria. Then, last night, the IDF launched an extensive campaign, striking ten sites across southern Lebanon. This is believed to be the most widespread attack on southern Lebanon since the beginning of the war.
West Bank
Justice was meted out in the West Bank on Saturday. Two senior Hamas terrorists, Ahmed Abu Ara and Raafat Dawasi, were killed when an explosive drone struck their car in Jenin, West Bank. Both were involved in the planning of last week’s Jordan Valley attack during which 23-year-old Yonatan Deutsch was shot and killed.
Daring Recovery of Hostage Remains
In a courageous operation during an offensive in Khan Yunis, IDF special forces and members of the Shin Bet made a beeline to a specific tunnel. When they arrived, they found what their tipster had told them would be there – the bodies of six male hostages, ranging in age from 35 to 80. All six had been kidnapped and taken into Gaza alive, but were murdered at some point over the past 10 months. So they will not be forgotten, the names of the dead are Alex Dancyg, 75, Yagev Buchshtav, 35, Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, Nadav Popplewell, 51, and Avraham Munder, 78.
Iran
Israel and the rest of the world are still waiting for the Iranian response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. IRGC Deputy Commander Brigadier General Ali Fadavi warned Tuesday that Iran will definitely strike Israel at an appropriate time and place, and promised that Israel “will be punished more severely than before.” However, Iran will not risk themselves by going head-to-head against Israel. Instead, they will use their mad dogs, Hezbollah, to carry out their bidding. That’s why Hezbollah is currently paying the price for both their own and the Iranians’ sins, and they will continue to pay because wiping out the terrorist group is the only way for Israel to win this war.
But prior to setting their eyes on problems outside their borders, Iran may want to deal with issues on the home front. The morality police began arresting women in Qazvin, north of Tehran, on Tuesday, but the people weren’t having it. Crowds quickly formed and rescued the women. But they didn’t stop there. They beat the policemen, all while chanting Death to the Dictator. The unrest spread to some surrounding towns, as well.
The United States
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with American Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday to discuss a “hostages for ceasefire” agreement. For the first time, the PM walked away from the meetings backing the latest proposal. It is likely he did so because this deal would take into account Israel’s security needs. Not surprisingly, Hamas rejected the previous proposal outright and has already indicated that they will reject this one, too.
Colombia
Last week, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro followed through with a threat to ban coal exports to Israel. Angry over Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza, the president signed the ban eight days ago. This will be a hard hit for Israel. Colombia is Israel’s largest supplier of coal, accounting for approximately 30% of the nation’s need.
Russia and Ukraine
Yesterday saw Russian President Vladimir Putin kissing a copy of a Quran at the dedication of a mosque in Grozny, Chechnya. In this first presidential visit to Chechnya since 2011, Putin, flanked by the Grand Mufti of Chechnya and by the crazy Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, pressed his lips to the gold-covered book and pressed it to his heart. It may be that we have to give the president a pass, however. In Chechnya with Kadyrov standing next to you, not kissing the book and pressing it to one’s heart would quite possibly be a death sentence for anyone, even if you are the president of Russia.
One more reason for his equanimity is that Putin needs all the friends he can get right now. After moving into the Kursk region, Ukrainian forces are now reaching northwest into Bryansk. The fighting is heavy on the region’s border. Meanwhile, back in Kursk, the Ukrainian Air Force destroyed a major bridge over the Simeon River, in order to prevent Russian reinforcements and supplies being brought to the battlefield.
The Ministry
This Monday at 10:00 AM PDT, be sure to tune in to Explore the Bible CONNECT with Dr. Rick Yohn and me as we dig deep into what makes the Bible the incredible book that it is. This week, we’ll be looking at the “Reliability of the Bible”. How do we know we have the real Bible? How can we trust the words that are between the covers? Join us as we examine how we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Bible we have is exactly the one that God intended to give to us. And don’t forget that you can check out our Explore the Bible webpage where you’ll find slides and more information about our topics.
Our Weekly Prayer Meetings have been moved from Monday to Friday. Join us at 10:00 AM PDT live on Zoom for this special hour of intercession each week. You’ll be blessed as you spend time praying with fellow believers from all over the world! Also, don’t forget about our Public Reading of Scripture that takes place every Thursday night at 6:00 PM PDT. It’s a blessed time where we pause from the busyness of our daily lives just to enjoy listening to the Word of God being read out loud.
Our newsletter is just a little shorter this week so that I can enjoy my family. Thank you again for your love and your support of this ministry. You bless me and the Behold Israel team greatly. May God watch over you and keep you close to His heart.
Awaiting His Return,
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