Shalom from Europe on my way back from vacation! What an amazing few days it has been in Israel. The IDF rescued the first living hostage from Hamas’s underground tunnels in Gaza. And wouldn’t you know it? He was an Arab Muslim. Qaid Farhan Alkadi was at his job in a packing house in Kibbutz Magen on October 7 when he was taken by Hamas terrorists. For more than ten months he was held as a hostage, malnourished and mistreated. But then some IDF and Shin Bet forces operating in the tunnels discovered him and brought him to safety. All of Israel is now celebrating!
Of course, Hamas quickly reported that they had released him, but that is not what the IDF or what Alkadi himself is saying. The Bedouin emphatically reported on the harsh treatment that the hostages receive, and he pleaded with the Israeli government to do whatever it takes to get them out. It didn’t take long for him to have the opportunity to go to the top of Israel’s government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself called Alkadi to celebrate, saying, “Our brother has come home! Our brother has returned!”
This is what the antisemites who march against Israel and criticize the war don’t get. Israel is not making this a racial war. They are not fighting the Arabs or, more specifically, the Palestinians. Israel is fighting against the terrorist group Hamas. Throughout the war, they have gone above and beyond to warn civilians of the actions they were going to have to take to root out the terrorist cancer. No other nation has ever done so much to protect the innocent. Have civilians been killed and wounded? Sadly, yes. But that is because Hamas has persisted in using the Palestinian population as human shields, whether it is in neighborhoods, schools, or hospitals.
In the south, Israel fights Hamas. In the north, Israel fights Hezbollah. In the West Bank, Israel fights both terrorist organizations, along with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other terrorist groups. In contrast, the terrorists in all those areas fight the Jews. They are the ones who make this racial. The protesters around the world also make this racial. We are not in a fight against the Arabs. But these terrorists and antisemites are in a fight against the Jewish people. That is the difference between them and us.
Unfortunately for them, God has made it clear that targeting Israel is not a healthy choice. Even when He allowed other nations to bring harm against the Jews, it was only for a season and for a purpose. When the time was past, His arms were open to His repentant people, but His hand was against those nations who followed their sinful inclinations to persecute Israel. Both the Jewish people and the church can take great comfort in knowing that God never fully turns His back on those He calls His own.
Psalm 121:1-4
I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Middle East and the World
Operation Summer Camps
While the media has focused on the war in Gaza and the battles in the north, there is a third front that is less talked about. Terrorist attacks by Arabs coming from the West Bank have increased exponentially since October 7 – most (but not all) attributed to Hamas, the PIJ, or the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AAMB). Yesterday, the IDF moved to tamp down that activity by implementing Operation Summer Camps. This is the largest operation in Judea and Samaria in 20 years and is aimed at the Iranian effort to arm and train terrorists in the West Bank. Already, as of Wednesday morning, ten terrorists were killed, and more are being taken out each day. As always, the IDF is taking precautions to protect civilians. Before the action began, residents of the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm were warned to evacuate so that they could avoid the coming action. We cannot allow the terrorists to perpetrate another October 7 massacre from the West Bank. Even after we move into Lebanon, we must make sure that Judea, Samaria, and the northern Jordan Valley remain an extremely high priority.
Hezbollah Strikes Back at Israel
Early Sunday, Hezbollah launched its promised strike across the southern border, and the Israelis paid dearly. At least the Israeli chickens did. In a major barrage, 230 rockets and 20 drones were fired toward Israel – the rockets to the north and the drones toward the center. Unfortunately for Hezbollah, the flying explosives missed the military facilities they were aimed at. Instead, they blew the heck out of a chicken coop. We’re still waiting for a condemnatory response from PETA.
The fact that only poultry was damaged by their paltry attempt didn’t stop Hezbollah from taking a victory lap. In a speech following the attack, Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the terrorist group, celebrated by alleging that they fired twenty more rockets than they had originally intended. That is hard to believe. Hezbollah planned their attack to begin at 5:00 am. Learning of this fact, the IDF, at 4:30 am, sent 100 Israeli fighter jets peremptorily across the northern border into Lebanon, hitting 200 launching sites before they had a chance to send their missiles. If not for this action, it was very likely that more than just chickens would have died. Following the attack by Hezbollah, Israel pounded the terrorist group’s sites in a major airstrike. These strikes have continued through the week, mostly focusing on the Baalbek region.
The Battle in Gaza
The fight continues in Gaza. The enemy is deeply entrenched and there are miles and miles of tunnels. As Israel simultaneously fights above ground and below ground, the soldiers must be incredibly careful. First, there are thousands of vulnerable citizens being used as human shields. But secondly, there are still 103 hostages being held, although 33 of them have been confirmed dead. According to a report by the Jewish Chronicle, Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip and the terrorist organization’s newly minted chairman of the Political Bureau, Yahya Sinwar, surrounds himself with 22 handcuffed hostages. Apparently, Israel has had several chances to eliminate him, but they held back due to the hostage risk.
U.S. Warns of Iranian Threat Against Israel
We’ve all been wondering when Iran’s retaliation will come against Israel for the targeted killing of chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The ayatollahs have been holding it over the Jewish state’s head for weeks. Now, John Kirby, national security spokesman for the White House, has said that it could come soon, and warned Iran to reconsider carrying their plan out. “Our messaging to Iran is consistent, has been and will stay consistent,” he said. “One, don’t do it. There’s no reason to escalate this. There’s no reason to potentially start some sort of all-out regional war. And number two, we are going to be prepared to defend Israel if it comes to that.”
Ukraine vs. Russia
Ukraine continues its push into Russia, using drones to reach deep into the enemy nation. Yesterday, they attacked the Ryazan hydroelectric plant approximately 200 km from Moscow. Russia is fighting back in a huge way. On Monday, the Russians launched 127 missiles and 109 attack drones aimed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. At least four people were killed, and in Kyiv there were seven or more explosions reported. One missile hit the road over the Kyiv hydroelectric plant. If that plant took major damage, it could mean severe flooding in and around Kyiv.
France Arrests Telegram’s Pavel Durov
In an action that illustrates the continued deterioration of free speech in Europe, Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested Saturday by French police in Paris. The charges against him are that his social media platform is being used for illicit activity including drug trafficking and child porn. The move by French authorities set off a firestorm of protest by free speech advocates, while opponents of free speech thought “Phew, I’m glad it was the French who did it.” On Wednesday, he was released from his temporary hold, but that doesn’t mean that all his problems are over. He was immediately sent for questioning, while it is being decided whether to put him under indictment. If he is formally charged, he can end up going right back into detention. It will be interesting to see if Russia, St. Kitts and Nevis, or the United Arab Emirates, all of whose citizenships he holds along with his French citizenship, steps up to put pressure for his release.
The Ministry
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. You will deal directly with them, so that we can be left totally out of the deal. Thank you in advance for joining us on this mission to extend a hand to those who need it most.
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.
Make sure to take the time to visit our Behold Israel Shop to check out our most recent additions! We have even added a build-your-own-bundle feature in order to provide you with efficient pricing as you add more books to your cart. At the end of the day, our passion is to get resources into the hands of people everywhere. We have also added new accessories and apparel!
For those of you in Canada and the U.S., I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Thank you all for your love, prayers, and support. Next week, I’ll write to you from back home in Israel. Until then, may God bless you all.
Awaiting His Return,
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