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Bella Davidov

The 10 Days of Awe

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God’s Calendar
The Fall Appointed Days: Part 1

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month…”  Leviticus 23:23-24a


According to God’s calendar (Hebrew), the fall holidays are in the seventh month, and usually according to the Gregorian calendar in either September or October. The fall holidays in 2021 are:

  1. The Memorial Blowing [Day of Trumpets, today’s Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year] (September 7-8)
  2.  The Day of Atonement [Yom Kippur] (September 16)
  3. The Feast of Tabernacles [Sukkot] (September 22-28)

The fall holidays point to the present and future ministry of Yeshua.

We are nearing the end of the month of Elul, the last month on the Jewish calendar that ends on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year’s Eve (Leviticus 23:23-24).
 

Teshuvah

Every year, in the month of Elul, usually in August, Jews enter the season of Teshuva. Teshuva or repentance is returning to Father God (Elohim.) This is a word that indicates a turning back (shuv) to God. This word appears in Genesis 3:19 when the Lord tells Adam, “and to dust you will return (tashuv).”

The season of Teshuvah begins on the first day of Elul and ends 40 days later on the 10th of Tishri at sundown –  the end of Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement.

Teshuva indicates both a turning away from evil and a turning toward what is good, God’s ways. In turning toward God, one dedicates his entire soul to serving Him. Traditionally it is considered to be a time of introspection, when Jews are taking stock of their lives, evaluating their actions, and contemplating what they have accomplished during the previous year, both materially and spiritually.

Each morning for the 40 days of Teshuvah the shofar is blown at the Morning Prayer service to call everyone to repent and return to God. Psalm 27 is recited after each morning and evening service. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”

The following month in the Hebrew calendar is Tishrei. The first day of Tishrei is Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets, Leviticus 23:24.) Rosh Hashanah is also called Yom Hazikaron – Day of Remembrance and Awakening. “Awake you sleepers from your sleep! Raise yourselves you slumberers! Examine your deeds and return unto God in repentance. Abandon your evil ways, your unworthy scheming – every one of you.” (from The Gates of Repentance, a Rosh Hashanah prayer book that cites Maimonides’s “call to awakening”.)

There are ten days from Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur. These 10 days are traditionally referred to as the “10 Days of Awe.” These are the most intense days of praying and repenting, leading up to the climax of return, which is Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement. This was a time traditionally believed that Father God would draw His ear close for the prayers of the penitent.

Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;”

In biblical times, the HaCohen HaGadol (High Priest) would enter into the Holy of Holies in the Holy Temple, only once a year, on Yom Kippur. He would sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant, as an atonement for the entire nation of Israel.
 

The 10 Days of Awe

According to Jewish tradition, on Yom Teruah (Rosh HaShana,) God’s Book of Life and Death is opened in heaven and remains open for the Ten Days of Awe. They begin with the Day of Judgment. During these ten days of Awe, Jews are prepared to stand before God for judgment, as the book is opened. The names of those who have lived sinless and righteous lives during the past year are inscribed in the Book of Life. It is also believed that the gates of heaven are opened on Rosh Hashanah and closed on Yom Kippur. “Open to me the gates of righteousness. I shall enter through them. I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord. The righteous will enter through it.” (Psalm 118:19-20, Isaiah 26:2.)

Jews believe that God makes His judgment at this time. However, once Yom Kippur ends at sunset, the book is closed for another year. It was during Yom Kippur, that men would traditionally tear their outer coats as an outward sign of repentance and mourning, and place ashes on their heads. Some would beat their chests violently in a show of repentance and pain, hoping that God would hear their cries of repentance, forgive their sins and inscribe their names in the Book of Life. A common greeting in Israel in those ten days of awe, and especially on Yom Kippur is: “May your name be inscribed in the Book of Life.”

Although this tradition is not biblical, the truth is that God does have a Book of Life. While in the wilderness journey, Israel sinned greatly by constructing and worshiping a golden calf. Moses fulfilled his role as a type and shadow of Messiah Yeshua and interceded for the people of Israel. Exodus 32: 31-33: “Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold. Yet now, if You will forgive their sin, but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” And the Lord said to Moses, “whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.”

In Revelation 20:11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

God sees the heart of men and desires true repentance, as He says through the prophet Joel: “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.” (Joel 2:12-13)

God called His people back to Him with weeping and fasting. “Submit yourselves therefore to God…Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:7-8

During the month of Elul, religious Jews blow the Shofar (Rams Horn) once a day also as a reminder to look deep within one’s self to find out what requires repentance. As the year draws to a close, it is the time to get rid of resentments and bitterness, in order to face the New Year with a clean heart.

In the Jewish tradition, Elul is also referred to as the month of mercy and forgiveness. It is the time to renew one’s efforts in prayer, Torah study, and charity, as well as asking forgiveness from one another for any wrongdoings. It is a Jewish tradition that God cannot forgive for sins committed against another person until one first goes to the person he has wronged and obtains forgiveness.

In Judaism the acronym of the letters in the word,
Elul – אלול are being used to express their love to God Elohim, according to the scripture from Song of Songs 6:3:

א – אני, (I am)
ל – לדודי, (for my beloved)
ו – ודודי, (and my beloved)
ל – לי, (is for me)

True Repentance


As Believers, we know that the throne of God is always accessible to us through Yeshua. He is our High Priest. We can approach any time to obtain mercy. Yet, we too can use this time as an opportunity to search our hearts, evaluate our achievements and consider where we may have missed the mark. It is a time we can rid ourselves of resentments, bitterness and disappointments.

We can use this time to sincerely search to see if there is anything in us in need of repentance. We need to recognize sins against others and sins against God and ask for His mercy as we extend mercy to those who have sinned against us, as Yeshua taught us to pray…“and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12.) And “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” 1 John 1:9.

As we take these steps to nullify our debts against others and search our hearts, we can draw closer to God and prepare for a new beginning through a greater dedication to Him and His Word, as well as through thanksgiving for His great love and mercies that endure forever.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

This is a time of opportunity, while Jews and Israelis are more open than ever to hear from God. As they are seeking His mercy and forgiveness, we want to pray fervently to the God of Israel to touch hearts and open eyes to realize that there is forgiveness of sin only through the Blood of the Lamb of God, Yeshua the Messiah, Who takes away the sins of the world.

  • Pray for the Peace (Shalom) of Jerusalem, and for her to fulfill her destiny.
  • Pray that Israel and the Jewish people recognize Messiah Yeshua, as they seek God’s mercy and forgiveness.
  • Pray that the fear of the Lord falls on Israel at this time and that the Nation of Israel humbles herself before the God of Israel.
  • Pray that Israelis and Jews will acknowledge and confess personal and national sins, and repent of their sins.
  • Pray that many Israelis and Jews will embrace His Salvation, Yeshua, and have their names written in His Book of Life.

Understanding the NEW Israeli Government

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Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
And because lawlessness will abound,
the love of many will grow cold.
But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Matthew 24:11-13 NKJV

In the last election on March 23, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud party won the most seats (30) but together with his right-wing allies, THIS was not enough to form a coalition. Consequently, the mandate to try to form a government went to Lapid.

Yesterday, Lapid announced he had the Knesset’s confidence to swear in a government, thus potentially unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Yamina leader Naftali Bennett agreed to join Lapid and would be the first to serve as Prime Minister in a rotation deal. Ra’am, the kingmaker Arab party, signed on the bloc at the last moment.

Hence, the so-called “change coalition”, which is based on left-wing parties as well as some right-wing factions and lawmakers that parted ways with Netanyahu, have – at least on paper – enough votes in the Knesset to win a plenum vote that would end the premiership of Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister of more than 12 consecutive years on top of another three years in the 1990s.

But Netanyahu still has about a week to convince enough MKs (Parliament Members) in the “change coalition” to vote against it, thus preventing a swearing-in. As the saying goes: “it’s not over until it’s over.”

Understanding the New Want-to-be Israeli Government

When the children of Israel left slavery in Egypt to become a nation and enter and possess the Promised Land, they had two types of leaders. There was “prophetically-inspired Moses” who was loving but stern, following God’s lead in what the people of Israel needed and not what they wanted. And there was “Aaron,” A people-pleaser who listened to the desires of the people of Israel and fulfilled them by making the Golden Calf.

Today, Naftali Bennett, the head of Yamina is neither of the above.
Bennett has little public support and no legitimacy to serve as prime minister (he wasn’t voted in by the majority of the people.) In the last election, he got only 7 seats compared to Netanyahu who got 30 seats.
Nonetheless, he has convinced himself that he is a figure of historic Biblical proportions.

Bennett claims that everything he does is for the sake of “My People”. This is the recurring theme of his social media posts and interviews:
“When I see “my people” suffering because of leadership failures, I cannot stand idly by; I love my people; My people are hurt, and I will dedicate my whole life to healing the wound.” These statements are a justification for his lies and betrayal.

According to Bennett, not only is the Likud, under the leadership of PM Netanyahu, the only reason behind all that ails the people of Israel, but everything will be “fixed” only once he becomes PM.

The Yamina leader may soon become a Prime Minister with little public support (as we said, 7 seats he received from mostly right-wing voters). His voters are now remorseful and feel betrayed as they believed his platform of not sitting in government with the anti-Zionist Arab representatives. “His people” – the people of Israel – have become irrelevant and are ignored (the majority of Israelis are right-wing and voted for Netanyahu.)

To form a government, a party leader usually needs the support of a 61-seat majority in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and a vote of confidence. When no one party has a majority, a coalition is built with smaller parties, sometimes from opposite sides of the spectrum.

Currently, the anti-Netanyahu bloc, composed of small mostly left-wing parties, appears to have the edge. Some small parties were originally right in ideology but are acting like the left, although some right-wing MKs in the bloc may eventually defect back to the right block.
As of now, there is

  1. Center-left: Yesh Atid with17 seats (its leader Lapid will be next PM in rotation after Bennett,);
  2. Center-left: Blue-white with 8 seats; Yamina (originally Right) with 7 seats;
  3. Israel Beiteinu: – lost their Right identity, mainly anti-Bibi – with 7 seats;
  4. Labor: Left with 7 seats;
  5. New Hope: – Right in ideology but mainly anti-bibi with 6 seats; and
  6. Meretz: – Extreme left – with 6 seats.

These parties total 58 seats and they are claiming to be able to form the 61 seat government.

Yet, to pass any legislature, Bennett’s government would need the support of Ra’am, the anti-Zionist, left Arab Muslim party.Read more about Ra’am in this article.

How did these parties ever come together?

The new prospective (“Mish-Mash”) coalition’s diverse members share little in common apart from the desire to end the 12-year run of Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader of right-wing administrations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that Yamina leader Naftali Bennett’s decision to partner with the Left to form a so-called “change government” would spell disaster for Israel and was a form of betrayal of the Right.

He addressed Bennett directly: “Naftali, your values are not even light-weight; not a single person would have voted for you had they known what you were planning to do (join the Left and the anti-Zionist Arabs).”

Naphtali Bennett shrewdly hid his true intentions while preparing for this moment when he revealed, by his actions that his party “Yamina” is Yamina In name only (Yamina means “to the right” in Hebrew.) Bennett has abandoned his right-wing ideology and is going to the left instead.

Apart from a handful of Yamina supporters, the vast majority of those who are backing Bennett and his latest moves are supporters of Labor, Meretz, and Yesh Atid. The left-wing parties will be happy to see him as Prime Minister, allowing them to have major offices in the new government, especially Labor and Meretz who hardly passed in the last elections.

On Sunday, for the first time, Bennett ripped off his mask and told everyone the truth, including the journalists and media people who followed him. As of now, it seems that most members of his small party will follow him, unless at the last minute some may have a bit of value or ideology left in them to leave. Here is an account of one of them:
“I did everything I could in recent months so that the Yamina Knesset list would garner a significant number of votes in the elections and Naftali Bennett would be Israel’s Prime Minister. I believed in him, his integrity, and his love for Israel and Zionism, and I supported him with all my might… Yet this is not the path. He said loudly and clearly: “I won’t be Prime Minister with 10 mandates. That [is] not moral, and it’s not democratic” (Amichai Chikli, an MK as part of the Yamina faction.

He is right. The premiership should express massive -+ public support we didn’t earn.

Every decision he makes as Prime Minister will require the de facto approval of the Yesh Atid party (that is on rotation bases co-partner in premiership), a party that is three times as large as Yamina but shares none of its founding principles [platform]- neither questions of the relationship between the legislative and judicial authorities or questions of policy or public security.

There is no real agreement on issues concerning the State of Israel’s DNA either (Zionism). Yesh Atid identifies with President Reuven Rivlin’s talk of a “collection of tribes” and opposes the nation-state law (the State of Israel’s definition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people). Yamina, on the other hand, supports it, accusing PM Netanyahu of spreading fake news about him, Bennett said:

“Bibi’s spin is an absolute lie. These are my principles for the next government:

  1. Lapid will not be prime minister. I am a man of the Right, as are a majority of the voters (even though they gave Netanyahu 30 and Lapid 17).
  2. The next government that will be established will be a right-wing government that cares [about its voters].”

In retrospect, it turns out the spin was Yamina’s (Bennett): allowing, on a rotation basis, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid will be prime minister (after Bennett’s 2 years), and although a majority of Yamina’s voters are members of the Right, the government that will be a Left, Center-left government, with the addition of a few “fig leaves” from the Right. (Bennett’s Party) Yamina broke a majority of its promises to voters, through the gross violation of the most basic of democratic codes: Tell the truth to voters and make an honest effort to meet your commitments to them.

Now for the significance of the decision to establish a left-wing government – from a societal standpoint, this is in no way a “unity” government, but rather a government that excludes over a million right-wing voters.

Now that Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked (his second in command ) two self-proclaimed “leaders”) who started as ideological Right-wing (hence the name Yamina, “to the right”) defected from their home base to form a leftist government supported by anti-Zionist, pro-Palestinian Arab parties, what could be the national consequences of their move?

The Danger from Outside

The ministers in this new government who support the Biden administration’s Middle East policies will hold an absolute majority.

Iran. The Biden administration’s commitment to returning the US to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran leads only in one direction. Biden’s Iran policy guarantees that Iran will achieve its goals of developing A nuclear arsenal by 2030, after receiving billions of dollars in cash payments in the form of sanctions relief and new lines of credit. This will aid the Khomeinist regime’s ambition to deepen its control over Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, to expand its war against Saudi Arabia while compelling the Gulf States and maybe even Jordan to surrender. After that, it will target Egypt and the Sisi government in order to replace it with Muslim Brotherhood leadership. Unfortunately, unlike the former Trump and Netanyahu governments, the Left-wing west, including the US and the new Israeli government is too naïve to see or understand the above scenario and even support it.

The leftist government that Bennett and Shaked are about to form will not be able to oppose Biden’s policies because most of its cabinet ministers support those policies.

The Abraham Accords. And this spells the demise of the Abraham Accords. The rationale behind those peace deals was faith in Israel’s willingness to confront Iran even in defiance of the US. Once that is gone, the Abraham Accords will not be able to survive.

The Biblical Heartland – Judea and Samaria. As far as the territories in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, the leftist government that Bennett and Shaked are now forming will allow for the Palestinian Authority’s complete seizure of Area C (area controlled by Israel,) which the Palestinians have undertaken with funding by left-wing international organizations, endangering Israel’s strategic interests and imperiling its communities. Most of the members of a mostly left government will object to any steps to secure Israel’s rights and strategic interests in the territories. Not only are they themselves ideologically committed to undermining Israel’s rights in Judea and Samaria, but they also will never dare to defy the Biden administration, which supports Palestinian control over the area. Israeli PM Netanyahu could have stood against Biden as he stood firm against Obama.

Hamas and Gaza. Under the leftist government, Hamas will rebuild its military capabilities in a matter of months. With the economic and political support from the Biden administration, the EU, and the UN, Hamas will be able to import all the building materials and other products it requires without limitations. Here too, a majority of the cabinet members support the US plan to “rebuild Gaza” for “humanitarian” reasons, unaware of Hamas’ strategy to use these materials to rebuild its underground “Metro” of tunnels to infiltrate Israel to kill Israeli citizens and/or kidnap Israeli soldiers.

The Danger From Within

In the international arena, the establishment of a left-wing government that includes those who side with the International Criminal Court will be yet another blow to the nationalist-conservative parties. We can expect to see victorious rejoicing in [Biden’s] Washington, Ramallah, the Gaza Strip, and above all else, Iran. (They will be happy to see strong right-wing Netanyahu go.)

The new government can be formed only with the support of the anti-Zionist Muslim Arab party Ra’am, which has expressed the desire for Israel to be a nation of all its citizens and not only a state of the Jews. [Please check our blog about the Nation State law in Israel.]

When it comes to the balance of power between the legislative and judicial branches, the State Attorney’s Office and the judicial branch will be handed a victory. The justices of the Supreme Court (mostly left-wing) and attorneys in the Attorney General’s office and state prosecution, WHOSE aim is to have complete power over the Knesset and Government offices, supported by a large majority of ministers in the leftist government now being formed, will be able to exercise unchallenged authority over all aspects of public life. The chance of restoring the powers of Israel’s elected leaders and returning sovereignty to the people will be gone the minute this government is sworn into office.

This is going to be (if it happens AT all) the most radical and weakest government Israel has ever known.

A Little History

In 1990, in rotation with Yitzhak Shamir (right-wing) Shimon Peres (left-wing) secured the signatures of 61 MKs to set up a government with himself as PM. At a celebratory Knesset session, convened to swear in the new government, two members who had promised to back Peres failed to show up. Mr. Peres announced his intention to make peace negotiations with Palestinians his new government’s top priority. The defectors opposed a government that depended on Arab members of parliament for support, and also rejected the return of occupied land in exchange for peace. Peres failed to get the needed 61 MKs to form a coalition, so the Right remained in power for another two years.

We hope and pray that it will happen again, with one difference. Back then, it was Peres and the Left who were subverting the Right. Today, it’s Naftali Bennett, from the Right who is willing to hand over power to the Left.

Who is the Ra’am Party – and How Did They Join The New Government?

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Ra’am is the Islamist party in Israel. The charter that guides Ra’am, the Islamist party representing the Arab citizens of Israel, demands the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees, saying “there can be no allegiance” to Israel, and deems Zionism a “racist, occupying project.”

Ra’am is the political wing of the Southern Islamic Movement, an organization inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood. It was updated in 2018 and reviewed at a 2019 conference in Nazareth, which was reportedly chaired by Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas. The Southern Islamic Movement’s charter takes positions considered offensive to most Jewish Israelis.

The Charter states furthermore:
“The State of Israel was born of the racist, occupying Zionist project; iniquitous Western and British imperialism; and the debasement and feebleness of the Arab and Islamic [nations].”

It calls for the so-called right of return for Palestinian refugees who left or were expelled in 1948 (in very small numbers.)

Such a move is widely seen as a red line by most Zionist Israelis, who view an influx of potentially millions of Palestinians to Israel as spelling the demographic end of the Jewish state. (Palestinian refugees are the only refugees in the world, who were not absorbed by the other countries through the years, and who consider their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren also refugees.)

Ra’am embraces a two-state solution as a possible framework, declaring that a Palestinian state ought to be established “alongside Israel” in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem. But it notes that a right of return for Palestinians must be included in that agreement.

The charter also states: “We all (Arabs) are [united as] one hand until the occupation ends and a Palestinian state is established in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and in noble Jerusalem; when the expelled and displaced return to their homes and their homeland.”

As Kingmaker in forming the new coalition, the Arabs used the principle in Islam called “Tkiya” that allows the minority to outwardly pretend to be part of the majority when in a hostile environment but inwardly remain in opposition all the while awaiting the opportunity time to take advantage of the majority for their purpose.

Hence, Mansour Abbas has used this “Tkiya” principle to join the Israeli Jewish coalition Government by taking advantage of Lapid and Bennett’s  great desire to replace Netanyahu as Prime Minister at any price. The New would-be Israeli “government-of- change” government’s commitment to this Islamist party could be Zionist’s bankruptcy:

Ra’am has unveiled its coalition agreement with Yesh Atid, making it the first time in decades that an Arab party has joined the Israeli government coalition.

Show Me The Money

As part of the agreement, this Muslim Arab party in Israel demanded and received 30 billion shekels (about 9.25 billion dollars,) for a plan aiming to integrate the Arab sector and another 2.5 billion shekels (about 770 million dollars) for a plan to reduce crime in the Arab sector. In addition, 20 billion shekels (about 6 billion dollars) for a ten-year plan to improve infrastructure in the Arab sector, and 500 million shekels (about 150 million dollars) spending money for “supporting the local authorities.” The total amount is a little over 16 billion dollars. These are staggering amounts to grant a small party of 4 seats. Also, within a month and a half, three unrecognized (illegal) Bedouin “villages” will be recognized and become legal, and the rest (unknown number) within the next 9 months.

Israel is at war, and it’s over Jerusalem!

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But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today…The LORD will fight for you…” Exodus 14:13-14
 
“He [the Lord your God] will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,” Psalm 91:4-5

We greet you in the wonderful name of Yeshua the Prince of Peace. Our hearts grieve again as there is fighting and many innocent people suffer.

As we write, report, and ask for prayer requests, we want to emphasize that our hearts are filled with compassion for the suffering people on both sides. Knowing that God loves all people and wants them to be saved.

As followers of the Messiah who believe the Bible is truly the Word of God, we are aware of the Spiritual Warfare against God’s plan in Israel and around the world.

As Israeli Jews and Messianic, we (Simcha and Bella) are very much aware that there is some prejudice against Arabs in predominantly Jewish Israel. This does not justify the violent and murderous attacks against innocent Jewish people. We see how it is clearly instigated by an evil spirit from the enemy satan, who uses people who are deceived by the spirit of Islam.

The Bible shows us the big picture, including the past and future, which help us to realize that these last attacks are part of the opposition to God’s plan, where Israel has a very central part. The enemies of Israel are the enemies of the Lord, God of Israel, King of the universe.

The War Goes On

Saturday marks the sixth consecutive day of rocket fire from Gaza directed at Israeli population centers. Attacks began Monday evening with a missile Hamas launched at the Jerusalem area following days of clashes in the city between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.

That initial attack has been followed by ongoing, nearly continuous, intense rocket fire into the center and south of Israel. Even as far as Elot near Eilat (the farthest city in south Israel). To date, 6 Israelis have been killed and dozens have been wounded

The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) is bombing Hamas targets in Gaza, careful to avoid civilian structures and populations as much as possible. Nonetheless, at least 132 Gazans have been killed, including many Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists. Missile launching sites and Hamas headquarters have been destroyed. Ironically, some Palestinian civilians, including children were killed in Gaza as a result of many failed Hamas rockets fired at Israel.

Israel gives advance warning to the residents of buildings Hamas is using for terrorist activities that are the targets of airstrikes, so the people who are not involved can evacuate the premises and their lives are spared.

Hamas Targets Civilians

Hamas deliberately targets Israeli civilians in most of the cities, firing long-range missiles and also short-range rockets at nearby (to Gaza) towns and villages.

Their ideology is for the “Liberation” of Jerusalem. That was the goal of the first missile they fired as Israel was celebrating Jerusalem Day in honor of the unification of Jerusalem which followed Israel’s victory in the 1967 Six-Day War. “We fired 100 rockets at Tel Aviv and other cities and are prepared to fire more,” said a leader of the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad group, referring to the Tuesday night’s barrages on the center of Israel. “We will continue our struggle and not back down. Gaza is the sword of Jerusalem.”

To win this round, Israel must destroy the infrastructure and enemy manpower in Gaza, but also must realize that it is a fight for Jerusalem. Israel must be more forceful than ever before. The world will most certainly blame Israel even though Hamas started this round and (as of Saturday night) has fired so nearly 3,000 missiles at innocent civilians.

The calamity that the IDF can bring upon the enemy will traumatize whatever leadership is left, unfortunately along with the residents of Gaza and Judea and Samaria, and the Arab citizens and residents of Israel.

When Should Israel Stop Targeted Bombing?

Many Israelis don’t want the military operations in Gaza to stop until all objectives are achieved.

Concerning Jerusalem, Israel must implement measures that change the status quo on the Temple Mount providing access for the Jews. Israeli sovereignty needs to be accepted.

It would help if parts of the Gaza Strip, preferably its northern section, reverted to Israeli hands. IDF commanders must be assertive. This is war. Hamas leadership in Gaza and Palestinian Authority in the West Bank must endure the consequences of their actions.

The question remains: will the IDF continue to fight until the end? Israeli PM Netanyahu has promised: “It will take a little while longer, but with a large number of strikes, both defensive and attacking, we will attain our goal – that of restoring calm to the State of Israel.”

Jerusalem is a Red Line for Hamas

On Thursday morning, thousands of Muslim worshipers arrived at the Temple Mount at the conclusion of the Ramadan holy month. Some of those in attendance expressed support for Hamas and called for the Gaza Strip to “stand strong” in the face of the IDF operation there. Posters in support of Hamas leaders said: “Jerusalem is a red line.” One of those Muslim worshipers wore a shirt that read: “We are all Gaza, Jerusalem will rise.” The leader of a Jewish organization in favor of Israel’s control of the Temple Mount said to the press: “The time has come to fight this Operation Guardian of the Walls in Jerusalem.”

Last week, Hamas activists in Jerusalem proved they control the Temple Mount and East Jerusalem Streets. Israel must fight this terrorist organization in Jerusalem.

Many Israelis believe that a great opportunity exists now. With the proper response, Israel will win, and not just on the battlefield.

Along with Hamas – whose ideology is to take back Jerusalem and all of “Palestine” (the land of Israel) – the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) and the P.A. (Palestinian Authority) pose a danger to Israel’s existence as the sole Jewish nation.

Consider the anti-Zionist rhetoric of the traditional Israeli Arab leaders, who take advantage of Israel being a democracy and openly call Israel a racist Jewish state, an apartheid colonialist state, and the IDF soldiers terrorists. (Click more here read more about the Cause of the Current War.)

What About The Riots?

Today radical fundamentalist Arab Muslims, who are Israeli citizens, are burning streets in the mixed Israeli cities (cities with large populations of both Jews and Arabs) destroying hospital emergency rooms, and burning synagogues to the ground.

Israel HAS BEEN forced to evacuate Jews AS the rampaging mobs, fueled by Hamas propaganda, ARE MAKING EFFORTS to lynch Jewish residents. Cars were stopped on the highways and the Jewish passengers were beaten by Arab lynch mobs. Presently there is a curfew in one of the mixed cities.

In Jerusalem, riots have now continued for a month, leaving many Jews injured.

Jerusalem Day Parade – Canceled

For the first time since 1967, Israel canceled its Jerusalem Day celebratory flag march and the government has barred Jews from entering the Temple Mount.

Israel backed down and postponed a court hearing on the eviction of Arab squatters from houses in which they have lived for 50 years while refusing to pay rent to the Jews who have held the deed to the land for a century. This contributes to the international assertions Jewish land deeds are less valid than others and the presence of Jews in the city they made holy is an “illegal” act, as U.S. Democratic politicians have said. Click here for more details on the subject.

Is This War About Jerusalem?

Hamas has made clear that this war is about Jerusalem. Israel permitted the eroding of the Status Quo in Jerusalem and the Temple Mount has become, in essence, a sovereign and entirely independent Muslim mini-territory.

Israeli sovereignty on the Temple Mount has been forfeited as no Israeli authority or police can enter without encountering violence, provoking an international crisis and threats of international intervention. Will Israel win this war, not just militarily but also ideologically? Victory is defined by strategy and perception, not only by power.

According to Hamas, victory is all about Jerusalem. Hamas understands that the city and the holy sites are at the heart of the Jewish people, and that is why every one of its thousands of missiles into Israel is linked to the control over the Temple Mount. Hamas aims to become the leader of the Muslim world in the “holy struggle to free Jerusalem” from the “Zionist enemy.”

Wicked Friends of Hamas

With the support of Turkey – which declared willingness to send troops to help fight the Jews in Jerusalem – Jordan, and of course Iran, they fight against any non-Muslim control of the holiest place of the Jews in united Jerusalem — the Temple Mount. Gaza is no longer the target, but Jerusalem, along with the heartland of the Holy Land, the hills of Judea and Samaria, including cities holy to Judaism such as Hebron, Shiloh, and Mount Eval as well as Christian holy sites like the Old City of Jerusalem, Golgotha (Calvary) the Garden Tomb and Bethlehem. 

Israel must establish her presence on the Temple Mount. Some publically suggest an arrangement to share the area, which is big enough for the two faiths to have their places of worship, side by side.

Jordan has been dominating the Waqf (the Muslim religious trust that administers the Mount) with key allies but has proven incapable of keeping the status quo, permitting the Arab riots to continue on the grounds of the Temple Mount. A settlement might involve rearranging or replacing the character of the current Waqf and turning over its authority to a committee that is managed by another Arab country at peace with Israel, like the UAE or Bahrain. Hamas must lose its control over the Muslim agenda concerning Jerusalem.

Many Israeli Jews demand rights to a permanent presence for a place of worship on the Temple Mount, and for Israel to reassert control with a police presence there.

Israel is at war, and it’s over Jerusalem!

Please pray with us:

  • In 2017, Israel even yielded its control of access to the Temple Mount, removing metal detectors installed after Islamists brought weapons into the complex to attack and kill Jews. In order to avoid conflict, primarily with Jordan, Israel also relented from installing cameras to monitor visitors to the Temple Mount complex (to avoid unwelcomed visitors).

Israel is at a crossroads realizing the crisis will continue if it doesn’t make the right choices. All wars and choices have a price Israel has to pay. The battle defining this crisis, and labeled by Israel; “Defenders of the Walls” (no doubt meaning Jerusalem) is spiritual, and Israel’s victory must come on the Mountains of Jerusalem and not only from demolishing the terrorist’s tunnels in Gaza. 

Please Pray with us:

  1. That innocent lives will be spared in the fighting
  2. That God through this turmoil will draw people on both sides to Himself.
  3. For Born Again Believers to be filed with the Spirit and shine God’s light during this time of darkness.

The Cause of the Current War in Israel

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The Arab propaganda (including Jordan which has custodianship of Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem) is claiming Israel doesn’t respect worshippers and international law safeguarding Arab rights. East Jerusalem tensions have resulted in clashes between Police and Palestinians on the Temple Mount around the Muslim Al-Aqsa mosque, at the height of the Ramadan fasting month.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was safeguarding the right of worship but would not tolerate rioting in the compound of the Temple Mount that houses Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israel was forced to take police action against rioters in Jerusalem.

No one is talking about the elections in the PA west bank, the first since 2006, that were supposed to take place at the end of May. (They are now delayed indefinitely.) Abbas, the president of the PA territory was concerned that if the election went forward as scheduled, his party, Fatah, might lose ground to two Fatah splinter groups, and Hamas would take over the territories, as it did in Gaza.

Abbas had to prove to the young radical Palestinians he can be as anti-Zionist as Hamas. He knows the formula of firing up his young people – spreading fake news about Israel trying to take over the Temple Mount by “storming” their holy Al-Aqsa mosque. Adding to the fuel is his denial that the Temple Mount was ever the site of the Jewish Holy Temples. This is the same fiction -perpetrated by his predecessor, Yasser Arafat. Their policy is to reject any history or facts connecting the Jews to Jerusalem. Hamas in Gaza took advantage of the situation to target Jerusalem.

Fake news that the Jews aim to destroy Al-Aqsa and replace it with the Third Temple has been going on for years. Regardless of evidence refuting it, once a lie is repeated many times and spread, it becomes a fact to those who wish to believe it.

The reality is that even when an Israeli politician wishes to visit the Temple Mount, he must get permission from a PA Preventive Security Service officer, as did Ariel Sharon in 2000, a visit that ignited the second Intifada (Palestinian uprising in the West Bank) which went on for four years with many suicide bombings and killing of many innocent Israeli citizens.

It is preposterous but true, that any Israeli, even a high-ranking government official, must request permission from an Arab minor ranking officer to enter the holiest Jewish site in the world. Or because he does, it will cause a bloody outburst of violence.

The Palestinian youth continue to accept the fabrication of this fake news as being true. The fake news continues to claim that the Jewish state does not allow the Muslims to pray in the Al-Aqsa mosque when the truth is that Jews, not Muslims are forbidden to pray on the Temple Mount. Israel’s law grants freedom of worship to all religions. Any statement to the contrary is just an excuse to carry out an intifada, which was most certainly planned in advance.

  1. At this time, even Jordan blames Israel for allowing right-wing religious Jews entry into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on the Temple Mount, claiming it provokes Muslim passions and raises the risk of igniting the area. “Israel’s illegal actions have dangerous repercussions on the stability of the region.”
  2. Another cause for the clashes is the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where Palestinian families face eviction. Jordan’s King Abdullah II (whose Hashemite family claims descent from Islam’s Prophet Mohammad and draws legitimacy from its custodianship role) accused Israel of attempting to change the demographic status of the holy city, which contains sites sacred to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

Jordan had earlier provided the Palestinians with land deeds in Sheikh Jarrah stating it proves previous Israeli owners’ claims to the property are groundless. “The eviction of Palestinians of Sheikh Jarrah from their homes is a war crime.”

Several hundred Jordanians protested near the fortified Israeli embassy in Jordan’s capital, yelling “Death to Israel” and calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador while opposing the unpopular peace treaty with Israel. Many citizens in Jordan are of Palestinian origin.

The Legal Battle in Sheikh Jarrah

What is the legal battle over property rights in Sheikh Jarrah?

The plots in dispute were purchased by a Jewish endowment before Israel’s Independence in 1948.

After the 1948 partition of Jerusalem into east and west, with the Israel-Jordan border dividing them, the Jordanians took possession of the Old City of Jerusalem and gave the area of Sheikh Jarrah land to some Palestinians.

After the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel won control of the entire city, Israeli laws were made allowing Jewish-owned land to be reclaimed from the Palestinians. The Jewish owners then began claiming property inhabited by Palestinian families, some of whom are now facing eviction from homes that they have lived in since 1948.

Last Friday, right-wing Israeli Knesset member, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the neighborhood to announce he would be opening his parliamentary office there. That provoked more protests and violence.

The legal dispute in this East Jerusalem neighborhood must be resolved on a governmental level. The government cabinet could rule that the land and homes in question remain in the possession of the Palestinian residents. However, at this time, there is no functioning government, and the responsibility to resolve the dispute falls to the Israeli Supreme Court, which has a majority of left-wing judges that rule most of the time contrary to the ruling of the government.

Right-wing Religious Jews on the Temple Mount?

Anticipating riots and violence on the Temple Mount, Jerusalem police decided to cordon off the area outside the Damascus Gate and entered the al-Aqsa mosque compound last week to guard the place but ended clashing with Palestinian protesters.

The riots caused the Police to limit buses carrying Israeli Arab worshippers into Jerusalem for prayers on Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night of the Muslim calendar.

Muslim worshipers pray outside in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Saturday night.

As violent as the riots became in the following days, the Israeli police deserve credit for not using deadly force.

A New Intifada

Last week, Hamas’ leaders announced their detailed plans to open a new intifada against Israel on May 9. May 9 was an excuse based upon a combination of three events: Jerusalem Day – Israel’s annual national day celebrating the unification of Jerusalem in 1967; Muslims marked the holiest day of the month of Ramadan, and Iran (who supports Hamas) marked its own Jerusalem Day, the purpose of which is to call for the destruction of Israel and end Jewish rule in Jerusalem.

Hamas’s leaders kept their word. The combination of Arab violence in Sheikh Jarrah, the Damascus Gate, and the Temple Mount, along with balloon bombs and rocket launches againisIsrael from Gaza, arson fires, and terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria, are precisely what Hamas’ leaders said would transpire.

What About Fatah (the PA)?

Fatah (the Palestinian authority party in the territories of Judea and Samaria a.k.a. “The West Bank,”) for its part has been a full participant in the violence. The PA took credit for the drive-by shooting of three young Jewish students at a bus stop in Samaria last Monday, who were critically wounded. One of them died of his wounds three days later, and the other two are still fighting for their lives.

Conflict Background 

In 63 BC, Judea became a protectorate of Rome under the administration of a governor but was allowed a king. The governors were corrupt and often would attempt to squeeze as much revenue as possible from the citizens of their regions and take for themselves as much money as possible. 

Jerusalem, the capitol city of the only remaining Jewish nation, was totally destroyed in 70 AD following the Romans’ victory over Judah’s Great Revolt against Roman rule over the Jewish nation. It is estimated that as many as one million Jews were killed in this Great Revolt against Rome and many were sold into slavery outside the country. 

The Great Revolt of 66-70 AD and the Bar Kokhba revolt that followed 80 years later, were the greatest calamities in Jewish history before the Holocaust. A large part of the Jewish population was either massacred or exiled, and these failed rebellions resulted in total loss of Jewish political authority in Israel and Judah for over 2,000 years until 1948.

After the last revolt, the conquering Romans annexed Judea as a Roman province, and changed the name to Syria-Palestina (later known as Palestine), and built on the ruins of the destroyed Jerusalem the Roman city they called Aelia Capitolina. All this was an attempt to remove any connection of the Jewish people to the land and the city. The Romans systematically drove the Jews out of Palestine. That began the history of the Diaspora as the Jewish people spread over Africa, Asia, and Europe. Some Jews remained and became a minority in their own land.

In the 7th century, the new religion of Islam spread throughout the known world. Palestine and Jerusalem were conquered by the Muslims. They built on the Temple mount their Mosques. 

When the Zionist movement started in Europe in the late 19th century, and as a result of great persecution of the Jews in Eastern Europe, Jewish pioneers immigrated to Palestine and started building the land which was occupied by the Turkish Muslim Othman Empire. These new immigrants bought land to build settlements and cities. The British claimed authority of the land under a League of Nations Mandate (temporary keepers) after Germany, and its Muslim ally Turkey capitulated ending WWI. The French and British as victors divided the spoils of war.

All of this time, there were Jews who lived in Jerusalem. After Israel won the war of Independence in 1948, the Old City of Jerusalem (as well as the territories of Judea and Samaria) fell into the hands of Jordan. The Jews who lived in the old city, including the area that is called now Sheikh Jarrah, were evicted from their homes and fled to Israeli West Jerusalem. The Arabs took possession and began squatting on the Jews’ property.

After Israel won the 1967 Six-Day War, the old city was united with the new City and Israel elected to reinforce its historic and legal rights to reclaim Jewish property and holy sites. 

To reassure the Arabs that Israel had no intention to change the Status Quo, then-Defense Minister Moshe Dayan’s made the infamous decision to allow the Temple Mount – the holiest place in Judaism, as well as the site of important mosques – to remain in the hands of the Waqf, a Muslim religious authority. Ironically, freedom of religion was observed everywhere except on the Temple Mount where Jews were forbidden to pray and restricted in their visits to the site. The Muslims abhorred the Jew’s “filthy feet” even walking on their “Holy Grounds.” 

Even though Dayan believed that he acted in the country’s best interests, it set a precedent that led to the Arab Muslims claiming possession of the entire site.

In 1967, Israel passed a law permitting Jews to recover property lost to them in the 1948 war. As far as Sheikh Jarrah was concerned, it eventually led to a long, drawn-out legal case in which Jews sought to recover this property from Arabs who had been living on it for decades without legal title or paying rent.

Now, as the case is about to be heard by Israel’s Supreme Court, there is a concern that pictures of “poor” Arab Palestinians being evicted from what is considered their homes would be bad for

Israel’s image. The world, including the US, still equates Israel to the Palestinians. “Both sides” are urged to do their best to avoid violence, even though it’s only the Palestinians who are rioting at the site and bombarding Israel with rockets and missiles.

While the Jews who own the four houses in question in Sheikh Jarrah have the law on their side, it would be better for Jewish security that they lose their case. They believe that evicting the illegal Arabs occupying the premises will do more harm than good since enforcing the law will only provide an excuse for more violence.

Arab refugees fled the country in 1948 and 1967, mainly because their leaders urged them to get out to avoid the fighting and promised them to win the next time when they would be able to return and have even more property once the Jews had been driven into the sea. A much fewer number of Arabs were driven out by Israel as a result of bitter fighting during the war. An Israeli law canceled the property rights of those who left to go to an enemy country, which applied to all of the Arab refugees.

The world forgets the fate of more than 800,000 Jews from Arab and Muslim lands who were expelled from their homes after Israel became a nation and their possessions confiscated. They were never offered compensation for their losses.

Even if Jews have the right to recover their property in Jerusalem, does this mean that it is wise to do so at this time? It will and did, stir up resentment, both among Palestinians and foreign opponents of Israel.

By giving in to the Arab invaders, Israel may gain a period of quiet; however, as with the case of Dayan and the Temple Mount, at the end of the day, it will not serve Israel’s best interest, and violence will continue as the militant Palestinians like Hamas, will always find an excuse to fight Israel, whose stated goal is that one day the Land of Israel and Jerusalem will be theirs.