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AntiSemitism

The Threat of Ramadan

March 14, 2024 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

With war in Gaza raging, tensions in East Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, (aka the West Bank territories) are escalating with the start of the holy month of Ramadan, particularly on the Temple Mount. Located in east Jerusalem’s Old City, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount is considered the third holiest site in Islam, while to the Jews it is the most holy site as the location of the two ancient Holy Temples.

Even after Israel won the Six Day War and conquered and annexed east Jerusalem in 1967, including the Temple Mount, the Muslim religious facilities of the Temple remained under the administration of the Waqf, dedicated to Muslim religious purposes. All Islamic religious activity has remained under Jordanian control since the cease-fire of the 1948 war of Israel’s independence.

In Islam, the holiday of the Ramadan fast (and feasting every night) observed by millions of Muslims around the world is supposed to be a time of prayer, reflection, and community. The Muslims believe that during this holy month, their holy book, the Quran, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

However, since Israel gained control of the grounds of the Temple Mount, each year, the time of Ramadan has become particularly inflammatory. Every year violence erupts on Ramadan as Palestinians use the compound and even the mosque itself to riot and throw rocks in provocation of Israeli forces who are there to keep law and order. When Palestinian rioters are injured and many are arrested as a result of Israeli police dispersing rioters, even more violence ensues.

Image above: Cartoon by Alaa’ al-Laqta. Right: Incitement to violence.  The Arabic reads, “The meal of young Jerusalemites before the Ramadan fast” (Alaa’ al-Laqta’s Facebook page, April 23, 2021).

In 2022 and 2023 during Ramadan, inspired by Hamas and carrying Hamas flags, Palestinian terrorists shot, stabbed, and threw bombs on Israelis praying at the Western Wall below. PA (Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria) President Mahmoud Abbas negated any Jewish connection to Jerusalem by declaring, “We alone have the religious, historical, and legal right to Al-Buraq Wall (the Western Wall).”

Ramadan is not like any holiday in other religions. Rather than being a month of peace and harmony, it is a month of war and violence. From Islam’s beginnings, Ramadan was a time to wage war.

History of Ramadan

In 624 CE, during Ramadan, the Prophet Muhammad waged his first jihad (holy war). In 632, during the month of Ramadan, Muhammad attacked and conquered the city of Mecca with its Kaaba stone, which is Islam’s most holy site today.

Throughout the centuries, Muslims have waged wars and conquests during Ramadan. A few more examples are:

  • The conquest of Rhodes in 653 CE
  • The invasion of Spain in 710 CE and 
  • Battles against the Crusaders over Jerusalem led by Salah Al-Din in 1187 CE.
  • In 1260, Muslims defeated the Mongols in Palestine (now Israel,)
  • In the 20th century, between 1962 to 1970, during the Yemeni Civil War, Muslims fought each other through nine Ramadans.
  • In 1973 on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, Egypt and Syria, on Ramadan launched a surprise attack on Israel. The Israelis call it the Yom Kippur War whereas they call it the Ramadan War.  
  • In 1981, Iran rejected an offer for a Ramadan cease-fire from Iraq, and a year later attacked Iraq in what they called, “Operation Ramadan.”
  • Likewise, in 1987, Iran again rejected an offer of a Ramadan cease-fire from Iraq.
  • In Israel, Palestinians rioted from the years 1987 to 1993 during six Ramadans. From the 1990s and well into the beginning of the 21st century, during Ramadan, Muslims continued to war in other locations than just in Israel. For example, widespread fighting occurred in Kashmir when Muslims rejected a Ramadan cease-fire offered by India as a step for peace.

Ramadan Today

Now, at the start of Ramadan, as the war in Gaza continues, Hamas is calling for violence against Jews.

In a speech prior to the start of Ramadan which began on March 10th, Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, incited Palestinians in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria to storm the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount.

Haniyeh also called for the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” members including Hezbollah, the Houthis, and various Iraqi Shia militias to escalate their attacks against Israel. A spokesman for Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), another Iranian-backed Palestinian terror group, called for a “month of terror” against Israel during Ramadan.

It is obvious that Hamas, under the guise of this holiday, intends to inflame religious tensions and increase attacks against Israelis, so the month of Ramadan begins the second phase of their plan that began on October 7th. Unfortunately, also the PA has increased incitement against Israel during this fragile period.

Unlike Hamas, Israel intends to do everything possible to decrease tension and prevent violence during this volatile time. Israel’s policy is to maintain religious freedom and access to holy places for all religions, including access for Palestinians and Israeli Arabs to Muslim holy sites on the Temple Mount.

Filed Under: AntiSemitism, History, Terrorism Tagged With: Anti-Semitism, Hamas, Ramadan, Temple Mount, Terrorism, War

War of Words

January 23, 2024 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Israel vs. South Africa

O God…See how your enemies growl… With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.” With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab…and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. Even Assyria has joined them… who said, “Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.” Psalm 83: 1-8, 12    

Picture: "The Israeli delegation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa in the case South Africa v. Israel, January 11, 2024. (Photo: International Court of Justice)" Picture and caption from Mondoweiss.net
Picture: “The Israeli delegation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa in the case South Africa v. Israel, January 11, 2024. (Photo: International Court of Justice)” Picture and caption from Mondoweiss.net

Israel is facing another line of battle – a war of words. South Africa has petitioned The International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. Now Israel must defend itself in words and not in deeds. It accuses South Africa in turn of an “absurd blood libel,” that the allegations are baseless and inciteful of antisemitism. Moreover, if anyone is guilty of genocide, it is Hamas who carried out a genocidal attack on October 7.

In this war of words, the accusing South Africa must convince the ICJ that Israel acted with specific intentions to bring about the destruction of a nation, race, or religion – in this case, Gazan Palestinians. Were that Israel’s intention, there is no doubt that Israel has the military power and means to bring about the complete destruction of Gaza in a short time. Despite the sophisticated legal arguments accompanied by abstract concepts and elevated language, a simple truth emerges:   

  • Hamas declared war against the entire nation of Israel whereas Israel responded by warring against the Hamas terror organization only. 
  • Hamas uses its own Gazan citizens as human shields in an effort to show the world that Israel targets women and children. In fact, the Israeli army does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties.
  • During the three-month battle, out of a population of about 2 million, approximately only 14,000 civilians and around 9,000 Hamas fighters died, all within one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
         Tragically, civilians are killed in all wars. In this war, however, the relatively small number of civilian deaths cannot support any intent on Israel’s part to commit genocide nor that genocide is taking place.


What is the International Court of Justice?

The ICJ, or World Court, based in the Hague, the Netherlands, was established in 1945 as the United Nations’ judicial arm to resolve international disputes between states and to issue advisory opinions on matters of international law at the request of UN entities.

According to international law, the legal basis for the charge of “genocide” (a 1940 term introduced by Holocaust survivor Raphael Lemkin to ensure the absence of impunity for mass killings like those in the Holocaust) is a specific intention to bring about the destruction of a nation, race, or religion either wholly or partially.

It will likely take years for the ICJ to examine these claims and reach a decision on their merits.

During these lengthy deliberations, South Africa hopes the Court will force Israel to stop the war in Gaza. To this end, South Africa has asked that Israel be found in violation of the Genocide Convention, be forced to cease hostilities, and take measures to provide victims with redress.

Furthermore, South Africa alleges that Israel has failed to prevent and punish incitement to genocide committed by members of the government and others. 

Why is South Africa Accusing Israel of Genocide?

The case filed by South Africa is only the latest of a long series of anti-Israel positions the country has taken. In recent years, its historic alliance with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) has shifted to also include Hamas, the antisemitic terror organization that controls Gaza.

Present accusations represent the most dangerous and deceptive rhetoric to date. The implied hypocrisy is that the survivors of the Shoah genocide are now themselves committing genocide, making it a powerful accusation in the war of words against Israel. 

What is Behind South Africa’s Stance?

The anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian government of South Africa, the African National Congress, is likely seeking more votes in the upcoming national elections wherein the ICJ claim may provide a distraction from pressing domestic issues such as persistent unemployment, inequality, and poverty.

Last November, South Africa recalled its diplomats from Israel and called on the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and other Israeli leaders for “statements of genocidal intent” and other alleged war crimes. Israel withdrew its ambassador from Pretoria for consultation.

South Africa’s legal team is led by John Dugard, who falsely accused Israel of committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians when he served as the UN’s special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories during the 2000s. Now he seeks victory at the ICJ.

Also joining the South African delegation is former U.K. opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, a fierce critic of Israel who recently refused to call Hamas a terror group. Corbyn was ousted by the Labour Party after a report revealed rampant antisemitism that forced a number of Jewish members and lawmakers to leave the party at the time. Now he is seeking victory to redeem himself.

How will Israel Prove that the Accusation is Baseless?

Israel has recorded proof of the October 7 massacre demonstrating that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is in self-defense, a response to a genocidal attack against it by Hamas. Israel’s proof satisfies international law. This would convey to the Court that it would be inappropriate to order Israel to cease its defensive military operations. 

Israel’s team will also emphasize the extensive precautionary measures taken by the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) to avoid disproportionately harming Palestinian civilians and Israel’s ongoing humanitarian relief to Gaza since mid-October to render baseless South Africa’s assertion that Israel is acting with genocidal intent.

Since the start of the war, Israel has transferred over 11,000 tons of medical supplies to Gaza. Israel has also transferred over 78,870 metric tons of food, 17,260 metric tons of water, and 16,210 metric tons of shelter equipment. 

Israel’s team will likely rebut South Africa’s accusations by pointing to oft-repeated statements by those with actual command authority that Israel’s war is against Hamas, not Palestinian civilians in Gaza. 

Officials, Leaders, and Experts Around the World Rebut South Africa’s Claim 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the accusation of genocide “meritless”. It’s particularly galling, given that those who are attacking Israel – Hamas, Hizballah, the Houthis, as well as their supporter, Iran – continue to openly call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews,” he said. 

John Kirby, communications coordinator for the U.S. National Security Council, also called South Africa’s allegation “meritless, counterproductive, and completely without basis in fact whatsoever.”

In earlier statements, he said the term “genocide” to describe the Israeli operation is inappropriate: “What Hamas wants, make no mistake about it, is genocide. They want to wipe Israel off the map …That’s genocidal intentions,” Kirby said last December. “It is obvious that Israel is not trying to wipe the Palestinian people off the map. Israel’s not trying to wipe Gaza off the map. Israel is trying to defend itself against a genocidal terrorist threat. If we’re going to start using that word – fine. Let’s use it appropriately.”

A spokesman for the German government has made it clear that Germany does not view Israel’s military actions in Gaza as genocide.

Retired Canadian Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Abella also has lambasted South Africa’s genocide case against Israel as an abuse of the postwar legal order.

Meanwhile, French historian Vincent Duclert, who examined France’s role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide of Tutsis, has said “a humanitarian situation, even frightening, is not enough to define genocide.”

• Some of the information in this newsletter was taken from an article by Dr. Dotan Rouss, who holds a Ph.D. in Law and was a criminal prosecutor in Israel. 



Please Pray

Thank you friends for praying with us for justice. For nations and people to realize that Israel is still in the plan of God and the powers of darkness are trying to destroy her, in our time, through radical Jihadi Islam through the destruction of Israel to prevent God’s plan from being fulfilled. Thank you also for your prayers for the Israeli government, the hostages, and the many thousands who evacuated their homes along the borders where the war is still going on.

  1. Pray against the distraction of lawfare against our government – and also against anything else that brings division and disunity to Israelis.
  2. While Israel does its best to rid the land of terrorism both for the sake of Jewish and Arab Israelis and also for Palestinians including Gazans, please pray for success in this mission.
  3. Please pray that Israel rescue the hostages very soon.
  4. Pray that Hamas is Contained and Restrained in any way the Lord sees fit.
  5. Pray for protection for the IDF and all of the non-involved citizens of Israel.
  6. Pray that the plans of the enemy are thwarted in every way.

Filed Under: AntiSemitism, From the Newsletter, SideBarStoryWidget-second Tagged With: Anti-Semitism, Lawfare, South Africa, Update, War

The True Meaning of Hamas as Seen in the Bible

October 25, 2023 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

The word Hamas in the Hebrew Bible

חָמָס

Hamas, in the Old Testament in the original Hebrew, appears more than 25 times. It means violence, cruelty AND robbery.

HAMAS first appears in Genesis after the fall of Adam and Eve WHEN SIN ENTERED the world. 

Genesis 6:11: “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with Hamas” (violence).
Genesis 6:13: Then God said to Noah, “the end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with Hamas” (violence).

In Ezekiel, Hamas appears in connection WITH the fall of Satan:
Ezekiel 28:16: “By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with Hamas (violence,) and you sinned. Therefore, I have CAST you as profane from the mountain of God and I have destroyed you, O covering cherub.”

More scriptures with the Hebrew word Hamas:

Exodus 23:1: “You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a Hamas (malicious) witness.”

Isaiah 53:9: “His GRAVE was assigned WITH THE RICH…Because he had done no Hamas (violence) nor was there any deceit in his mouth.”
Isaiah 59:6b: “Their works are works of iniquity, and ACTS of Hamas (violence) ARE in their hands.”

Psalm 11:5: “the Lord tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves Hamas” (violence).
Psalm 18:48: “He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; from the Hamas (violent) man.”
Psalm 25:19: “Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with Hamas (cruel) hatred.”
Psalm 74:20: “for the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of Hamas (cruelty).”

Habakkuk 2:17: “for the Hamas (violence) done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the devastation of its beasts by which you terrified them, because of human bloodshed and Hamas done to their land, to the town and all its inhabitants.”

Zephaniah 1:9: “In that same day I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their master’s house with Hamas (violence) and deceit.”

Ezekiel 7: 23: “Make the chain, for the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of Hamas” (violence).
Ezekiel 45:9: “Thus says the Lord God, enough, you princes of Israel, put away Hamas (violence and destruction), and practice justice and righteousness.”

Amos 3:10: “But they do not know how to do what is right,” declares the Lord, “these who hoard up Hamas (violence) and devastation in their citadels.”

Other scriptures include:
Psalm 58:3, Proverbs 3:32, Proverbs 8:36, Prov. 10:6, Micah 6:12

In conclusion:

Isaiah 60:18: “Hamas will not be heard again in your land.”

A Facebook page – it came up when we googled “Hamas Free” – there were many other sites. You can see that those holding the signs are Muslim. The presence of these sites demonstrates that this war is not about “land” or “Israel v.s. the Palestinians/Gazans”. It is Israel and the Palestinians/Gazans against Hamas!

Filed Under: AntiSemitism, Conflict, From the Newsletter, SideBarStoryWidget-top, Terrorism

Israel at War

October 20, 2023 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

– Update From October 18

Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they took captive the whole captivity (communities)… But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, which shall devour its palaces.” Amos 1:6-7 NKJ


Hamas, the ruling organization in the Gaza Strip, is a cruel, violent anti-Zionist, anti-Semitic, Islamist terror group that seeks to destroy Israel. As a result of constant attacks on Israeli civilians, Israel and dozens of countries have designated Hamas a terrorist organization. Israel and “The Quartet on the Middle East” (US, Russia, UN, EU) imposed economic sanctions on Hamas and Gaza, including the cessation of foreign aid to the Hamas government, as well as restrictions on movement, imposed by Israel.

To lift these economic sanctions and movement restrictions, Hamas must: renounce violence against Israel, recognize Israel, and honor all previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

However, Hamas has not, and will not, recognize Israel as the legitimate State of the Jews in the Land of Israel.

Iran has been providing Hamas and the other terror organizations in Gaza with material and financial support as well as military training, and Turkey reportedly harbors some of its top leaders.

The death toll of Israelis killed by Hamas’ brutal attack on innocent Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, is as of now at least 1,400 Israelis. The attack from Gaza included the firing of thousands of rockets on Israel and the infiltration of Israeli cities and communities near the Gazan border by more than 2,500 terrorists who butchered and tortured men, women, children, and infants, cutting babies’ throats and burning children alive. They shot parents in front of their children, and children in front of their parents.

Hamas has abducted more than 160 Israelis into Gaza. Hamas raped a young woman over and over again and may have even killed some.

Israel has responded by bombing Hamas facilities, targeting their leaders and those responsible for the brutal attack on Israel.

Israeli leaders vow that this war’s target is the elimination of Hamas once and for all. More than 300,000 Israeli military troops are waiting near the Gazan border to enter the Strip in order to achieve Israel’s goal.

However, the longer Israel waits, the more difficult the task becomes. Now, Israel is waiting for the end of Biden’s visit in order to act upon her military plans and objectives.

On this 11th day of the war, as President Biden has just arrived in Israel, new developments may change his and Israel’s plans.

His original plan was to force Israel to allow supplies for “Humanitarian aid” to enter Gaza. His help and support of Israel is mixed with his ultimate plan/desire to bring about the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip after the elimination of Hamas.

After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Biden was to have a summit meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, to further his plan of the “Two State solution.”

However, a new development on the ground has occurred. A Gazen hospital was hit by a rocket last night. According to multiple Israeli intelligence sources, a failed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) rocket launch, aimed at Israel, hit the Gaza hospital killing, allegedly, hundreds of Palestinians.

“We have indication that the PIJ organization is responsible for the failed launch that hit the hospital,” stated IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. “An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the hospital at the time it was hit,” Hagari added.

“The entire world should know: It was not the Israeli army that attacked the hospital in Gaza, but the barbaric Gazan terrorists,” wrote Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Those who brutally murdered our children also murder their own children.”

For years, terrorists have been using Gazan hospitals, mosques, schools, residential buildings, and other public buildings as caches for their weapons and missile launchers.

Hamas uses its population – children included – as human shields, knowing that Israeli reprisals on residential facilities will convince the world of Israel’s inhumane assaults on “innocent civilians,” thereby causing a worldly outcry against Israel to abandon her goal of eliminating the terrorists, while hundreds of missiles continue to hit Israel, targeting Israeli civilians.

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas has canceled the planned meeting summit with Biden and the Arab leaders scheduled for today, Wednesday.

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash has declared that Hamas’ massacre against Israeli civilians last Saturday is considered legitimate self-defense: “We are enacting our legitimate right in resisting these invaders (the Zionists) defending ourselves, and defending our holy sites and our people… This occupation is temporary. Regardless of how long it takes, and regardless of how many sacrifices there will be, this occupation will leave sooner or later.”

Under Palestinian Authority law, every terrorist who is killed attacking Israel is defined as a “Martyr” whose family is immediately rewarded by the PA with a 6,000 shekels ($1,511) grant and a 1,400 ($353) per month allowance for life.

We are praying and standing on the Word of the God of Israel.

Amos 1:6-7 NKJ: “Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they took captive the whole captivity (communities)… But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, which shall devour its palaces.”

Zechariah 9:5: “Gaza will writhe in agony…for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king (leader.) Vs. 7: I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God.

Proverbs 19:21: “There are many plans (devices) in a man’s heart. Nevertheless, the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.” (men can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose and plans will prevail.)

The Hospital Blast – Image from Times of Israel.


Please pray for this situation: 

  • Pray that God grant wisdom and courage to PM Netanyahu as he meets with Biden.
  • Pray against the plans of men; that God’s plans and purposes prevail.
  • Pray for the right tactics to eliminate Gazan terrorists.
  • Pray for the safety of the hostages and their safe to their families.

Filed Under: AntiSemitism, Conflict, MainStoryWidget-right, Terrorism Tagged With: Hamas, Terrorism, War

August 5-7, 2022: Israel Under Attack

August 22, 2022 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

On August 1st, Israel arrested the senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Judea and Samaria; his name is Bassam al-Saadi.

Israel then learned from its intelligence agency that the PIJ in the Gaza Strip was planning a retaliatory terror attack with anti-tank (AT) missiles and snipers against Israeli civilians near the Gaza border.

Thousands of Israeli residents who live near the Gaza Strip border were instructed to stay in their homes and remain close to secure rooms. Social gatherings were canceled and roads and railways were closed for fear of rocket attacks. Two crossings that allow civilians and goods to enter the Gaza Strip were also closed by Israel.

On August 3rd, Khaled al-Batsh, head of the political wing of the PIJ in Gaza said: “We have every right to bomb Israel with our most advanced weapons and make the occupier (meaning Israel) pay a heavy price. We will not settle for [only] attacking around Gaza, but we will bomb the center of the so-called State of Israel.”

The PIJ claims to be the indigenous people of the land of Israel that they call Palestine and aims to continue the “armed struggle” until Israel’s defeat. They do not accept the “Two State Solution,” and refuse to accept the existence of the state of Israel under any conditions. (Click here to read more about the PIJ) 

Operation Breaking Dawn – Surgical Strikes

Thanks to precise intelligence, the Israeli Defense Air Force (IAF) launched a surprise operation named “Operation Breaking Dawn” on the afternoon of August 5th to eliminate the threat against Israeli citizens.

Rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel (Photo: AFP)

In a surgical strike on August 5th, the IAF killed Tayseer Jabari, the PIJ northern Gaza division commanding officer who initiated the AT attack. Al Jabari was staying in a hideout apartment along with his anti-tank missile expert and the PIJ head of observation posts.

These three senior officers who posed a clear and immediate danger of terrorism were eliminated by the surgical strike of the IAF. No other resident of the building was killed or injured.

On August 6th, the PIJ commander of Gaza’s Southern area, Khaled Mansour, was also targeted and killed by an IDF strike.

At the same time, the IAF destroyed PIJ military infrastructure, bombing terrorist posts, manufacturing facilities, tunnels, and weapon stashes.

In response, the PIJ began rocket fire into Israel, beginning with the villages and city closest to the Gaza Strip, called Gaza Envelope, and then to the cities of Ashkelon, Ashdod, and around the Tel Aviv area.

The PIJ even attacked the Jerusalem vicinity. The Iron Dome intercepted three rockets while thousands of Jews were permitted to enter the Temple Mount compound for the 9th of Av observance of Tisha B’Av (9th of Av.)

The Israeli army, “Israel Defense Force” (IDF) is the only army that has the word Defense in its name since it repeatedly faces deadly enemies all about, therefore must defend itself constantly to survive.

Hamas and the PIJ have a long history of hiding behind civilians while firing missiles indiscriminately from Gazan residences at Israeli civilians. Hence, they use their civilians as human shields knowing that Israel avoids killing the innocent as much as possible.

To this effect, the IAF practices “roof knocking” which is dropping non-explosive warning shots onto the rooftops of Gaza residential buildings so uninvolved residents can flee before the bombing begins.

Ironically, two hundred PIJ rockets (about 15%) aimed at Israel fell inside the Gaza Strip or into the sea. Sadly for innocent Gazans, one such rocket, fired from within the civilian population, fell short on a home in the center of northern Gaza city, killing 4 children. The Palestinian media immediately blamed Israel, but the Israeli army quickly issued a video providing proof that this was not an Israeli strike.

Throughout that weekend, Israel also arrested 20 Palestinians in the West Bank, 19 of whom were members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

1,175 Missiles from Gaza

After a 3-day barrage consisting of 1,175 missiles fired by the PIJ at Israeli civilians (96% were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system, thereby no Israeli was killed. Some were injured and there was some property damage.) Egypt brokered a ceasefire that went into effect at 11:30 pm on Sunday, August 7th.

Although Hamas’ military and security capabilities are superior to those of the PIJ, Hamas did not participate in this operation to prevent escalation.

Hamas is still in the process of renewing its capabilities after last year’s war. Hamas did, however, issue some statements in support of the PIJ and encouraged the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, including Israeli Arabs to take part in the resistance.

Yet, even while negotiations were ongoing for a ceasefire, fighting between the two sides continued. The PIJ even increased rocket firing at nearby Israeli residents, and Israel continued aerial strikes at PIJ targets.

On August 7th at 23:30, The PIJ announced a ceasefire. Within 10 minutes, Israel agreed and stopped the attacks, while PIJ continued firing rockets. Israel did not retaliate. Currently, the ceasefire is holding without violations from either side.

Demands and Threats

On its website, on August 8th, 2022, the PIJ announced that it reserved the right to respond to every act of “Zionist aggression.” The PIJ claims that the ceasefire is conditional upon Israel releasing prisoners from Israeli jails soon and that Egypt guarantees this claim.

Additionally, according to the PIJ, a certain prisoner on a hunger strike was to be released to a hospital on August 8th, 2022, and from there sent home. Egypt requested the date be left open, and they agreed.

The PIJ announced that it considers the ceasefire agreement as null and void and will renew attacks should “The Enemy” –Israel – not meet their demands.

According to Israel, the release of prisoners was not part of the agreement.

Restrictions Lifted

Since the implementation of the ceasefire, all security restrictions on Israeli residents in the Gaza Envelope have been lifted and roads have been reopened.

The Gaza crossings have reopened, resuming the entry of goods to Gaza and the exit of about 14,000 Gazans who hold permits to work in Israel.

For now, life in Israel is back to “normal.” 
The question is, “How long?”

Please pray …

Filed Under: AntiSemitism, Conflict, From the Newsletter, SideBarStoryWidget-second Tagged With: antisemitism, Attacks, Palestinians, Terrorism

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