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The Miracle of Purim

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In the book of Esther, the administrator to the King of Persia was Haman the Agagite who held the second highest position in the land. Like the antichrist, Haman was moved by Satan to totally eradicate the Jews who lived in the Kingdom of the Medes and Persians during the reign of King Ahasuerus (aka Xerxes I) 486-465,64 B.C.

Haman hated Mordecai the Jew. Since Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman or pay him homage like everyone else in the king’s court, Haman was filled with wrath against Mordecai. When Haman learned that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people living throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Readings from Esther 3:5-14

“In the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot, hence the word Purim), before Haman to determine the day and the month of the Jewish massacre until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.”

Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore, it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it please the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.” (Esther 3:8)

The king refused to take the bribe but granted Haman his request. He gave Haman, the enemy of the Jews his signet and told Haman to do to the Jews as he pleased. So, in the name of Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring, the decree was written to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month – the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.

Mordecai, a God-fearing Jew, had raised orphan Hadassah (later named Esther) to be a God-fearing young lady. Hadassah was the most beautiful of all the women selected for the harem and was chosen by the King of Persia to be his queen in place of Queen Vashti. (Esther 2:17)

Mordecai, however, instructed Esther not to reveal her heritage. 

While Esther was at the king’s harem, Mordecai learned about Haman’s plan, and the king’s edict to destroy the Jewish people. Mordecai then ordered Queen Esther to appear before the king and plead for the survival of her people.

Mordecai challenged Esther by saying: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-16

Queen Esther knew that only another royal decree issued by the king could save her people. No Persian royal decree could be rescinded. She had to arrange an audience with the King.

Esther instructed all the Jews in the capital city of Susa to fast for three days, neither eating nor drinking for a full three days and nights during which time she and her maids would likewise fast.

And Queen Esther declared: “so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” Esther 4:15-17 (Today, in commemoration of that fast, many Jews fast the day before Purim, praying for God’s continual preservation of Israel.)

In Persia, it was illegal to come before the king uninvited unless he extended his royal scepter.

Nevertheless, on the third day of the fast, Esther, dressed in her royal attire, appeared in front of the hall where the king sat on his throne. When the king saw his beautiful queen, he remembered how much he loved her and extended the golden royal scepter, inviting her to approach him.

“what is your request and I will grant you up to half the kingdom.” said the king.

Esther requested that the king attend a private banquet she had prepared in his honor and bring Haman as a guest. Neither of them knew that Esther was Jewish.

As they were enjoying the food and wine, the king sensed there was something more and asked her again, “what is your request, and I will grant it up to half the kingdom.”

Esther requested that they come again the next day to a second private banquet.

Haman was elated to realize that he was the only one, besides the king who was invited by the queen to the private banquet. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate still ignoring him, showing him no respect, he was again filled with rage.

Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home to boast to all his friends about his vast wealth, his many sons, and the fact that the king honored him in so many ways and elevated him above all others in the kingdom so much so that he was the only one invited to accompany the king to the Queen’s banquet. 

Even with his accomplishments and success, Mordechai’s refusal to bow down to him enraged him. Haman’s wife Zeresh and all his friends suggested he erect a high pole up and hang Mordechai on it. This idea delighted Haman, and so he had the pole set up and went happily to the banquet.

As they were enjoying the food and drinks, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

This time, Queen Esther revealed she was Jewish and asked that her life and the lives of her Jewish people be spared.

“This is my request, for I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. Had we merely been sold as slaves, I would have kept quiet and not disturb the king.” (Esther 5:4)

When the king asked who would dare do such a thing, Esther pointed to Haman and said, “An adversary and enemy! This wicked Haman!” The king was enraged and went out to the garden to absorb all this new twist of events.

Haman, terrified about what the king would do to him, fell on Esther’s couch and begged Esther for his life. At that very moment, the King returned from the palace garden to see Haman falling on the couch where his beloved Esther was reclining. In his rage he exclaimed,

“Will he (Haman) even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” (Esther 5:8)

When one of his eunuchs told the king that Haman had a very high pole set up to hang Mordechai the Jew, the king ordered Haman to hang on it instead of Mordechai.

The king gave Haman’s estate to Esther, and after learning how Esther was related to Mordechai he gave Mordechai the honor of being in the highest position that Haman had held, second only to the king, and gave him the signet ring he took from Haman.

Then Esther begged the king to save the Jews:

“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?” (Esther 8:5-6 NIV)

The king gave Esther and Mordechai permission to write a new order and seal it with the signet ring he gave to Mordechai. A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and every nationality in the kingdom.

The new edict granted the Jews in every province the right to defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies.

And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. For the Jews, it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them. (Esther 8:15-17)

Thus the Purim holiday was established for all generations.

Although God’s name is never mentioned in the Book of Esther, His sovereignty and Presence are evident as He brings a perfect ending to what seems to be a disastrous situation.

 “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “and not a God afar off?  Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. Jeremiah 23:23-24

 The Miracle of Purim was the Turnaround of Events 

On the same date, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar when the enemies of the Jews had hoped to destroy them, was the time that the new edict and decree of the king was to be executed. On that day, the opposite occurred (Haafoh hu in Hebrew), in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. (Esther 9:1-2)

(Image Attribution: Jared Subia, Unsplash)

The Story of Purim

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The central character in the story of Purim is the Jewish girl Esther (originally Hadassah.) Hadassah was an orphan, raised by her uncle Mordechai. They descended from exiled Jews who lived in the ancient Persian Empire. On one occasion, the Persian King Ahasuerus (Artaxerxes) became furious at his beautiful wife Vashti for refusing to appear at his great banquet and decided to replace her. An order was issued to bring to the Palace all the kingdom’s beautiful virgins from whom Artaxerxes would choose a new queen.

Esther, being very beautiful, also was brought to the Palace. The king loved Esther more than all the other virgins and chose her to replace Queen Vashti. Esther’s uncle Mordechai advised her to hide her Jewish origins.

The King had elevated a certain man, Haman the Agagite (descended from Amalek) to the powerful position of Prime Minister of the Empire. Haman was extremely wealthy and influential and according to the King’s command, all the royal servants at the king’s gate had to bow down to and revere Haman. However, Mordechai who also sat in the king’s gate worshiped only the true God of Israel.

Mordechai could not bow down before any man. When Haman heard of Mordechai’s refusal to bow before him, and that he was a Jew, it aroused his anger and hatred, not only toward Mordechai but toward all the Jewish people. Haman schemed to destroy them. Haman persuaded the King to sign a decree authorizing the extermination of the Jews. A date was set for this purpose by casting lots (“PUR”). The lot fell on the 13th of the month of Adar.

It was a time of mourning for all the Jews in the kingdom of Persia and Media.

Esther realized that she was chosen as Queen of Persia for such a time as this; to be used by God for the salvation of His people. She rose to the occasion by taking a step of faith and went before the Highest Authority (the God of Israel) in prayer and fasting after calling all the Jews in the capital city of Shushan to stand with her in prayer and fasting for three days before she risked her life by approaching the king uninvited.

Although Esther was the king’s beloved queen, she was part of his harem. As such, coming to him uninvited meant certain death unless the king extend his royal scepter. Esther was now willing to take this risk in hope of saving her people and said, “After that (the three days of prayer and fasting) I will go to the king, although it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”

Even though God’s name is not mentioned in the story of Esther, His hand is visibly at work. It is obvious Esther and the Jews fasted and prayed to the God of Israel during those three days. God not only used Esther’s beauty to find favor in the eyes of the King, but He also gave her wisdom and a strategy.

On the third day of the fast, Esther, dressed in royal attire, stood in the inner court in front of the hall where the King sat on his throne. When he saw her, he remembered his great love for her and extended his golden scepter, inviting her to approach.

 “What is your request?” he asked. “I will grant you up to half the kingdom.”

Esther simply requested that the King and Haman attend a private banquet she had prepared that day in the King’s honor. Neither of them knew Esther was Jewish.

During the banquet as they were enjoying the food and wine, the King sensed there was something more on her heart and asked her again, “What is your request? I will grant it up to half the kingdom.”

Her request was that they come again the next day to another private banquet she would prepare for the King and Haman. In his pride, Haman bragged to his loved ones how important he was that Queen Esther chose to invite only him, besides the King, to her banquet.

At the second banquet, as they were enjoying the food and drink, the King again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

This time, Queen Esther revealed she was Jewish and asked that her life and the life of her people, the Jews, be spared. “This is my request, for I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I would have kept silent and not disturbed the King.”

When the King asked who dare do such a thing, Esther pointed to Haman and said, “An adversary and enemy! This wicked Haman!” The King was enraged, left his drink, and went out to the garden to absorb all this new twist of events.

Haman was terrified of what the King might do to him and stood in front of Queen Esther to beg for his life. At that very moment, the King returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall and saw Haman falling on the couch where Esther was. Alarmed, the King exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”

The King ordered that Haman be hanged on the very pole Haman had set in his house to hang Mordechai the Jew. (Esther 7: 9-10)

Mordechai received the honor of being placed in the highest position and was given the King’s signet ring to reverse the edict. It was a day of joy and celebration for the Jews, and the Purim holiday was established for all generations.

The Some Facts of Tisha B’Av
(“the Ninth of Av”)

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According to the Bible, the First Temple’s destruction began on the 7th of Av (2 Kings 25:8) and continued until the 10th (Jeremiah 52:12). According to the Talmud (Rabbinical Oral Law,) the actual destruction of the Temple began on the Ninth of Av, and the temple continued to burn all night and day throughout the Tenth of Av. Official Rabbinical Judaism combines the dates of the first and second temples destruction so as to observe both on the 9th of Av – Tisha B’Av.

Antique images of Jews at the Western Wall (AKA the Wailing Wall).
Images by Felix Bonfils.

Tisha B’Av marks the end of the three weeks called “between dire straits” and is regarded as the saddest day in the Jewish calendar.

This year Tisha B’Av falls on August 7th in the Gregorian calendar. Jews fast for about 25 hours, beginning just before sunset on the eve of Tisha B’Av and ending at nightfall the following day. Although the fast ends at nightfall, according to tradition the First Temple continued burning throughout the night and for most of the following day of the tenth of Av.

Depending on the piety of the different religious sects, in addition to fasting, other pleasurable activities are also forbidden, such as no washing or bathing, no application of creams or oils, and no marital relations.

This year Tisha B’Av falls on a Saturday, and since Jews are not supposed to fast or mourn on a Saturday, Tisha B’Av is being observed on Sunday and restrictions end Monday morning. Religious Jews refrain from involvement in activities that would be considered joyous until Monday morning, such as eating meat, drinking wine, and listening to music.

In Israel, all restaurants and places of entertainment are legally closed from sundown of Tisha B’Av until sundown the next day. Establishments that break the law are subject to fines. In the diaspora, however, secular Jews do not observe Tisha B’Av as in Israel, or as they do observe Yom Kippur.

On the 9th of Av, the following  passage of Isaiah 1:1-18 is being red in the synagogues:

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me…They have forsaken the Lord, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward. Why should you be stricken again?…Your country is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire; Strangers devour your land in your presence; And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, As a hut in a garden of cucumbers, As a besieged city.”

Nevertheless, the Lord, the God of Israel has also promised to bring back His beloved people, the Jewish people from the diaspora, back to the land of Israel, the Land of Promise. And we are now witnessing the fulfillment of His promises. Israel is back physically. Now God wants to bring Israel back to Him spiritually, through faith in Messiah Yeshua.

The 9th of Av and the Weeks “Between the Straits”

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“From the straits I called to the Lord.” Psalm 118:5

The Month of Av in the Hebrew calendar starts this coming Saturday. The three-week period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av is known as the Dire Straits (or “distress” see Lamentations 1:3—“All who have overtaken her have done so in the midst of her distress”.)

Roman Triumphal arch panel copy from Beth Hatefutsoth, showing spoils of Jerusalem temple. Image by Wikimedia Commons.
Roman Triumphal arch panel copy from Beth Hatefutsoth, showing spoils of Jerusalem temple. Image by Wikimedia Commons.

The period of the Dire Straits starts on the 17th of Tammuz – the month before Av. Jerusalem’s walls were breached and Jerusalem fell; Jerusalem’s two Temples on the Temple Mount were destroyed on that same day, the 9th of Av, and the two Jewish exiles – first to Babylon for 70 years, and second throughout the world for about 2000 years – occurred on the 9th of Av.

The Jews have experienced many calamities over the centuries, and it is amazing to learn that most of those calamities occurred on the same day of the year, the 9th of Av.

The destruction of the Jerusalem Temples, especially that of the Second Temple, changed the path of Jewish history and the Jewish nation as the Jews were dispersed in the Diaspora among the nations (few Jews remained in the land) and survived against all odds. They went through persecution, expulsions and relocation, suffering, and calamities. Nonetheless, the Jews as a people were preserved by Jewish tradition and a longing to return to Jerusalem.

The 9th of Av, Tisha b’Av, commemorates a list of catastrophes so severe that Jews believe God appointed this date for Jewish suffering.

Some of the catastrophes and calamities that happened to the Jews on the 9th of Av were:

586 BCE: The First Temple was destroyed on the 9th of Av in the year 586 BCE when most of the Jews from Judah and Benjamin were exiled to Babylon and Persia (Jeremiah 52).

69 CE: Five centuries later in 69 CE, the Romans attacked, torched, and destroyed the Second Temple on the 9th of Av, the same day as the first temple’s destruction. Most of the Jews were exiled to the Roman Empire. Many were sold into slavery and many were tortured and killed.

133 CE: When the Jews rebelled against Roman rule, they believed that their leader, Simon bar Kochba, would bring them victory and fulfill their messianic longings. However, in 133 CE, the Jewish rebels were brutally butchered in a final battle at Betar. The date of the massacre was the 9th of Av!
     A year after their conquest of Betar, the Romans plowed over the Temple Mount and built on the ruins of Jerusalem a pagan city that they renamed Aelia Capitolina.

1290 CE: on the 9th of Av, the Jews were expelled from England.

1492 CE: the Golden Age of Spain came to an end for the Jews. The Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition forced mass conversion to Catholicism upon the Jews. Furthermore, Queen Isabella and her husband Ferdinand banished the Jews from Spain and Jewish property was confiscated. The edict of expulsion was signed on March 31, 1492, and the Jews were given exactly four months to leave the country. The Hebrew date when no Jew could no longer remain in Spain was the 9th of Av.

WWII and the Holocaust were actually the outcomes of WWI that were set into motion also on the 9th of Av. As we know, 6 million Jews were tortured and murdered in the Holocaust as part of the Nazi’s “Final Solution” to get rid of all the Jews. After the war, Gentiles in Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Hungary continued to persecute and murder Jews.

1949 CE: Israel won the war of independence. Yet, the Old City of Jerusalem remained in Jordanian hands, and Jews were forbidden to go up to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall except for one day, the 9th of Av.

2000 CE: Arab terrorist attacks and violence erupted in Jerusalem while Jews observed the 9th of Av.

2005 CE: The forced evacuation of Jewish settlers from Gaza in 2005 occurred on the 9th of Av.

According to God’s plans, the 9th of Av was meant to be a day of joy and celebration. When God led Israel out of Egypt into the Promised Land in the year 1313 BCE, the 9th of Av was the day they were to enter the Holy land at Kadesh Barnea (the shortest distance from Egypt to the land of Israel.) Twelve men were sent to spy out the land. However, 10 spies (besides Joshua and Caleb) through lack of faith and full of fear brought back a negative report and said it was better to return to Egypt rather than be killed by the giants in the land. Because of their unbelief, the day of joy turned into a day of mourning.

God was highly displeased by Israel’s rebellion and lack of faith and made the people wander in the Sinai desert for 40 years until that whole generation died; only their children would have the privilege of entering and possessing the Promised Land. (Num. 13-14)

God has faithfully brought back His beloved Israel to the Land He promised their forefathers, and today the nation of Israel is again in the land of Israel. One day, the people of Israel will look upon the one they have pierced, Yeshua, (Zech. 12:10,) and they will proclaim, “Baruch haba beshem Adonai” (blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord) Matt. 23:39.) Yeshua said that on that day they would see Him again, but this time they will see Him as their Messiah and Savior. They will mourn for Him as for a firstborn Son (Zech. 12:10). And then, All Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:26.) On that day, God will turn the mourning into great joy again.

Please Pray With Us

This is a dangerous time for Israel and the Jewish people world-wide. We are seeing evidence of rising antisemitism in many countries, including the United States. Please pray for our people, wherever they may be, for safety and especially for salvation.

The Danger of the Islamic Month of Ramadan

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Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 123:44

In Islam, fasting is one of the major acts of worshiping Allah. Muslims believe that its spiritual dimensions purify the soul, instill self-reflection and inspire virtuous living.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During this month, Muslims worldwide fast and abstain from sexual relations from dawn to dusk (then they can eat as much as they want until dawn the next day.) The fast excludes the elderly, the weak, the mentally ill, and those who have chronic illnesses.

The Muslims believe that a fasting person is rewarded manifold for all good deeds, and whoever fasts and prays during Ramadan with pure intentions will have their past sins forgiven.

During the month of Islam’s holiday of Ramadan, Muslims feel more zealous for their religion and the Jihad (Muslim holy war) which motivates them to launch more attacks against the infidels and all those who are viewed as enemies of the Islamic world.

Muslim worshippers gather for Friday prayers, next to the Dome of the Rock Mosque on the Temple Mount one day before the beginning of the Ramadan, last Friday, April 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

During Ramadan, Muslims believe that fasting and prayer bring them closer to Allah. Often Muslim families wake up together before sunrise for an early breakfast. They also invite one another to break their fast (every evening) together thereby strengthening friendships and ties among neighbors, families, and friends. Many people also bring meals to mosques to share with the community, especially the poor, the needy, the traveler, and those without family. Together, they attend nightly Ramadan prayers at the mosque.

This year, even before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Palestinian Authority did its utmost to incite religious hatred and violence, spewing the libel that Israel is organizing an “escalation of hostilities” at the Temple Mount.

While the PA-incited terror rages, the PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the visits of Jews to the Temple Mount – Judaism’s holiest site – as “invasions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque” and warned of Israel’s alleged “malicious intentions.” They exaggerate by saying that there is a continuation of invasions by Israeli officials during the “blessed month of Ramadan, which will cause an explosion in the occupied Palestinian territories.*

The reality is that “Al-Aqsa Mosque” is only a small part of the Temple mount, and while Jews are permitted to enter the Temple Mount for limited hours of the day, and are only allowed to walk around the periphery, they are strictly prohibited from praying and entering the mosque itself. 

In order to continue their incitement of an imaginary Israeli plan to “break into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque”, the PA conveniently ignores this reality and refers to the entire Temple Mount as the “Al-Aqsa Mosque.” They claim that Jewish visits there are totally unacceptable at any time, and warn against “the occupation’s* attempts to implement a plan to break into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan,” and against the “consequences this will have for the security and stability of the region and the world.”

While Jews visit the Temple Mount almost every day, Palestinians still claim that the continued Jewish visits to the Mount are a “new crime” and threaten that their response “will not be a regular light response.”

The PA incitement regarding the Temple Mount falsely claimed that “settlers are escalating their violations” and warned against non-existent attempts by “settler organizations under the auspices of the occupation (Israeli) police” to cause “an explosion”

“[PA] Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Fadi Al-Hadmi said: ‘The occupation authorities and the settlers* are escalating their violations in occupied East Jerusalem on the eve of the blessed [Muslim fasting] month of Ramadan.’ (the opposite is actually true.)

Just before Ramadan started, The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: ‘At a time when official Israel is attempting to hold the Palestinian side responsible for the escalation that it is creating and for its consequences under the slogan “the [Muslim fasting] month of Ramadan,” it is implementing a racist occupation policy, is continuing in its aggression against the Palestinian people every day, and is seeking to be aided by anarchy and violence to carry out its colonialist plans.’”

The Palestinians are actually turning the tables. They promote the lies that Israel has “cunning intentions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the month of Ramadan” and that the “occupation authorities”* are permitting “extremist settlers” to invade the Al-Aqsa Mosque (the entire Temple Mount). Furthermore, the PA contends that Israeli news warnings of Palestinian disturbances during the month of Ramadan are simply a prelude to Israel’s cunning intentions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque; the PA warns of the consequences of these attacks.”

As Palestinians carry out terror attacks and violence in E. Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the Israeli police must use force to stop these attacks by any means. In turn, the PA accuses Israel of perpetrating the crimes that they warned about in the first place.

*PA terminology: 
“Occupied Palestine Territories” – the entire Land of Israel.
A “settler” – every Israeli Jewish citizen living in “Occupied Palestine.”
“Settler organizations” – Israeli authorities and government
“Settler’s terror” – “racist occupation policy” that is aided by anarchy and violence.

Palestinians wave a PLO flag at a tense protest at Damascus Gate during Ramadan 2021 | File photo: Oren Ben Hakoon

Right after Ramadan started on Saturday, violence started at Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem late on Sunday after the evening Ramadan prayers. The Israel Police which had been preparing for months for such confrontations, determined to stop them.

Many young Palestinian men rioted near Israeli police officers. A crowbar was thrown at police officers who responded by drawing guns (without shooting) against the Palestinians who gathered around them. Some of the Palestinians threw stones and bottles. One police officer was hit on the head while another officer broke his arm. The Israeli police do everything to keep order without causing harm or death.

During the rioting, Israeli officers attempt to arrest only those responsible for the incitement. However, sometimes, things go out of control and there is no choice but to use harsh measures.

While the Israeli police do everything possible to maintain the peace on this Ramadan holiday, the Palestinians choose to disrupt. This coming Friday will be dangerous, as tens of thousands of Muslims gather on the Temple Mount for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan.

The Israeli police are anticipating possible violence and preparing for such. Even one incident in this volatile situation can get out of hand and cause a disaster. Please pray.