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New Moon Celebration

June 28, 2020 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Exodus 12:1-3

Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household.”

The gentile Gregorian calendar, based on the sun, substituted God’s biblical (Hebrew) calendar that was based on the moon as if saying that the substitute was a better way. They made a different day for the Sabbath, they made different dates for the Set Times of the Lord (the Jewish holidays) and omitted the celebration of the New Moon from the calendar.

This month some nations joined in Jerusalem for the first time to celebrate the New Moon, thereby reconnecting with God’s biblical calendar. It’s a huge thing, since the Gregorian calendar is actually part of the root of anti-Semitism, denying that God chose the Jewish nation to establish His calendar in the world.

When God took Israel out of Egypt and established her as a nation, He declared that this would be the first day of the first month (first new moon.) Our New Moon celebrations fulfill the declaration He made, that Israel and the nations would gather on God’s timetable.

The Lord’s Supper – Victory Meal

In Jeremiah 31, God promises: “The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. God speaks of the new covenant He would give to Israel. We usually stop at the verse where the Lord declares, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” However, in the very next verse, 35 “This is what the Lord says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – the Lord Almighty is His Name: 36 “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the Lord, “will Israel ever cease being a nation before Me.” He confirms this promise again in the next verse, “ 37 This is what the Lord says: “Only if the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the Lord.”

God affirms that His commitment to Israel is not dependent on what she does or doesn’t do. It is only because of His faithfulness that He will never reject Israel and Israel will never cease from being a nation before Him. Therefore, taking the Lord’s Supper on the New Moon is a victory meal, like a victory shout, that Israel exists before Him as a nation and that the One who brought us out of Egypt, the One Who was, is still alive and is the One Who is to come. As we line up with this promise, we are on a journey to the throne.

What will all nations sing before His Throne? The song, “Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb,” and “Worthy is the Lamb.” This journey started in Exodus, when He said in chapter 12:2, “This is the first of your month and the first of your year” and in the next verse He instructs to choose and take a lamb.

At Passover, all the people of Israel passed through the doorposts covered by the blood of the lamb. That event began the journey to the Throne. And each month, more people enter by one thing – by the Blood of the Lamb of God, Yeshua/Jesus. Each month we get closer and closer to His coming – the One Who was, Who is, and Who is to come. We are not just wandering around in this world. We have a purpose; we know where we are going.

The New Moon is a sign of the New Covenant in His Blood, and God’s eternal commitment to Israel. Even before He gave the Ten Commandments, He commanded:

“This is the first of the month”. That was the basis for His people’s calendar. It echoes way back to creation when He made the moon for signs and seasons.

For a long time, it was removed from our understanding. But now we are enlightened.

People may object saying that it is not in the New Testament. But in the Gospels, we see Yeshua honoring the Sabbath, honoring and celebrating the biblical feasts, so we have no reason to think that He didn’t celebrate the New Moon. On the other hand, there are no instructions to eliminate this set time.

We can’t know when Passover is if we don’t mark the New Moon of that month. We can’t go up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles if we don’t recognize the first of the seventh month. Colossians 2:16-17 “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.”17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is Christ.”

*At the time of the New Moon, the sliver of the moon is so small that you can barely see it.*

A shadow speaks of something real, a substance, which is Him. It’s all about Him. The New Moon celebration is not to be removed but to be fulfilled; Yeshua is its meaning. Therefore, it’s so significant that the nations honor this day.

Finally, the nations are saying, “We have joined the New Covenant by the Blood of the Lamb, and we recognize God’s eternal calendar by which He moves.”

May the nations reject the false calendar they set up and celebrate the New Moon to say, “We are joining in and honoring Jerusalem, the city of the Great King, the Coming King.”

Celebrating with the blowing of the silver trumpets in “My House”.

We are thankful for “My House” where we can celebrate every first of the month on God’s calendar until He returns to rule and reign from Jerusalem. This is a thanksgiving feast. To God be the Glory! Amen!

Two Roadblocks to a Unity Government

April 20, 2020 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

At present, the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) is still an interim government. However, the coronavirus crisis has now forced the two larger parties and their blocs to attempt to form an emergency unity government. Two main roadblocks are hindering the formation of a unity government. The Likud and Blue & White, continue to meet despite their disagreements.

The First Roadblock: DESTROYING OUR DEMOCRACY

One roadblock is Likud’s demand for legislation preventing the High Court of Justice to rule on Netanyahu’s right to serve as Prime Minister as he faces three charges of corruption.

Gantz, leader of Blue & White and currently Knesset speaker, wants legislation that would bar an MK under indictment from serving as Prime Minister (meaning Netanyahu.) This would change the ‘Basic Law’, which can only happen by winning a vote. At least 61 Knesset Members must vote for the change. ‘Basic Laws’ form the roots of democracy in Israel. Clause 18 stipulates that the Prime Minister may continue in office even if under indictment. The law also states that the Prime Minister can remain in office even if a district court convicts him of a crime carrying moral turpitude because the ruling can be appealed before the Supreme Court. He would only be removed from office if the Supreme Court rejects such an appeal and the ruling becomes final.

In most democracies, the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond any reasonable doubt. If found guilty and convicted, the accused can still appeal. In the case of Israel’s Basic Laws, the decision by the administrative authority to try someone doesn’t make the elected official guilty. The lawmakers rightly believed that a public official (unelected judges, or Attorney General) should not be empowered with the authority to dismiss a Prime Minister. In a democratic country, the will of the people is the foundation of democracy. The Prime Minister is chosen by the public. An Attorney-General or a court cannot and should not intervene in the political arena and dismiss an elected official. This is what the Likud and Netanyahu are objecting to.

Israel needs to maintain its strength and stability during the storm that rages around us. Just before the current coronavirus crisis, Israel faced the possibility of a government coalition that would include the Joint Arab List with its anti-Jewish leaders. The Joint Arab List is made up of Israeli Arab factions whose leaders reject Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. Israel, being a democracy, allows ANY elected Israeli citizen to serve as a Knesset member (a member of the Parliament,) even when they openly support Palestinian terrorism and the Palestinian cause. Some of them publically object Israel’s right to self-determination and accuse an Israeli army general of war crimes against the Palestinians in the international court. Hence, it was surprising that the Blue & White party, which is made up of three Israeli army generals would admit those Arab leaders in their bloc. Many Israelis objected, and even within the bloc, there was an outrage, causing some members to leave the party.

Leader of Blue & White, Benny Gantz and another former IDF chief, Gabi Ashkenazi agreed to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s call to try to form a unity government with Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc. The Arab Joint List pulled out, thereby the disaster that would have endangered Israel’s identity as being the State of the Jews was avoided.

The Second Roadblock: ESTABLISHING BORDERS

Gantz announced very proudly that without him, Netanyahu cannot form a government. The thought that Netanyahu needs him, gave him the power to increase his demands, which were disproportional to the size of his bloc compared to the Likud. He may have had the interest of the nation in mind and the urgent need for unity at this crucial time, but he is taking advantage of the situation to try and force Netanyahu to give in to his demands.

Does Gantz understand the need at this time for clear, bold strategic actions to maintain Israel’s stability in the region? Israel must fortify the borders, making clear Israel’s intention to defend them. Our neighbors must know exactly where Israel’s red lines are and not to cross them.

Israel’s borders with Egypt and Lebanon are clear, and by annexing the Golan heights a few years back (and thanks to US recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights), the border with Syria is clear. These neighbors know where the line is located, but not so on the eastern border. The eastern border is problematic as well as Judea and Samaria.

Now we have the opportunity to apply national law (annexation) to the Jordan Valley and Northern Dead Sea region. This will prevent confusion and uncertainty. With the help of President Trump’s peace plan, Israel can expand its communities, and direct transportation, road infrastructures in the Valley to link the eastern area to the rest of the country.

Gantz is concerned that this move will jeopardize the peace with Jordan. Therefore, he thinks Israel must first receive Jordan’s approval before applying its law to the border. But empowering Jordan with the right to define Israel’s border, will also empower the most extremist among the Jordanians and will contribute to Jordan’s instability. It is therefore in the best interest of Jordan and of maintaining the peace with Israel that the eastern border is clearly set. The same is true regarding the Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria.

There are more than 300,000 Israelis in Judea and Samaria who must be connected to Israel proper. Even the Health Ministry agrees that annexing Judea and Samaria will provide better care in the coronavirus crisis for all its citizens.

The PA authority in the territory also benefits from Israeli know-how and guidance in dealing with this crisis, thereby increasing the stability of the region. The more certainty and stability Israel conveys, the more the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria will agree to live in peace with Israel. By opposing the application of Israel’s sovereignty in these areas at this time, Gantz and his bloc uphold the left’s naive and false belief that the only way to peace is through appeasement.

The worst period of Palestinian terror occurred when Israel compromised the most, and failed to determine clear boundaries. We must not allow this to happen again.

2020: Result of the Third Election

March 14, 2020 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Netanyahu’s Likud party is the clear winner in this most recent election, which won 36 seats. Second is centrist party Blue and White that won 33 seats. Blue and White, headed by former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz is comprised of Moshe Ya’alon’s Telem’s party, Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid, and his own Israel Resilience Party.

The Arab Joint List political alliance, now the third-largest party in Israel drew 15 seats. The Shas Sephardic religious party has 9, United Torah Judaism 7, and the right-wing Yamina, headed by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, has six seats.

Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu has 7, and the alliance of Israel’s left-wing parties – Labor-Gesher-Meretz – both won 7 seats.

The right bloc under Netanyahu’s leadership has 58 seats and the center/left bloc under Blue and White has 55, which includes the Arab Joint list of 15 seats. This leaves Lieberman’s Israel’s Home party with 7 seats alone in the middle.

PM Netanyahu may be 3 seats short

Interim Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s block of right-wing seats is three short of the 61 seats needed to form a viable coalition government. Lieberman is once again in the role of potential kingmaker. With his 7-seat party, he could determine, by recommendation to President Reuven Rivlin, who would be the one to form a government.

Up until the evening of the elections, the second-largest party headed by Benny Gantz, composed of three ex-military generals and one popular ex-newsman, did all they could with their ‘anyone-but-Bibi’ platform. They tried three times before and couldn’t beat him. Once again, they lost. Would it be different on the fourth try?

Everyone agrees on one thing–a fourth-round is unnecessary. It isn’t efficient or logical. Three elections have confirmed that the majority of Israeli voters support the Prime Minister and his policies and that the other parties can’t beat him at the ballot box.

However, rather than admit defeat, Blue and White has chosen the irresponsible undemocratic way–instead of what’s best for the Jewish nation’s welfare. They have chosen not to end this stalemate and join with Netanyahu to form a coalition.

A strong legitimate government is needed at this time. Historic and critical decisions are pending, such as the ‘Deal of the Century’. The State of Israel has a short window of opportunity to impose sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and communities in Judea and Samaria.

The result of this election show that the right-wing block has the majority of the votes and can be expected to implement right-wing policies (excluding the anti-Zionist Arab Joint List). For the sake of the country, it is imperative to quickly form a national government that guarantees the implementation of the right-wing policies. Whoever agrees with this vision should be welcome to join. Netanyahu has started his negotiations to find Knesset Members from the opposition who might be persuaded to join with the right.

Lawfare

However, since the opposition Blue and White hasn’t beaten Netanyahu at the ballot box, it has chosen to try to defeat him by making him step down by using his legal issues as an excuse. By this, they completely ignore the basic law which states Netanyahu can serve as Prime Minister while he is on trial, which could be years. With this election, the public gave Netanyahu a mandate to continue at his post.

The opposition claims he can’t do his job while busy with legal matters. Netanyahu has proven repeatedly that he can function while under great pressure. He isn’t required to attend every court hearing, so his lawyers will be able to do their work at court until a final judgment is rendered, which could take years. Meanwhile, he can manage the country as the law explicitly permits. The Israeli public concurs since the majority voted for him—again!

Conspiring to create new legislation

Blue and White Party, Avigdor Lieberman, and the Arabic Joint List conspire to create new legislation that would ban a politician under criminal indictment from becoming Prime Minister. This effort to topple a serving Prime Minister on sketchy charges, or just inappropriate behavior, is clearly an act of desperation on the part of those who despise Netanyahu and are determined to topple him by any means possible.

The draft legislation can only be presented in the Knesset once the new parliament has been sworn in, some two weeks from now.

To guarantee the bill’s passage, Gantz of Blue and White will have to muster the largest number of MKs to back him as the next Prime Minister, receive the mandate to form a government from the president, and then take control of the Knesset’s Arrangements Committee. A new Knesset speaker would have to be elected to replace the present speaker, Likud’s Yuli Edelstein to ensure that the bill makes it through within certain deadlines.

In this dramatic move, Lieberman’s announcement shows for the first time he is clearly taking sides in the battle between the center-left and right.

Israel is a democracy!

Right-wing politicians have denounced the law, claiming that it is a personal legislation specifically designed to prevent Netanyahu from forming a government. Netanyahu also assailed the draft law, saying, “The move led by Gantz and his associates undermines democracy.”

If passed into law, it will be an undemocratic move. It will take the power to decide who would run for the office of PM away from the people, and put it in the hands of the unelected Attorney General. The majority of the people voted for Netanyahu even with a criminal indictment against him, because they believe he is not guilty and that he is best suited for the position. Therefore, the bill will cancel the results of this recent election, when two million Israelis voted for Netanyahu’s Likud party and his right wind block. This will make the voters irrelevant, which is not what democracy is all about. For Israel to remain the democracy it claims to be, the power of the vote must stay with the people.

At present, the elected bodies of Israel’s governing system, meaning the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and the government are being checked by the legal system, but there is no one above them to check them. They can, and they do override government ruling that doesn’t suit them.

Dealing with the Arab Joint List

**Benny Gantz meeting with Aymen Odeh and Ahmad Tibi of the Arab Joint List**

As it stands now, the new Knesset will be sworn on March 17. Parties will give the president their recommendation of either Netanyahu or Gantz to form the government. He will have 42 days or the decision will go over to the other candidate. Lieberman and the Arab Joint List will probably recommend Gantz. But then they will negotiate and give him their demands to actually join him in a coalition. The Arab Joint List has already hinted that their list will include more demands than last time as they feel they have more power this time because without them Gantz will not be able to form a coalition. Among their demands is that the government refuse to accept Trump’s deal.

Blue and White’s party has a two-step plan to avoid a fourth round of elections. The initial phase is to form a minority coalition with Labor-Gesher-Meretz and Yisrael Beiteinu, with outside support by Arab Joint List, and a second phase that assumes, once a minority government is formed, that members of various right-wing parties would be willing to join the coalition. During the whole campaign, the Blue and White party claimed they would not sit with the Arab Joint List in a coalition and would not rely on their votes to form one. Gantz declared very definitely: “No, we don’t need them. Everyone should know: we won’t sit with Arabs.” Now that they have no choice, they’re starting to negotiate with members of the Arab Joint List – at least some of them.

Will some MKs changes sides?

Meanwhile, Blue and White MKs Tzvi Hauser and Yoaz Hendel refused to back a minority government relying upon a coalition with the Arab Joint List. Without Hendel and Hauser, Gantz’s majority over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing block would fall to 60-58 and make it necessary for Gantz to rely on the three MKs of Balad, the most extreme Arab party in the Knesset whose past MKs have been convicted of aiding terrorist groups. Now another MK member, Orli Levy-Abekasis from Gesher party, who reluctantly joined the left bloc, refused to join a government that relies on the support of Joint Arab List member Balad, which denies the existence of the Jewish nation. Anyway, her natural home is not in the left block. Let’s hope the three of them will join the right block. The best Blue and White can get is a rotation as Prime Minister with Netanyahu serving the first year, followed by two years of Gantz and then whoever would be Likud’s leader serving the final year.

Let’s pray that some of the members of the Blue and White coalition, be it the ex-generals who fought against Israel’s enemies, or Amir Peretz from the Labor party who was responsible for the manufacture and use of the Iron Dome by the Israeli Army, join the winning bloc of Netanyahu’s right and form a functioning democratic government.

Protesters are planning to gather outside the homes of Hauser and Gesher MK Orly Levi. The protests are set to be held under the banner: “Don’t give the keys to the State to terrorist supporters.”

Infection Election

March 2, 2020 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

About to Go to the Polls – Again!

Israel is getting ready for another election round tomorrow. Many countries are watching with interest in how Israel deals with “an infection election,” including the United States, where presidential and congressional elections will be held in November.

There are several thousand people in Israel who have quarantined themselves after coming into contact with possible carriers of the coronavirus who have recently visited countries where outbreaks of the illness have been reported or could have come in contact with foreign tourists who came to Israel and then tested positive or became infected after returning home. The Central Elections Committee has set up some dozen voting stations around the country for those citizens for tomorrow’s election.

Infection and Precaution

Israel’s Ministry of Health announced that if those who have isolated themselves do not have symptoms such as a fever over 38 degrees (100.4˚ F), a cough, or trouble breathing, they can go to the special polling tents. They should come alone in private vehicles without stopping anywhere else on the way, and not park in public parking garages.

While awaiting their turn, says the ministry, no person should stand closer than two meters (six feet) from their fellow voters, or touch anything.

They will enter special, heavy plastic tents, wearing masks and latex gloves, one at a time. They will have to sign a declaration that they are voting in a booth set up for quarantined individuals, after which the pen will be thrown away.

Their voting slips will be sealed in double envelopes, just like the votes of soldiers on their bases and hospitalized patients. Regular volunteer observers could not be found to oversee and count these votes, so emergency medical technicians from Magen David Adom; Israel’s emergency medical, disaster, ambulance, and blood bank have stepped up to do the job.

The volunteers will wear smocks, gloves, and masks, and make sure that the correct distance is kept between the voters. They will sit in one tent, with a clear plastic window that will give them a view into the actual attached “booth.” These special polls will only be open between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

According to Magen David Adom CEO Eli Bin, “These are not sick people and there is little chance that they are contagious, but everyone is adhering to the Health Ministry’s guidelines to ensure public safety.” Moshe Bar Siman-Tov, director-general of the Health Ministry, says Israelis should not have any hesitations about voting in tomorrow’s elections because of the coronavirus.

The Situation is Under Control and Safe

“The situation is under control. Everyone who was infected with the coronavirus, we know where they were infected and this is important that it’s safe to go vote. Don’t hesitate… go vote,” Bar Siman-Tov says, “everything is safe and you don’t need to worry,” he says.

The two leading parties, Likud and Blue and White are fighting for every vote. Yet a poll last week showed that 6.5 percent said they were thinking of not going to vote due to their fear of getting infected.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Magen David Adom call center and said, ” We are in control and it is safe to go and vote.”

Netanyahu also assured voters that the police would be on hand in polling stations to stop disruption and provocations.

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman told voters not to come to the polls with masks on. Anyone under suspicion of having come in contact with the coronavirus will be voting at the designated stations.

Please pray with us, as the Holy Spirit leads, for this election, for safety, order and the will of God to be done.

Insight into Voter Conflict

October 7, 2019 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

JEWISH CITIZENS

The Jewish population in Israel is very diverse.

Jews immigrated to Israel from nearly 120 different countries, with different cultural, political, and ideological backgrounds. There are liberals, Ultra-Orthodox religious, conservatives, and socialists. All wanting to have representatives in the government, which led to the formation of the many political parties.

Israel is a democracy and like most parliamentary democracies, the party that wins a majority of the vote typically ends up forming the government, asking a few of the smaller parties to join a coalition government if they have not received a clear majority. Relatively, Israel has a larger number of parties each competing for the biggest representation in the Israeli parliament.

Secular vs Religious

A major issue in Israel today is the influence, (and power) of the religious parties. They make decisions on many aspects of Israeli citizen’s lives regarding conversions, recognizing “who is a Jew,” marriages, and even burial in a Jewish cemetery. One religious ruling that is particularly annoying is their impact is upon public transportation which is discontinued on Shabbat. Public transport is essential in Israel, and for many citizens, their only means of travel. At the same time, the youth of the religious communities receive special waivers from the IDF regarding draft status, and religious communities receive significant tax considerations, as well as actual subsidies.

A major portion of the Israeli population has grown to resent this “special” consideration for the religious parties and their communities.

In the most recent elections, a popular dividing line was over the issue of the future place of these religious parties in Israeli society. The Blue and White party’s primary platform was the commitment of Gantz to greatly curtail, even possibly eliminate, the influence and special treatment of the religious parties. He pledged not to participate in a government that included the religious parties.

The religious parties have considered the focus on them and their communities to be an existential threat. Large numbers of Orthodox who had previously refused to vote in previous elections rallied to support one of the religious parties and/or Likud believing it was “life and death.”

ARAB CITIZENS

Israeli Jewish vs Israeli Arab citizens

The place of Arab citizen’s representation in Israel’s government

The Arab citizens in Israel make up 21% of Israel’s population. As a result of an increase in the percentage of Arab Israeli citizen’s electorates who cast ballots in this election (60% as opposed to 49% in the last election) the Joint Arab List, an alliance of predominantly Arab parties, won 13 seats in the 120-seat Parliament. Israel’s Arab parties are set to be the largest non-ruling bloc in parliament. If a national unity government emerges from this election, for the first time it is possible that the opposition leader in the Israeli Parliament could go to an Arab lawmaker. If Joint List head Ayman Odeh, 44, becomes opposition leader, he would receive monthly briefings from the Mossad intelligence agency and meet visiting heads of state, among other perks. That can be dangerous to Israel’s security, given the anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian stand of Odeh.

Joint List lawmaker Ahmad Tibi says his alliance would support a government ‘from the outside,’ even if they are not actually a part of a ruling coalition.

Tibi said: “We are prepared to do so according to the [model of] the 1990s, negotiating with a written agreement to our demands.” Tibi said that the members of his party would not serve as government ministers “but chairman of the Finance Committee, what’s bad about that?”

Finally, Tibi was asked, hypothetically, whether his party would bring down the government if a military operation began in Gaza during a term of that coalition. “Unequivocally yes,” he answered.

Tibi is an anti-Zionist who supports Israel withdrawing to the pre-1967 borders and a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state, including a Law of Return for Palestinian refugees and their descendants. He opposes the idea of Israel being a Jewish state and considers it racist. He opposes the Jewish national anthem, Hatikva (The Hope – of 2000 years in every Jewish heart “to be a free nation in the Land of Zion and Jerusalem.”) and the Israeli flag. He takes the Palestinian side and has even praised the Palestinian terrorists who murder Israeli soldiers and citizens, referring to them as “martyrs” at a ceremony held on “Palestinian Martyrs’ Day”. “The Palestinian shahid (martyr) is the height of glory,” Tibi said at the ceremony. “There is no higher value than death for the sake of Allah.”

In the last elections, both Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz and co-chairman Yair Lapid stated that they would amend the “National State Law,” something Tibi would love to see. “We want to topple the Right, we say it openly,” Tibi said. He stated his desire to one day become Israel’s prime minister, “and if not I then another Ahmed, Mohammed or Mahmoud,” Tibi said recently.