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How Persia Became Iran

November 4, 2024 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

How Persia Became Iran

Iran was known for centuries as Persia – a name originating from “Parsa”. However, this term was given by foreigners, not the people of the land itself.

The indigenous people used the name “Iran,” a word that derives from “Airyam” which is a term found in the country’s ancient texts dating back to the time of Cyrus the Great (4th century BC).

The glorious Persian Empire was vast and included many religions, cultures, and civilizations. It was known for its literature, poetry, art, and variety of food. By the 4th century AD, the term Iran was being used in writing and literature.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Pahlavi dynasty was established, led by Reza Shah Pahlavi who was influenced by the West. Reza Shah changed the name Persia to Iran in an attempt to reconnect with the nation’s ancient glorious imperial past while at the same time aiming to modernize the nation.

Reza Shah’s attempt to officially change the country’s name from Persia to Iran came into force in March 1935. However, the British who occupied Persia and Iraq during WWII objected to the change as the name Iran was too similar to Iraq and could cause confusion.

In 1959, Reza Shah’s son announced that the terms Iran and Persia could be used interchangeably in formal correspondence.

When oil was discovered in Persia in the early 20th century, its development made permanent changes in the political and economic arena in the Middle East. It drew the attention of other international countries to Persia. The British were the first to capitalize on Iran’s oil discovery when in 1909 they gained full control of Iran’s oil industry by establishing the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

Iran’s oil and petroleum industry has remained at the heart of internal and external politics ever since.

Since the 1979 revolution, the official name of the country is the Islamic Republic of Iran, which emphasizes the Iranian Shi’i Muslim domination of the regime. This has caused divisions within the newly established state of Iran which persist today.

Today, most of the world refers to the country as Iran, while some cultural exports such as food, art, and literature are often referred to as Persian goods because they come from this historic region.

The Relations Between Iran and Israel

In biblical times, Iran was known as Persia. The Hebrew biblical books of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, and Esther contain references to the life and experiences of Jews in the Persian empire.

In 586 BC, the Babylonians expelled large populations of Jews from Judea in the Babylonian captivity. Subsequently, the Persian Empire conquered the Babylonian kingdom. Persia was known to have a tolerant attitude toward the cultures and religions of the people under its rule.

In the book of Ezra, the Persian King Cyrus the Great permitted and even enabled the Jews to return to Judea and rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. In late 6 BC, the reconstruction of the temple was carried out “according to the decree of Cyrus.” King Cyrus died before it was completed and his successor, Darius the Great, as well as successive kings of the Persian empire, Darius and Artaxerxes, ordered the completion of the temple. (Ezra 6:14). The last chapters of the Tanach, the Hebrew Bible – 2 Chronicles 36:23 and the Book of Ezra – speak of Cyrus’ decree allowing the Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to Judea, along with the commission to rebuild the temple. King Cyrus is honored in Jewish history as a righteous king.

Not all Jews left Persia and Jewish communities have existed in today’s Iran for over 2,700 years.

According to the Book of Esther, there was a large number of Jews in the Persian empire. In 6 BCE, during the reign of Persian King Ahasuerus, (aka Xerxes the Great, son of Darius the Great), The evil antisemite, Haman, plotted to annihilate all the Jews in the Persian Kingdom.

And though God’s Name is absent from the book of Esther, it is obviously He Who used a beautiful Jewish maiden and the Persian King to thwart Haman’s evil plot and save the Jews from annihilation. Evil Haman and his sons were hanged on the gallows and the Jews’ enemies were destroyed. This event is celebrated by the Jews as the holiday of Purim.

Israel-Iran Relationship From the 20th Century

After the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948, Iran – a non-Arab Muslim majority country – recognized Israel as a sovereign state and maintained close ties with it for years. Israel even had a permanent delegation in Tehran which later became an embassy.

However, pro-Palestinian Ayotallahs criticized the Iranian government’s diplomatic relations with Israel and they, along with Iranian citizens who were sympathetic to Palestinians, supported the Palestinians financially, much to the dismay of the Iranian government.

In 1953, the pro-Western leader Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was reinstated as the Shah of Iran. After the Six-Day War, relations between Iran and Israel flourished, and trade between the two countries was very active. Iran supplied Israel much needed oil and Israel provided the means by which Iranian oil was shipped to European markets via the joint Israeli-Iranian Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline. Israeli construction firms and engineers were active in Iran and El Al, the Israeli national airline, operated direct flights between Tel Aviv and Tehran. Iran and Israel exchanged military projects, though kept secret, such as the joint attempt in the years 1977–79 to develop a missile in the Project Flower.

After the Islamic Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the expulsion of the Shah, Ayatollah Khomeini became supreme ruler of Iran and declared that Israel was an “enemy of Islam” called the “Little Satan. The United States was called the “Great Satan.”

Iran severed all diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force were established to carry out military assignments.

Theocratic regime, now named the Islamic Republic of Iran, does not recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a state.

Aggressive posturing and hateful rhetoric against Israel coming out of the leaders in Tehran became common occurrences. The then-Iranian President Ahmadinejad said that Israel should be “wiped off the map.” Other factors that have contributed to the escalation of bilateral tensions include Iran’s development of nuclear technology, aimed mainly against Israel, and Iran’s funding of Islamist terror groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthi movement. Iran has also been involved in terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in other parts of the world.

Israel has hit Iranian targets in Iran through assassinations and cyber attacks.

Overall, the Iran-Israel proxy conflict is a complex and ongoing dilemma that has had a significant impact on the political and security dynamics of the Middle East.

An Amazing Turn of Events

September 24, 2024 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

“…and also against Hamath, which borders it, as well as Tyre and Sidon, though they are very shrewd. And on Tyre and Sidon (cities in south Lebanon,) though they are very skillful. Tyre (on the sea coast, 23 kilometers north of the Israeli border) has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust and gold like the dirt of the streets. But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire.” Zechariah 9:2-4

Pagers

Pagers, used by Hezbollah members to coordinate their military operations, exploded in Beirut and southern Lebanon on Tuesday last week in a remote cyber-attack, killing 12 (the figure is not final) people and injuring close to 3000.

Israel has not officially taken responsibility for the pager Cyber-attack. However, in a process of elimination and due to the ongoing exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah in northern Israel and south Lebanon, and given Israel’s intelligence and cyber capabilities, who else could have done it?

Hezbollah blamed Israel and has vowed to retaliate. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and designated a terror organization by the United States and the UK, emerged during the Lebanese civil war. Tensions with Israel date back to the 1980s with the militant group declaring Western powers and Israel as their enemies.

Hezbollah fought against Israeli forces in 2006 and began launching rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas shortly after the start of the war in Gaza. Israel has responded by striking Hezbollah military facilities.

Hezbollah, a Shia militant Iranian proxy terrorist organization that is based in south Lebanon with offices in the capital Beirut, shunned the use of smartphones that can easily be hacked by Israel and turned to using its outdated pager system in order to shield sensitive information from modern hacking techniques. It was a wrong calculation on their part, as it has proven to be false security.

Instead of coordinating military operations, hundreds of pagers held by Hezbollah members exploded. They were remotely hacked, causing their batteries to overheat and explode, resulting in loss of life and many injuries.

The shocking waves of explosions in strongholds such as the southern suburbs of Beirut stunned Hezbollah members and fighters. Among the victims were the son of a Hezbollah member of Parliament. Hospitals in Beirut were overwhelmed by the influx of casualties, with desperate calls for blood donations.

Experts agree that this attack will change warfare from now on. Cyber-attacks are often below the surface, without visible traces or debris. Most of the attacks are aimed at systems or financial institutions, without hurting people.

Walkie-Talkies

The following day, on Wednesday, walkie-talkies and solar equipment exploded in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon in a second wave of attacks targeting Hezbollah electronic devices.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least nine people were killed and more than 300 people wounded in the second wave.

Just two days earlier, Israel redefined the goal of the war against Hezbollah by adding to its formal war goals the safe return of its citizens who have been evacuated from their homes in northern Israel and near the border with Lebanon due to Hezbollah’s attacks from southern Lebanon.

Thousands of Israelis have been relocated to hotels all around Israel and their lives disrupted after Hezbollah started attacking on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas’ genocidal killing spree in Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza.

However, even with airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon and the assassination of senior Hezbollah commanders, Israel must take stronger action against Hezbollah to stop their near-daily attacks that have continued for almost a year. A full-blown war is unavoidable.

Hezbollah says it would halt the attacks if there would be a cease-fire in Gaza.
However, Israel must continue the war in Gaza in order to eliminate Hamas, which opposes any deal with Israel.

The U.S.

The United States has pressed for restraint, warning that a wider war in Lebanon would not achieve its goals.

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has met with Israeli P.M Netanyahu and made several visits to Lebanon and Israel to try to ease tensions. Hochstein argues that a full-scale war in Lebanon would spark a broader and drawn-out regional conflict. He told the PM that the Biden administration remained committed to finding a diplomatic solution in Gaza and Lebanon.

However, Netanyahu told Hochstein that, with all due respect and appreciation for the U.S. support, there must be a major fundamental in the security situation in northern Israel before residents can return to their homes. Israel must and will “do what is necessary to safeguard its security.”

On Wednesday, a day after the initial cyber-attacks, several blasts were heard at a funeral in Beirut for three Hezbollah members killed by exploding pagers the day before, according to Associated Press journalists at the scene. A photographer in the southern coastal city of Sidon saw a car and a mobile phone shop damaged after devices exploded inside of them.

Welcome to the future. Cyber warfare is now a present-day battlefield, as seen in the attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon. This new battlefield has shifted from land and sea to cyberspace.

Hezbollah’s Response

Hezbollah’s reliance on its invulnerable communication system of pagers has been shattered.

On Saturday night and Sunday morning, Hezbollah sent approximately 150 rockets, cruise missiles, and UAVs, mainly into northern Israel. Most were intercepted by Israel’s multi-layered aerial defense. There were a small number of hits as well as shrapnel falling. “The Israeli Air Force is prepared for both defensive and offensive operations,” the IDF stated.

A teenager was killed when his vehicle crashed as sirens sounded in the early hours of Sunday morning. Three people were wounded in a rocket strike in Kiryat Bialik north of Haifa Sunday morning. Twenty-five cows were killed when a rocket struck a dairy farm in the Jezreel Valley. It was the deepest rocket fired into Israel since the beginning of the war in October.

On Saturday, the IDF carried out a wave of airstrikes against hundreds of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including rocket launchers, with the army saying it had identified plans to launch major rocket attacks against Israel.

“IDF strikes will continue and increase against the terrorist organization Hezbollah,” the military said.

PM Netanyahu’s Statement

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented Sunday on the recent escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“We inflicted a series of blows on Hezbollah. If Hezbollah did not get the message, I promise you – it will get the message now,” Netanyahu said.

He also said. “On October 7th, the Hamas terrorist monsters burst into Israel, murdered our people, raped and beheaded our women, burnt babies alive, and took 255 innocent people hostage, including many Americans.”

“A day later, on October 8th, another Iranian terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, attacked Israel completely unprovoked. They fired missiles and rockets into our cities. They made 60,000 Israelis leave their homes along the Lebanon border, becoming refugees in their own land. In the subsequent months, they haven’t stopped attacking us for a single day” Netanyahu said.

“No country can accept the wanton rocketing of its cities. We can’t accept it either,” he declared. “We will take whatever action is necessary to restore security and to bring our people safely to their homes.”

Click here to read more about Hezbollah.

Click here to read more about the situation in Lebanon.

As we write this letter

The Israeli Air Force continues to strike Hezbollah terrorist targets. The Israeli Air Force aircraft, under the direction of the intelligence, attacked about 1,300 Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon. Prior to the strikes, Israel warned Lebanese civilians in Arabic to evacuate buildings in which weapons are hidden by Hezbollah. On Monday afternoon, multiple barrages of missiles were launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory, activating sirens in several areas in northern Israel. Several were intercepted. A direct hit was reported on a home in a village, no one was injured. Early this morning sirens were sounded in the Jeszreel Valley and in the Nazareth area. Paramedics are searching areas where reports of explosions have been received. They treated a number of people who were injured while running for shelter, as well as some who were suffering from anxiety. Several blazes ignited near Ami’ad, and were extinguished by firefighting teams.

Please pray as the Holy Spirit leads.

Prayer Requests

Praise and thanks to the Lord for the pager/walkie-talkie strategy where the maximum number of civilians were protected and yet many terrorists were effectively disabled. Praise the Lord that according to His Word, He is fighting for Israel.
Pray for the hearts of Israelis to be moved to confession and repentance during these trying times.
Pray the same for the hearts of Gazans, Lebanese and even Hamas and Hezbollah operatives, as we pray for our enemies.
Pray for protection over all of Israel’s borders.

Israel Threatened

August 6, 2024 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

“So shall all Your enemies perish, O Lord; but they that love Him
be as the sun that shines in full strength…”
Judges 5:31

Last week Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officially endorsed and empowered 69-year-old heart surgeon, Masoud Pezeshkian, as the new Iranian President. Pezeshkian replaces President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in May.

Iran’s New President: Pezeshkian

Pezeshkian was sworn in as Iran’s ninth President at a ceremony attended by senior officials from several countries including Armenia, Tajikistan, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, and Brazil, and even the European Union envoy Enrique. Also present were Iran’s proxy leaders including the late Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh; Islamic Jihad head, Ziyad al-Nakhalah; Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General, Naim Qassem, and Yemen’s Houthi spokesman, Mohammed Abdulsalam.

During the ceremony, many chanted, “Death to Israel, Death to America.”

A day earlier, Pezeshkian warned Israel against attacking Lebanon, saying “heavy consequences” would ensue. Pezeshkian also reaffirmed support for the so-called “axis of resistance,” the Hezbollah and Houthis terrorists that support Hamas against the Zionist enemy – Israel.

The ceremony took place amid concerns of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah following Hezbollah’s rocket attack which killed 12 children in a soccer field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams on the Israeli Golan Heights. In response, Israel struck Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, targeting and killing Fouad Shukur, a top Hezbollah commander allegedly behind the rocket attack. According to Israel, Shukur was responsible for most of Hezbollah’s superior weaponry as well as Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel since October 8, a day after the Israel-Hamas war erupted. [Image of Fouad Shukur from Post Register Lebanon]

Ismail Haniyeh

Hours later, in Iran’s capital, Tehran, a direct missile hit Haniyeh’s residence, killing him and one of his bodyguards. [Image from South China Morning Post]

Iran and the militant Revolutionary Guard group immediately blamed Israel for the surprise assassination that risks escalation into an all-out regional war. Iran’s supreme leader vows revenge against Israel. Israel had pledged to kill Ismail Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders over the group’s October 7th attack on southern Israel that erupted into war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israel has not taken responsibility for Haniyeh’s assassination. Without mentioning Haniyeh’s death, Israeli PM, Netanyahu, proclaims that Israel “will exact a very heavy price from any aggression against us on any front.There are challenging days ahead.”

Israel often refrains from commenting on assassinations carried out by its Mossad intelligence agency or strikes on other countries.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has stated that Israel doesn’t want war despite killing the Hezbollah commander in Beirut, “but we are preparing for all possibilities.” He did not mention Haniyeh’s death.

Haniyeh left the Gaza Strip in 2019 and lived in exile in Qatar. Israel has targeted Hamas figures in Lebanon and Syria but targeting Haniyeh in Iran’s capital was vastly more involved, though Israel has operated there under cover in the past.

Following Haniyeh’s assassination, Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared that revenge was “our duty” and that Israel had “prepared a harsh punishment for itself” by killing “a dear guest in our home.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned that Israel would face a “harsh and painful response” from Iran and its allies around the region. The Iranian Parliament held an emergency meeting later that day.

Hamas said Haniyeh’s assassination “takes the battle to a new level and will have major repercussions on the entire region.”

Khalil al-Hayya, a powerful Hamas figure formerly close to Haniyeh, said that Haniyeh’s replacement would “follow the same vision” regarding negotiations to end the war and continue the same policy of resistance against Israel.

Haniyeh’s killing creates the potential for direct confrontation between Iran and Israel should Iran choose to retaliate.

Israel and Iran – Bitter Enemies

Bitter enemies for years, Israel and Iran risked war earlier this year after Israel hit Iran’s embassy in Damascus in April. Iran retaliated by sending about 300 missiles and drones into Israel, most of which were intercepted by Israeli and Israeli allies’ defense mechanisms. Israel countered with an unprecedented strike on Iran’s facilities. However, international efforts succeeded in containing the violence before an all-out war broke out.

Besides direct retaliation on Israel, Iran could increase attacks through its proxies, the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” including Hezbollah, Hamas – mainly Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria – and Yemen Houthi rebels.

Netanyahu’s Response

Netanyahu declares that Israel will continue its war in Gaza until Hamas is totally eliminated. He asserts that Israel’s achievements in recent months are due to resisting pressure to end the war at home and abroad.

Hamas’ demand to end the war; to release a small number of abductees and to continue supplying weapons into Gaza while remaining in power is unacceptable to Netanyahu. Israel will never agree to demands that endanger its security; it would be a complete surrender to the terrorist group. Israel will continue fighting until complete victory is achieved, declares Netanyahu.

Please Pray

May all the plans of the enemy be null and void, in Yeshua’s name.
May the enemy’s traps be traps unto themelves.
May the enemy fall into each and every trap it prepares for Israel.
May confusion reign among Israel’s enemies.
Please Lord, send Your warring angels to thwart each and every rocket thrown at Israel.
May the God of Israel glorify His Name in bringing victory to Israel, His inheritance.
Please continue to stand together with us for the protection of Israel from her surrounding enemies.
Father God, we worship You and thank you for giving the Israeli government and the army commanders wisdom and unity in making crucial decisions during these challenging times.
Lift up in prayer the hostages in Gaza, the many thousands OF evacuees from their homes and the soldiers in line of duty and those in the reserves.
Father God, we thank You for drawing many Israelis to You during these war times(almost 10 months now)
We especially pray for the families who have lost loved ones, fathers, children, relatives and friends during the war.

Other image: Enormous Funeral for the 12 child victims of the bombing of a children’s soccer field in Madjal Shams. Photo from The Guardian

Wars and Rumors of Wars

June 27, 2024 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

The Lord said to me [Jeremiah], “From the north calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.”

Jeremiah 1:14 NKJ

The Dangerous Scope of the War

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said recently that Israel is fighting battles in seven sectors across the Middle East – against Hamas in Gaza, against Hezbollah in Lebanon, against the Houthis in Yemen, against the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, against Iran itself and against Palestinian terrorists in Judea and Samaria.

Furthermore, the Jewish state faces a diplomatic battle against the International Criminal Court, whose chief prosecutor is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and even the IDF itself.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu insists that he will resist international pressure in pursuit of the goals of the war: eliminating Hamas, bringing the hostages home, and ensuring Palestinian terrorists never again pose a threat from Gaza.

“We are committed to total victory,” Netanyahu said. He emphasized that he was not prepared to accept Hamas’ demand that Israel halt the war without achieving war goals.

“Our future will not exist here against the axis of evil of Iran and its proxies if we simply fold our hands,” he said. He reiterated that among those war goals was the safe return of all the hostages.

Since Oct. 8, Hezbollah – Iran’s greatest proxy on the northern Israeli border – has been firing rockets and drones from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. The attacks have escalated over recent days, forcing more than 100,000 Israelis in northern Israel to evacuate their cities, farms, and villages.

Photo from Buzzkue – Hezbollah Rocket and Drone Attacks Spark Fires in Northern Israel.

Tragically, in the Galilee area, Hezbollah rockets have caused many fires, consuming thousands of acres of forests.

Israel is rightly concerned that a full-blown war with Hezbollah would cause many deaths and much destruction in Israel. Unfortunately for Lebanon, already a failing state controlled by Hezbollah, it also faces great destruction from which it might never recover.

There is pressure on Israel from the Biden administration that is increasing its efforts to de-escalate the growing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in order to prevent a full-scale war.

Hezbollah is using the war against Hamas as an excuse for its attacks in order to achieve its goal of taking from Israel the Har Dov strategic area, a region lying one hundred feet south of the Lebanese border. However, Har Dov is already recognized by the UN as Israeli territory.

Nevertheless, Lebanon (Hezbollah) claims the area as its own. The US administration has been involved in talks with Lebanese officials to resolve the conflict. Unfortunately, the Lebanese government is powerless against Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that he is committed to returning the evacuated Israeli citizens to their homes by finishing the fighting either by diplomatic or military efforts.

“Hamas, and the other Iranian proxies, understand very well that we will fight with all means against their terrorism . … “Whoever tries to hurt us, whoever finances and organizes, whoever dispatches terrorists against Israel – will pay the full price,” Netanyahu said.

In response, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that any Israeli military action in Lebanon including the assassination of Lebanese, Palestinian, or Iranian officials would drive his organization to retaliate.

In his recent visit with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant stressed the urgent need for immediate UN intervention in de-escalating tensions by strengthening UN peacekeepers’ authority in the region, ensuring their freedom of movement, and implementing their mandate. “Israel will not tolerate increasing threats to the security of its citizens, and will act as required in their defense,” Gallant added.

While Israel seeks first a diplomatic solution, it is obvious that the Proxies of Iran (including Hezbollah) will violate any and every ceasefire or peace agreement as they have always done in the past.

Our Past Treaty with Lebanon

Following the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, the ceasefire agreement and Security Council Resolution 1701 demanded from Israel a complete cessation of hostilities against Hezbollah in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament and the establishment of a zone from Lebanon’s border with Israel to the Litani River “free of any armed personnel, assets, and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon” and a U.N. force presence.

While Israel honored the agreement, Hezbollah did not. The 10,000 U.N. troops deployed to enforce the demilitarization of southern Lebanon were powerless against Hezbollah’s blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement as Hezbollah hid thousands of missiles in mosques, hospitals, schools, and homes. Gradually, with the help of Iran, Hezbollah has increased in power in Lebanon, politically and militarily.

The question now is, how long can Israel allow Iran’s proxy on its northern border to continue its daily attacks, turning the Galilee region into an uninhabitable fire zone?

For now, the Israeli army continues to battle Hamas in Gaza in the south, while preparing for all-out war against Hezbollah in the north.

Eventually, Israel must end the attacks from both terrorist jihadist groups.

With God’s Help

As Netanyahu has said in many of his speeches: “With God’s help we will win.”

Many in Israel, Arabs and Jews, and around the world join the effort to cover our country with prayers following the escalation security situation in the face of the treat of full-out war with Hezbollah are praying for this situation, including us in the Prayer and Worship tent on our roof here in Ashdod. Please join us in this effort.

Pray for the protection of the citizens in the Galilee and our soldiers who are fighting on all fronts.

This is not just a physical war but mainly a spiritual war, as our chief enemy, is determined to annihilate the Jewish people. We trust the God of Israel and the world, Adonai Tzevaot will not abandon His people.

…For You [Lord] have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

Psalm 3:7-8 NKJ

Other image: Photo from the Wall Street Journal. The Iron Dome in action.

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!