SURROUNDED

The military threat zone for Israel is from every side. The Jewish State is literally surrounded by those who wish to destroy it. Let me reiterate a bit of what has happened lately:

·      On October 6, 2012, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) shot down an unmanned drone in Israeli territory. It had entered Israeli airspace from Gaza, having been first tracked by the IDF over the Mediterranean. Iranian supplied and supported “Hezbollah” in Southern Lebanon later confirmed they had sent the drone into Israeli airspace.

·      On November 11, 2012, a mortar was fired into Israel’s Golan Territory by the Syrian Army (Iranian allies). On the 12^th, another mortar was fired by the Syrian Army and Israel responded by destroying the mortar battery. On that same day an IDF soldier was shot from the Syrian side. He was not seriously injured.

·      On Sunday, November 25, 2012, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Hezbollah’s leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah stated Hezbollah (Iranian allies) “would fire thousands of rockets into Israel in any future war and target cities in the country’s heartland.”

·      Over 2,300 rockets have been launched at Israel from Gaza by Hamas militants (Iranian allies) since January 2012. While most of the rockets have been fired from Gaza, some have been fired from Egyptian Territory. Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were targeted in specific defiance of what Binyamin Netanyahu had previously referred to as a “red line.”

There is more but let’s consider something very troubling in these cited examples: these attacks and threats are what is known in military language as a “Perimeter Test.” Gaza, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and the Mediterranean surround over half of the State of Israel. Now, growing unrest of the same type that has collapsed several Mideast governments and empowered avowed enemies of Israel is breaking out in Jordan. The fall of friendly Jordan into the hands of extremists would close the circle of hatred around Israel. Just yesterday Shihab-Eddim, one of the top aides to Egypt’s president Mohammad Morsi stated: “The myth of the Holocaust is an industry that America invented. U.S. intelligence agencies in cooperation with their counterparts in allied nations during World War II created it [the Holocaust] to destroy the image of their opponents in Germany, and to justify war and massive destruction against military and civilian facilities of the Axis powers, and especially to hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the atomic bomb.” “These outlandish claims were made as the world marked Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.

Is it any wonder that Israel feels threatened? Should America also feel threatened by this kind of radical perversion of reality by a so-called ally? We must pay attention to what is happening.

Today it is being broadcast in the worldwide media that Israel attacked a convoy in Syria. It is reported in the Jerusalem Post: “Israel strikes Syrian weapons en route to Hezbollah. Target was truckload of weapons, going from Syria to Lebanon,” says diplomat, adding that cache likely not chemical weapons; source says load probably included high-tech anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles.”

Syria, of course has a different version of what happened, but in any case, Israel will not hesitate to act when it feels legitimately threatened.

I returned from Israel yesterday. Last Saturday, Sharon, my wife and I sat in park in Jerusalem and watched families picnic together; a dog chased every soccer ball he could get near, children played on slides, runners circled the park. Just mere weeks ago sirens warned of incoming rockets. Life must go on in the Holy Land.

You and I can help protect lives in Jerusalem: Arab, Jewish, resident foreigners and religious pilgrims’ lives from around the world. How?

First, pay attention. Second, be informed. Third, communicate your concerns to your spiritual and political leaders, Fourth and most importantly…pray. Pray for those trapped in these conflicts. Pray for Middle Eastern Leaders. Pray for those engaged in working to bring comfort and security to the land God proclaimed sacred.

And as we are commanded by Scripture, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

SHADOWS OF DARKNESS, BEAMS OF LIGHT

A surprising and significant event occurred just a few weeks ago in Hungary. Over 10,000 Hungarians protested in front of the Parliament building in an anti-Nazi rally in Budapest. This demonstration resulted from a proposal of a far-right leader to develop lists of Hungarian Jews who, according to this parliamentarian, presented a “security risk”. Leaders of the government and opposition parties joined the protest. This controversy began when Marton Gyongyosi of the of the Hungarian Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik), stated it should be determined “how many people of Jewish origin there are here, especially in the Hungarian parliament and the Hungarian government, who represent a certain national security risk."

That is when Christian and Jewish leaders began to mobilize thousands of protestors who rallied on December 12, 2012. The Israeli and American ambassadors also attended the rally. The US embassy said in a statement: "The recurrence of anti-Semitic and other racist statements in the Hungarian parliament demonstrates the need to further empower voices of tolerance and peaceful coexistence in Hungary."

Thank God for those who stood and continue to stand against anti-Semitism in Hungary. There are over 100,000 Jews living in Hungary today.

In May of 1944, a seven-week campaign began that resulted in more than 430,000 Hungarian Jews being transported to the infamous Nazi Death Camp  “Auschwitz” in Poland. Many more were simply shot and pushed into the Danube by members of the fascist "Arrow Cross Party".

In October of 2011, while in Budapest attending an event sponsored by the “Israel Allies Foundation”, I stood at the edge of the famous and beautiful river where this horrific tragedy occurred. A monument to those who lost their lives at the hands of anti-Semitism is spread along the modern boardwalk. "Shoes on the Danube", created by sculptors Gyula Pauer and Can Togay is simple, gruesome and heart rending – 60 pairs of shoes large and small, cast in iron along the concrete walkway on the bank of the river. I wiped away tears as I thought of the beautiful Israeli children I know. Fascism is again trying to emerge throughout Europe. Again, the Jews are being vilified. We cannot stand idly by. We will not.

The Jewish people are spread throughout the world as productive citizens who significantly contribute to the success of the nations in which they reside. Yet, in so many places, they are resented, condemned and persecuted.

There MUST be one place on earth where the Jewish people can live without fear of retribution; the State of Israel must exist within secure and peaceful borders with Jerusalem as its undivided capital.

The recent events in Hungary remind us that shadows of darkness still prevail, but also remind us that Jewish/Christian cooperation and understanding can explode into beams of light. So we pray and work, not in despair, but in hope.

Pray for the Hungarian Government. Pray for the Jewish and Christian leaders. Pray for the 100,000 Jews who live under the shadow of rising anti-Semitism in Hungary and across much of Europe.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

...AND THE BEAT GOES ON

“The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday endorsed an upgraded U.N. status for the Palestinian Authority, despite intense opposition from the United States and Israel. The resolution elevates their status from "non-member observer entity" to "non-member observer state," the same category as the Vatican, which Palestinians hope will provide new leverage in their dealings with Israel.” CNN International Edition

So the United Nations violates earlier UN agreements and recognizes the rights of a Palestinian “non-member observer state” while the Palestinian Charter still retains language calling for the destruction of the Jewish State of Israel, a Member State of the United Nations. The timing of this status change could not come at a worse time. It emboldens those who are determined to use terrorist violence to further their cause.

On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Israel  a "terrorist state" while speaking during a Turkish-Arab Forum in Istanbul, AFP reported.

So the constant drumbeat goes on.

What has happened in the last 60 days? Let me mention just a few things that lead me to believe that there is a coordinated effort by Islamist to provoke a war:

·      On October 6, 2012, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) shot down an unmanned drone in Israeli territory. It had entered Israeli airspace from Gaza, having been first tracked by the IDF over the Mediterranean. It was most likely an act of Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon.

·      On November first, Iranian jets fired upon a U.S. unmanned drone over International Airspace over the Persian Gulf.

·      As of November 2012, over 2,256 rockets have been launched at Israel from Gaza by Hamas militants (Iranian allies) since January 2012. While most of the rockets have been fired from Gaza, some have been fired from Egyptian Territory.

·      Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were targeted in defiance of what Binyamin Netanyahu had previously referred to as a “red line.”

·      On November 11, 2012, a mortar was fired into Israel’s Golan Territory by the Syrian Army (Iranian allies). On the 12^th, another mortar was fired by the Syrian Army and Israel responded by destroying the mortar battery. On that same day an IDF soldier was shot from the Syrian side. He was not seriously injured.

·      On Sunday, November 25, 2012, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Hezbollah’s leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah stated Hezbollah (Iranian allies) “would fire thousands of rockets into Israel in any future war and target cities in the country’s heartland.”

·      On November 29^th, the United Nations elevated the status of the Palestinian Authority from "non-member observer entity" to "non-member observer state." The Palestinian Authority and a coalition of 50 Muslim countries and nexus of states whose interests are contrary to the United States and Israel such as Russia, China, Venezuela, Cuba and others pushed this status change.

The Worldwide Media continues to frame the Palestinian/Israeli conflict as if these were two grumpy neighbors, but the strongest neighbor (Israel in this case) is always depicted as a bully and over-responds since more Palestinians are killed than Israelis. Nothing could be further from the truth. Israel’s responses are ALWAYS done with extreme care to target the Palestinian terrorists that are attacking them. The Terrorists, however, have innocent families, children, buses, street cafes and synagogues as their primary targets!

There is neither moral equivalence nor “practices” equivalence in the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict and the constant drumbeat of “this side did this and this side did that” plays into the worst nature of those who are anti-Semitic.

As people of faith in God’s sovereignty we must PRAY for peace. As citizens of the world we must ACT for peace. Our actions and prayers must be a contrary drum beat to that of the worldwide media. This beat MUST go on!

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

IMMORAL MORAL EQUIVALENCE

The obvious attempt of the worldwide media to apply moral equivalency to the current conflict in Israel and Gaza is deeply flawed. Syndicated columnist Joel Mowbrey states: "The coverage of the [recent] 'violence'... has largely read like the equivalent of a chess match. Hamas refuses to halt suicide bombs. Israel targets a top Hamas leader. Suicide bombing in Jerusalem kills 16. Israel 'retaliates' with a strike in Gaza. What's at work is probably not anti-Semitism, but a misguided attempt at objectivity. But reporting 'facts' in a moral vacuum is not objectivity; it is, in fact, just the opposite. Absent proper context, the situation can seem as if it is two equally justifiable sides making moves and countermoves, nothing more."

Perhaps he is right that the style of media coverage is not blatant anti-Semitism on the part of the reporters or media outlets, but the constant drumbeat of “this side did this and this side did that” plays into the worst nature of those who ARE anti-Semitic.

Never has a nation been treated with such insolence as has Israel. They are constantly threatened and attacked. While the Israeli government and people are not without flaws, there is no moral equivalence between a rocket fired toward a town with the intent to terrorize innocent people and a retaliatory, precision airstrike of a rocket launcher in Gaza that has purposely and continually been fired toward homes, schools and synagogues.

Claiming the moral high-ground and claiming moral superiority is as human as breathing. We each do it in relationships of all sorts. Only with God’s help can we come to grips with our own failures. Pointing them out in others without the humility of self-evaluation only leads to all-consuming hatred.

While both Israelis and Palestinians must ultimately “examine the man in the mirror”, assess their own positions and find a way to live near one another in peace, the attempt to frame terrorism and military retaliation in defense of one’s nation as morally equivalent must stop.

Innocent lives are being lost, both Israeli and Palestinian. A ground war in Gaza seems imminent. I call upon the worldwide media to halt its efforts to make this a “tit for tat” dispute, making the worst-case scenarios seem more likely.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

IT ALL ADS UP

Add terrorist rockets fired from Egyptian territory to the list. This is not the first time this year that Egyptian territory being used as a base for terrorist attacks. In August 2012, after the election of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate, concern rose over the future of the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. In direct violation of the terms of the peace treaty, the Egyptian Military sent Tanks into the de-militarized zone without Israeli approval. President Mursi condemned Israeli retaliatory air strikes on the Gaza Strip as unacceptable aggression and ordered Egypt's prime minister to visit the besieged enclave in a show of support for the Palestinians. The fact that Israel had endured well over 1,000 rocket attacks this year alone, including those from Egyptian territory seems to mean nothing. This week’s visit to Gaza to meet with the leadership of Hamas does nothing to allay concerns.

Egypt’s failure to monitor and prevent terrorist activity its northern region places unnecessary pressure on Israel to retaliate within Egyptian territory.

In the meantime, AP (Associated Press) declared: "Air raid sirens wail in Jerusalem, signaling a possible rocket attack aimed at Israel's capital." Within thirty minutes they changed the story. The only difference? Changing the language from “Israel’s capital” to “Israel’s self-declared capital." They had it right the FIRST TIME! Mistakenly of course. The world press is determined to frame this whole circumstance as a result of Israel's policies. As always, it is Israel having to defend itself from worldwide criticism while defending its children from terrorists.

Israel must defend itself...WILL defend itself.

Ultimately, having done all that can be done politically and militarily, the only true hope is that God will change the hearts of men.

Pray, especially for the peace of Jerusalem.

SUB-HUMAN

“Israelis and anyone who knows what they're doing and support it are all Sub-human, Sub-human, Sub-human.” This is a direct quote from a post on a popular web “Answer” sight as the “BEST” comment, “CHOSEN BY VOTERS.”

Sub-human. Where have I heard this before? The term "Untermensch" was utilized repeatedly in writings and speeches directed against the Jews during the time of Hitler. The term “sub-human” has been used throughout history to justify acts of prejudice against a race, gender or class of people.

To ever consider another human as “sub-human” is an attempted slap in the face of God Himself. It is declared in Holy Writ: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Our U.S. Constitution begins with these immortal words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

The value of a person’s humanity is not up for debate. Yet, there it is: “Sub-human, Sub-human, Sub-human,” the comment voted “best.”

Never doubt it, there are haters in this world. Their pride blinds them. From this deeply rooted arrogance comes the capability of justifying even the most horrendous behaviors. We must be vigilant as individuals and as nations to expunge from our hearts any vestige of hatred.

Defamation of others by generalized categorization must be vehemently opposed and exposed for what it is; it is sin.

Peace will never fill the hating heart. Peace will never fill the hating race. Peace will never fill the hating nation. Peace will never fill the hating city.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

THE RUBBERBAND SNAPS

Just last Monday I posted an article (BACK TO THE FUTURE) in which I pointed out that nearly 1,000 rockets have been fired into Israel since January 2012. What nation can endure this forever? Most of the rocket attacks have been fairly unsophisticated and inaccurate short-range projectiles, but they are deadly. The growing concern in Israel is that more sophisticated rockets are being supplied to Hamas.

Now the Israeli Defense Forces have struck back. Just a few hours ago Israeli warplanes targeted and killed the top military leader of Hamas. The Jerusalem post states: “The IAF (Israeli Air Force) struck and killed Hamas armed wing Izzadin Kassam Brigades commander Ahmed Jabari in central Gaza on Wednesday. The strike marked the beginning of Operation Pillar of Defense to target Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror organizations in Gaza, IDF spokesman Yoav Mordechai announced.”

The assassination of Jabari by the Israelis is comparable to the killing of Osama Bin Laden by U.S. forces last year. Unfortunately, there will be others prepared to take his place.

After killing Jabari the IAF went on to strike over 20 underground rocket launchers belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, primarily targeting their long-range rocket capabilities. This is an ominous but predictable development. Israel does not want a protracted war in Gaza. Hopefully, both sides of this most recent conflict will be sufficiently motivated to call an end to these developments. War is no friend. Children will die. Fathers and mothers will sacrifice their sons and daughters. May God have mercy upon us.

Just a few weeks ago I sat under a sukkah (a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long, joyous, Jewish festival of Sukkot). I was having dinner alone and may have been the only non-Jewish person in the crowded space. I so enjoyed watching the tables slowly fill with families of different Jewish sects. Hats of all descriptions identified the theological or customary differences, but in that moment, on that glad holiday, seated under a sukkah, conflict seemed to be no more than a distant memory. Yet, all the while, young, uniformed men and women with automatic weapons patrolled; war is never very far away for the Israelis.

My heart is sad for the tensions that must now fill the space where I sat so peacefully on that warm October evening, soaking in the happiness of family celebrations. Now, only a month later, family table discussions must be anxious for what may soon come.

Please join with me in prayer for Jewish and Palestinian families and, as always, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.