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Every week, we post seven to ten news stories from Israel with a suggested prayer focus and scripture for each one, guiding readers how to pray for Israel’s most urgent needs. This Prayer Update is also sent to over 18,000 subscribers every Friday by e-mail. Sign up HERE if you would like to receive this Prayer Update by e-mail.
Israel Launches Operation Iron Wall in Judea and Samaria
by Elisha Ben Kimon, Einav Halabi ~ Ynetnews
In an operation to eliminate terrorist infrastructure, IDF ground troops entered Jenin after initial drone strikes (illustrative).
Wednesday, 22 January 2025 | The IDF eliminated a terrorist cell in Jenin on Tuesday as they were planting explosive devices in Jenin.
The attack was carried out with drones as part of Israel’s counter-terrorism Iron Wall operation in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria]. Palestinian sources initially reported air raid sirens sounding throughout the city as the operation began with drone strikes, followed by a combat helicopter assault.
The Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry reported six fatalities and at least 35 injuries from IDF airstrikes, with casualties ranging from mild to critical. Following the drone strike, IDF bulldozers, including D9s, are expected to enter the area to clear roads suspected of being booby-trapped.
The operation, which began with targeted strikes on infrastructure, continued with ground forces entering Jenin. It is anticipated to continue for several days, involving significant military resources, including special forces, the Shin Bet [internal] security agency, and Border Police units.
The IDF aims to maintain operational freedom across the West Bank, dismantle terrorist infrastructure, and neutralize imminent threats. The decision to launch the operation was approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet on Friday.
The timing reflects the influence of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who reportedly pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to action following a shooting attack in the northern West Bank Palestinian village of Funduq that killed three Israelis, including two women in their 70s. Initial concerns about potential international backlash, particularly from the Biden administration, delayed the operation, despite months of planning by the IDF as part of its offensive strategy.
The IDF has also intensified arrests across the West Bank, with Palestinian sources reporting 11 arrests in Idna near Hebron and seven in Qalqilya. Earlier in the day, the Palestinian news agency WAFA claimed that Israeli forces tightened restrictions in Ramallah and Al-Bireh, closing additional roads.
The operation coincides with the winding down of an unprecedented six-week crackdown by Palestinian security forces targeting terrorist activities in the Jenin refugee camp. According to an IDF source, the Palestinian Authority sought to demonstrate its ability to curb terrorist presence and assert control. “They signaled to the Palestinian public and the international community – especially the US and EU—that they can exercise authority, even in areas heavily impacted by Hamas,” the source said.
Photo Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit photographer/Wikimedia.org
Photo License: Wikimedia
Prayer Focus
Pray for the IDF, Border Police and Shin Bet security units as they work to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in Israel’s biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. Pray that any booby-trapped buildings or roads will be discovered before they can take the lives of any soldiers. Pray also for the half a million Jewish residents of the area, asking that they will soon be able to live normally, traveling on roads without fear of terror attacks and watching their children grow up in peace.
Scripture
Through You we will push down our enemies; through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those who hated us.
When a Nation Rejoices and Mourns
by Janet Aslin ~ Bridges for Peace
Three hostages were returned to their families at Sheba Medical Center.
Monday, 20 January 2025 | It seemed like the whole nation was holding its breath yesterday. After all, it had been a rollercoaster ride of a week. Would the ceasefire actually go into effect on Sunday morning as planned or would Hamas hijack it at the last moment? What were the names of the three hostages to be released? In what physical and mental condition would they be? All these thoughts and more were running through the minds of Israelis as well as the Jewish community around the world.
According to the Times of Israel, roughly 2,000 people gathered at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to pray and follow the news coverage throughout Sunday afternoon. Along with the rest of the nation, they watched silently and with bated breath as the three women about to be released were surrounded by armed Hamas militants during their transfer to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Even then, Israel was still holding its breath.
It wasn’t until 18:03, when the IDF Spokesperson finally announced that Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher had crossed into Israeli territory that a jubilant shout went up from the crowd, and all over Israel, people began to breathe again. Three hostages had come home to their families.
The weeks and even months leading up to the deal have been like a rollercoaster for the nation. The news would report that progress had been made. Shortly thereafter, it would be announced that there were impassable barriers to the deal. And the negotiations were necessarily shrouded, to some degree, in secrecy. Finally, the agreement was hammered out. Yet still the uncertainty remained. Would Hamas renege on what it had agreed to? Would the agreement hold? Did Israelis dare to hope that, at long last, they would see the return of the 97 remaining hostages?
Under the terms of the deal, the ceasefire was to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 19. One of the conditions was that Hamas was to provide a list of names of those to be released 24 hours before the ceasefire. By 8:35 a.m. that had not happened. Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that the ceasefire would not go into effect until Israel had received names. At 10:31 a.m. Israel received the names and at 11:15 a.m., the ceasefire was official. Israelis began to hope that this might, indeed, be the day when the hostages would begin to come home at last.
The actual transfer of hostages from Hamas’s hands into the open arms of their families began around 15:00 p.m. when Red Cross vehicles brought the women from the locations where they had been held to a central point in Gaza. The streets were crowded with Gazans who had come to watch the exchange. News footage showed a heavy presence of armed militants, many sporting the green Hamas bandanas. Israelis across the country were glued to their screens as they watched Romi, Emily and Doron, each in a separate vehicle surrounded by armed men. The women held their heads high, and we all rejoiced to see that they were walking unassisted as they were transferred to yet another Red Cross vehicle for the trip to the point where the IDF would receive them.
Upon their arrival in Israel, it was announced that, “Troops and medical personnel of the IDF accompany the returnees who will undergo an initial medical evaluation. IDF representatives are accompanying the family members to the hospital and give them regular updates.”
AlI Israel News shared this statement from Doron Steinbrecher’s family, “After 471 unbearably difficult days, our beloved Dudu returned to our arms. We want to thank everyone who supported and accompanied us along the way from the bottom of our hearts. A special thanks to the people of Israel for the warm embrace, the unceasing support and the strength you gave us in the most difficult moments.”
Families of the other two women expressed similar thoughts and words of gratitude.
However, in the midst of the rejoicing and joy, there is a sad truth: Israel still faces a long road ahead. The Hamas terror organization is a mastermind of psychological warfare, claiming victory when the ceasefire agreement was initially announced last week. The terror group will also attempt to manipulate the process, as they have already done when they did not provide the list of names. One cannot help but wonder what the next six weeks will have in store as the rest of the ceasefire unfolds.
And the cost Israel has paid for the deal has been a steep one: the release of several thousand Palestinian prisoners, many perpetrators of violent acts of terror, which took the lives of countless Israelis.
On Saturday evening, Eitan Fuld was notified that the terrorist who murdered his brother Ari in 2018 was set to be released in the deal. Israel News reported Eitan’s response, “The release of Ari’s murderer hurts…My biggest problem, and everyone else’s, is the next people to be murdered and the next families who will unfortunately join the bereaved families…”
And Eitan represents just one of many Israeli families who are facing the same grim news. In the midst of joy, there is pain and sorrow.
To summarize, what is our role as Christians? Perhaps Paul said it best when he wrote, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Roman 12:15). Today in Israel, there is ample opportunity for both. There are those who are rejoicing and those who are mourning. Let us be those who will stand with and for the people and nation of God.
Source: (Bridges for Peace, January 20, 2025)
Photo Credit: Ma'ayan Toaf, GPO
Prayer Focus
While rejoicing and giving thanks for the return of the three hostages, continue to cry out to the Lord on behalf of those who remain in captivity. Pray especially for their mental and physical condition as they have gone through unimaginable torment and trauma at the hands of terrorists. Pray that any traps or deception planned by Hamas with regard to the ceasefire and hostage release deal will be quickly revealed and that Israel’s leaders will know how to respond.
Scripture
“Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Your name; the righteous shall surround me, for You shall deal bountifully with me.”
Eight Decades after the Death March Survivor Vows, We’ll Rise Again
by Shoshana Chen ~ Ynetnews
Tuesday, 21 January 2025 | Today marks 80 years since my mother, Auschwitz prisoner 48956, Bella née Szarfharc, embarked on the death march. Two weeks of terror, covering roughly 850 kilometers (530 mi.) from Poland to Ravensbruck, Germany—mostly on foot, some by freight train.
Snow fell and temperatures plummeted far below freezing. German guards shot or unleashed dogs on anyone who faltered. “You couldn’t stop, you couldn’t think,” she recalled.
About 60,000 shattered souls left the camp gates, most of them Jews. Roughly 15,000 reached Germany alive. Across dozens of death marches that continued throughout Europe until the Allied victory, nearly a quarter of a million Jews perished.
Every winter, I think of that march of horrors. Survivors often referred to it as “Totenmarsch”—death march in German. I think of that inferno and can’t comprehend how my mother, like other survivors I’ve known, endured it and went on to rebuild their lives.
How was I born against all odds? How did the families they built grow and thrive? This year, my awe mixes with the pain of over 90 families awaiting their loved ones’ journey home from captivity.
What would my mother say to them? I’m certain she’d try to instill hope—the same hope, tempered with faith and bolstered by the extraordinary strength of her friends, that carried her through the march of horrors. After a few days on the march, she lost hope.
An “alumna” of the Warsaw Ghetto, Majdanek and Auschwitz-Birkenau, she was emaciated, weighing less than 40 kilograms (88 lbs.), burdened by countless losses—a husband, a child, her parents and a vast family who were murdered. All she wanted was to collapse in the snow and rest forever.
But three friends—barely able to drag themselves forward—refused to let her fall. With their meager strength, they carried her, repeating over and over: “You’ve made it this far. We’ll get to the end. The Germans are fleeing; they’ll lose. You’ll see, we’ll all start new lives.” My mother never forgot their kindness.
The late Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Gilberlater was 15 years old when he set out on a death march with his 17-year-old brother and their father. The two boys carried their father when he could no longer walk. Three days without sleep or food.
They had already survived four and a half years of ghettos and camps. When they collapsed in the snow for a brief, permitted rest, their father bade them farewell. “I can’t go on anymore. You must leave me behind. A son must not risk his life to save his father. That would be murder, not honoring your parent.”
Young Yitzchak, who’d celebrated his bar mitzvah (religious coming-of-age for boys) in the ghetto, hesitated but chose to refuse. They sat in the snow for 14 hours. The Germans fired into it [the crowd]. People died before their eyes. All three survived, later raising large families.
What the hostages, their families and all of us have endured over the past year and a quarter is not the Holocaust, a concentration camp or a death march. But there are threads that connect them: hatred and cruelty on one side, sacrifice, hope, mutual aid, compassion and faith
What the hostages, their families and all of us have endured over the past year and a quarter is not the Holocaust, a concentration camp or a death march. But there are threads that connect them: hatred and cruelty on one side, sacrifice, hope, mutual aid, compassion and faith on the other—qualities unique to us, the most hated people in the world. Immense inner strength that overcomes snow and Hamas tunnels alike. It’s from this strength that I draw my hope.
“Suddenly, I don’t care who I am,” one woman wrote in a WhatsApp group dedicated to prayers and good deeds for hostage Omer Shem Tov yesterday. “I toss [the political] labels of into the trash.”
“I’m not debating whether I’m for or against a deal. Right now, I’m just a loving daughter of Israel, yearning desperately for my brother and sister to return. In the end, it’s God who decides. So let them come home already.”
There are dozens of such groups for other hostages. “A person may plan their path, but the Lord gives the answer. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.” Amen.
Photo Credit: Raxpixel.com
Photo License: Raxpixel
Prayer Focus
Pray that the testimonies of hope and faith by Holocaust survivors like Bella, who survived unimaginable conditions, will be an encouragement to Israelis, such as families of hostages, who are suffering deeply today. Proclaim the sovereignty of the Lord whose love triumphs over evil and darkness.
Scripture
I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness…
Civilian Death Toll in Gaza Debunked
by Ilse Strauss ~ Bridges for Peace
Andrew Fox, author of a recent report entitled “Questionable Counting: Analysing the Death Toll from the Hamas-Run Ministry of Health in Gaza.”
Tuesday, 21 January 2025 | In the 15 months since terror organization Hamas launched a war on Israel, the steep civilian death toll has thrust this conflict into the international limelight. An outraged public took to city streets decrying the slaughter of innocents, South Africa charged Israel with genocide and even the pope spoke out against the carnage.
But what if the facts and figures that underpin these accusations are incorrect? In fact, what if the statistics have been manipulated to present a warped picture that maligns Israel and casts Hamas as the defender of an oppressed population?
According to military and psychology expert, Maj. (res.) Andrew Fox, that is precisely the case.
Fox has the boots-on-the-ground experience and academic knowledge to back up his claim. A research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society—a UK-based think tank that promotes democracy, freedom and human rights—Fox served in the British Army for 16 years, completing three tours in Afghanistan, including one attached to US Army Special Forces. He served as a senior lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and holds degrees in Law and Politics, War Studies and Military History and Psychology.
Last month, Fox and a team of experts made international waves by publishing a report entitled, “Questionable Counting: Analysing the Death Toll from the Hamas-Run Ministry of Health in Gaza.”
Civilian fatalities play a key role in how the international community perceives a conflict, Fox shares. It shapes public opinion and policy. That makes reliability paramount. The report thus drills down into the civilian death toll Hamas provided to test its dependability, and if found to be capricious, to pinpoint some of the obvious flaws.
The crux of the report? The 45,000 civilian fatalities presented by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health contains thousands of natural deaths, fatalities from before this conflict began and casualties caused by Hamas itself. Likewise, it contains no mention of combatant losses, which automatically classifies all deaths in the conflict as civilian, and misrepresents, overstates and inflates the number of women and children killed. Moreover, leading international media outlets accept these figures without scrutiny and report them as fact.
In short, Hamas manipulates the figures for propaganda purposes, presents them to the media, which largely parrots the statistics to the public as reality, who accepts the concocted figures as truth and then uses the fictitious data as evidence to blame and pressure Israel.
According to Fox, the idea for the report was born during the first months of the war when he noticed irregularities. “I looked at the casualty numbers reported in the media being pushed out by the Hamas Ministry of Health in Gaza, and it clearly didn’t make sense. I’ve called for airstrikes in the past. I’ve seen what airstrikes do to buildings, and there’s no way you can have an immediate running ticker counter of deaths when the situation is that violent, chaotic and dangerous. Frankly, for people to get in there and start counting just didn’t add up.”
Fox shared his concerns with fellow researchers, and late last year, a panel of international scholars pooled resources for a meticulous analysis of Gaza war fatalities from February 2024 through May 2024, alongside coverage from major media outlets, specifically the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, CNN, the BBC, Reuters and AP.
Five key findings emerged: men are listed as women to increase female fatalities; adult fatalities are classified as children to inflate child fatalities; the majority of casualties are fighting-age males; the statistics make no allowance for natural deaths and thus group all deaths as a collective; and the media reporting plays into the ploy, taking the skewed statistics as truth with no questions asked.
The 40-page report offers numerous examples as evidence, for instance, repeated instances of individuals with male first names, like Mohammed, recorded as females. Mistakes happen, Fox concedes, especially during the chaos of war and certainly when it comes to names or gender. However, this is not a case of a careless slipup or two. There’s enough evidence to prove the demographics breakdown flawed. Moreover, the gender discrepancies are the tip of the iceberg.
“Quite often, when they don’t have an age for a fighter, we found it goes down as 0, and when that age is 0, of course that’s counted as a child,” Fox explains. “We also found entries like a 31-year-old being listed as a four-year-old child, a difficult mistake to make by accident.”
According to Fox, misrepresentations like these purposefully manipulate the data to inflate the tally of innocents and skew the statistics for a more emotive impact, thus fueling the narrative that the civilian population of women and children are bearing the brunt of the war.
In contrast to the message communicated in mainstream media, the most fatalities in Gaza are men aged 15–45, Fox says. This age bracket corresponds with the expected profile of combatants in war, and is witnessed in Gaza in the massive upsurge in adult male deaths reported by families as opposed to the fatality statistics from hospitals.
“Gaza’s population comprises 26% fighting-aged males,” he explains. “So even if Israel was targeting the population indiscriminately, you would expect roughly 26% of the fatalities to fall in that category. Actually, it’s closer to 44%, over 50% in some places. We also have proof that Hamas uses child soldiers, so even some of the under 18s will probably have been Hamas combatants.”
The pieces of the puzzle point to the simple conclusion that Israel targets fighting age males, not random civilians, Fox holds. “It is often portrayed as if the IDF drops bombs randomly to kill people. They’re not following a targeting process. We see criticism of Israel for strikes in a humanitarian zone. And the reason they’re striking there is because Hamas is hiding amongst civilians, which is clearly a war crime. You hear all the time about how women and children are dying disproportionately. That’s not the case.”
Gaza’s fatality statistics further overlooks natural deaths and pointedly ignores the typical annual rate of 5,000 natural deaths in Gaza. Apart from the names of cancer patients who are registered for treatment appearing on the list of those supposedly killed by Israel, the statistics also make no allowance for deaths caused by well-documented internal violence or misfired rockets.
It is particularly troubling that media reporting plays into the ploy, taking the distorted statistics as truth with no questions asked, Fox warns. In fact, a scant 3% of media coverage analyzed even mentions combatant deaths. The result? “A skewed narrative that portrays all casualties as civilian, thus shaping public opinion and international policy based on incomplete or manipulated data,” the report warns.
Asked about the motivation behind penning a report that challenges the popular narrative, Fox dispels the notion of a pro-Israel impetus. “If I looked at the facts, figures and everything I know contextually and academically about warfare and came to the conclusion that Israel was committing a genocide, then I would say so. As an analyst, that’s my job. But the fact is they’re not.”
Ultimately, Fox warns, it is not about Israel. “There is a wider battle being fought here in the West. And it’s about our values, truth and giving people a fair trial. It’s about extremism and perversion of Western societies. Everything about the way in which this war is being reported on is part of that much bigger fight.
“It’s easy to say, ‘Hey, it’s Israel’s problem. Let them fight their own war,’” he concludes. “But it’s much bigger than just Israel. It’s important that people fight this subversion of our international narratives. I spent the best part of my adult life fighting Islamic extremism in Afghanistan. The last thing we need is to allow Islamic extremism to find a foothold in the West and start impacting on the way we do business on a global scale.”
(For an exclusive interview with Andrew Fox click here.)
Source: (Bridges for Peace, January 21, 2025)
Photo License: Andrew Fox
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Fox
Prayer Focus
Pray that those working in the media who advocate for truth in reporting will raise their voices in protest of the blind acceptance of “facts” from biased sources. Pray that readers will also rise to the occasion and question figures that are presented to them. Pray for the fear of God to descend on the global news outlets and that any deliberate misrepresentation or falsification of any news story will be uncovered quickly.
Scripture
And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries [Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir] when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
PA Must Pay Terror Victims, Israel’s Top Court Says
by Canaan Lidor ~ JNS
Security and rescue personnel at the scene of a terrorist attack on Route 1 near Ma’ale Adumim (illustrative).
Wednesday, 22 January 2025 | Israel’s Supreme Court last week dismissed a petition against a law that compensates victims of Palestinian terrorist attacks using Palestinian Authority [PA] funds.
Asher Stub, an attorney from the Justice for Terror Victims group that initiated the law submitted by Knesset member Yitzhak Pindrus and others, told JNS on Monday that the Supreme Court’s ruling “cleared the last hurdle” between victims and compensation.
The petition dismissed was filed last year by the Palestinian Authority against legislation passed by the Knesset in March 2024 titled the “Compensation of Victims of Terrorism Bill (Exemplary Compensation).
It asserted that the Palestinian Authority, which spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on paying salaries to terrorists in Israeli prisons, is encouraging terrorism and is, therefore, liable to pay damages in civil lawsuits. The money is to be deducted from tax revenue that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority on goods passing through border crossings
The Palestinian Authority claimed the law abused punitive damages mechanisms, adding the law would cause its “collapse.” It also said Israel lacked legal justification to confiscate its tax revenue. Justice Yitzhak Amit wrote in his ruling that the Palestinian Authority’s petition omits how it “pays terrorists and members of terrorists’ families money and benefits at significant rates, in close connection to the criminal acts of terrorism they committed.”
The Palestinian Authority’s Martyrs’ Fund, also known as the “pay for slay” policy, is a cornerstone of PA law, granting terrorists or their next of kin the right to receive payments as long as they live.
The ruling clears the path for terror victims or their relatives to file civil lawsuits and receive compensation, Stub said. His organization, Justice for Terror Victims, is handling lawsuits for about 35 families on a nonprofit basis, he said, adding that the statute of limitations on relevant lawsuits is seven years.
According to the Palestinian Authority’s estimates in its petition, it stands to lose approximately NIS 2 billion shekels ($562 million) from immediate tax revenues plus another NIS 5 billion ($1.4 billion) in funds that Israel is already holding that belongs to the Palestinian Authority, it argued.
In the ruling, Justices Khaled Kabub and Yael Wilner condemned the Palestinian Authority’s “reliance on Israeli constitutional law, which primarily protects human rights, to avoid the consequences of its support for terrorism against the state and its citizens.” They called this “repugnant both morally and legally.”
“We are proud to assist many victims in filing lawsuits under this new law and will persist in fighting terrorism and its financial backers,” Stub said.
In a statement after the court’s decision, Stub and Sander Gerber, a global investment manager, called the petition’s dismissal “a groundbreaking step in our efforts to stop the Palestinian Authority’s’ pay for slay’ policy and secure rightful compensation for terror victims.”
Photo Credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Give thanks for this groundbreaking ruling that upholds the recent Israeli law requiring that the Palestinian Authority compensate terror victims. Pray that the PA will no longer have funds available to pay jailed terrorists and that their vicious cycle of rewarding terrorists through the “pay for slay” policy will come to an end.
Scripture
For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.
Prayer at Temple Mount Unites Jewish, Christian Leaders
by JNS
Jewish and Christian worshippers united at the Temple Mount to pray for US President Trump (illustrative).
Wednesday, 22 January 2025 | A prayer service at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount brought together Jewish and Christian worshippers on Monday to pray for newly-inaugurated US President Donald Trump.
Rabbi Tuly Weisz, of Israel365, stated that the service—which he called “historic,” “unprecedented” and a “powerful display of religious unity and determination”—took place “despite the Jordanian Waqf’s continuing restrictions on Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount.”
“Courageous religious leaders and their followers demonstrated that the right to prayer cannot be denied,” Weisz said, noting that the prayer “marked a significant step forward in the fight for religious freedom in Jerusalem.”
“On this day that represents new beginnings, we turned to our Father in Heaven, the God of Israel in unity and prayer,” the rabbi said. “Here, at the seat of His heavenly throne, Jews and Christians gather together to pray for the success of Donald Trump in his second term.”
According to Weisz, the service brought together Israeli singer Yair Levi, Belz Chassidim, Temple Mount prayer advocate Rabbi Yehuda Glick and Peter Fast, international CEO of Bridges for Peace, and John Enarson, founder of Cry for Zion.
Photo Credit: Yossi Zamir/Flash90/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Give thanks for the leaders, including Bridges for Peace’s Rev. Peter Fast, who took part in the prayer initiative on the Temple Mount, despite the Muslim restriction against any form of non-Muslim prayer at the site. Pray in agreement that President Donald Trump will be successful in his second term, especially in matters concerning Israel and the restoration of the Judeo–Christian foundations of the United States.
Scripture
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.”
Trump Signs Executive Order to Relist Houthis as Terror Group
by JNS
US President Donald Trump at a ceremony at the US Capitol on January 20, 2025.
Thursday, 23 January 2025 | US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday calling on the US secretary of state to designate the Houthis as a terror group within the next 30 days.
Trump designated the Iranian-backed group—which is also known as Ansar Allah—as a foreign terrorist organization in January 2021, during his first term.
“Within one month of taking office, the Biden administration reversed the Houthis’ designation,” per a White House fact sheet. “As a result of the Biden administration’s weak policy, the Houthis have fired at US Navy warships dozens of times, launched numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure in partner nations and attacked commercial vessels transiting” between Yemen and the Horn of Africa “more than 100 times.”
“Under President Trump, it is now the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis’ capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources and thereby end their attacks on US personnel and civilians, US partners and maritime shipping in the Red Sea,” the White House stated.
In the executive order, Trump stated that the Houthis, which are supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] Quds Force “have fired at US Navy warships dozens of times since 2023, endangering American men and women in uniform.”
“Since seizing most Yemeni population centers by force from the legitimate Yemeni government in 2014-15, the Houthis have launched numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure, including multiple attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia, the deadly January 2022 attacks on the United Arab Emirates and more than 300 projectiles fired at Israel since October 2023,” Trump stated.
“The Houthis have also attacked commercial vessels transiting Bab al-Mandeb more than 100 times, killing at least four civilian sailors and forcing some Red Sea maritime commercial traffic to reroute, which has contributed to global inflation,” he added.
Once the US secretary of state, in consultation with the US attorney general and the US treasury secretary, determines that an entity ought to be designated as a terror group, “Congress is notified of the secretary’s intent to designate the organization and given seven days to review the designation, as the Immigration and Nationality Act requires,” per the State Department.
If Congress doesn’t block the designation during a seven-day waiting period, “notice of the designation is published in the Federal Register, at which point the designation takes effect,” per the department. The designated entity then has 30 days to seek judicial review in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, it adds.
The new executive order calls for the US Agency for International Development administrator and the secretary of state, after the Houthis are redesignated, to “jointly review United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations and contractors operating in Yemen.”
“Following this review, the president will direct USAID [United States Agency for International Development] to end its relationship with entities that have made payments to the Houthis, or which have opposed international efforts to counter the Houthis while turning a blind eye towards the Houthis’ terrorism and abuses,” the White House said.
“Thank you, President Trump,” wrote Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). “They should never have been removed in the first place. Designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization sends a powerful message that America views this group as a clear threat to our allies and partners and to regional stability in the Middle East.”
“Promises made, promises kept,” stated the Republican Jewish Coalition. “Thank you President Trump for correcting the disastrously wrong-headed decision by the Biden administration to de-list the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization.”
Photo Credit: White House/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Give thanks for the step taken by President Trump to clearly return the appropriate terrorist label to the Houthi organization. Pray that the consequences of this decision will bring an end to the endangering of Israeli citizens as the Houthis have launched numerous missiles at the nation while also bringing to an end the havoc they have inflicted on global shipping during the past year.
Scripture
So he crouches, he lies low, that the helpless may fall by his strength. He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.” Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand!”
IDF Retrieves Body of Oron Shaul, Held in Gaza since 2014
by JNS
The body of Oron Shaul, who fell in ‘Operation Protective Edge’ in 2014, was finally returned to Israel after 10 years.
Monday, 20 January 2025 | Israeli security forces have retrieved the body of Israel Defense Forces Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who was killed in 2014’s “Operation Protective Edge” and whose remains were held by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip for more than 10 years, the military announced on Sunday morning.
Shaul’s remains were rescued “In a special covert operation of the IDF and Shin Bet [Israel Security Agency],” the military said in a Hebrew statement.
The operation was the result of a decade of work by the Missing Persons Unit and the Special Operations Division of the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, the statement continued.
Shaul’s family was informed of the operation’s success on Sunday morning following an identification process carried out by the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv and the Military Rabbinate, according to the IDF.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Hebrew statement shared by his office, “Overnight, in a special operation by the Shin Bet and the IDF, before the ceasefire came into effect, we returned the body of the late Golani fighter Oron Shaul to Israel.”
“A picture of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, of blessed memory, who fell in ‘Operation Protective Edge’ in 2014, has been displayed in my office for many years as daily testimony to my commitment to bringing them home,” he added.
“Tonight, we completed the mission to return Oron, and we will not be silent or rest until we also complete the mission to return Hadar Goldin. We will continue to work to return all of our hostages—both the living and the dead,” the statement concluded.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke with Shaul’s mother, Zehava, after she was informed that the IDF retrieved his body from Gaza.
“I send strength to her and her family, on behalf of the entire nation, upon hearing the news of the return of his body after more than a decade. I told her that an entire nation held its breath this morning,” said Herzog.
“This is a moment of solace, of resolving uncertainty and agonizing sorrow,” the head of state continued. “I grieve that Herzl—Oron’s late father—is not with us at this moment. With the images of Oron Shaul, and Hadar Goldin, before my eyes, I also spoke with Simcha, Hadar’s father, and committed to him that we will do everything in our power to bring him home as soon as possible.”
Herzog extended his gratitude to the IDF and the Shin Bet for their “courage, determination, and sense of mission.”
“We will continue to act and do everything necessary to bring back all our hostages and hostages from the clutches of Hamas murderers,” he said.
Shaul’s funeral will be held in Poria Illit, near the Sea of Galilee, on Monday.
According to Israeli estimates, there are 97 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 94 abducted during the October 7 attacks.
Of the 251 hostages taken on October 7, 157 have been returned or rescued, and Hamas is believed to be holding 35 bodies, 34 of them taken on October 7 and Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was kidnapped by the terror group in 2014.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Give thanks that the family of Oron Shaul is finally able to lay his body to rest in Israel after 10 long years. Pray that the body of Hadar Goldin will also be located in Gaza and returned to his family for burial. Give thanks for the perseverance of Israel’s Missing Person’s Unit and the Shin Bet which, through their years of research, fulfilled the nation’s commitment to the Shaul family that no soldier, alive or fallen, will be left behind.
Scripture
When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.”
From Iron Dome to FireDome: Israel’s Answer to Combating Wildfires
by JNS
Wildfires following a missile attack by Hezbollah in Lebanon near Korazim in northern Israel, on October 9, 2024.
Friday, 17 January 2025 | FireDome, a startup founded in Israel in 2024, is developing an AI-driven defense system to combat wildfires such as those currently ravaging the Los Angeles area. The system is inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense technology.
The system utilizes eco-friendly fire retardants and AI technology to form protective barriers and extinguish spot fires caused by wind-blown embers. Initially designed to protect 100-acre areas, FireDome aims to expand its coverage to larger regions.
Testing is set to begin in Israel in 2025, with US pilot programs planned for 2026.
With US $3 million in seed funding and advisory support from Iron Dome co-founder Pinchas Yungman, FireDome seeks to enhance firefighting efforts and reduce the significant damage caused by wildfires, which cost the United States up to US $900 billion annually.
Photo Credit: Michael Giladi/Flash90/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Pray that this innovative system will be developed ahead of schedule and take its place in the arsenal of defensive equipment available to firefighters. Give thanks, once again, for the creativity and out-of-the box thinking with which God has endowed the Jewish people, who then bless the world with their inventions.
Scripture
…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Sorrow in Joy: Soldiers Honor Fallen Comrade on Wedding Day
by Yoav Keren ~ Ynetnews
As he broke a glass under the wedding canopy to remember the destruction of the Temple, Harel Saidov chose to recite the name of his fallen friend who saved his life, and other fallen soldiers made the moment possible (illustrative).
Thursday, 23 January 2025 | When Harel Saidov lay beneath the rubble of a building in Khan Younis, bleeding and covered in broken concrete and dust, everyone thought he was dead. The helicopter, loaded with wounded soldiers, was preparing to take off when his teammate, Eliya Hilel, noticed his faint breathing and shouted, “He’s alive!” Doctors doubted Saidov would survive, but he defied the odds and returned to life.
On Thursday, as Saidov stands under the wedding chuppah [a traditional canopy], guests will notice an inscription on the pristine fabric: “In memory of Eliya Hilel, may God avenge his blood, Iyar 22, 5784.”
On May 29, 2024, three months after saving Saidov’s life and sustaining injuries himself, Staff Sergeant Eliya Hilel was killed in a ramming attack in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria]. He had been planning to propose to his girlfriend, Hadas, and had even purchased a custom engagement ring, but he never got the chance.
Before Hilel’s funeral, his mother gave the ring to Hadas. Two days after his death, one of Hadas’ friends received a marriage proposal. “It was painful for her that Hadas never got to experience that moment,” says Hilel’s mother, Hannah. “She approached me and said, ‘I want to get married under a canopy in Eliya’s memory.’ We raised the funds and designed the canopy together. I was there at the wedding, and it was incredibly moving.”
“Then, that same friend suggested offering the canopy to other couples who wanted to get married in Eliya’s honor,” Hannah continues. “We posted about it on Facebook, and, thank God, our schedule is now full through April. Weddings are happening all over the country. Our pain is eternal, but there’s comfort in knowing that even though Eliya never had the chance to stand under a canopy, he is now a source of shelter for couples starting their lives together in Israel.”
Wedding Invitations at the Gravesites
It seemed almost inevitable that on the day of Harel Saidov’s wedding to his fiancée, Idan Rafaeli, the ceremony would take place beneath the canopy created in Hilel’s memory. Hilel’s parents, Dror and Hannah, will be honored guests. But Saidov didn’t stop there.
This week, Saidov’s mother, also named Hannah, placed wedding invitations on Hilel’s grave at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery. “We left invitations on the graves of all my friends who fell in the war—three at Mount Herzl, one in Rehovot, and one in Shlomi,” Saidov shares. “Since I’m a cohen [priest] and not allowed to enter cemeteries, my parents took care of it.”
During the same incident in which Saidov was wounded, three of his teammates were killed: Sergeant Dolev Malca, Sergeant Afik Tery and Sergeant Inon Itzhak.
In his wedding speech, Saidov plans to say, “Just as we break a glass under the canopy to remember the destruction of the Temple during the happiest moment of our lives, so too, I will remember my friends who made this moment possible.” As he recites their names, Hilel’s will be among them.
Photo Credit: Yehud830/Wikimedia.org
Photo License: Wikimedia
Prayer Focus
Pray that the family of Eliya Hilel and his fiancée Hadas will be comforted as the memory of their beloved Eliya was honored at the wedding of Harel and Idan. Pray that any future weddings where the special chuppah (canopy) with its memorial inscription is erected will cause all those who are present to remember the lives given so that the happy moments of weddings are made possible.
Scripture
But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.
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