Israel Joins Exclusive Economic Group

{image_1}Earlier this year, Israel was invited, along with Slovenia and Estonia, to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an exclusive economic group now set to consist of 34 members ranging from Sweden to Mexico.

Exports Grow 11,250-fold in 62 Years

Israel's exports have grown 11,250 times since 1948—from US $6 million to US $67.5 billion in 2009—according to the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute. The data suggest that Israeli exports have doubled in the last 12 years—from US $33 billion in 1998 to some US $67.5 billion last year.

Soldier: Activists Came for War

{image_1}One of the soldiers who took part in the raid and broke his hand in the clash recounted the moments of horror when he and his comrades were assaulted by about 30 activists on board. “After every person came down [from the helicopter], three or four guys grabbed a hold of him and simply beat him senseless. They lynched us. They were equipped with metal bats, knives, slingshots, and glass bottles. At some point, we faced live fire by two guys.

Gaza Flotilla Chanted Islamic Battle Cry

{image_1}On the day before the Gaza flotilla confronted the Israeli navy, Al-Jazeera TV documented the pre-battle atmosphere created by men on board the flotilla, who chanted a well-known Islamic battle cry invoking the killing and defeat of Jews in battle: “[Remember] Khaibar, Khaibar, oh Jews! The army of Muhammad will return!”

“No Love Boat”

{image_1}“…Hamas is smuggling thousands of Iranian rockets, missiles, and other weaponry—smuggling it into Gaza in order to fire on Israel’s cities…Under international law, and under common sense and common decency, Israel has every right to interdict this weaponry and to inspect the ships that might be transporting them.

Gog and Magog?

{image_1}The Rabbinical Council of Judea and Samaria released a statement in which they suggested that the Gaza flotilla incident was“the beginning of the Gog and Magog process[referring to Ezekiel 38]… 

Gaza Crisis?

{image_1}In the aftermath of the Mavi Marmara Gaza flotilla incident, in which Israeli soldiers acting in self-defense resulted in the deaths of nine activists, Israel chose to significantly lighten the blockade of the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip….

Coming Together in Unity

{image_1}Occasionally, Bridges for Peace plans special evening events for the volunteer staff in Jerusalem. These opportunities give us a chance to enjoy dialogue with Jewish people and understand them better. Our last event not only included dialogue but music!

Compassion—Rachamim

{image_1}Rachamim is a highly emotion-packed word, most often used to describe God. It is defined as “bowels, tender love, and pity” and is always in plural form, possibly to convey the intensity of the emotion behind it, though it’s not always translated as plural. In Hebrew, it is closely associated with rechem (Strong’s H7358), or “womb,” so when used in reference to God, rachamim (H7356) focuses on His parental love. Just as a womb protects the helpless unborn child, so He longs to create “a fence around the chaos,” as one online Bible teacher put it.

Politicians Take a Stand for Israel

{image_1}Israel’s enemies are amassing against her and like a snowball rolling down a hill, they are gaining momentum as they go. International voices are vilifying Israel in the wake of the “flotilla affair” and accusations are rampant that she is an apartheid state, a Nazi regime, and a starver of Palestinian children. Statistics are being twisted and facts ignored in a frenzied attempt to delegitimize the nation. But in the midst of it all, growing numbers of parliamentarians worldwide are joining forces to support Israel within their governing bodies and to defend her in the international arena.

BFP Distributes Food for 20 Years

{image_1}In 1990, Israel was in the midst of a huge influx of new immigrants coming home to Israel—with 15,000 to 20,000 arriving each month! On September 11, the 100,000^th immigrant to Israel was celebrated. Two years prior, God was already preparing Bridges for Peace to help meet this critical need.

Summer War?

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“The flood of hate is being led by Israel's enemies all over the world…Dark forces from the Middle Ages are raging against us…Be prepared for difficult days.”—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu