Friday, December 13, 2024

‘In 14 Months, Netanyahu Managed to Wipe out Iran’s 45-year Master Plan’

by Ynetnews

Tuesday, 10 December 2024 | As the Iranian regime grapples with the fallout of the Assad regime’s collapse in Syria, an Iranian political analyst has offered a blunt assessment of what many in the Middle East and beyond have observed: the steady dismantling of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Through calculated and sustained military operations, Netanyahu has directed the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] to deliver crippling blows to Iran’s regional network.

These efforts have undermined Hamas in Gaza, inflicted severe damage on Hezbollah—long considered Tehran’s most significant regional ally—and targeted Iranian interests in Syria and Yemen, including crushing blows to Iranian-backed Houthi forces.

Iranian political commentator Bardia Garshasbi captured these developments in a viral post, summing up Netanyahu’s achievements with sharp rhetoric.

“His appearance and stance resemble a leader who, in just 14 months, has overturned a 45-year, multibillion-dollar scheme of madness and [extremist ideology], who has humiliated the powerful, multitrillion-dollar Palestinian cartel,” he wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

In the same post, Garshasbi criticized US Democratic administrations, praising Netanyahu for having “poisoned the den of Uncle Obama and Aunt Kamala’s mafia,” a reference to prominent Democratic leaders.

The analyst concluded his post by claiming Netanyahu “now stands by the roadside, ready to laugh in their faces,” accompanied by a photo of the Israeli leader from August 2022 posing confidently near his armored Skoda Superb.

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on December 10, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: US Embassy Tel Aviv/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Continue to pray for Prime Minister Netanyahu as he leads the State of Israel during these turbulent times. Pray for his health as he faces pressures from world leaders and pressures from within the nation of Israel as well. Pray that the Lord will grant him wisdom from above as he is faced with decisions that require wisdom like that which He gave Solomon.

Scripture

And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.

- 1 Kings 4:29–30

Defense Minister Orders IDF to Create Security Zone Beyond Border with Syria

by Akiva van Koningsveld and Amelie Botbol ~ JNS

Tuesday, 10 December 2024 | Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] to create a secure area free of “heavy strategic weapons and terror infrastructure” beyond the buffer zone with Syria, the Defense Ministry announced Monday.

Katz said he had instructed the IDF to establish full control over the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights, which was established by the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Damascus and Jerusalem and ended the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

The defense minister also ordered the continued destruction of strategic weapons that were previously held by the regime and Iranian-backed militias to prevent their falling into the hands of terrorist forces. Among these weapons are “surface-to-air missiles, air defense systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, long-range rockets and coast-to-sea missiles,” according to the ministry.

He has also instructed the army to “prevent and thwart the renewal of the arms smuggling route from Iran to Lebanon through Syria, in Syrian territory and at border crossing points.”

Lastly, Katz said he had asked the military to attempt to establish contacts with Syria’s Druze community and other local populations.

Former Syrian President Bashar Assad fled Damascus on Sunday after rebel groups stormed the capital, ending his family’s five-decade rule.

“The tyrant Bashar Assad has been overthrown,” a rebel spokesperson declared in a statement carried on state television on Sunday morning.

Following the events in Syria, the IDF was deployed to the buffer zone and “several other places necessary for its defense.” The army said the move, which followed a situational assessment, was taken to “ensure the safety of the communities of the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel.”

Intelligence chiefs have warned that the collapse of the regime has the potential to create turmoil in which threats against Israel could develop.

The IDF said late on Sunday night that it was continuing to operate along the new border line with Syria, “focusing on intelligence gathering and defending the residents of Israel, particularly the Golan Heights.” The Syrian side of Mount Hermon was captured on Sunday by Israeli special forces, who reportedly did not encounter any resistance during the operation.

Israeli forces were also said to have been working to accelerate the construction of a fortified barrier along the border between the two countries, dubbed “New East.”

Meanwhile, two “Middle Eastern security sources” told Reuters that the IDF had targeted a research facility in Damascus believed to have been used by Iran to develop long-range guided missiles.

The Israel Air Force [IAF] carried out numerous strikes in Syria overnight Sunday, taking out weaponry that Jerusalem fears could fall into the hands of hostiles. The strikes have reportedly targeted arms storage facilities, air defense systems and weapons production capabilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting the Syrian border on Sunday, hailed the collapse of the Assad regime, “a central link in Iran’s axis of evil,” calling it a “historic day in the history of the Middle East.”

However, he said Israel would first and foremost protect its border. “This area was controlled for nearly 50 years by a buffer zone,” he noted while visiting Mount Bental, a dormant volcano in the Golan Heights.

“I instructed the IDF yesterday to take over the buffer zone and the adjacent control positions. We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our borders,” the prime minister said.

Former Israeli lawmaker IDF Lt. Col. (ret.) Dr. Anat Berko told JNS on Sunday that while the collapse of Assad’s rule could benefit Israel in the short term, “Syria could become a no man’s land similar to, as I call it, the era of Islamic State and jihadi tourism.” When the Syrian Civil War began, Dr. Berko noted, over 70 countries saw citizens travel to Syria to join Islamic State, including Christian converts to Islam and Israeli Arabs.

“I hope the Israelis studied lessons from October 7,” the former Likud party lawmaker said. “We need to assume that there are tunnels at the Syrian border with Israel and we need to be prepared for that and scrutinize the situation in a very deep way. We are not dealing here with the enemy of our enemy. They are both enemies; the Sunni and Shi’ite hate the Jews.”

Former ambassador Jeremy Issacharoff, who served as the vice director-general of Jerusalem’s Foreign Ministry and headed the Directorate for Multilateral and Strategic Affairs, noted that while there are “elements of danger, lots of uncertainty in terms of what will happen and who will be in control,” Assad’s demise is “an opportunity, given the fact that there are lots of downsides for Israel’s enemies in what’s happening here.”

“The Syrian people are intelligent; they will see that, after so many years of rule by the Assad family, there may be an opportunity to restabilize the state, rebuild institutions and reunify the country; it might be difficult as there are many areas to bring together,” he said.

“We are hopeful that a leadership in Syria could emerge that could create more opportunities for Israel,” he added.

At the same time, Jerusalem is “always following what is happening in Syria, we are always concerned regarding how Iran uses Syria to transfer weapons to Hezbollah,” the former Israeli diplomat stressed.

“I think there is a very clear incentive for Syrians today to look for moderate middle ground instead of painting themselves as extreme Islamist jihadists,” concluded Issacharoff.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 9, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Israel Defense Forces/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Pray for the continued success of the IDF troops in Syria as they secure full control over the buffer zone that will effectively cut off arms smuggling from Iran to Hezbollah through that corridor. Pray that the Syrian people, including its Druze population, will choose the moderate, middle ground rather than radical Islam and so be able to stabilize their war-torn country.

Scripture

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

- Psalm 46:1, 6–7

RE-SPECS: Helping Israelis See Light after October 7 Darkness

by Amelie Botbol ~ JNS

Thursday, 12 December 2024 | “The first time that we took part in the mass distribution of thousands of free eyeglasses for soldiers and evacuees was in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on Israel,” Chana Simon, chief operating officer of the RE-SPECS nonprofit organization, told JNS recently.

For years, she was involved in the collection of toys and children’s furniture for the needy. The activity required a tremendous amount of storage space, leading her to rethink her charity work.

“A visiting family member from Australia mentioned that every year he was getting new glasses for free through private insurance. I asked, ‘What happens to last year’s glasses?’ and the light bulb turned on,” Simon said.

“I realized that this could be a resource that we could collect for people in need. I found out that no one in Israel was doing this.”

In 2008, Simon started a home-based charity and called up social services to send people in need to her house so that they could choose frames off her dining table. In 2012, she founded RE-SPECS.

“In those early days, I thought we’d only be getting used frames, but over the years that has been eclipsed by donations of surplus stock,” she said. “We are getting surpluses from places including Hawaii, Canada, Australia, France and Israel.”

Frames, Simon explained, are only one of three prerequisites for providing people with a vision-correction product.

“We have paid and volunteer staff who are either optometrists or dispensing opticians. We also work with various labs. This allows those who come to us to get full service—starting from the paramedical act of professional eye testing, all the way to receiving their order within a few days,” she added.

While children under the age of eight in Israel receive a free pair of glasses once a year through health insurance, parents still feel the financial burden of providing their kids with corrective eyewear, she explained.

“The free pair might not be completely free. It depends on the optician and the prescription. Very often, people will be asked to add to the cost of the subsidized pair, or will be limited with their frame choice,” Simon said.

“There are several other reasons why parents run out of choices. Kids might break their glasses; their subscriptions might change. We had a family from the Jerusalem area phoning the other day for a three-year-old who went through glasses eight times a year,” she continued.

“They have seven kids and they are not earning enough to bring themselves above the poverty line. This is one of the sectors whose needs we can fill, even if they are entitled to benefits once a year,” Simon said.

Since October 7, 2023, RE-SPECS has assisted thousands of evacuees from southern and northern Israel as well as soldiers with corrective eyewear.

“There are many people, who following the October 7 attacks, left their homes without most of their possessions, and that included glasses. Soldiers can only get glasses through the army once during their service,” Simon said.

Since October 7, Simon and her staff have been meeting patients at the RE-SPECS clinic in Ra’anana, north of Tel Aviv, or in mobile pop-ups they set up in places such as Petach Tikvah, Rosh Ha’ayin, Netanya, Rehovot, Beit Shemesh and Bnei Brak.

“Initial inquiries are taken via WhatsApp and uploaded to access paperwork to verify the person’s identity. We send them options and then send the glasses to distribution centers across the country managed by volunteers. It could be a jewelry store that agreed to distribute glasses for soldiers,” she said.

Simon discussed the challenge of finding more professional staff. “There are very few qualified optometrists. There are only two schools in the country that train 50 qualified optometrists a year.

“We also need donors to fund glasses for those in need—low-income families, Holocaust survivors, the elderly and those with disabilities,” she continued.

“Limited access to corrective eyewear can affect children’s studies or an adult’s ability to function and work. It’s a basic need, which we hope that by expanding our donor base and our operations, we will fill,” Simon said.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 9, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Courtesy/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Give thanks for the vision Chana Simon had so many years ago of helping Israelis in financial need to obtain eyeglasses. Pray for more optometrists and qualified professionals who are willing to donate their time to RE-SPECS. Pray that the organization will continue to prosper and be able to do more and more in their chosen field.

Scripture

The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.

- Proverbs 11:25

Terrorist Opens Fire on Bus Near Jerusalem, 12-year-old Killed

by Elisha Ben Kimon and Liran Tamari ~ Ynetnews

 

Thursday, 12 December | A 12-year-old boy, Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simcha, was killed in a shooting attack late Wednesday on a civilian bus traveling from the Gush Etzion area to Jerusalem. The boy was taken in critical condition to the capital’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries overnight.

“Despite intensive resuscitation efforts, the medical team had to declare the boy’s death. Our hearts are with the family in this difficult time,” the hospital said in a statement.

The boy’s family had been returning to Jerusalem from a family event in Beitar Illit when the attack occurred.

A woman in her 40s sustained gunshot wounds to her limbs and was fully conscious. She was transported to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in moderate condition. Two other passengers, aged 24 and 55, suffered minor injuries from gunfire and shattered glass and were treated at the scene.

The hospital initially reported that a young man had arrived in moderate-to-serious condition but later clarified that only the woman, who was moderately injured, had been admitted.

The bus reached a military checkpoint on the outskirts of Jerusalem carrying the injured, where emergency responders provided medical assistance. Several individuals suffering from shock received treatment at the scene.

Magen David Adom [Israel’s national emergency and ambulance service] paramedic Elchai Sofer and EMT Yaakov Grinwald said, “We arrived quickly and saw the bus still with passengers on board. A 12-year-old boy with gunshot wounds to his upper body was in critical condition. We provided life-saving treatment and transported him to Hadassah Ein Kerem while fighting to save his life.”

The assailant, reportedly firing from a passing vehicle, struck the bus with 23 bullets before fleeing the scene. Security forces launched a manhunt, suspecting the attacker may have had accomplices.

Footage from the scene showed passengers, including women and children, fleeing the bus and running toward security forces. The authenticity and context of the video remain unclear, including whether gunfire heard was from the attacker or security personnel.

The Israel Defense Forces [IDF] confirmed the incident as a terror attack. “A terrorist opened fire on an Israeli civilian bus near the al-Khader junction in the Gush Etzion Brigade’s area,” the army said in a statement. “Several civilians were injured and are receiving medical treatment. Security forces have launched a pursuit, establishing roadblocks and encircling Bethlehem.”

Shortly after, police closed Begin Road southbound from Jerusalem to aid the search effort. A joint command center involving the IDF, Shin Bet [Israeli internal security organization], Border Police and local police was established to gather intelligence on the suspect vehicle.

Senior officials, including Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Blot, Judea and Samaria District Police Commander Moshe Pinto and Beitar Illit Mayor Meir Rubinstein, arrived at the scene.

A security official told Ynetnews the gunman had reportedly approached Palestinian security forces, who refused to shelter him but confiscated his weapon.

Security forces have encircled the Palestinian village of Husan and the city of Bethlehem as part of the ongoing manhunt. Military officials are investigating reports that the attacker may have continued shooting near the checkpoint, though these remain unconfirmed.

The Yesha Council, representing Israeli settlements in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], called for decisive action, saying, “This horrific attack is not inevitable. It is time to dismantle terror infrastructure, move forces into cities and neutralize threats. The enemy in Bethlehem is no different from the enemy in Gaza. The response must be the same.”

The attack follows a similar shooting last week near Ariel, where a bus driver, Hassan al-Sakhan, was critically wounded after six bullets struck the windshield of his vehicle. He was evacuated to Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, where doctors managed to stabilize his condition.

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on December 12, 2024. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: lloydo36/Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Flickr.com

Photo License: Flickr

Prayer Focus
Pray for the family of this young boy whose life has been tragically cut short, asking the Lord to comfort them in their grief. Pray for the day when Israelis will be able to travel in Judea and Samaria, the biblical heartland, without fear of terror attacks. Pray for Israel’s security forces—the IDF, Border Police and Shin Bet—as they daily confront threats such as these drive-by terror attacks.

Scripture

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

- Psalm 34:17–18

Gaza Hostage Deal: Optimistic Messages and Conflicting Reports

by Moran Azulay ~ Ynetnews

Wednesday, 11 December 2024 | Senior Israeli officials were informed Tuesday night that Hamas wants a ceasefire and hostage release deal, in light of the visit of Shin Bet [Israeli internal security organization] head Ronen Bar and Israel Defense Forces [IDF] Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi to Egypt, and the assessment in Israel that a deal could be reached within a month. Israel, however, denies that lists of hostages who will be released in the first phase of the deal have already been produced and passed from Hamas to Egypt in recent days, despite Arab reports.

“We’re not there yet,” said sources familiar with the details. In addition, there is also substantial disagreement over the number of hostages who will be released in the first round.

In Egypt, Bar and Halevi met with their counterparts and discussed regional security issues against the backdrop of assessments that a deal could be reached to release the hostages “within a week or two.” The meeting dealt, among other things, with the sensitive situation in the Middle East after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.

In addition, they also discussed security issues between the countries, including the issue of the hostage deal and specifically the Philadelphi Corridor, although as far as is known this is not an official negotiating delegation. Senior Israeli and Egyptian officials have met from time to time and as needed several times since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip in order to discuss security issues.

According to the same reports about the lists that were transferred, such as one published in the Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat, the meeting between Halevi and Bar and their Egyptian counterparts included receiving a list of names of live hostages, some 30 in number. The newspaper quoted a “source familiar with the details of the deal” as saying that “the meaning of the visit is that we are closer to a ceasefire.” The newspaper noted that acceptance of the Egyptian proposal might come by the end of the week, or at the latest by the middle of the month. According to the same source, the proposal under discussion talks about a ceasefire of up to 60 days, at a rate of two days for each Israeli hostage, while Hamas will keep the soldiers and “the most important hostages” for additional rounds.

A political source told Ynetnews Tuesday that progress has been made on the issue of negotiations for a hostage deal. “The starting point so far was that Hamas did not want a deal, and today it seems as if this has changed. Until two weeks ago, I thought Hamas did not want a deal, and today I tend to think that it has changed its mind,” he said.

“The situation has changed,” the source also claimed. “The conditions have changed. Hamas wanted many fronts and that’s over. There are no fronts, so there is a chance of reaching a deal in the coming month.”

Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met Tuesday at the White House with Brett McGurk, the US presidential envoy to the Middle East. “At the center of our conversation was the real possibility of a breakthrough on the issue of the release of the hostages in the near future. I emphasized to the presidential envoy that the coming days will be critical for the release of the kidnapped and that I view this mission as of supreme national and ethical importance,” Gallant said.

“The current progress is made possible by the series of operational achievements that the State of Israel has achieved through its security forces in all sectors of the fighting—in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, which has established the strength and supremacy of the State of Israel throughout the Middle East, and weakened the Shiite axis, to the point of the fall of the murderous Assad regime. Also in the continuation of my expected meetings in Washington, I will place the vital task facing us at the center of the discussion—to return the hostages to Israel.”

Meanwhile, Minister Yoav Ben-Tzur of the Shas Party said that party chairman Aryeh Deri “is working in every way for the welfare of the families of the hostages, and in the confidential discussions he is pushing with all his might for a deal to return them, a deal that security officials support.” He added: “The return of the hostages is our duty and our responsibility, and our desire is a quick deal and the release of everyone in one fell swoop.”

A senior Egyptian official told Ynetnews and Yedioth Ahronoth Tuesday morning that the announcement of an arrangement that would lead to a ceasefire and a deal is “very close.” A Hamas delegation led by senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya left Cairo on Sunday night, following discussions with the head of Egyptian intelligence, General Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, and his team. On Tuesday, it was reported that the delegation had handed over to the Egyptians a detailed list of Israeli hostages—sick and elderly, women and men—that Hamas is offering to release in the first phase. The Hamas delegation also handed over a detailed list of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons that Hamas is demanding to be released as part of the new deal.

The Egyptian official clarified that an Israeli delegation is scheduled to leave for Cairo this week for a meeting at the intelligence headquarters, during which they will be given the lists of Palestinian hostages and prisoners. Hamas made it clear to Egypt that “there is a better chance than ever before of closing a deal,” in exchange for the release of the prisoners and Israel’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor and other areas in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser to US President Joe Biden, met with the families of the American hostages Idan Alexander, Omar Neutra, Itay Chen, Sagui Dekel Chen, Keith Siegel, Gadi Haggai and Judy Weinstein Haggai. “

The families expressed their gratitude for the administration’s continued involvement since October 7, and emphasized the need for close cooperation with President-elect Donald Trump’s team in order to bring about the return of the hostages,” it was reported. “Sullivan updated the families regarding the current negotiations, and assured them that the administration will continue to devote maximum efforts to the release of the hostages.”

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on December 11, 2024. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Oren Rozen/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Continue to bring the hostages and their loved ones before the Lord in prayer, asking that He will strengthen them and keep them as they are living in the midst of horrific conditions. Pray that they would not lose hope. Pray that Israel’s negotiators will have wisdom as they navigate through this difficult and complex situation.

Scripture

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

- 2 Samuel 22:2b–4

Amid War, Germany Pulls Back on Marking 60 Years of Israel Relations

by Itamar Eichner ~ Ynetnews

 

Thursday, 12 December 2024 | Germany has announced the cancellation of a planned joint Israeli-German pavilion at the Frankfurt Book Fair, originally intended to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The decision was conveyed to Israel by Yoel Pollak, the coordinator for the 60th anniversary on behalf of Germany’s Foreign Ministry, in a brief message without explanation.

Senior Israeli officials expressed disappointment, citing “delays, difficulties and foot-dragging” from Germany’s Foreign Ministry in advancing projects to commemorate the anniversary.

Unlike past milestones, such as the 50th and 55th anniversaries, no dedicated budget has been allocated by Germany, raising doubts about the feasibility of significant activities to mark the occasion.

Israel places strategic importance on its relationship with Germany, given their unique and complex shared history. In previous years, milestone anniversaries were celebrated with collaborative and festive initiatives. However, the ongoing war in Israel appears to have affected Germany’s willingness to engage.

Foreign Ministry officials are working with their German counterparts to promote and fund planned activities and have conveyed their dissatisfaction to the German Embassy in Tel Aviv.

The decision comes amid reports of strained defense cooperation between the two countries. In September, Germany’s Bild newspaper reported that the German government rejected Israeli requests for various arms purchases while approving sales of heavy weapons to Qatar, a known financial supporter of Hamas. The report alleged Germany is enforcing a “quiet embargo” on Israel.

According to Bild, Israel last year sought to purchase thousands of tank shells and other munitions, but Berlin has yet to decide on the requests. Meanwhile, in the first half of 2024, Germany approved arms sales to Qatar worth over €100 million [USD 105 million].

“The Jewish state, currently fighting on multiple fronts against the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, places great importance on acquiring specific military equipment from abroad,” Bild wrote.

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on December 12, 2024. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Amos ben Gershon/Spokesperson Unit of the President of Israel/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
As nations which once had closer relationships with Israel begin to distance themselves, pray that the Jewish people will get their confidence and assurance from the Lord, who has chosen them to be a nation set apart. Pray that the leaders of these nations will begin to see that when they stand against Israel, they are choosing to side against God Himself.

Scripture

How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. There! A people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations.

- Numbers 23:8–9

No Mention of Hamas in Gaza ‘Justice’ Photo Show at UN Headquarters

by Vita Fellig ~ JNS

Tuesday, 10 December 2024 | The photo exhibit “Gaza, Palestine: A Crisis of Humanity, a Cry for Justice” in the lobby of UN headquarters in Manhattan includes images of demolished buildings, displaced civilians, maimed children and corpses. It mentions neither Hamas nor the terror group’s October 7 terrorist attacks in southern Israel that launched the war upon which the exhibit focuses.

“This was written by the Palestinian mission to the UN and in this long, long text, you won’t find the word ‘Hamas’ in it,” Jonathan Harounoff, international spokesman for Israel’s mission to the global body, told JNS. “You won’t find any mention of the perpetrators of the attacks of October 7, 2023.”

“It’s very selective in the history it is trying to portray, and the exhibit includes graphic imagery of everything that took place following October 7, but they never mention what actually happened to lead to all of this,” Harounoff said.

Harounoff told JNS that the Jewish state isn’t engaged in the war “to bring suffering upon the people of Gaza.”

“That’s not its objective. Its objective is to prevent terrorist organizations like Hamas from terrorizing its people which it did when it infiltrated Israel on October 7,” he said.

Harounoff pointed to a photograph by Yasser Qudih—whose presence during the October 7 attacks has raised ethical questions—which depicts children holding empty bowls, hoping in vain for food, near Rafah. “It did not take long for the food to run out,” a caption states.

“Pictures like this in this exhibit, showcasing children who are starving and desperate for food, fail to mention that the reason the photographed children have no food is because Hamas terrorists continually loot aid in Gaza instead of feeding their own people,” Harounoff said.

The Israeli spokesman told JNS that other exhibits in the UN lobby tend to have highly visible signs with disclaimers stating that the UN does not necessarily share the views articulated in the exhibitions.

‘Does Not Paint a Full Picture’

The Gaza photo exhibit, which is on view until January 10 and is organized by the Palestinian “permanent observer” mission to the global body, has no such sign.

Harounoff showed JNS another exhibit in the UN lobby about the Palestinian Red Crescent.

“The content of this exhibit is solely the responsibility of the sponsor. The holding of the exhibit on the UN premises does not imply endorsement or acceptance of its content by the UN” the sign states. “The designations employed and the presentation of material on these displays do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the secretariat or the UN. Please direct any queries to the organizers.”

The Gaza exhibit “has only a very small footnote saying the UN doesn’t necessarily share the viewpoints of the exhibit organizer,” Harounoff said. “But when the Israeli mission held an exhibit featuring Israeli mothers speaking about the loss of their children due to the war, we were told that by protocol we had to have a large sign letting the public know this exhibit reflected our mission’s views alone.”

That double standard suggests that the UN endorses the messaging behind the Gaza exhibit, according to Harounoff.

“This exhibit does not paint a full picture here. We don’t see mention of what happened on October 7, we only see what took place from a very biased angle,” he said. “So the concern is, does having no disclaimer mean that this is an endorsement by the UN?”

“If there was a sign here, then there would be transparency, where I could infer as a visitor that this is not condoned by the UN,” he added. “By not having a sign, you’re creating a sort of opaque system, where anyone passing by can assume that this has been endorsed by or even curated by the UN, and that is not necessarily the case.”

Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, stated that the Gaza exhibit represents “diplomatic terrorism.”

“This week, a one-sided pro-Palestinian exhibition that is detached from reality opened at the main entrance to the UN,” he said. “When will the UN stop spending millions of dollars on spreading lies and instead pass a moral resolution that condemns Hamas and calls for the release of our hostages? Disgraceful.”

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 9, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Vita Fellig/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Pray that Israel’s diplomatic mission to the UN will discover creative strategies to combat the unspoken bias they encounter at every turn. Pray for a way to tell the whole story, not just the selected half-truths the Palestinian exhibit portrays. Pray that other nations will question why there is no visible disclaimer stating that display of this content at the UN does not imply its endorsement or acceptance of the content.

Scripture

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.

- Psalm 33:10–11

Survey: Two-thirds of Jewish Women Surveyed Feel Impact of Jew-hatred

by Vita Fellig ~ JNS

Wednesday, 11 December 2024 | Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Jewish women surveyed by Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, reported that antisemitism had impacted their work, lives or relationships, according to new data released by the organization on Tuesday.

More than 1,000 people responded to the survey, the results of which also found that 62% said they had felt physically or psychologically unsafe and 52% of Jewish women reported hiding being Jewish.

“Every day, Jewish women are suffering in silence, isolation and fear as they live in the shadows of hate,” said Carol Ann Schwartz, national president of Hadassah.

In addition, 33% said they had experienced hate due to their Jewish or Zionist identity, and 22% said they had been excluded from groups or events because of their identity.

Schwartz called the responses a “call to action for us all.”

“We must urgently strengthen policies against rising antisemitism and empower our communities to rise up, together, and confront hatred in every form,” she said.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 10, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Courtesy/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Pray for an awakening, especially among Christians, of an understanding that to hate the Jewish people is to be in opposition to the Lord Himself for He has chosen them. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and all His ways are perfect. Pray for opportunities to stand in support of His chosen people.

Scripture

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.

- Psalm 135:3–4

Amnesty Israel Rejects Parent Group’s Genocide Allegations

by JNS

Friday, 6 December 2024 | The Israeli branch of Amnesty International on Thursday publicly rejected the claim by the group’s international headquarters that the Jewish state is perpetrating genocide against Palestinians.

“Amnesty Israel does not accept the main findings of the report by Amnesty International Global Movement which accuses Israel of genocide,” the Israel branch wrote in a statement.

The Israeli branch also said that there was “no dispute” among its members that “Israel’s actions in Gaza, carried out in response to the Hamas-led massacre against civilians in Israel on October 7, 2023, establish suspicions of widespread violations of international law and may amount to crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.”

But, the Tel Aviv-based branch wrote, “Our careful analysis does not find that the findings meet the definition of genocide, as carefully formulated in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”

Amnesty Israel is a locally registered nonprofit that is legally independent of the London headquarters of Amnesty International.

The reaction came in response to a report published Thursday titled “‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza” on Amnesty International’s world website under the headline: “Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”

Israel has roundly rejected the claim.

“The deplorable and fanatical organization Amnesty International has once again produced a fabricated report that is entirely false and based on lies,” the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said in a statement.

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) on Wednesday published a statement calling the Amnesty International charges “baseless and malicious.” David Litman, a senior analyst at CAMERA, told JNS that “Few have done more to erode confidence in the cause of human rights than Amnesty.”

In 2022, Amnesty International called Israel’s treatment of Palestinians “apartheid,” prompting no rebuke by the Israeli affiliate.

According to unverified data provided by the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, some 44,000 people have died as a result of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Israel went to war on Hamas in Gaza after thousands of its terrorists invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, murdering some 1,200 people and abducting another 255, according to Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies [INSS]. Israel has killed about 17,000 terrorists in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the INSS. The IDF killed another approximately 1,000 terrorists inside Israel at the time of the Hamas-led invasion.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 5, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Screenshot/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Intercede for the members of the Israeli branch of Amnesty International. Pray that having taken the step of distancing themselves from their parent organization’s outrageous claim that Israel has committed genocide, they will take a further step and retract their position that Israel may have been guilty of “violating international law and crimes against humanity.” Pray for righteousness and truth to prevail.

Scripture

For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth.

- Psalm 96:13b

Photo of Baby Jesus on a Keffiyeh Featured in Vatican Nativity Scene

by JNS

 

Monday, 9 December 2024 | A nativity scene that went on display at the Vatican on Saturday features a photo of the infant Jesus on a keffiyeh.

The traditional Arab scarf has been adopted by Palestinians as a symbol of their national aspirations. The image comes at a time when a revisionist Palestinian narrative has set in whereby Jesus is a Palestinian.

The photograph was presented to the Vatican by representatives from the Embassy of the State of Palestine to the Holy See on the inauguration of the “Nativity of Bethlehem 2024,” displayed in the Paul VI Hall, Vatican News reported.

The pre-Christmas event came just weeks after the Catholic leader called for an international investigation to determine if Israel’s actions in its war against Hamas in Gaza constituted genocide.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 8, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Cry out in repentance for this blatant association of Jesus with a particular political agenda rather than as the One who came to save “all who will come to Him.” Pray that the Vatican will retract its position, inferred by this photograph, that Jesus relates as pro-Palestinian rather than Immanuel, God with ALL of us.

Scripture

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

- Isaiah 53:5–6