×
We have detected your country as:
Please click here to go to the USA website or select another country from the dropdown list.
We have detected your country as:
Please click here to go to the USA website or select another country from the dropdown list.
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.
Casting Lone ‘No’ Vote, US Vetoes UN Security Council Ceasefire Resolution
by Mike Wagenheim ~ JNS
Robert Wood, deputy permanent US representative to the UN, votes against a UNSC resolution on the Middle East.
Thursday, 21 November 2024 | The US vetoed a UN Nations Security Council [UNSC] resolution calling for an Israel–Hamas ceasefire on Wednesday morning, citing its failure to condition a halt in hostilities directly to the release of the hostages, whom Hamas continues to hold in the Gaza Strip.
“We could not support an unconditional ceasefire that failed to release the hostages,” Robert Wood, deputy US ambassador to the UN, told the council.
Wood accused Hamas—and not Israel—of blocking a negotiated ceasefire and cited Israel’s reference for a temporary ceasefire and a phased release of hostages.
Washington cast the lone vote against the measure among the 15-member body. It is one of five permanent members of the council that has veto power.
The E10, a group of the council’s 10 elected members, put the resolution forward at Algeria’s urging. The North African country is the UNSC’s de facto representative for the Palestinians and the Arab and Muslim world.
Amar Bendjama, Algeria’s envoy to the global body, called it a “sad day” for the council and claimed that the Jewish state has “impunity in this chamber.”
The vetoed resolution demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages who remain in Gaza.
It rejected “any effort to starve Palestinians” and demanded immediate access to basic services and humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza. It also called for aid to enter the Strip at scale and be delivered, including to “civilians in besieged north Gaza.”
Wednesday marked the 12th time that the UNSC has voted on a resolution about the Israel–Hamas war. Only four have been adopted. None of the prior 11 appears to have had a substantive effect on halting hostilities or securing the release of hostages or delivery of aid.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s vote that the resolution “is nothing short of a betrayal.”
“It betrays the 101 innocent hostages still held by Hamas, their grieving families and the very principles the UN claims to defend,” he told journalists.
It is “not a resolution for peace. It is a resolution for appeasement” that abandons the hostages and validates and rewards terrorism, he added.
Softened Language
The latest resolution was negotiated extensively and underwent multiple drafts. The first iteration demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire but only insisted upon immediate, unconditional release of all hostages in the next paragraph.
The US and Japan, among others, requested a revised draft repeatedly, and the next version placed the two demands in the same paragraph. (That followed the agreed-upon text from a prior resolution in March, upon which Washington controversially abstained, allowing it to pass.)
This time around, the Biden administration insisted on an explicit conditional link between the demands for ceasefire and hostage release. This was the formula that was articulated in a June resolution, which called for a phased ceasefire and hostage release scheme. That resolution passed with a Russian abstention.
The E10 rejected the demand, leading to a stalemate—and Wednesday’s US veto.
Washington won other concessions on the text of the resolution, including a critical deletion of language relevant to Chapter VII of the UN Charter. The original text of the resolution determined “that the situation in the Gaza Strip and the regional escalation constitute a threat to international peace and security.”
UNSC to take collective action it deems fit, up to and including the use of force. The Biden administration insisted that it be removed.
The new draft also softened language about implementing the International Court of Justice’s [ICJ] ruling on provisional measures that it said Israel must take in Gaza and on text rejecting actions that undermine the mandate of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees [UNRWA] in the Near East, which Israel has said has many employees that are part of Palestinian terror groups and that participated directly in the October 11 attacks.
Despite US pressure, the resolution did not condemn Hamas explicitly, nor did it establish a standing mechanism to review Israel’s allegations about UNRWA.
Matthew Miller, the US State Department spokesman, told reporters during the department’s press conference on Wednesday that “we worked in good faith for several weeks to try to get to ‘yes’ on this resolution, to try to get to a resolution that we can vote for.”
“As you know, we have voted for a resolution in the UNSC resolution already this year that called for a ceasefire, but it called for a ceasefire with the release of hostages and that is our position,” he said. “We firmly believe in it because we want to see those hostages come home.”
“I would kind of turn the question around and ask, why is it that the countries pushing this resolution couldn’t actually link the two? Why they wouldn’t agree to link the ceasefire to the release of hostages,” he added. “What is it about the release of hostages that they wouldn’t support when linked to a ceasefire?”
Told that it’s unclear what is objectionable about the language that the US vetoed, Miller said, “You think Hamas is going to respect a UNSC resolution calling for the release of hostages? No, we don’t think they are at all.”
“We think they ought to be linked together, because then you get international support,” he said.
Photo Credit: Loey Felipe/UN Photo/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Praise God for the strong allies that stand with Israel, particularly the US, who has rejected several anti-Israel resolutions on the international stage. Pray for consistent and firm support in US policies and international relations as leadership transitions in the new term.
Scripture
“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
First Report on Amsterdam Pogrom: “The Jews Did It”
by JNS
Police officers clash with protestors during a demonstration on Dam Square.
Friday, 15 November 2024 | In its first report on the mass assaults on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, the city’s municipality has accused them of chanting “hateful and racist songs against Arabs.”
This language, which appeared in the fifth sentence of the 12-page report published on Monday, marked a shift from city officials’ rhetoric so far, including Mayor Femke Halsema’s statement that “there is no excuse” for the assaults.
Herman Loonstein, a prominent Dutch–Jewish lawyer, accused the municipality of victim-blaming, telling JNS that the document suggests that “the Jews did it.”
The report, titled, “Violence in Amsterdam Around the Ajax-Maccabi Match,” was published ahead of a debate scheduled for Tuesday about the events of November 7, when at least 100 Arabs perpetrated a coordinated series of assaults against Israeli soccer fans following a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local Ajax team.
It was the largest-scale series of antisemitic incidents in the Netherlands since the Holocaust and one of the largest events of its kind in Europe in recent decades.
The report’s release coincided with a fresh wave of unrest in Amsterdam that featured the torching of a tram amid antisemitic shouts about “cancer Jews” and anti-Israel protest actions across Amsterdam and Utrecht.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the November 7 event a “pogrom,” [form of riot directed against a particular group, whether ethnic, religious or other] as did many locals, including Geert Wilders, the leader of the Netherlands’ largest political party and ruling coalition partner. Wilders tweeted following the tram’s torching: “First a Jew hunt, now intifada.” He has called for deporting all perpetrators of the November 7 assaults.
Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof reportedly called the attacks a source of “shame,” as did Dutch King Willem-Alexander, who referenced the abandonment and near annihilation of Dutch Jewry during the Holocaust.
Yet amid intense media coverage of the assaults locally and internationally, some voices criticized the Israelis and asserted or suggested that they had instigated the violence.
The introduction of Monday’s report by the municipality reads: “On November 8, the world awoke to terrible images from the pitch-black night Amsterdam had experienced. Four days later, anger and fear and disbelief are still felt. Images of Israeli soccer fans chased, assaulted and abused. Screenshots of antisemitic messages like the call for a ‘Jew hunt.’ Films of hateful and racist chants against ‘Arabs.’ Of pulling down and burning of a Palestinian flag and targeted assaults of Jewish and Israeli fans, featuring many antisemitic statements. With regards to this, city authorities declare that one party’s violence is never an excuse to more violence. Our city’s heart bleeds due to these events. Amsterdam residents everywhere feel pain.”
“It’s a hopelessly naive report, a terrible piece of bureaucratic-speak,” Rabbi Meir Villegas Henriquez told JNS. He called it “cover for officials to not take responsibility.”
Loonstein, the lawyer, noted that the municipality’s reference to the behavior of Maccabi fans fails to explain why hundreds of people on Sunday defied a ban on anti-Israel protests on the Dam, which led riot police to arrest dozens. It also does not explain why dozens of people participated in rioting on Monday night, where a tram was torched on 40-45 Square, named for the victims of the Nazi occupation, he said.
“I haven’t heard yet that the Jews also torched the tram yesterday,” said Loonstein.
In the report’s timeline, Maccabi fans were “walking in a large group around midnight near Dam Square, some with sticks, and causing vandalism.” After that, “problems began involving small groups of rioters spread out across the center. They staged violent hit-and-run actions” against Israelis.
Several eyewitnesses told JNS that groups of Arab men were scanning the city center for Israelis systematically and not in response to any violence by Maccabi supporters that they’d witnessed. Three riot police officers who were on the streets of the city center on Thursday night told the De Telegraaf daily on Sunday that the Maccabi fans had not acted violently.
“I absolutely don’t see why it’s being claimed that Maccabi fans were out to stage confrontations, the opposite is true,” one officer told the Dutch daily on condition of anonymity.
Amsterdam Police Chief Peter Holla on Friday said at a press conference that Israelis had damaged a taxi cab and stolen a Palestinian flag in the city center. One of the riot police officers interviewed by De Telegraaf said the flag had been hung prominently and deliberately to provoke the Israelis. Another police officer said that the circumstances surrounding an incident involving a taxi were not yet clear.
The police report says a group of taxi drivers “was mobilized” and headed towards the Holland Casino, where some 400 Israelis were present. “Police led out the Israelis to avoid a large-scale confrontation,” the report said. It did not say whether the taxi that was allegedly damaged was part of the “mobilization.”
Earlier in the day, footage surfaced online of two men attempting to burn a Palestinian and a Dutch flag at a soccer stadium. Men were chanting “Gaza is a cemetery” in the background. The dozens of people in the video are wearing short-sleeved T-shirts in sunny weather and clear skies. Amsterdam was heavily overcast on November 7, with temperatures around 11°C (51.8°F) in the daytime.
Footage also showed dozens of men shouting “Let the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] win” in Hebrew as they entered a metro station after sunset.
Jazie Veldhuyzen, a councilman on the City Council of Amsterdam for the BIJ1 party, which says it promotes anti-racist policies but has often been accused of espousing antisemitism, is one of several Dutch politicians and opinion shapers who have blamed the Maccabi fans for the assault against them.
“Video footage of armed Maccabi hooligans, attacking people from Amsterdam that look like Arabs or Muslims with metal pipes, stones and fireworks. All under the protection of the Dutch police. Here you have your ‘victims,’” tweeted Veldhuyzen. He was among those present at the illegal demonstration Sunday at Dam Square. Lucas Winnips, a senior municipal adviser, was also present.
On November 8, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, who was a leader of the left-wing D66 Party, was asked by a journalist at a press conference about the alleged provocations by Israelis. She replied: “There can be no excuse for what happened.” Asked as to reports that the perpetrators were all Arab or Muslim, she said: “This is an issue that needs to be researched. The background and ethnicity of people, that’s not something I can comment on right now, nor do I want to.”
On X, De Telegraaf journalist Wierd Duk anticipated an inversion of the narrative about November 7 which would turn the Israelis from victims to perpetrators. “From this evening on, there will be a new dominant narrative in media, the political echelon and public opinion,” he tweeted on November 10. “The framing is that the Jews again brought it on themselves—in this case that Maccabi hooligans misbehaved terribly, which is true—prompting our Moroccan–Islamist street heroes to react appropriately, with a few minor excesses here and there.”
Police arrested 62 people before and after the assaults, but none during them, police officials confirmed on Sunday. Of those, 10 were Israeli residents, 49 were residents of the Netherlands and the residence of the remaining three was still being determined, according to Monday’s report. Currently, only four people are in custody, all of them Dutch. Police or prosecutors are looking into taking legal action against only 11 people, the report said. It did not say whether those suspects facing potential prosecution were Israeli or Dutch.
The report stated that police and city authorities had taken “extensive action” to avoid violence. It does not name any failures in their actions, stating that these may be outlined in independent research into the events of November 7.
The document notes that, despite efforts to avoid violence, “nasty incidents happen regularly in Amsterdam, affecting Jews but also increasingly Muslims, Palestinians and other minority groups.”
In the conclusions of the report, the authors wrote: “What has happened in recent days is the result of antisemitism, hooliganism, and anger over the war in Israel and Palestine and other countries in the Middle East.” The report also said the ethnic identities of the perpetrators will be looked into in the independent research of the events of November 7.
On Monday, police in Belgium arrested six suspected copycats of the Amsterdam assaults who are suspected of planning, using instant messaging, to attack ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The assaults in Amsterdam happened on the eve of the anniversary of the Kristallnacht Nazi pogroms of 1938 in the Third Reich.
Some victims of the November 7 assaults were made to beg for mercy on their knees and say “Free Palestine.” Others, including at least one woman, were set upon by men without any verbal exchange. At least one man jumped into a canal to escape his attackers; another was hit by a vehicle. According to reports, attackers asked to check the passports of people they confronted on the street.
About 25 people were hurt during the assaults, with injuries ranging from moderate to minor.
As many as 2,000 Israelis returned to Israel on eight emergency flights out of Amsterdam over the weekend, El Al, Israel’s flag carrier airline, reported.
Photo Credit: Robin van Lonkhuijsen/ANP/AFP via Getty Images/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Cry out on behalf of the victims, asking for emotional and physical healing. Pray for God’s protection over the Jewish people around the world. Give thanks that as antisemitism is rampant on the streets of Europe, Israel remains a safe haven for Jewish people.
Scripture
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them from all their troubles.
Israel Reportedly Destroyed Iranian Nuclear Weapons Research Facility
by Joshua Spurlock ~ Middle East Update
Prime Minister Netanyahu reaffirmed that halting Iran’s nuclear program remains Israel’s ‘chief concern’ (illustrative).
Monday, 18 November 2024 | Israel destroyed an Iranian facility capable of crucial research into nuclear weapons during their direct attack on Iran in October, according to a recent report by Axios. However, the cheers that Iran’s march to the bomb was halted may be premature, as a nuclear weapons expert is asking—with an implied warning—can Iran quickly recover from the blow?
Per the Axios report on Friday, which cited US and Israeli sources, the Jewish State hit nuclear weapons research equipment in the Parchin military base at a site known as Taleghan 2. The technology targeted is used to detonate the enriched uranium in a nuclear weapons explosion. This is a key piece to one of three crucial steps to nuclear weapons, along with the uranium itself and a missile or bomb capable of carrying the radioactive payload. With Iran having made much progress on the other two components, achieving a transportable detonation capacity is one of the last moves Iran needs to achieve before they can break out toward nuclear weapons.
Israeli officials told Axios that the destroyed tech will need to be replaced, which Israel believes they can track if that happens. One official called it a “bottleneck” preventing Iran from making the move to build nuclear weapons. While the report indicated Iran had not yet made that move and the research equipment was dormant, its loss seriously hampers Iran’s ability to push for the bomb.
At least, that’s the belief by officials in the report. Nuclear weapons expert and President of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) David Albright isn’t so sure. In a series of posts to X (formerly Twitter), Albright questioned whether Iran will find it easier to recover from the Israeli blow than may be expected now.
Citing pictures showing similar, or perhaps the same, equipment from another Iranian facility, Albright asked: “Is this equipment in pics outside Iran’s ability to make itself or does, as Axios reported, Iran have to replace the equipment from abroad? If the latter, Israel’s attack destroyed valuable equipment to nuclear weapons production that is time consuming to replace.
“But how much plastic explosive are in storage elsewhere, ready to be used in a shock wave generator? Each one does not require that much plastic explosives.”
Albright also questioned whether the report conflated Iranian efforts at two different sites. Albright, in a research report posted to ISIS’ website on Thursday, notes that Iran has potentially three different research sites at the Parchin base, including new construction that was not reportedly attacked and has potential application for explosives testing. While ISIS has observed activity at the site, Albright notes that the personnel there appear to have independence. Therefore, rather than indicating an official Iranian move to build nuclear weapons, the activity can be viewed as potential preparation work setting the stage for that step if and when that decision is made.
In his posts to X, Albright notes that he “did confirm that activities at Taleghan 2, whatever they were recently, were nuclear weapons related,” although he also was hesitant to commit to how directly related that activity is to nuclear weapons development, saying it “needs more clarification.”
The attack comes after former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had called for Israel’s much anticipated October strike—a counterattack to a massive Iranian missile strike on Israel—to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. In addition, current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear Iran’s nuclear threat remains their top priority.
In a press release around the October Israeli strike in comments translated from Hebrew, Netanyahu said, “Halting the nuclear program has been—and remains—our chief concern. I have not taken, we have not taken and we will not take, our eyes off this objective. Obviously, I cannot detail our plans to achieve this supreme goal.”
More of those details appear to have emerged in the Axios report. While Albright was cautious about its ultimate impact, he did agree with a US official in the report that Israel’s attack on a top-secret facility sends a clear message.
Posted Albright, “Whatever was destroyed in Taleghan 2, its destruction by Israel sent a signal and a warning to Iran; the Iranian leadership should heed both.”
Source: (This article was originally published by the Middle East Update on November 17, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today.)
Photo License: Wikimedia
Prayer Focus
Thank the Lord for Israel’s military success against an enemy avowed to her destruction. Pray for continued guidance at the leadership level, as these men and women are responsible for making decisions to safeguard a people and a nation perpetually in the crosshairs. Ask that they would look to God their Rock to give them success on the frontlines.
Scripture
Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.
‘Look Me In the Eyes’: Ex-Hamas Hostage Leaves Pro-Palestinian Activist Speechless
by Daniela Ginzburg ~ Ynetnews
Moran Stela Yanai, hostage-survivor spoke at the Kidnapped Square in Tel-Aviv.
Tuesday, 19 November 2024 | A debate event held last June in Los Angeles featured participants such as Mosab Hassan Yousef (“The Green Prince”), Moran Stela Yanai—a survivor kidnapped and held captive by Hamas, University of California Los Angeles Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies Director Prof. Dov Waxman and pro-Palestinian activist Aidan Dewolf, the organizer of a protest encampment at the same university.
This event went viral on Monday following the release of the second part of the interview, where Yanai directly addresses and speaks with Dwolf.
In this newly released second segment, published four months after the initial interview, Yanai is seen addressing the pro-Palestinian activist, saying, “I really want to talk to you on eye level and tell you a story, if you want to hear it.
“…When I was kidnapped to Gaza, I was caught three times. The last time, I was caught by 13 Hamas terrorists. Thirteen. I want you to acknowledge the facts as they are, truly. I’ve visited the US, have you ever been to Israel? Have you visited Gaza before? Probably not,” she recounts.
“On October 7, and this is what they (the terrorists) told me, they had no idea about the Nova festival, they didn’t know there were 3,000 people there. They planned, and this is what they told me, to continue onward and kill as many people as possible. In Be’er Sheva, Tel Aviv, Haifa—they wanted to slaughter everyone.
“And you know what, maybe you won’t believe me, but I can show you the videos that I have. Do you know how many bodies were there? Do you know how much violence I experienced firsthand? I was caught in the middle of the lynch; I was portrayed as a soldier because I chose that day, unintentionally, to wear olive-green clothes that looked like a uniform. That was enough to classify me as a soldier.
“And they treated me like a soldier. I’m 40 years old, look at me, I’m 40. I have a cat and a dog; I had two cats, I lost one that day. I have a mom and dad, and a brother, who left their whole lives to try and help me. My mom found out I was kidnapped through my 12-year-old niece, who saw a video on TikTok and recognized me. That’s how they found out I was kidnapped. Did you know that?”
Yanai continued her dialogue with Dwolf for several more minutes, during which it was clear that he felt very uncomfortable with the direct yet calm way she presented her story to him, even struggling to maintain eye contact. Social media reactions quickly followed, with many praising Yanai’s quiet strength and the way she shared her story and words with Dewolf.
It should be noted that Yanai is a jewelry designer who went to the Nova Festival near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7, 2023, to sell her jewelry. During the Hamas attack on the festival, she was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists and taken to the Gaza Strip, where she was held captive for 54 days.
During her captivity, Yanai had to endure harsh conditions, including humiliation and abuse. She recounted in several interviews how she was forced to beg for food and her captors’ demand that she look them in the eyes, which left her with deep psychological scars. After her release, Yanai underwent a lengthy rehabilitation process. In January 2024, she returned to her home in Be’er Sheva and has since continued to share her story to raise awareness about the situation of hostages and encourage the public to advocate for them.
Photo License: Instagram
Photo Credit: missing morgan/screenshot/Instagram.com
Prayer Focus
Pray that truth will trump anti-Israel propaganda and that more voices will rise to speak out against the lies and misinformation surrounding Israel's right to defend itself. Ask for God's hand to amplify the truth of real-life stories from victims, like this ex-Hamas hostage. Pray that these powerful testimonies will cut through the false narratives and bring clarity to Israel’s position in this war.
Scripture
The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Beirut Seeks Truce Deal Permitting Hezbollah’s Continued Presence
by Shachar Kleiman ~ JNS via Israel Hayom
A portrait of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hangs at an Israeli airstrike site in Beirut’s al-Shiyah neighborhood, November 19, 2024.
Wednesday, 20 November 2024 | Israel is intensifying its military campaign in Beirut, targeting the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s strategic assets, while parallel diplomatic tracks gain momentum.
Following the submission of a draft agreement to Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who forwarded it to Hezbollah and the Iranian leadership for review, Israeli forces struck dozens of targets in the Dahieh district, Hezbollah’s stronghold, including weapons storage facilities, production sites, command centers and vital infrastructure.
While expressing optimism about potential progress, Berri’s statements to local media revealed substantial remaining challenges. “[US President-elect] Donald Trump has authorized [US envoy Amos] Hochstein to pursue a ceasefire in Lebanon, and Israel seeks to end the conflict,” the senior Lebanese official noted.
“Israel’s military operational freedom in Lebanon is excluded from the agreement. This point is non-negotiable and not open for discussion,” Berri said.
“Lebanon has proposed several amendments and ideas for American consideration. Consensus remains elusive regarding the international oversight committee for Resolution 1701 implementation and the scope of multinational force deployment,” he added. Berri, speaking as Hezbollah’s representative in the talks, characterized the period as “decisive days.”
Lebanese sources have disclosed the following elements of the ceasefire proposal draft, representing primarily Beirut’s negotiating position:
The proposed framework envisions a graduated deployment of Lebanese military forces to the south, beginning with 5,000 troops as the exclusive authorized armed presence. The plan calls for enhanced UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] presence alongside a complete Israel Defense Forces [IDF] withdrawal.
Sources indicate the draft includes assurances against Israeli military actions in Lebanon, though specific conditions remain unclear. It was also stated that discussions regarding the land border would begin two months after the ceasefire, overseen by a trilateral committee including Israel, Lebanon and UNIFIL.
Supervisory Committee
Security analysts identify significant vulnerabilities in Beirut’s proposed arrangement. The Lebanese military’s composition includes substantial Shi’ite [a branch of Islam, mainly in Iran and Iraq] representation with known Hezbollah sympathies or affiliations. Expectations of weapons confiscation or prevention of arms trafficking by these forces appear unrealistic. UNIFIL’s track record demonstrates limited effectiveness, being occasionally hesitant to attribute attacks to Hezbollah explicitly.
The proposed guarantees against Israeli military action and complete withdrawal present additional complications. Such terms would severely hamper Resolution 1701’s implementation and compromise security arrangements for Israel’s evacuated northern communities.
Experts anticipate that Hezbollah would eventually reestablish positions south of the Litani River [in Lebanon] and rebuild its capabilities, effectively rendering the resolution inoperative. US envoy Hochstein’s visit to Beirut this week, which began on Tuesday, is expected to address these concerns.
According to Al-Akhbar, a publication with ties to Hezbollah, Lebanese officials seek clarification primarily regarding the committee that will supervise the implementation of Resolution 1701.
Beirut particularly objects to British and German participation and expresses concerns about the committee’s executive authority, essentially opposing any international body capable of meaningful enforcement.
Operational Momentum
Israel’s elimination of Mohammad Afif, Hezbollah’s longtime communications chief and a founding member, alongside other apparatus officials, demonstrates continued operational momentum. Despite recent Israeli successes, significant leadership targets remain, contradicting perceptions of diminished capabilities.
Ali Tabatabai’s emergence as operations chief represents a critical development. Wanted by US authorities for commanding forces in Syria and Yemen during civil conflicts supporting pro-Iranian militias, Tabatabai previously oversaw the training of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force [military unit]. He assumes leadership following the elimination of Fouad Shukr, Ibrahim Akil and Ali Karaki.
The target list includes Abu Ali Rada, Hezbollah’s southern Lebanon regional commander, and Mohammad Haidar, an adviser to former leader Hassan Nasrallah and a Jihad Council member involved in Iran–Lebanon weapons trafficking. Intelligence assessments suggest that senior Hezbollah leadership maintains a presence in Beirut and Dahieh. The Lebanese capital continues functioning as the organization’s operational hub, though adjustments are evident.
Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s new secretary-general, now pre-records speeches, while Mohammad Afif had relocated to local Baath Party facilities. The organization has intensified information security, detaining individuals attempting to document strike locations.
This pressure puts Hezbollah’s leadership in a dilemma: continue insisting on conditions for an agreement full of loopholes, or back down while senior officials who could rehabilitate the organization remain. Notably absent from current Beirut discussions are any demands for a Gaza ceasefire.
Photo Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Pray for God’s perfect will to be done as the powers that be rally for an end to the hostilities. Ask Him to guard Israel against being bullied into a ceasefire deal that does not benefit her, especially an agreement that allows the threat of an Iranian-backed proxy to remain on her doorstep.
Scripture
No weapon formed against you shall prosper…
Pope Urges Probe into Gaza ‘Genocide’ Accusations
by JNS
The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis
Monday, 18 November 2024 | Pope Francis has called for an international investigation into the possibility that Israel has committed genocide in its war against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza, a charge that Jerusalem vehemently denies.
In excerpts from a new book published by Italian daily La Stampa on Sunday, the pontiff is quoted as saying that according to some experts, “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide.”
The head of the Catholic Church continued, “We should investigate carefully to assess whether this fits into the technical definition [of genocide] formulated by international jurists and organizations.”
It marks the first time that Francis has publicly called for an investigation into the accusations of genocide. Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request from Reuters for comment.
The book was written by Hernán Reyes Alcaide and titled “Hope Never Disappoints.” It is based on interviews with the pope.
His reported remarks drew a harsh rebuke from the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), which said in a statement that the comments could cause harm to Jews.
“The State of Israel is currently facing a war of intended annihilation on seven fronts, and these remarks look like a possible opening of an eighth front, from of all places, the Vatican, which can also lead to the spilling of Jewish blood around the world,” CAM CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa said.
“For a pope who appears to prize even-handedness and peace, we see that the Jewish state once again appears to be the exception. We had hoped after Nostra Aetate in 1965 that the Jewish people would be seen as equal to all others around the world by the Catholic hierarchy, but these claims suggest otherwise, and out of all the conflicts and real genocides around the world, the national homeland of the Jewish people is once again singled out as a target for opprobrium.”
“The Catholic Church has a very troubling history of investigations into the conduct of Jews, which were frequently called Inquisitions,” continued Roytman Dratwa.
“It would behoove Pope Francis to choose his words more carefully because they bring to mind a horrific and bloody history of Catholic religious leaders attacking Jews for the enjoyment of others in public at tribunals and Inquisitions where the Jew would always be found guilty regardless of the facts.”
The statement lamented that CAM leaders last year met with Vatican representatives in Israel about antisemitism but the meeting was never followed up.
Francis has been highly critical of Israel during its wars against Iranian-backed terrorist groups over the years.
In September, he expressed dismay at the “death and destruction” caused by Israeli reprisal strikes targeting Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure.
He also said Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon were “unacceptable” and urged the international community to do everything possible to halt the fighting.
In December, Francis labeled children dying in wars, including in the Gaza Strip, as the “little Jesuses of today,” and said that Israel Defense Forces’ actions were reaping an “appalling harvest.”
Photo Credit: Vatican News/YouTube/jns.org
Prayer Focus
With the memory of Christian antisemitism still firmly in Israel’s mind, pray against this message of censure and opposition that once again comes from what the Jewish people can perceive as a Christian influential figure. Pray that Israel will be comforted in knowing the support of organizations like Bridges for Peace, who work on behalf of Christians who love the God of Israel and therefore the people of Israel, as expressed in practical acts of love and blessing.
Scripture
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Saudi–Iranian Geopolitical Romance Blossoms as Israel Is Cast Aside
by Smadar Perry ~ Ynetnews
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman
Friday, 15 November 2024 | A Sino-crafted rapprochement [renewed friendly relations] between Saudi Arabia and Iran is currently unfolding. Just last month, Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s foreign minister, didn’t merely settle for a handshake with Saudi Arabia’s Faisal bin Farhan. Instead, he was whisked off to a high-stakes meeting with the Crown Prince himself, Mohammed bin Salman.
Beijing has been heavily involved in rekindling the love-hate relationship between Tehran and Riyadh. As the Middle Kingdom continues its whisper campaign, it nudged both nations to host Saudi Chief of Staff Fayyadh Al-Ruwaili in Tehran over a tense weekend.
These ties, once severed by seven years of bitterness and shadowed by Iran’s whispered denials of attacks on Saudi oil sanctuaries, are being meticulously reconstructed. The focus is now on joint military pirouettes in the Red Sea and economic bridges, with Saudi Arabia playing the role of a humanitarian lifeline, circumventing American embargoes to nourish Iran with essential goods.
At an emergency summit in the heart of Riyadh, one year to the day since the Arab–Islamic conclave of 2023, the stage was set for a parade of Arab and Islamic leaders. Notably absent was Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, his seat filled by a deputy bearing apologies and the weight of internal “preparations” for an Israeli showdown.
Crown Prince bin Salman’s opening salvo was nothing short of a rhetorical missile aimed squarely at Israeli ears. His audacious critique sidelined American aspirations of brokering a Saudi-Israeli détente, as he boldly demanded a “full withdrawal” from Gaza and the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], and an immediate cessation of Israeli military maneuvers in Lebanon. His narrative expanded to include strikes in Iran and its proxies, a nod to Syria, Lebanon, and the Iraq–Syria border.
In an interview with Ynetnews and Yedioth Aharonoth, a high-ranking academic and confidant of the Saudi elite offered a nuanced perspective. “Prince bin Salman is a strategist with foresight, his gaze fixed on both the immediate and the horizon. Yes, he took a hard line against Israel at the summit, but the Israeli dossier is merely out of sight, not out of mind. The dialogue on relations will resume, but not now,” he said.
Bin Salman’s forceful oration directly addressed Israeli conduct, tracking Israel Defense Forces [IDF] movements across multiple fronts, from Gaza to the depths of Iran, even touching upon Iraq. Curiously absent from Riyadh’s discourse were the Houthis of Yemen, a silence dictated by Saudi calculus.
“This summit’s true audience resides in Washington. That it convened in Saudi Arabia, not Egypt, speaks volumes,” an anonymous Saudi commentator confided. “The Crown Prince has seized the reins, leaving President el-Sisi to swallow his pride and follow suit, a reluctant participant in the reshaping of Arab leadership dynamics.”
Professor Farid, another discreet Saudi voice, painted this diplomatic dance as a cautious yet bold pivot, not a robust peace but an artful maneuver. “This pivot began with embassy doors reopening in Tehran and Riyadh and continues relentlessly. It’s fraught with peril, yet both parties tread carefully,” he said.
Speculations abound of a Saudi gambit delivered to the incoming US president, Donald Trump, a proposal to thaw Washington–Tehran relations. Advisers on both sides are acutely aware of each other’s Achilles’ heels. The American gaze never wavers from Iran’s nuclear ambitions, while Tehran’s leadership expertly plays the Washington tune.
Dr. Yoel Guzansky of the Institute for National Security Studies posits: “The Saudis aim for a pragmatic rapprochement with Iran, seeking to sidestep the looming crossfire of an Iranian–Israeli flare-up anticipated before Trump’s inauguration. Their pro-Iranian rhetoric is a strategic message of non-alignment with Israel’s actions.”
The silence on Saudi internal affairs and human rights from Washington is deafening, as the Saudis pin their hopes on Trump pressuring Netanyahu to swiftly conclude conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, and to make strides on the Palestinian issue—a façade of progress toward a two-state solution.
Today’s bin Salman is a ruler transformed, his power and clarity sharpened over four years, yet his wary eye remains on Iran. Trump’s promise to quell wars resonates in Riyadh with Saudi Arabia, followed by Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, poised for a shift in Washington’s winds. Their demand: An American arms embargo on Israel to halt the Israeli offensive.
Hezbollah and Hamas were mere footnotes at the summit, as the Crown Prince gears up to collaborate with President Trump, painting a bleak tableau to “end all wars.”
Photo Credit: Mazen AlDarrab/Wikimedia.org
Photo License: Wikimedia
Prayer Focus
Pray against alliances that come to destroy Israel, asking God to shatter any plans that seek to harm His chosen people. Ask Him to sow confusion in the camp of Israel’s enemies so that their schemes will come to nothing.
Scripture
For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
New Gaza Roadmap: How the IDF Plans Security Operations Without Military Rule
by Ron Ben-Yishai ~ Ynetnews
The IDF intends to establish “secure corridors,” including the Philadelphi Corridor along the border with Gaza (illustrative).
Friday, 15 November 2024 | Two major issues are delaying the end of the war in Gaza. First is the lack of progress on the hostage situation: Hamas demands a ceasefire before even considering any negotiation, whether large or small, and so far, Israel has not been asked for concessions concerning the Philadelphi or the Netzarim corridors [border routes in Gaza, near Egypt and Israel.]
Second, there’s been no sign of progress on establishing a new governing authority to replace Hamas’s civilian rule in Gaza. While some Arab nations, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have shown willingness to participate in an international peacekeeping force and civilian administration, they insist that the Palestinian Authority [PA] under Mahmoud Abbas be involved in any governance and policing structure.
Currently, Netanyahu’s plan for an alternative civilian administration in Gaza seems to hinge on intensifying pressure on the international community, particularly the United States, driven by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Roughly 70% of Gaza’s population is concentrated in its center and western areas, which cover only about 25% of the territory, and they are living in tents and makeshift shelters with winter approaching, worsening their hardship. Humanitarian aid is scarce, with much of it looted by Hamas and local gangs.
Netanyahu appears to be calculating that the current situation will pressure the international community to drop its insistence that Mahmoud Abbas be part of a governing authority in Gaza.
Alternatively, he anticipates they might ask the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] to establish a military administration in Gaza, aligning with demands from the religious-right wing of his coalition. This faction sees military governance as a precursor to the possible re-establishment of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
Essentially, Israel’s government and Cabinet are waiting for the international community to press for a civilian administration to replace what remains of Hamas’s rule, which is already almost non-existent.
At present, Hamas still maintains control in neighborhoods and areas that the IDF has not entered. Complicating matters further is the difficulty in distributing humanitarian aid to those in need, leading to tensions and even potential embargo threats from the US.
While aid trucks enter Gaza from Israel, they face looting on the way to distribution centers in western Gaza, or they are intercepted by Hamas, crime families and profiteers who sell the supplies at inflated prices.
In response, the IDF is focused on its primary objective: providing security and a sense of safety to residents in southern Israel while maintaining military pressure to secure the return of hostages.
Current operations, especially in northern Gaza, are aimed at preventing Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) from rebuilding their capacities to wage guerrilla and terror attacks on Israeli border communities.
Until now, the IDF’s primary focus in Gaza has been dismantling the large-scale terror armies of Hamas and PIJ, which operated both above and below ground. Now, it has shifted to eliminating the remaining small cells and Hamas’s attempts to reestablish command centers and resistance hubs within Gaza.
Hamas has reportedly been using funds earned from looted humanitarian aid and repurposing explosives from unexploded IDF ordnance to create makeshift bombs, while also recruiting teenagers, aged 14 to 17, to join its ranks as armed operatives.
This effort is currently centered in northern Gaza, where the greatest threats loom over Israel’s major Negev communities, though it may extend southward. The IDF aims to apply sustained pressure on Hamas’s leadership in Qatar, pushing for flexibility on hostage negotiations. In response, Hamas has tried to deflect this pressure by circulating reports of mass starvation and displacement in northern Gaza to the south.
Looking to the future, the IDF plans to maintain an intelligence-operational presence in Gaza—without full occupation, military governance or direct responsibility for humanitarian distribution.
To provide security for Israeli civilians in the absence of a broader diplomatic solution or hostage deal, the IDF intends to establish “secure corridors,” including control over the Philadelphi Corridor, alongside a security buffer zone approximately a kilometer [0.6 mi.] wide on Gaza’s side of the border.
The objectives of the IDF’s corridor strategy in Gaza are as follows: First, to establish intelligence operations that closely monitor activities within Gaza, aimed at detecting any Hamas attempts to rebuild its military capabilities.
Second, the corridors would allow IDF forces rapid deployment to any area in Gaza where intelligence identifies renewed weapons production, rocket fire or preparations for terror attacks and guerrilla operations by Hamas or other groups.
Third, the IDF aims to prevent external support to Hamas, particularly from Sinai and Egypt, by controlling the Philadelphi Corridor. This would continue until an agreement is reached with Cairo on securing the route to stop above- and below-ground smuggling of weapons and raw materials into Gaza.
Fourth, the corridors would regulate the movement of Gaza’s population as a pressure tactic on Hamas to release hostages, while restricting the movement of Hamas operatives toward northern Gaza.
For example, the Netzarim Corridor would shift from a logistical route to a control zone, providing a 7-by-9 kilometer [4.3-by-9 mi.] corridor for military oversight, allowing operations north toward Gaza City and south toward the central camps in Khan Younis.
Fifth, the corridors are intended to allow international actors to securely bring in and distribute humanitarian aid. The IDF does not want to manage aid distribution itself, as doing so would require maintaining divisions in Gaza on a permanent basis, with the risk of Israeli soldiers being harmed or killed while escorting aid convoys or distributing supplies.
This ground system is already in advanced stages of establishment and is expected, according to IDF planning, to remain in place for several years until a hostage release agreement is reached. Such a deal would likely necessitate adjustments to both ground operations and broader policies concerning Gaza’s future.
In the absence of a hostage agreement or an alternative governing body in Gaza, the IDF will continue setting up these corridors while avoiding the establishment of an Israeli military administration in the region.
Photo Credit: IDF/Wikimedia.org
Photo License: Wikimedia
Prayer Focus
Bring every IDF soldier before the Lord, crying out for their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Ask the Lord to strengthen these brave warriors who shoulder the responsibility of standing guard on Israel’s borders, pouring out His comfort, peace and perfect shalom over them and their families during these turbulent times.
Scripture
The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.
‘We’ve Transformed Drone Warfare in Three Weeks’: Inside the IDF’s Technological Revolution
by Daniela Ginzburg ~ Ynetnews
Col. Eli Birenbaum highlights the essential role of real-time drone control for soldiers in the field (illustrative).
Wednesday, 20 November 2024 | Much has been said about how the Gaza war caught Israel’s military and professional leadership by surprise. Alongside the impressive technological and operational superiority, the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] faced significant challenges requiring all technological units in the army to rapidly adapt and develop effective responses to new threats.
In a conversation with the outgoing commander of the Matspen (Compass) unit, Col. Eli Birenbaum, who is completing 23 years of military service during which he led major digital revolutions in the IDF’s Computer Service Directorate and served as its chief digital architect, he discusses the unit’s unique role during the war, the combat systems it developed and how reservists from computer engineering and development fields reshaped the IDF’s technological development process.
“Matspen develops technological systems that enable the military to make operational decisions based on data while also providing solutions in dynamic incidents,” Birenbaum explains.
“The unit’s responsibilities range from developing operational applications to data engineering and artificial intelligence. This means the systems we create serve a wide array of users, from soldiers in the field to the highest command levels.”
The current war presented Matspen with a new challenge—not only to provide routine system support to the army but also to deliver swift solutions to technological challenges that emerged during the fighting. “Since the beginning of the war, we’ve been deployed in the field with the soldiers, aiming to understand their needs firsthand. From there, we translate our insights into the systems we develop,” he shares.
For example, Birenbaum recounts how the unit was tasked with developing an operational solution for controlling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs and drones) within just three weeks of the war’s beginning. “The new application we developed provides commanders with real-time, comprehensive control and has already proven to be essential for soldiers in the field,” he said.
‘Reservists are a Force Multiplier’
Matspen, part of the IDF’s Computer Service Directorate, is a software and data-driven unit that incorporated hundreds of reservists from the civilian tech sector during the war—a solution that proved critical. According to Birenbaum, the reservists significantly accelerated the unit’s development pace, meeting the heightened demands driven by battlefield needs.
“It’s truly a force multiplier,” he explains. “The reservists who joined in brought advanced technological expertise, enabling us to respond to the needs emerging from the front lines quickly while collaborating with active-duty soldiers and career officers seamlessly.” He adds that the unit managed to implement cutting-edge solutions within mere days thanks to the reservists’ commitment—an unprecedented feat.
From the ‘Operational WhatsApp’ to Managing Airstrikes
Matspen is responsible for several critical operational systems in the IDF, each playing a pivotal role in combat. One such system is Dror, designed to provide commanders with historical data about their combat zones. “The system analyzes past activity in the area and alerts commanders to irregularities,” Birenbaum explains. “For instance, if there’s an unexplained increase in activity in a specific area, the system will flag it.”
Another development by the unit is the operational chat, or the “operational WhatsApp,” as it’s known in the IDF. As its name suggests, the system offers a secure communication channel for commanders and intelligence personnel, enabling encrypted conversations and the seamless sharing of operational information across both stationary computers and military mobile devices.
Birenbaum also highlights Maestro, a system that manages airstrikes. Used by the Israeli Air Force [IAF] and various command units, it allows for comprehensive oversight and coordination of extensive strikes.
“Maestro provides all relevant parties with a real-time view of operations, ensuring uniform management of strikes and keeping everyone informed, which has significantly enhanced precision and real-time response,” he shares.
Have the reservists altered the IDF’s approach to the development processes?
“The reservists brought a wealth of civilian expertise that we’ve certainly adopted. However, it’s important to note that the IDF’s developmental approach has already undergone significant changes in recent years. This shift began a few years ago and helped the military transition to in-house system development,” Birenbaum explains.
“We apply agile development methodologies and create all systems ourselves, allowing us to streamline processes and respond to operational needs quickly—something that’s not always possible with external companies which have their own workflows, timelines and priorities.”
According to Birenbaum, the current war not only tested the IDF’s ability to rapidly develop new tools but also its capacity to immediately adapt them to previously nonexistent operational needs. “The war underscored the importance of in-house development, the value of our work methods and the critical contribution of reservists to the technological framework.”
As you reflect on 23 years of service, culminating in this war, how would you sum it up?
“I’m concluding my role and service with immense pride. When I look at the progress in digital and technological fields within the IDF, it’s impossible not to feel proud of all those who work tirelessly to maintain our technological edge over our enemies and keep us the advanced military we are. Not everything is perfect of course—there’s still much to learn and achieve—but the progress is clear.”
“As for Matspen, its ability to identify new needs and swiftly provide solutions during wartime is a testament to the IDF’s overall technological strength and the unit’s specific contributions. It also highlights the invaluable expertise and dedication of everyone involved, including reservists. The knowledge and commitment they brought are priceless,” he concluded.
Photo Credit: Cpl. Zev Marmorstein, IDF Spokesperson's Unit/flickr.com
Photo License: Flickr
Prayer Focus
Praise God for granting Israel ingenuity and the technological advancements that enables the IDF to carry out successful operations, thus providing Israel with additional safety and security during times of war. Remind the Lord of His covenant of divine protection over His people. Cry out to the One who never slumbers nor sleeps to shelter this nation as they face onslaught and attacks on nearly every front.
Scripture
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. All other materials are property of Bridges for Peace. Copyright © 2024.
Website Site Design by J-Town Internet Services Ltd. - Based in Jerusalem and Serving the World.
