Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Celebrating Hanukkah: Light Will Overcome Darkness

by Ilse Strauss ~ Bridges for Peace

Tuesday, 24 December 2024 | Light and darkness. The fragile glow of candles piercing the gloom of night. The forces of good pushing back the onslaught of evil. This is what Hanukkah or the Festival of Light is all about.

Tomorrow evening, the streets in Israel will resound with the joyful phrase, “Chag Hanukkah Sameach!” as loved ones and perfect strangers wish each other a happy feast of Hanukkah. In homes across the Promised Land and in Jewish communities around the world, family and friends will gather for the first night of this eight-day festival. They will light the first of eight candles on the hanukkiah, the special Hanukkah lampstand with nine candleholders, feast on treats traditional to the festival, remember the great miracle commemorated during Hanukkah and then, for the second year in a row, will bow their heads in prayer for the fallen, the injured, the broken, the suffering and the hostages still held captive in Gaza.

The story behind Hanukkah reads like the ultimate epic tale. All the ingredients are there: a small band of faithful warriors taking a stand for what is right instead of settling for what is comfortable; a tyrant determined to bend his subjects to his iron will; miraculous victory in the face of overwhelming odds; and the God of the universe showing up for those who wait on Him.

The events took place some 21 centuries ago, when the Land of Israel was ruled by the mighty Syrian king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes. His reign was characterized by severe oppression and frequent massacres. Antiochus prohibited the people of Israel from practicing Judaism, set up altars and idols for the forced worship of Greek gods, desecrated the Second Temple in Jerusalem by sacrificing a pig on the altar and placed a Greek priest in charge of the God of Israel’s dwelling place. He offered the Jews only two choices: convert or die.

Many converted, opting for a life of comfort and subjugation over conviction and freedom. Yet a handful of Jews, known as the Maccabees, revolted and waged a three-year guerrilla campaign against the overwhelming force of the Syrian empire. Against all odds, the tiny band of Jews defeated one of the world’s mightiest armies at the time and drove the oppressors from Jerusalem.

Immediately after their miraculous victory, the Maccabees sought to purify and rededicate the Temple by rebuilding the altar and relighting the menorah, the golden lampstand with seven branches, which was meant to be kept burning day and night. There was, however, a problem: only one vessel of consecrated anointing oil could be found to light the menorah, enough to keep the lampstand aglow for one night only. Yet according to tradition, the miraculous happened. The flames of the menorah continued flickering for eight nights, the exact time it took to prepare a fresh supply of consecrated oil. From there comes the name of the feast Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in both Hebrew and Aramaic.

Today, the descendants of the ancient Maccabees celebrate this miracle of light and oil through the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah. On each night of the eight days, family and friends gather to light the candles of the hanukkiah—one candle on the first night, two on the second and so forth, until all eight candles of the hanukkiah are alight.

For eight days, tables are laden with traditional Hanukkah treats, like sufganiyot (sweet doughnuts), latkes (potato pancakes) and other deep-fried delicacies to mark the miracle of oil. And for eight nights, the fragile glow spilling from thousands of candles in Israel and in Jewish homes across the world reminds those who witness it of the tremendous significance of something as seemingly ordinary as light.

This year, the first candle on the hanukkiah will be lit at sunset on Christmas Day. And on the evening of Wednesday, January 1, all the candles on the candelabrum will be burning brightly.

While Hanukkah usually shares December with Christmas, the two feasts don’t always coincide. The variance in timing is due to the use of two different calendars. Each year, the Jewish people continue to celebrate the feasts according to the biblical calendar, which is based on a lunar cycle. The eight-day festival of Hanukkah starts on the 25th of the ninth month, called Kislev. The date for Christmas, on the other hand, is determined according to the solar-based Gregorian calendar. Since these two calendars do not line up, the two feasts seldom start together.

This year, the festival comes at a particularly poignant time. The first candle will be lit on the 446th day of war between Israel and Hamas. As of December 21, the names of 818 fallen soldiers have been released for publication—their places around the hanukkiah will be hauntingly empty as well as the places of the 100 hostages (alive and dead) who remain captive in Gaza. And husbands, sons, fathers and brothers are still spending the festival on the frontlines, while loved ones pray for their safe return.

Yet as the festival unfolds with perhaps a bit less joy than usual, the people of Israel are strengthened by the reminder of another war, some 21 centuries ago, when their great, great, great, great grandfathers were forced to drive back the evil that threatened to engulf their existence. Just like the Maccabees did 21 centuries ago, the Israel Defense Forces is once again driving back a modern-day evil that threatens annihilation. Once again, the darkness seeks to engulf and consume. But as Israelis light their hanukkiot and the fragile glow of candles pierce the gloom of night, they will remember the crux of Hanukkah: light versus darkness; the forces of good pushing back the onslaught of evil. Above all, they will remember that the light always, always wins.

Source: (Bridges for Peace, December 24, 2024)

Photo Credit: Jenna Solomon ~ Bridges for Peace

Prayer Focus
Offer praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for His steadfast love and sure promises to the descendants of Abraham. Praise Him for His goodness and mercy in the face of seemingly impossible situations. But God! Give thanks that light has indeed overcome the darkness.

Scripture

When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer.

- Ezekiel 39:27–28

‘Whoever Harms Israel Will Pay a Heavy Price,’ Netanyahu Says

by JNS

Friday, 20 December 2024 | Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists “are learning—and will learn the hard way—that whoever harms Israel will pay a very heavy price for it,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday after the Israeli Air Force [IAF] struck Hodeidah in response to ongoing missile attacks.

“This morning, the Air Force attacked strategic Houthi targets in the port of Hodeidah and deep inside Yemen. We did this in response to the Houthis’ repeated attacks on Israeli civilians,” Netanyahu said.

“Last night, they attacked a school in Ramat Gan,” the Israeli leader said in the remarks published by the Prime Minister’s Office, adding that “they are not only attacking us—they are attacking the entire world.

“They are attacking international shipping and trade routes. Therefore, when Israel acts against the Houthis, it operates on behalf of the entire international community,” Netanyahu said. “The Americans understand this well, and so do many others.

“After Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis are almost the last remaining arm of Iran’s evil axis. They are learning—and they will learn the hard way—that whoever harms Israel pays a very heavy price for it,”

IAF jets attacked Houthi terrorist targets in Yemen overnight Wednesday, after intercepting a missile the enemy fired at central Israel.

According to the Israel Defense Forces [IDF], the IAF retaliatory strikes were carried out in two waves by 14 fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes. The jets were already en route when the Houthis launched the missile at around 2:35 a.m.

“Over the past year, the Houthi terrorist regime has been operating with the direction and funding of Iran, and in cooperation with Iraqi militias, in order to attack the State of Israel and Israeli civilians,” the IDF said.

“The conducted strikes degrade the Houthi terrorist regime, preventing it from exploiting the targets for military and terrorist purposes, including the smuggling of Iranian weapons to the region,” the military added. “The IDF is determined to continue operating against all threats posed to the citizens of the State of Israel, wherever necessary.”

Source: (Excerpt of article originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 19, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Continue to pray for Israel’s leaders as they stand firm in their resolve to defend the nation from all who seek its destruction. Pray that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will trust in the Lord who gives wisdom and strength so that he can endure all the pressures from the world’s leaders to end the conflict before the terrorist entities have been fully defeated. The victory belongs to the Lord!

Scripture

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head over all.

- 1 Chronicles 29:11

Erin Molan, Former Australian Sports Journalist, Speaks Out for Israel

by Alexandra Lukash, Ilan Levinsohn ~ Ynetnews

Monday, 23 December 2024 | Amid rising anti-Israel sentiment in the global media, one voice is cutting through the noise: Erin Molan, a former Australian sports journalist turned advocate for truth and justice. Molan, who is visiting Israel for the first time to participate in the “Ironlinks—Speaking Up for Humanity” event at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation in Tel Aviv, has emerged as a staunch defender of the country, challenging global narratives with clarity and conviction, often at great personal cost.

Molan, best known in Australia as the first woman to host the Footy Show and a prominent figure in sports media, had little prior connection to Israel or its politics. “I had to ask someone what the kippah [yarmulke, head covering] was called just two months ago,” she admitted in an interview with Ynetnews.

“I have no association or affiliation, I have no bias, I have no agenda, I’m not Jewish, I’m not from Israel. Anything that you could possibly think of to come at me with won’t work. I am an Australian who’s never been here before. Now I have a lot of Jewish friends, but before October 7, I had one school mom friend, and I really didn’t know anyone else in the Jewish community that well. What I do is speak the truth, and I stand up for what is right. It blows my mind that the rest of the world doesn’t see it as clearly as I do, and it scares me as well.”

Her advocacy began after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel which left over 1,200 people [dead] and saw 251 people taken hostage, sparking the ongoing war against the terrorist group in the Gaza Strip.

The horrors of that day resonated deeply with Molan, who saw parallels with her late father, Major General Jim Molan, a highly respected Australian military leader and former senator who passed away months before the Hamas onslaught.

She describes waking up in the middle of that fateful night with her young daughter beside her, the horrifying news of the Hamas attacks in Israel compelled her to do something she hadn’t done since losing her father earlier that year—she reached for the phone to call him.

“I don’t really believe in spirituality or signs or anything like that, but Dad was this incredible ally of Israel,” Molan shared. “He came to Israel many times, and after my editorials started going viral, my mom sent me this screenshot. Dad had come to Israel in 2014 to investigate the war [Operation Protective Edge] and the headline of his investigation with a bunch of foreign retired generals was ‘They put us to shame in how they conduct warfare.’”

As one of Australia’s most experienced military leaders, having commanded forces in Iraq and East Timor, his unwavering moral compass left an indelible mark on his daughter. “Even when he was fighting ISIS or al-Qaeda, we would say to him as kids, ‘Why do you have to follow the rules when they don’t?’ and Dad would say, ‘if we don’t follow the rules and stand up for what we believe in, what’s the point? What are we fighting for? We’re fighting to protect what we believe in, and if we stoop to their level, if we do what they do, if we throw away what matters to us, then there’s no point. We might as well not even fight to save anything because we don’t have anything.'”

With her father’s principles in mind, Molan examined the events of October 7 and Israel’s response, leaving no doubt in her mind. “There are enough experts in the world who also have no agenda who say that when it comes to minimizing civilian casualties, Israel does it almost better than anyone else in the world,” she said.

“I feel so sorry for a country that has had some of the most appalling things in the world done to it. The depravity, the evil, the horror of it, and I look at a reaction of a world that should be saying, ‘What can we do to help you?’ Instead, the world went, ‘How can we make this your fault? How can we condemn you?’ And that’s crazy,” she said.

Molan’s clear-eyed assessment and her willingness to speak out set her apart from other journalists in Australia and globally, but she also revealed a sobering reality about her industry. “I know for a fact that a lot of people in the media will send me messages who are on different networks and who host different shows and say, ‘That was amazing what you said, I wish I could do that too.’ I think a lot of people are scared about the reaction,” she said.

“They’re scared that they might get threats as well, they’re scared that they might lose contracts or lose jobs, they’re worried about polarizing themselves. I’m much more worried about a world that allows terrorism to flourish than I am about anything personal. You can have everything in the world, but if terrorism is allowed to continue at the trajectory it’s going with the support of seemingly the masses in the world, particularly young people, we are completely screwed. Nothing else matters.”

After her first editorial condemning the October 7 Hamas attacks, Molan said she was unprepared for the wave of backlash that followed. She had previously faced threats during her career as a sports broadcaster, but the response to her pro-Israel stance was on “another level.”

Family and friends suggested she avoid the topic altogether for her own safety, but Molan stood firm. “That’s not me. I’m not capable of that. I have this kind of perspective and mentality with anything—pick your hard,” she explained.

“I look at this as choosing the hard of speaking out now with the chance that it might make a difference, it might help in some tiny way to shift the narrative, which in turn will help canvas support, which in turn will help heap pressure on Hamas, which in turn will help free the hostages, end the threat, etc. or I can be silent now, and my hard will be 5-10 years down the track. Everyone in the world is impacted negatively by this, and right now we can say, ‘Oh, it’s far away.’ It’s not. It’s already here.”

When asked about the recent surge in antisemitic incidents in Australia, including the arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue and other instances of vandalism, Molan didn’t mince words. “It’s crazy. It’s very simple to explain in my opinion,” she said. “You’re always going to have people who have bad intentions. But when I look at the response of the Australian government, buying into such falsehoods and perpetuating them—Israel’s committing genocide or Netanyahu’s a war criminal—what it says to every person in Australia is that they must be evil.”

Molan expressed deep disappointment in the Australian government’s response to the Middle East crisis, describing it as “utterly disgraceful.” “There have been moments of real national shame that I have felt us turning our back on an ally, on a country that has been incredible to us for many, many years, and it really shames me,” she said.

However, she believes the gap between the Australian public and its politicians is significant. “I genuinely believe the vast majority of Australians stand with Israel and stand against terror. The issue is that we have a very loud vocal minority, like anywhere else in the world. One should not be swayed by the pro-Palestinian riots and protests. The silent majority knows the truth,” she explains.

Like many modern conflicts, the war in Gaza is being fought not only on the battlefield but also in the court of global public opinion—a front where Israel has struggled, facing widespread protests, international condemnations and even arms embargoes.

When asked what Israel could do differently to address global perceptions, Molan responded with a mix of frustration and clarity. “I look at what you went through on October 7,” she says, “for a country to have to think, ‘We need a PR strategy for this.’ is absolutely crazy.

“The vast majority see this for what it is, but when you’ve got algorithms, social media, when you’ve got very rich, influential countries that wish you harm, who support terrorism, putting millions and billions of dollars into this space, the issue is not your lack of good PR. You as a country and a people don’t need PR. You were massacred by evil terrorists. You need the evil players to stop being able to do what they do, which is attempt to mindwash the masses.”

Molan argues that the coverage of the war in Gaza in Australian media often misses the mark, leaving critical truths overshadowed by misleading narratives that many Australians, occupied by their everyday lives, lack the time or resources to dig deeper into.

“I was in the car the other day driving and the start of the ABC bulletin was something to the effect of, ‘We are on day 400 and something of Israel’s illegal invasion of Gaza,'” she said. “It wasn’t an illegal invasion. The terrorists came in and murdered over 1,000 people and stole people, 100 of whom are still there. Israel’s trying to get its people back and trying to stop the terrorists from doing the same thing over and over and over. But if you’re just listening to that, and you’re not as engaged, then that’s your narrative.

Molan has faced speculation about whether her outspoken support for Israel played a role in her dismissal from Sky News Australia earlier this month. However, she says making that link “wouldn’t make sense” given other staunch pro-Israeli voices on the network.

Although the experience was initially “gut-wrenching,” Molan is looking ahead and exploring new platforms and opportunities. “I feel this incredible sense of gratitude, hope and excitement. I feel like this is a blessing in disguise. I’m so excited about what’s to come,” she concludes.

Source: (Excerpt of article originally published by the Ynetnews on December 23, 2024. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: NAPARAZZI/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Give thanks, praising the Lord for the testimony of this Australian journalist who has chosen to speak out clearly for Israel and paid a cost. Pray for other voices to rise to the challenge as well, to stand with the Jewish people in days when so many are remaining silent.

Scripture

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.

- Psalm 1:1–2

Israel Tells Syria it Won’t Accept Jihadist Presence in Southern Part of Country

by Itamar Eichner, Lior Ben Ari ~ Ynet

Monday, 23 December 2024 | Jerusalem issued a message to Syria’s de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammed al-Golani) saying any attempt by jihadists [Muslims who “struggle” in a holy war with unbelievers] to move to the country’s south won’t be tolerated.

The message further clarified that if a responsible governmental authority forms in Syria, Israel might consider transferring control of the buffer zone to it. Until then, Israel will continue to ensure its own security. This comes a week after al-Sharaa said he had no intention of clashing with Israel.

A few days later, al-Sharaa said that Syria would adhere to the disengagement agreement signed in 1974 following the Yom Kippur War [now] following the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime. He called on the international community to ensure that Israel remains committed to the agreement as well.

Meanwhile, Jerusalem added in its message to Syria’s new leadership that the Israeli military’s presence in the buffer zone is motivated by defense and security concerns, particularly in preparation for potential incidents like those of October 7, 2023, originating from Syria. “We won’t allow that to happen,” officials in Jerusalem stressed.

During a recent Security Cabinet meeting held at the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] Northern Command, participants discussed the situation in Syria and Lebanon, delving into security briefings they received. Israel understands that the rebels are trying to present a specific image to the Western world, but Jerusalem remains vigilant regarding developments in Syria.

The deterioration of security on the Syrian side since the fall of Assad’s regime prompted Israeli forces to advance into the buffer zone between the two countries to neutralize threats. According to Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen network, Israeli forces have established seven permanent positions along the buffer zone in rural areas of Damascus, Daraa and Quneitra.

The report noted that two of these positions, located in the Mount Hermon area, “overlook Damascus and its western suburbs.” Syrian channels have regularly reported on the Israeli military’s advances toward Syrian villages, interactions with the local population and operations at various sites near the border in recent weeks.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Ynetnews on December 23, 2024. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: theglobalpanorama/flickr.com

Photo License: Flickr

Prayer Focus
Continue to pray for the situation on Israel’s border with Syria, asking the Lord to be a shield between Israeli communities on the Golan Heights and any terrorist activity. Pray for the soldiers of the IDF as they locate and dismantle any enemy tunnels or underground bunkers.

Scripture

Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, and you shall tread down their high places.

- Deuteronomy 33:29

Israeli Forces Arrest Nine, Seize Weapons in Judea and Samaria

by JNS

Tuesday, 24 December 2024 | Israeli security forces arrested nine wanted Palestinians during counter-terror activities in Judea and Samaria overnight Sunday, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] said.

During the operations, forces confiscated an M16 rifle, a “Carlo” submachine gun, ammunition, weapons parts, explosive components, and additional military equipment.

There were no casualties among the Israeli forces.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority [PA] security forces seized a vehicle loaded with locally-made explosives, as it was heading towards the Jenin camp in northern Samaria, Ynetnews reported on Monday.

PA security forces also apprehended three Jenin residents wanted for two years over gunfire incidents.

Against the backdrop of Ramallah’s offensive over the past two weeks, Kan News shared a video purportedly of Jenin-based terrorists threatening suicide bombing attacks on PA security forces.

“You will never enter the Jenin camp, over our bodies,” the terrorists said in the video.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 23, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: IDF/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Remember the nearly half a million Israelis who live in Judea and Samaria—the biblical heartland—in spite of daily terrorist threats. Pray that they will remain rooted in the Land that was given to their forefathers by God’s sovereign covenant. Pray for the soldiers of the IDF who are on the front lines, asking the Lord to keep them alert to all threats and the ability to prevent any terror attack planned against the Jewish people.

Scripture

“I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.

- Amos 9:15

‘Proof Terror Knows No Boundaries,’ Israeli Envoy in NY Says of Thwarted Terror Attack

by Menachem Wecker ~ JNS

Friday, 20 December 2024 | An Egyptian national, who is a George Mason University freshman with reported ties to ISIS, was arrested on Tuesday in Falls Church, Va., and charged with planning a terror attack on the Israeli Consulate General in New York.

Between November 22 and December 4, Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, 18, allegedly distributed “information related to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction in furtherance of commission of a federal crime of violence” of “first-degree murder of internationally protected persons,” per a criminal complaint filed with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is currently going through the process of deporting Hassan, according to a 14-page affidavit that the FBI agent, who arrested the student, filed on December 16 seeking an arrest warrant.

Hassan operated three social media accounts that praised Osama bin Laden and ISIS, per the affidavit, which also alleges that the student wrote on social media that Hamas is an “armed resistance” rather than a terror group, and that the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] “have been committing war crimes for decades,” and “it’s only time Palestine fight back.”

An FBI agent contacted Hassan on August 24 and posed as a fellow traveler, per the affidavit. On November 15, Hassan shared a pro-ISIS video with the undercover agent “that called for the killing of Jews,” per the affidavit. The agent pledged to follow Hassan’s lead, and in the coming days offered to act on behalf of ISIS locally.

Hassan told the agent to “aim for government buildings,” and advised him on how to make a martyrdom video and how to “mask his identity, distort his voice and record the video with a blank background,” per the court document. The agent asked Hassan for a target on November 23 and for bomb-making guides.

The defendant allegedly told the agent “that he could find bomb-making instructions by looking for a specific search term on archive.org” and gave the agent “advice for bypassing Google’s potential censorship of the search results,” the FBI agent stated. Hassan then sent the agent “a direct link to the video with the bomb-making instructions” and “suggested that, based on the size of the bomb,” the agent “should get a backpack to put the bomb in.”

On that same day, November 23, the agent told Hassan that he was in New York, and the student told him that the city was a “goldmine of targets” and told him to attack a site that represents the “Yahud,” or the Jewish people. On November 24, Hassan directed the agent to the address of the Consulate General of Israel, per the affidavit.

The affidavit further alleges that Hassan directed the agent to buy a certain kind of rifle and ammunition using bitcoin, or other untraceable means, and to scout out the site for ways to enter and escape routes, and to make a video that ISIS would publish. He subsequently told the agent to either shoot people on the site or to detonate a suicide vest within a crowd at the consulate.

Hassan also allegedly told the agent to livestream the attack and how to book a flight to a country without extradition laws, particularly Borno, in Nigeria. He also recommended types of material to put in a bomb, per the affidavit.

“The State of Israel deeply appreciates the swift action and cooperation of the American security services in thwarting the recent attempted attack on our consulate,” stated Ofir Akunis, consul general of Israel in New York.

“This attempted attack by terror organizations is an attack on the sovereign soil of the State of Israel in its entirety. It’s proof that terror knows no boundaries and that we must fight it everywhere and every time,” Akunis added. “The threat it poses to the Western world and its values must be fought together by all Western democracies alike. Together we will prevail.”

Jonathan Harounoff, international spokesman for the Israeli mission to the United Nations in New York, stated that “Israel will not cower to terror. We will not be silent in the face of hate and violence. We will not stop in our pursuit of justice and peace.”

“We will continue in our fight to return all 100 of our hostages still being held in Hamas terror tunnels in Gaza,” Harounoff added. “Thank you to our American security counterparts for their collaboration in identifying and thwarting this heinous attempted act of terror in New York City.”

George Mason University has banned Hassan from campus, the Washington Post reported.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, wrote that she is “grateful for the quick action taken by the FBI in apprehending the suspect and preventing this cowardly act of antisemitic terror from occurring.”

“Hate has no place in New York, and we will always stand with our Jewish neighbors,” she added.

Police recently found guns and terror flags in the home of sisters, who led the George Mason chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. The public university banned them from campus, stated Gregory Washington, the school president. A George Mason spokesman told the Post that the two cases appear to be unrelated.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 19, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Adam Gray/AFP via Getty Images/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Praise the Lord that plans for this terror attack were discovered before they could be carried out. Pray that the security branches of both the United States and Israel would continue to work together at the same level of alertness that will keep Israel’s diplomats, as well as all Jewish people, safe from harm. Give thanks for the strong statement of New York’s governor against hate-motivated crimes and in support of the Jewish people.

Scripture

For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

- Deuteronomy 7:6

Iran in Midst of Energy Crisis, Despite Wealth of Gas, Crude

by David Isaac ~ JNS

Monday, 23 December 2024 | For much of last week, Iran was “virtually shut down” to conserve energy, with the nation’s leaders offering no solution other than to say sorry, the New York Times reported on December 21.

“We must apologize to the people that we are in a situation where they have to bear the brunt,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a live televised address this month.

“We are facing very dire imbalances in gas, electricity, energy, water, money and environment. All of them are at a level that could turn into a crisis,” he said.

Power outages started during a heat wave in August and now have become a full-blown crisis. Government offices are shuttered or operating on reduced hours, schools are online-only and factories have lost power, “bringing manufacturing to a near halt,” the Times reported.

This, despite the fact that Iran is awash in natural gas and crude oil. (It ranks second in the world in natural gas reserves and fourth in oil reserves.)

Seventy percent of Iran’s energy comes from natural gas, with 90% of Iranians relying on gas for heating and cooking. Most Iranian power plants run on natural gas.

Iran needs about 350 million cubic meters of natural gas a day to function. With overnight winter temperatures in the 30s and 40s Fahrenheit [0 to 10° C], demand has spiked.

The government was faced with either cutting gas service to homes, or shutting down power to electric generation plants.

The former would cut heat to residents during the cold winter months, so the government chose the latter.

“The policy of the government is to prevent at all costs cutting gas and heat to homes,” Seyed Hamid Hosseini, a member of the Chamber of Commerce’s energy committee, told the Times. “They are scrambling to manage the crisis and contain the damage because this is like a powder keg that can explode and create unrest across the country.”

Seventeen power plants had been taken offline by December 20. The rest are operating on a partial basis.

Tavanir, the state power company, said widespread power cuts could last days or weeks.

Mehdi Bostanchi, head of the country’s Coordination Council of Industries, told the Times that the situation was catastrophic and industries had never experienced anything like it.

He estimated last week’s power cuts could cut manufacturing in Iran by 30% to 50%, amounting to tens of billions of dollars. Smaller and medium factories were hit the hardest, he said.

Sanctions, mismanagement, aging infrastructure and wasteful consumption were reasons cited by the Times for the power crisis. It also listed targeted attacks by Israel, noting Israel’s destruction of two Iranian gas pipelines in February.

Iranians mainly blame the government.

“The Islamic Republic has set us back centuries and ruined our lives,” said one citizen quoted by Iranian International, an anti-government, London-based news outlet, on November 20.

Corruption, Mismanagement and Foreign Wars

According to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies [FDD], a Washington-based think tank, “The people know the real cause is the regime’s unending corruption, mismanagement and foreign wars. Thus, the overwhelming majority blames [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei and his lieutenants.”

Iran simply doesn’t produce enough electricity, the FDD noted, saying consumption peaks at 17,500 megawatts above production, “a shortfall equivalent to more than eight Hoover Dams.”

The Islamic regime is blaming everyone but itself, sparking further anger among the population.

Pezeshkian claimed the blackouts are due to his decision to ban mazut, a type of low-cost fuel used in the Soviet-era, which is highly polluting.

But his ban affects only three out of 16 plants that burn the substance. “Nor does he explain why taking three plants offline would cause such shortages, as Iran has 140 other major power plants,” the FDD said.

In any case, the government reversed its partial ban on the fuel in a November 17 decision, “authorizing provinces to use mazut in all power plants and industries,” the Iranian International reported.

The government also has accused the population of wasteful energy use, sparking even more anger among average Iranians.

In November, Mohammad-Jafar Ghaempanah, Pezeshkian’s executive deputy, blamed the public for the shortages and the mazut burning.

In September, Vahid Yaminpour, a state television presenter and secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth, called the power cuts a “positive event” that strengthens the family foundation, the Iranian International reported.

“In Lebanon, even in non-war conditions, many people have about four hours of state electricity,” Yaminpour said. “Be grateful and don’t complain.”

His comments met with widespread criticism.

Hassanali Taghizadeh, chairman of the Iran Electrical Industry Syndicate, rejected the assertion that domestic use was disproportionately high, saying, “Don’t blame the people.”

One critic said: “There are donation boxes all over the cities to help the people of Gaza and Lebanon, while the officials of the Islamic Republic don’t care about the Iranian people at all.”

Another pointed out that unlike Lebanon, Iran is energy-rich.

A third said Iranian officials are unable to provide for their own people and only know how to launch missiles.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on December 22, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Pixabay/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Pray that this time of economic shaking in Iran would produce a change in the government and a turning to the Lord. Pray for the underground Church which has grown, even during this period of radical Islam, that believers would have open doors to share with the Gospel with their friends and neighbors, telling them of Israel’s God.

Scripture

Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.

- Isaiah 44:6

Retired Mossad Agents to Reveal Secrets of Hezbollah Pager Operation in US Interview

by Ynetnews

Friday, 20 December 2024 | American outlet CBS announced on Thursday that a special episode of the investigative program “60 Minutes” will air in the United States on Sunday, revealing behind-the-scenes secrets of the pager operation that launched Israel’s intensified campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. While Israel has yet to officially claim responsibility for the operation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has referred to it in the past.

According to the network, recently retired Mossad [Israeli intelligence] agents were interviewed for the program, speaking under condition of anonymity about how the covert operation was carried out and the decade-long preparations leading up to it. Instagram posts showed the agents and interviewer Lesley Stahl, who was reportedly holding one of the beepers allegedly prepared by Mossad.

The investigation is scheduled to air Sunday at 7:30 p.m. local [Eastern Time Zone] time (2:30 a.m. Israel time, early Monday morning). Axios quoted one agent as saying they tested the devices “multiple times in order to make sure there is minimum damage. If we push the button the only one that will get injured is the terrorist himself. Even if his wife or his daughter will be just next to him, he’s the only one that going to be harmed.”

The pager operation was launched on September 17, following concerns that its execution was at risk of being uncovered. On the first day, Hezbollah operatives’ pagers exploded in Lebanon and Syria. The following day, September 18, their walkie-talkies also exploded.

Hezbollah has not disclosed the exact number of casualties resulting from the incident. However, at least 59 individuals were reportedly killed in Lebanon and Syria, with approximately 4,500 injured, hundreds of them critically. Among the injured was Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Ynetnews on December 19, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Israel Defense Forces/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Pray that the information shared during this interview does not give any insight to Hezbollah, Hamas or Iran as to how Israel prepares its covert operations. Give thanks, once again, for the evidence that Israel and the IDF go to extreme lengths to ensure that civilians are not intentionally harmed by its operations.

Scripture

Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the rebellion of the workers of iniquity…

- Psalm 64:2