There is never a dull moment around here. Today (9th June, 2021) I went swimming with a friend at Maale Hahamisha, a kibbutz near my home. I was swimming along when suddenly it went dark as if the sun had gone behind a thick cloud. Surprised, since we don’t usually have clouds at this time of year, I looked out the window and saw that the sky was full of smoke. I looked around and saw a huge column of smoke looming above the hotel where we were swimming.
At first no one seemed at all concerned but my friend and I decided to get dressed and head for home. It turned out to be a timely decision as just a few minutes after we safely escaped down the road, the police closed off the road. Also just a few minutes after we left, the entire population of Maale Hahamisha were told to evacuate immediately, including children at the school and kindergartens, and all the guests at the hotel (and presumably, all those in the pool). This was accomplished very smoothly and there was no loss of life or injury.
Once I got home I learned that there were at at least 5-6 foci of the fire and some 70 or more fire engines and crews were fighting the fires. Two helicopters were spotting hotspots and ten planes were dropping fire retardant (1). I am full of praise for the speed and efficiency of the emergency services which managed to get the fires under control within the space of a few hours and prevent them from damaging any homes in the several towns, including Yad Hashmona (the Christian-owned kibbutz and hotel), Nataf, Abu Ghosh, and Maale Hahamisha that were threatened. All the occupants of Maale Hahamisha and parts of some other towns were evacuated including some schools and kindergartens, but all were able to return home before nightfall.
That this huge fire was so quickly brought under control is amazing given the heat (around 30 degrees C), the low humidity (around 30%) and the high flammability of the tinder dry pine and cypress forest. It was not a windy day but the fire itself generated localized strong winds which carried sparks causing the fire to jump. The fires were stopped less than 100m from the outermost houses of Maale Hahamisha, and also spared were a large shed housing several hundred cows, and horse stables, on the outskirts of the kibbutz. Some 2650 dunams (655acres) of beautiful 100-year-old pine and cypress forest, and natural woodland were burned (2). It will regenerate but it will take decades. In addition to the forest, a number of vineyards were damaged. The Main Highway and the rail line between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were closed for a few hours but were reopened by nightfall. The entire Jerusalem area was covered in a dense pall of smoke all night, and the vulnerable warned to stay indoors. Ash fell here like snowflakes.
At the same time several other fires were also burning in the area, including at the picturesque abandoned village of Lifta at the entrance to Jerusalem, in the Sataf National Forest, and near Ariel and Shavei Shomron in the West Bank. Given the timing and number of fires it seems clear that these fires were an act of arson, probably lit by Palestinians with nationalistic motives. In my opinion actions of this kind show how little these people respect the Land they claim is theirs and how little they deserve it. As even the mayor of the Arab village of Abu Ghosh pointed out, it is forbidden for Muslims to harm trees, yet they claim to do it in the name of Allah. This outbreak of arson attacks is worrying since we are just at the beginning of the fire season and there are at least 5 more months of high fire risk ahead.
UPDATE: 13 JUNE 2021 As I am writing now there is another big fire right here in Mevaseret. It is about 1km from here and I don’t think my home is at risk but the fire has already threatened some homes across the valley. A number of my friends live very close to the fire, including a young couple who just have a baby one day old. Some people in that area are being told to evacuate immediately. (A sheltered-living home for the elderly in the suburb of Motza was later also evacuated. For those of you who know Mevaseret, the fire is in the valley down below the Har’el Shopping Mall alongside Highway 1.
FURTHER UPDATE 14 June: The fire services once again very efficiently controlled this fire also and people were able to return to their homes before nightfall. I am not sure if any homes were burned but at least one car was destroyed. It has been hard to get news because all the news stations were concentrating on the swearing in of the new government.
Please pray about these fires. They are a form of nationalistic motivated terrorism. There are many towns and kibbutzim nestled amongst the forest here in the Judean Hills and other wooded areas around the country. We are very vulnerable, and the weather is hot, dry and, in the afternoons, windy. The forest is tinder dry and comprised mainly of highly flammable pine and cypress trees. It doesn’t take much to get a fire started, naturally or with a little help from an arsonist. As a form of terrorism arson is tempting, it is cheap to execute, requires no training and only a small amount of fuel. It also poses little risk to the terrorist as they can light the fire and be far away before it is noticed, and there are no surveillance cameras in the forests. The fires spread incredibly fast and can cause a massive amount of damage putting lives and livelihoods at risk.
SINKHOLE
The day before (8 June 2021) the fires at Maale Hahamisha Jerusalem was the scene of a scary incident when a giant sinkhole suddenly opened up in the carpark at one of the main hospitals, Shaarei Tzedek, and swallowed 7 cars. Thankfully no one was in the cars at the time and there was no loss of life or injuries. You can see this event as captured by a surveillance camera below. Since this happened, big cracks have also opened on the adjacent road which has been closed. There is concern that this sinkhole was caused by tunneling work on a new highway into Jerusalem which goes under the hospital and the residential area adjacent. It makes me wonder how safe the hospital and the apartment blocks are. A big new wing and a large parking building have recently been built on the site. Any one of these could be destabilizing the area. All of Jerusalem is built on very soft, crumbly limestone which is riddled with caves, tunnels, underground streams like a Swiss cheese, not to mention many fault lines. Now our city fathers are planning to build many high rise apartment and office buildings within the city, contrary to the earlier bylaws which limited the height of buildings. One cannot help but wonder if the geology of the area is being taken into consideration.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/giant-sinkhole-swallows-cars-in-jerusalem-hospital-parking-lot/
A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT
It’s official. Israel now has a new government comprising 8 political parties. Last night (13 June) the new coalition government was sworn in and we now have a new Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett. According to the agreements made within the coalition, Bennett will be PM for two years and then Yair Lapid will be PM for the remaining two years of the term (if this government lasts that long). Until the last minute Netanyahu fought hard to stay in power but he has now been relegated to the position of the Leader of the Opposition, after 12 consecutive years as PM (he was also PM for an additional 3 years at an earlier date).
The coalition won the Knesset election by only one vote. The fire at Mevaseret almost scuttled the election as 3 MKs (Members of the Knesset) were stuck in the traffic jam when the highway was closed. Police rescued them and were able to get them through the closure and to the Knesset in time to vote.
This will be the first time a Prime Minister of Israel will belong to a Party that won only 8 seats in the 120 seat Knesset (Parliament). This bizarre coalition includes a radical far-right anti-Arab religious party and an Arab party with links to the Muslim Brotherhood. Strange bedfellows indeed. In fact the only thing the 8 parties making up this coalition have in common is their desire to get rid of Netanyahu. Once that is accomplished, I don’t know what will hold them together. I give it about a week before it collapses and we get thrown into yet another round of elections. I hope I am wrong – we really need some stability in Israel right now.
Is this new government a good thing or a bad? Opinion here is very divided. I was greatly saddened by a headline I saw this week in the Jerusalem Post which said ” Bennett under attack by Evangelical leader for helping oust Netanyahu” (3). A well known prominent Evangelical leader, Mike Evans, sent Bennet a scathing, not to mention crude and insulting, letter which said among other things, “You’re a pathetic bitter little man so obsessed on murdering Netanyahu that you’re willing to damage the State of Israel for your worthless cause”, and (we will) “fight every step of the way. You have lost the support of evangelicals 100 percent… We gave you four years of miracles under Donald Trump and this is how you show your appreciation shitting on our face. How dare you!” (3). (You can read the full text of the letter below as published by All Israel News who obtained it directly from Evans himself.)
Evans purports to speak for all evangelicals but he has no right to do so. No matter what one’s political views, one should express them with respect and courtesy. Most believers here were disgusted by this letter. It makes us all look bad and undermines our witness. Quite a few leaders have spoken out against it and I am glad to say their comments have also been published in the Israeli media (4). Howard Bass, a pastor in Beer Sheva, said this, ” Naftali Bennett may be a man of worldly politics, but Mike Evans claims to be a man of God. Yet he boasts about his following and allows filthy words to proceed out of his mouth. Neither of these honor the name of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus” (5).
We are all entitled to have our political opinions, one way or the other, but there are right and wrong ways to express those opinions. However Paul, writing to Timothy, at a time when they lived under the harsh Roman rulers, who actively persecuted the fledgling church, exhorted the believers of his day to be subject to the rulers and authorities, and to slander no one, always being gentle towards everyone:
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. Titus 3:1-2
It is God who raises up rulers and brings them down. We need to trust Him. That is not to say we as individuals, like any other citizen, should not participate in the political process or speak out against ungodly policies, but when the church or church leaders begin to identify with one political party or leader to the exclusion of other politicians, or to exclude other believers because they do not agree with them, then they are treading on very dangerous ground. This is especially so if they indulge in threatening behavior, slander, or incitement to violence.
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
Daniel 2: 20-21
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Romans 13: 1-2
This kind of thing is a result of the growing trend of Christian and Messianic leaders and congregations all over the world to get caught up in worldly politics. This is a huge mistake. If the gospel becomes identified with one particular political party or ideology this undermines, or even negates, our gospel message to those who do not agree. Yeshua himself refused to take political leadership when he walked this Earth, and never encouraged his followers to do so. His kingdom is not of this world. There is a time when He will return with His saints to rule the Earth for a time, but that time has not yet come. We should not make the same same mistake that occurred in the 3rd Century CE when the Emperor Constantine united church and state, which led to the compromise with paganism and the consequent heresies of the Roman Catholic Church.
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” John 18:36
For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3: 18-21
Our focus as believers should be the preaching of the gospel and the making of disciples as Jesus himself commissioned us. We have no other mandate. We should not allow ourselves to be sidetracked. We have more important things to do, the saving of souls, than meddling in worldly politics.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28: 18-20
What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short… For this world in its present form is passing away. I Corinthians 7: 29,31
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4: 18
My plea to all believers is that you love Israel for the sake of the LORD and His Name. Pray for her fervently, but stay out of our politics. God will raise up and bring down leaders according to His will and the working out of His redemption plan. We can pray as Yeshua himself taught us “ your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6: 10).
CEASEFIRE AND THE JERUSALEM FLAG MARCH
The ceasefire with Hamas is holding so far but it is very shaky. Almost daily Hamas is making threats to hit Tel Aviv with thousands of rockets, or activate the 10,000 terrorist martyrs they claim to have in our midst, or to ignite the Third Intifada in Jerusalem if we do this that or the other thing. Is it all posturing and psychological warfare, or are they serious? It seems to me that Hamas is itching to start another confrontation and is just waiting for the right pretext.
Hamas fought the last war based on the pretext that Israel was trying to take over the Temple Mount and destroy the Al Aqsa mosque. This is a lie from Satan. It is true there are some extreme religious individuals who want to do just that but they are a tiny, miniscule minority and do not have State sanction, or the support of the majority of Israelis. The planned eviction of several Arab families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah was the other excuse Hamas used to start the firing of rockets, first towards Jerusalem and then towards other areas. The courts have not yet made a final ruling on the eviction order, but there are precedents. The legal situation is complicated and I discussed it in an earlier post.
It seems to me that Hamas is doing everything it can to win over the minds and hearts of the Palestinian people with the aim of ruling over the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) as it does in Gaza. They are gaining more and more popular support particularly as the PLO grows weaker and weaker and is seen to be compromising more and more with Israel. Prior to the last Gaza war the PLO called off the elections in the West Bank, the first for 15 years, because it was more than evident that Hamas would win and take power. This was the real trigger for the last round of fighting. Hamas is also gaining a large foothold amongst the Israeli Arabs, as evidenced by the recent rioting that took place all over Israel, and perhaps they are also behind the arson attacks. This internal threat poses a far greater risk to Israel than the rockets from Gaza.
Another trigger for the latest confrontation with Hamas was the Jerusalem Flag March, a provocative annual event in which “thousands of nationalist Jews march through Muslim-majority parts of Jerusalem toward the Western Wall, in a show of sovereignty to mark the Hebrew anniversary of the city’s east side being captured by Israel during the Six Day War of 1967” (6). The March was originally scheduled for May 10th and was to pass through the Damascus Gate, a flash-point for trouble, and the Muslim Quarter of the Old City before ending at the Western Wall. On that occasion the March was stopped short by the rocket fire on Jerusalem that day. The organizers then decided to reschedule the March for the 10th June but the police denied them permission “concerned of the potential for the parade to inflame tensions in the city and spark a fresh wave of unrest there, and potentially in other locations” (6). The march has now been rescheduled for tomorrow (15th June) and the route will not pass through the Damascus Gate or the Muslim Quarter. They do however plan to stop outside the Damascus Gate and dance with the flags and this is likely to result in confrontations, which could easily escalate into widespread rioting again. Hamas has warned of “consequences“. Clashes already broke out last Thursday as far-right lawmaker, Itamar Ben Gvir, marched to the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City. Ben Gvir waved an Israeli flag at the site, in what he said was a personal protest, after police banned him from parading through the Muslim Quarter to reach the Temple Mount.
This may be the first test of the new government. The outgoing Netanyahu government exerted a lot of pressure to allow this March to go forward saying that we must not give Hamas the sense of victory in being able to stop such a March. However this needlessly provocative (in my view) March has the potential of starting a new round of fighting between Hamas and Israel, and a new round of rioting and violence within Israel between Arabs and Jews. Please pray for the calming of the situation.
UPDATE: I just received this from a reliable source:
Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanoua: “The so-called flag march, which will be carried out tomorrow by the settlers, will be a detonator for a new battle to defend Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque. We demand the mobilization of our people in Jerusalem and the occupied interior to confront the settlers’ herds with various means and tools, and our people are with you and behind you in their resistance to thwart the occupation’s plans”
CORONAVIRUS
This past week we had several days in which no new Covid-19 cases were reported, and we also began vaccinating the 12-15 year age group. There is a sense here that we have beaten the virus, and it already seems like something in the past. Tomorrow the final restriction, the requirement to wear masks in indoor public spaces, will also be lifted (Hallelujah!!). Life is getting back to normal (whatever that is around here). The borders are not fully open yet and quarantine is still required for those coming in. Organized groups of vaccinated tourists have already been permitted to enter the country. There is talk of allowing individual tourists to enter starting from July 1st, but if we see an uptick of cases this could all change – so don’t book your tickets yet.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
Psalm 122: 6-7
THE FULL TEXT OF MIKE EVAN’S LETTER TO NAFTALI BENNETT
Dear Mr. Bennett,
What a disgusting disappointment you turned out to be. You and I spoke on behalf of the settlers at APAC at a hotel because they packed APAC wouldn’t let him in. I always thought Begin was your hero. You’ve disgraced his very name. Shame, shame, shame on you. Don’t ever call yourself a defender of Zion. You’re not.
You betrayed the very principles that a generation gave their blood for and died for. You want to be in bed with the Muslim Brotherhood and Leftists. God have mercy on your soul. Such a bitter little man that your obsession to damage Benjamin Netanyahu has convinced you that damaging the State of Israel is a worthy cause.
I’ve given my life building evangelical support for the State of Israel, not only with 77 million of my followers but with more than 20 world leaders. I assure you, I will fight you every step of the way. You have lost the support of evangelicals 100 percent. I don’t know how you can sleep at night. It would have been so easy for you to have gone with a conservative government. We gave you four years of miracles under Donald Trump. We evangelicals delivered it. You delivered nothing. What appreciation do you show us? You sh** right on our face. How dare you!
To say I’m disgusted with you is an understatement. You should hang your head in shame. You care more about your own damn ego and your bitterness than you do the State of Israel.
Sincerely,
Mike Evans
References:
- https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/wildfire-breaks-out-near-neve-ilan-670506
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/huge-forest-fires-near-jerusalem-contained-as-terror-suspicions-mount/
- https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/bennett-under-attack-by-evangelical-leader-for-helping-oust-netanyahu-670137
- https://www.allisrael.com/growing-number-of-evangelical-leaders-voice-support-for-possible-bennett-lapid-government-but-jewish-and-christian-leaders-denounce-vitriolic-statements-by-mike-evans-a-prominent-christian-zionist-as-absolutely-crossing-the-line
- https://www.allisrael.com/will-christians-embrace-new-israeli-government-probably-but-one-prominent-evangelical-has-declared-war-on-naftali-bennett
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-flag-march-organizers-say-agreement-reached-with-cops-on-parade-route/