Tag: Afghanistan

BEAUTY FROM ASHES

October 11, 2021 / admin

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me…
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

And they shall rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations…

Isaiah 61: 1-4

From Airforce Memorial looking towards Ramat Raziel – after the fire. 26 August 2021

A friend and I recently took a drive around the fire devastated hills near our home. We were saddened by the extent of the damage, but we also remarked on how, even in the midst of all the devastation, there remained so much beauty. I know that nature will heal itself, with time and a little rain, and was encouraged to see how all the human settlements in the area had been saved, with just a few homes and businesses burned. These settlements stand as green islands amid the destruction.

I know too that God will bring good from this horrible act that was intended for evil by the arsonists, just as Joseph said to his brothers,

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Genesis 50:20

A NEW MESSIANIC CONGREGATION RISES

This last Friday (17/08/21), I was privileged to attend the inaugural meeting of a new congregation that will be the first congregation planted in my town of around 25,000 souls, Mevaseret Zion. The building that has been acquired for the congregation is not yet ready for occupation and therefore the meeting was held in a small patch of unburnt forest at Sataf, at the very point where the fire stopped spreading, thanks to an unusual and sudden cessation of the afternoon winds on the last day of the fire. It was as if God had said, “thus far and no further”. I felt it was significant as we saw rising from the ashes the very first ever Messianic congregation in Mevaseret Zion. The name of the town means in Hebrew “The Good News of Zion”. This name is a combination of the names of the two original towns, Mevaseret Jerusalem (the Good News of Jerusalem), and Maoz Zion (Rock of Zion), which amalgamated into the current town of Mevaseret Zion. Isn’t this a wonderful name for a town that is strategically located at the gateway to Jerusalem, straddling Highway 1, the main road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem?

There are many believers already living in Mevaseret but there has, until now, been no congregation, with most either travelling the 10km to Jerusalem for fellowship or not attending any congregation regularly. The congregation is being established by a core group of around 10 families and is an offshoot from the strong “Jerusalem Assembly”.

The Inaugural Meeting of Kehilat Mevaseret

2000 YEAR OLD DATES

This seems to be the time of new beginnings. Scientists in Israel have succeeded in growing viable trees from some 2000 year old date seeds that were found at Masada near the Dead Sea. The dry desert air had preserved these dates. In Biblical times the Judean region was renowned for its especially sweet and succulent dates which also had medicinal properties, but these ancient varieties had been lost until now. Last year the first harvest of 100 dates was gathered from the first female palm grown from these seeds, and this year 800 dates were harvested. This tree was named “Hannah” and another female tree grown from these seeds has just been planted out. She has been named “Judith” and it is hoped that she will also produce more of these ancient and beautiful pale-golden dates.

Dates harvested from 'Hannah', the first female date palm germinated from 2,000-year-old seeds discovered in the Judean desert

https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/bj7o3zuef

AFGHANISTAN

No doubt you are all following events in Afghanistan. Now that all the foreign forces are out of the country, the Taliban has total control in almost the whole nation. This means there is very little news getting out. Below are a couple of videos that can help us know how to pray for our brothers and sisters in the Lord, both those who have managed to escape and must now make a new life elsewhere, those who are trying to escape and are in hiding, and those who have courageously decided to stay in Afghanistan as witnesses to their people.

We also need to pray for the Taliban themselves who are deceived by Satan, but beloved of God. Most Taliban are of the Pashtun tribes, one of the least evangelized peoples in the world. There is some compelling evidence that the Pashtun are descendants of Israelites who were exiled 2700 years ago by the Assyrians (1).

LEBANON and the ABRAHAM ACCORDS

This week the ongoing collapse of the nation of Lebanon reached a new low. The two main power stations ran out of fuel, causing the entire electrical grid to shut down blacking out the entire country. Beirut, lit only by car headlights and the occasional private generator, looked like some post-apocalypse movie set (see the video below).

Power was restored yesterday (10/10) when the Lebanese Army released 6000 kiloliters of oil to the two main power stations (2). Even when the power stations have fuel, the supply of electricity is limited to only 1-2 hours per day, therefore many Lebanese depend upon privately owned generators, but these run on diesel which is also in short supply. Fuel for cars is also in short supply and becoming more and more expensive. As I am writing, news is coming in of a massive fire in a benzene storage facility at one of the power stations (3).

Apart from the energy crisis, food, medicines and other essential supplies are increasingly scarce and expensive in Lebanon. The currency has devalued by 90% since 2019. The government and banking system has collapsed. According to the UN, around 78% of the people are living in dire poverty. All this when the country is also facing the coronavirus pandemic and the reconstruction following the 2020 explosion which left 300,000 people in Beirut homeless.

What we are seeing in Lebanon is the consequence of a nation allowing a take-over by a terrorist organization, Hezbollah, backed by Iran. Hezbollah boasts an arsenal of 150,000 missiles all aimed at Israel (though the true number is probably only(!) 70,000) and has invested millions of dollars in constructing a huge network of underground bunkers and tunnels, and equipping itself with a massive military arsenal – all intended for the destruction of Israel. How sad that this money was not spent on bettering the lives of the people they rule! Iraq and Syria, sadly, are travelling down the same path, dooming their people to the same kind of suffering.

When God called Abram out of Haran He said,

“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
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.”

Genesis 12: 1-3

God has never revoked this blessing and this curse. Lebanon and other nations have chosen to curse Israel, and in so doing, have brought down a curse upon their own heads. Throughout all of human history we can see this curse being played out – witness Assyria, Babylon, the Greek and Roman Empires, the German Third Reich, Iraq and so on.

The Middle East is realigning, and more and more Arab states are turning towards making peace with Israel, and are discovering the benefits of doing so. These nations are flourishing.

The EUObserver put it this way,

The benefits of peace cannot be denied. Since the first direct flights linking Tel Aviv with Dubai (November 2020) and Abu Dhabi (April 2021), hundreds of thousands of Israeli tourists and businesspeople have visited the UAE and Bahrain, connecting peoples and cultures like never before.

More than 55 agreements between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain are currently underway – half of them have already been signed and implemented. These agreements lay the foundation for practical cooperation in almost all fields including: finance, communications, economy, culture, tourism, taxation, investment protection, freedom of movement, water, agriculture and energy.

Between January and July 2021, trade between Israel and the UAE surged to $613.9m [524 Euro] and that is just the beginning. The enormous economic benefits of the peace accords have become rapidly apparent, as all sides have gained from the fruits of peace (4).

This past Thursday (07/10) Israel opened its pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020, something that just two years ago would have been unthinkable. Tourists are travelling freely between Israel and the UAE, and visas are not required. This week a delegation of 8 businessmen, officials and activists from Bahrain visited Jerusalem, one of whom even joined a family celebrating a Bar Mitzvah at the Western Wall.

Bahraini education official Mohammed Saleh dances with a bar mitzvah boy and his family in the Old City of Jerusalem, October 6, 2021 (Lazar Berman, Times of Israel)
https://www.timesofisrael.com/from-western-wall-to-old-city-alleys-curious-israelis-embrace-bahraini-visitors/

This week too saw the first direct flight from Cairo to Tel Aviv using a clearly marked Egypt Air aircraft. There have been flights between Egypt and Israel since the 1980s but only using Sinai Air planes not showing an Egyptian flag. These flights were kept discreet amid the lingering hostilities between these nations (5).

VIOLENCE IN ISRAELI ARAB COMMUNITIES

Today Ganem Jabarin, a 46-year-old resident of Umm el-Fahm became the 98th Arab Israeli murdered this year (6). This is symptomatic of the breakdown of law and order in Israeli Arab communities, and most of the murders have been related to organized crime family feuds. Arab communities blame the lack of police control, but when police attempt to intervene they often become the targets of mob violence. The real problem is the spirit of violence and the revenge-based culture of Arab communities in combination with organized crime. Justice Minister, Gidon Sa’ar, in an interview with the Jerusalem Post said, “The phenomenon of organized crime [in the Arab-Israeli sector] endangers Israel more than external threats” (7).

WHEN THE TOWERS FALL

Recently we passed the 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 Twin Towers terrorist attack. I suppose all of us, who are old enough, will remember what we were doing when we first heard about this terrible event. One of the things I can remember was that this verse popped into my mind,

In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.

Isaiah 30: 25b

This verse refers to the general time period when God will judge the enemies of Israel and will restore the people of Israel to their own land.

For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;
You shall weep no more.
He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will answer you.

Isaiah 30:19

Of course this passage was not directly referring to the Twin Towers of New York City, and it most probably refers to watchtowers and fortresses built to defend Israel from its enemies, however it seems that lately there have been a lot of towers falling around the world. Around 100 or so years ago, we humans began to build higher and higher towers and now a great many of those early towers are reaching the end of their lifespan. This is certainly the case here in Israel. Many of the older buildings here were hastily erected to house the immigrants pouring into the country in the 50s and 60s. They were shoddily constructed of substandard materials, and many have been poorly maintained. The Israel Builder’s Association claims that there are some 80,000 buildings, containing some 300,000 apartments in danger of collapse (8,9).

On the Shabbat of the 11th of September residents in an apartment building in Holon heard loud bangs and serious cracks began to open up in the building. As rescue services hurried to evacuate the building they found that in some apartments the building was so deformed that the metal front doors could not be opened. They had to break through the walls to get the people out. I thank God that all the 36 families who lived in the building were evacuated safely, because the very next day it collapsed (10). Of course those people suddenly lost everything they owned.

The scene of a collapsed apartment building in Holon on September 12, 2021. (Flash90) — https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-miracle-holon-apartment-building-collapses-a-day-after-it-was-evacuated/

Since then several other multistorey apartment blocks have had to be evacuated around the country as serious cracks have appeared (10,11). One cannot help but wonder what would happen should we have an earthquake. Some years ago the government instituted a reconstruction program known as Tama38. Some old, crumbling buildings have been renovated and brought up to safety standards as a result, but the program is mired in all kinds of bureaucratic and political complications and is not proceeding as it should.

If you could visit Jerusalem these days you would see it bristling with cranes. Everywhere workers are busily building apartment blocks, tunneling and rerouting transport systems. The municipality has embarked on a project to increase housing in the city, already Israel’s largest of about 1 million residents. Housing is in short supply and consequently property prices and rentals are very expensive. Until now there has been a bylaw prohibiting the building of residential buildings higher than 4-storeys, but this bylaw has now been abolished and higher and higher apartment blocks are appearing around the city. I cannot help wonder about the wisdom of this. Jerusalem is built on soft, crumbly limestone riddled with underground caves and channels like a Swiss cheese. Not only that, we are adjacent to the Great African Rift Faultline and a number of branch fault lines pass right through the city. The area has experienced many severe earthquakes in the past and we know from the Scriptures that there will be earthquakes in the future.

The other problem is sinkholes. Recently a sinkhole swallowed a number of cars in the carpark of the Shaarei Tzedek hospital, and part of a building collapsed into another sinkhole in the center of the city, in Hillel Street, just two buildings down from the building where our congregation meets. By a miracle, no one was injured in either incident, but property was lost. Last Thursday (07/10) a sinkhole appeared in the middle of the Ramle-Lod highway (12).

For He brings down those who dwell on high,
The lofty city;
He lays it low,
He lays it low to the ground,
He brings it down to the dust…

For when Your judgments are in the earth,
The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Isaiah 26: 5, 9

CORONAVIRUS IN ISRAEL

There appears to be some hope that the 4th wave of viral infection is beginning to wane in Israel. After reaching a high of over 11,000 new cases per day on the 11th of September there has been a steady drop off since then (13). Yesterday (10/10) only 1,579 new cases were recorded, and this in spite of an anticipated rise due to the gatherings that occurred during the High Holy Days. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Israel has registered some 1.3 million infections (approx. 1 in 9 of the population) but of course there are probably many who were infected and suffered no symptoms, or only mild symptoms, and did not necessarily report it. A total of 7,920 people have died to date (11/10)(13).

This past week the children returned to school and it is yet too early to know if this will cause another increase in infections but it is hoped that the new testing requirements for school children will prevent this. Also, we may soon be starting to vaccinate the younger children and a recent poll said that some 57% of parents are willing to have their children aged between 5-11 vaccinated (14) .

Yesterday (10/10) the government tightened the requirements regarding the Green Pass and only those who have received the second shot within the last 5 months or who have received the 3rd shot are now eligible. New methods of enforcing the Pass requirements are also being introduced. There is some debate as to whether the Green Pass system has any effectiveness in reducing infection or is just a way of encouraging people to get vaccinated.

Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (greenish brown) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (pink), also known as novel coronavirus, isolated from a patient sample. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Ma (credit: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES - NIH/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS) — _{Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (greenish brown) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (pink), also known as novel coronavirus, isolated from a patient sample. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Ma (credit: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES – NIH/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/at-least-one-long-term-symptom-seen-in-a-third-of-covid-19-patients-study-680594}

FIRES

The weather here is still hot and dry, and the risk of wildfires remains extreme. Today at least two fires were burning in the Jerusalem area. As far as I know, neither were threatening settlements. One of these fires, in Begin park near Bet Shemesh, was clearly the result of arson and a Jewish woman, said to be suffering mental illness, was arrested (15). The fire was brought under control Thursday night but today it reignited. There have also been several other fires in recent days. There is hope that we may soon get some rain. Please pray for the arrival of the winter rains and also that, when they come, they will not be too heavy causing flooding or damage to life or property.

I will stop writing at this point. As fast as I write new developments are occurring, but in the interest of actually getting this published I must now stop. God Bless you all.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”

Psalm 122: 6-7

References:

DARKNESS DESCENDING

September 2, 2021 / admin

Evil is on the move. Darkness is descending.

Yet God remains sovereign.

Joel Rosenberg (1)

After the big fire here in the Judean Hills, I headed off for a few days down in the desert. As I was passing just south of Beer Sheva I noticed a strange, and very bright light in the sky. Some 30 or so kilometers on, it was still there but by then I could see it was attached to a very tall tower, and there appeared to be ‘arms’ of light radiating from around it in the dusty desert air. The first thought that came to my mind was the Eye of Sauron (from the Lord of the Rings). Apparently I am not alone in making this association and it has indeed been dubbed Israel’s Eye of Sauron. It felt somehow very sinister.

Sauron’s Eye in Mordor, from “The Lord of the Rings”

Once I returned home I discovered that it was part of the new Ashalim Solar Power Station and the structure merely collects the light from some 55,000 mirrors and uses it to generate electricity. Even though I am all for solar power, and it really is nothing at all sinister, it was hard to shake that feeling as I continued my journey south.

I had made this journey into the desert because I was wanting some guidance concerning some personal decisions. I can hear the LORD more clearly in the desert and away from all the busy-ness of everyday life. On my first evening there I walked the path along the rim of the Machtesh and enjoyed the setting sun across its incomparable views. The next day I spent some very pleasant hours sitting in the shade of an acacia tree in a pretty wadi, communing with the little birds who visited me hoping for a tidbit (I didn’t disappoint), but I didn’t hear from the LORD.

(for more on the Machtesh, visit https://taliasjoy.com/2020/06/03/maktesh-ramon/ )

On my last evening at the Maktesh, I took a drive along the northern rim of the Maktesh and found a convenient rock on which to sit to watch the sunset. As usual, it was stunning. This time however it felt very different. As I watched the shadow creeping across the canyon floor, I was filled with a deep sense of dread. It felt ominous and threatening. There were some scattered bushes reaching their branches skyward and they caught the sun for a while, but one by one, the shadow blotted them out until all was dark.

I felt that this was a warning from the LORD. Darkness is creeping over the Land, and indeed the whole world, just as the Lord told us it would towards the end, not just in the world, but also in the church. Some believers here and there are holding out against the darkness but many are succumbing to the lies and wiles of the Enemy, and are ceasing to shine. My prayer for myself, and for you, is that we will not be snuffed out in the coming days of darkness when God judges the world, but will continue to shine as beacons in that darkness. May we all be found faithful until the end.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24: 3-13

I had not received the personal guidance I was seeking but the LORD had spoken to me. I came home with a deep sense of dread and horror about what was coming upon the world and upon us all. Time is short and soon it will be too dark to do anything but hide until the wrath is past .

Go, my people, enter your rooms
    and shut the doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
    until his wrath has passed by.
See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling
    to punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood shed on it;
    the earth will conceal its slain no longer.

Isaiah 26:20-21

If you doubt my words, then just turn on the news. The world is gripped by a pandemic which looks like it is here to stay for the long haul, climate change is wreaking havoc around the world, bringing famine, floods and fires, the nations are at war, democracy is devolving into anarchy, and the church is falling into apostasy. Of course we should not be alarmed by such things. Yeshua (Jesus), the Prophets and the Apostles all warned us this would happen. We have long expected it but now the reality is upon us and it is difficult to know how to live in these days, knowing it will only get worse. Yet we should not despair, we who know Yeshua, as all this heralds His return and our ultimate salvation. If you do not yet know Him, call upon his name before it is too late.

When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.

Psalm 94: 18-19

AFGHANISTAN

Perhaps one of the darkest corners of the world right now is Afghanistan. No doubt you have all been following events there as thousands try to flee the Taliban and its coming imposition of strict Sharia Law. The CBN reports that there are at least 5-8,000 Muslim Background Believers (MMBs) in Yeshua in Afghanistan. Unless they are rescued, they face almost certain execution. Earlier this week a Christian organization, the Nazarene Fund, raised more than 28 million dollars to charter planes to evacuate MMBs and other at-risk people from Kabul. With this money they had some 20 planes ready to do the airlift. At first things went well and several planeloads left Kabul carrying at least 1200 people to safety by Tuesday (2). It was hoped that by the end of the week at least 7,000 would be rescued. However on Wednesday last week a plane had to leave Kabul empty because the refugees were unable to reach the airport (3). Now following the terrible suicide attack on Thursday it is even more difficult to get to the airport and the August 31st deadline is fast approaching. It seems certain that many will be left behind to face almost certain martyrdom in Taliban Afghanistan. We need to pray fervently for our brothers and sisters in the Lord. May the LORD rescue them or give them strength to stand firm to the end.

Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

Proverbs 24:11

Update: It is now the 31st of August and the last American soldier has left Afghanistan. Hundreds of American citizens, thousands of Afghanis who helped the US forces, and thousands of Christian and other minority groups are left behind to face their fate. The Taliban are now the governing power of Afghanistan. Do not be deceived by their words. A leopard may cover his spots for a time if it suits, but underneath, the spots do not go away. Already, behind the cameras, the Taliban are executing those that have aided coalition forces or that they see as infidels. Girls as young as 12 are being forcibly ‘wedded’ to Taliban fighters. When the cameras are silenced the massacres will begin and the rest of the people of Afghan will have to live under an oppressive and brutal regime, imposing a Medieval interpretation of Sharia Law. It is the women who will suffer the most.

Pray that the airport will reopen soon and some more people will be permitted to leave. There is little hope that people can flee via land borders. Where would they go? Pray for our brothers and sisters in the LORD, those that didn’t manage to escape, that God will open a way of escape somehow, or that He will give them the courage and faith to stand even until martyrdom if necessary. Pray too for those who did escape, leaving behind everything they have known, all their possessions and, in some cases, family members. Pray that the people of the free world, already suffering from ‘refugee fatigue’, will open their hearts to receive and provide for these people.

At the Kabul international airport on Aug. 21, 2021. — At the Kabul Airport August 21, 2021 US Airforce via AP https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/todaysdebate/2021/08/24/afghan-refugees-welcome-your-new-home-america/8243620002/

ISIS-K

The Afghanistan fiasco has also seen the re-emergence of ISIS onto the world’s consciousness. ISIS has never gone away, the ideology is strong and spreading, and it has just been waiting in the wings for another opportunity to establish its Islamic State. ISIS-K (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province) has claimed responsibility for the horrendous suicide bombing at the gates of the Kabul Airport killing at least 170 Afghani and ex-pat refugees and 13 American military personnel, and wounding many more. Although the Taliban and ISIS-K have similar ideologies, ISIS-K believes the Taliban have compromised too much with the West. In other words, ISIS-K is even more brutal and extreme than the Taliban (if that is possible!). Although too small numerically to pose a real threat to the Taliban in Afghanistan, ISIS-K is carrying out these attacks in order to embarrass the Taliban and recruit new members from its ranks. It seems likely that in the coming days there may be further attacks on those trying to flee the country.

Update: Yesterday (30/08) the US forces intercepted 6 missiles that were fired at the Kabul Airport. ISIS claimed responsibility for the missile attack. The day before that the US forces had destroyed a car that was being loaded with explosives in preparation for a car bomb attack on the airport. According to intelligence reports there remains a threat of further attacks on the airport.

With the Taliban claiming victory over the USA, and the reappearance of ISIS on the world stage, fueling the confidence of all extremist Muslim groups, we can expect a further destablization of the Middle East and an increase in terror attacks worldwide.

GAZA

One of the groups celebrating the Taliban victory (as they see it) is Hamas. Hamas is once more stirring up trouble with Israel. Since the May confrontation between Hamas and Israel, indirect negotiations have been taking place to draw up the terms of a stronger ceasefire agreement. These negotiations are deadlocked leading to frustration on both sides. Since May Israel has maintained tight restrictions on Gaza, significantly limiting imports and exports and complicating the reconstruction. A little while ago, Egypt totally closed its border crossing to Gaza.

In recent weeks the tension on the border has been increasing once more. Several rockets have been fired into Israel, incendiary balloons have ignited fires, and there have been a series of demonstrations and riots at the border leaving at least 2 Gazans dead, including a 13-year-old boy. An Israeli soldier was also killed after being shot in the head through a hole in the border barrier on Saturday, 21st August, during a demonstration. Hamas’ deputy chief in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya said, “Our mobilizing masses have come to announce that the path of the Sword of Jerusalem is renewed,” using their name for the May operations (4).

Over the last few days there have been nightly border riots instigated by the ‘night confusion units’, which are not officially tied to Hamas, though they could not operate without their approval. During these riots, burning tires and explosives are lobbed towards Israeli soldiers. For some reason, in spite of these actions, Israel has in recent days agreed to allow Qatari money to enter Gaza and has relaxed limitations on the fishing zone. On Monday this week Israel also allowed the entry to Gaza of 30 truckloads of cement, 120 trucks of gravel and 15 trucks of steel (5). These conciliatory actions are intended to cool the escalation and prevent all out war, but I fear they may have to opposite effect of encouraging violence against Israel by rewarding the rioters for their actions. It seems a dangerous path we are treading.

CORONA IN ISRAEL

Today, 1 September, 2.5 million Israeli children returned to school, in the midst of our worst wave of coronavirus infections to date. Yesterday two milestones were passed. In just 24 hours more than 11,000 new cases were reported, the highest daily increase since the beginning of the pandemic, and the same day we passed 7,000 deaths, 500 of which occurred in August alone. Over the last 7 days Israel has had the highest number of new infections per capita in the world, according to the figures published by Oxford University (6). And this is in spite of the fact that Israel has vaccinated around 70% of its population with at least 2 shots. Over 2 million Israelis have also been given a third booster dose.

נשיא המדינה יצחק הרצוג מגיע לבית הספר ענבלים במודיעין — President Isaac Herzog joins a first grade class at a Modiin school on the first day of the school year
(Photo: Roi Rubinstein) https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hyv445hbt

You may wonder why our infection rates are so high in spite of our vaccination program. There are a number of reasons. One is that many Israelis were permitted to travel abroad this summer and many returned with the virus, in spite of quarantine and other requirements. Another is ‘corona fatigue’ amongst the population. Many are tired of all the confusing regulations, which change on an almost daily basis, and are simply choosing to ignore them. There is very little enforcement. Israelis are very gregarious and like to congregate socially in large numbers. Then thirdly there are the 30% of the population, including all the children under the age of 12, who have not been vaccinated, and this sector acts as a reservoir for the spread of the disease. The Delta variant is much more infective than earlier variants, and the vaccines are not 100% effective against the transmission of the virus. Some fully vaccinated people are falling ill, though data is indicating that they are 6x less likely to suffer serious illness if they do. The situation is bad, but I dread to think what it would have been had we not had the vaccinations available.

ROSH HASHANA

This coming week, from sundown on Monday until sundown on Wednesday we will be celebrating Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. This festival involves the congregation of large numbers of people in synagogues and at the Western Wall, and the gathering of families and friends for festive meals. You can read more about the significance of this festival for Jews on https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4762/jewish/What-Is-Rosh-Hashanah.htm. In the past an estimated 100,000 people attended the Shleichot prayers, which take place on the afternoon and through the night of the first day. This year attempts are being made to limit the size of the crowds but even so, it represents a potential hotbed for the transmission of the coronavirus.

Sleichot prayers at the Western Wall in 2015

HOPE IN THE LORD AND REJOICE ALWAYS

I raised the question earlier of how we must live in these dark days. We must continue to run the race with perseverance and diligence. We keep close to our Lord, praying fervently and studying his Word. We push on to the goal that lies before us, the upward call of the Messiah (Philippians 3: 14). One of my favorite passages in the Bible is this, and it gives us excellent advice:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4: 4-9

A little Fat Sand Rat friend I made down at Mitzpeh Ramon. He is eating his favorite food – saltbush.

References:

Tag: Afghanistan

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