24 Hour Prayer Chain - Prayer Points

FULL UPDATE TEXT

 
1.  Arabs Endorse Indirect Israeli-Palestinian Talks
2.  Popularity of Israel in America at All-time High
3.  Attempted Jerusalem Terror Attack Lightly Injures Guard
4.  IDF: Gas Mask Distribution Unrelated to Security Situation
5.  Israeli Daily: Mission to Gain Chinese Support on Iran
6.  Hamas Leader Disowns Son Who Served as Israeli Spy
7.  Israel Facilitates Medical Aid Transfer to Gaza
8.  Israel, Syria Open the Border for Apples
9.  Last Attempt to Get Names of Murdered Jews from Holocaust Survivors

With peace talks halted for more than a year, Arab League foreign ministers on Wednesday [March 3] decided to endorse indirect negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, with the United States to act as mediator, according to a report in the New York Times.

The US newspaper said the Arab decision gave the talks a four-month time limit. The US is keen to restart the talks soon. US Middle East envoy George Mitchell is expected to visit the region "in the next few days," said a US State Department spokesperson. Haaretz reported the talks could resume as soon as Sunday [March 7].

According to the State Department Web site, spokesperson Philip Crowley told reporters on Wednesday that Mitchell's visit will be part of the US' efforts to restart negotiations "as soon as possible." However, despite welcoming the Arab League's decision, Crowley noted that peace talks have not officially resumed yet.

"We're not there yet. I think we're getting close," said Crowley. "Senator Mitchell will be back in the region in the next few days, and we'll consult with the parties in light of this meeting that's happened over the last couple of days and see where they are."

The Palestinians had previously set a complete Israeli freeze to all settlement "construction, as well as East Jerusalem, as a precondition to talks. Israel enacted a partial freeze in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], but refused to add East Jerusalem. Crowley said Mitchell's visit will partly be to determine if there are still any conditions to talks. He said he had nothing to announce when asked if there was a possibility that talks could resume on Mitchell's upcoming trip.

The New York Times noted the indirect approach was previously called for by Mitchell. As of the publishing of the Times article, the indirect format still needed to be confirmed by the key Palestinian political movements in the West Bank, although that was not expected to be a problem.

The New York Times quoted Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab League, as being critical of Israel as taking steps that hurt the peace process, such as settlement construction. However, while the Israeli government has angered Palestinians for some moves, it has also had Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorse a two-state solution openly, enact a settlement construction freeze unprecedented in scope in the West Bank, and repeatedly urge the Palestinians to resume talks.
 
The New York Times also quoted Israeli Prime Minister's Office Spokesman Mark Regev as sounding pleased with the chance to resume talks. Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, threatened that if the talks come up empty, the next step would be to involve the United Nations Security Council.

The prospect of the UN getting directly involved, perhaps to even endorse a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood, has been discussed in the Israeli media in recent months.

Crowley, meanwhile, believed the detailed, comprehensive peace process would take longer than the four months initially agreed to by the Arab League. "We recognize that until you get into a process, it is almost impossible to make progress on these issues," said Crowley.

(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 3, 2010)

Prayer Focus
Pray that Israel will stand strong in the face of negotiations over a peace agreement and will not make unwise compromises. Pray that Netanyahu will hear the Lord and follow His direction.

Scripture
"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding…then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:1-3, 5).

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A Gallup poll in the United States found that Israel is among Americans' most favored countries in the world. After Canada, Britain, Germany and Japan, Israel came in fifth with an approval rating of 67% of respondents, who were asked to provide their opinions about 20 countries that also included the Palestinian Authority. Only 25% of those surveyed said they had an unfavorable opinion of Israel.

Some 20% of respondents viewed the Palestinian Authority favorably, an improvement over last year's total of 15%, placing it fourth from the bottom. Iran continued to rank last, with a 10% favorable rating.

Israel was the only country rated this year that is viewed more favorably by Republican voters, with 80% of respondents identifying as Republicans viewing the Jewish state favorably, compared with only 53% of those who support the Democrats.

Some 63% of those polled said their sympathies lie more with Israel than with the Palestinians in the current situation, which is the highest level of support Israel has enjoyed in 19 years. About 15% said they sided more with the Palestinians.

However, only 30% of respondents in the survey expressed optimism about the likelihood of a peace agreement in the Middle East, the lowest percentage since Gallup first asked the question in 1997. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they were pessimistic about the chances for peace between Israel and the Arabs.

Sixty-one percent of Americans view the military power of Iran as a critical threat to US vital interests over the next decade. Twenty-nine percent said Iran was an important, though not a critical, threat to the security of the United States.

(By World Jewish Congress, March 3, 2010)

Prayer Focus
Praise God for this positive report! Pray that the materials of organizations like Bridges for Peace, who do positive reporting for Israel, will increase in their distribution and help more people worldwide to understand Israel in light of Scripture.
 
Scripture
"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).

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After a period of relative quiet, violence has struck in Jerusalem again, with a security guard lightly injured by gunfire in what police are calling an attempted terror attack. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Bridges for Peace that the incident took place in the early hours of Monday [March 1] near a Jewish housing complex in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan.

So far, the police have determined the suspect fired multiple shots with a pistol at the security guard's jeep before escaping. The guard was taken to a local hospital, while the police were still searching for the suspect as of late Monday afternoon.

Rosenfeld noted it was the first attempted terror attack in Jerusalem in a while.  "We confirm it was an attempted terrorist attack. That's how we see the incident last night, and the investigation is continuing," said Rosenfeld. "Once in a while, there are incidents that take place in and around Jerusalem, but it doesn't happen very often. This seems to be a very isolated incident."

At the time, Rosenfeld said police were still trying to determine how the suspect acquired the weapon, where the suspect came from, how the attack was planned, and who was behind it. A possible link to Purim, the festival of Esther that was celebrated in Jerusalem on Monday, was also being explored. He said "within a short amount of time" arrests would be made "if necessary."

Meanwhile, rioting on the Temple Mount occurred on Sunday [February 28], although Rosenfeld felt the motive for it was "completely separate" from the terror attack. Rosenfeld said a "small-minority" incident in which15-20 masked Palestinians threw stones at a group of tourists who entered the Temple Mount was broken up by police. Rosenfeld said the police "prevented those tourists from being injured."

Additional "small-scale" incidents occurred during the day in East Jerusalem. The various flare-ups resulted in two police officers being injured by stones and eight arrests of Arabs for attempting to attack police. The city was quiet and calm on Monday, with tourists again visiting the Temple Mount.

Rosenfeld said the stone-throwing, which comes less than six months after similar Temple Mount rioting, is not viewed as an increase in violence, blaming the incident on incitement. He said the incitement was connected to the decision by the Israeli government to name the tomb for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Hebron a national heritage site, a move that has angered the Palestinians.

"We don't see it as an increase in violence…Every once in while there is incitement that comes both from different extreme factions in the North, as well as from the Hamas in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]. But what took place over the last 24 hours in Jerusalem was directly connected, basically, to a decision which was made by the government to name Hebron one of the respected holy places, and therefore, unfortunately, a small group of extreme Palestinians tried to incite violence on the Temple Mount; that's the cause of the incident itself." Rosenfeld said there was a "high presence of security" in Jerusalem for Purim.

(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, March 1, 2010)

Prayer Focus
Pray peace over this situation so that it will not become a flash-point for another intifada (Arab uprising).
 
Scripture
"Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it…For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against the quiet ones in the land" (Psalms 34:14; 35:20).

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The distribution of new gas masks across the nation as of this week was not prompted by an emergency state on the security front, Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command Chief Yair Golan said Monday [March 1]. "We are not dealing with an operation, but rather, with routine," the senior military officer said.

"We intend to turn it into a policy whereby the distribution of masks is taken for granted and constitutes part of the emergency equipment of every citizen." The gas mask project got underway Sunday east of Tel Aviv and is expected to be expanded to the rest of the country at the beginning of April.
 
The Home Front commander also noted that the army had not yet received the full budget that would allow the production of gas masks for all of Israel's citizens. However, he estimated that the funds will be handed over soon in line with the government decision on the matter.
 
"There are question marks over the future of the distribution; it's not a simple matter, but we hope the issue will be resolved," he said. Major-General Golan added that at times of emergency, the Home Front is prepared to take over the responsibility for distribution from the Israel Postal Company, which won the tender for the project.

Earlier, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai also addressed the issue, making it clear that the gas mask distribution "is unrelated to the security situation or to threats."

(By Hanan Greenberg, Tova Dadon contributing, Ynetnews, March 1, 2010)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3856370,00.html

Prayer Focus
Pray that the Home Front Command will act wisely and expediently to prepare Israel's citizens for every emergency event. Pray that the people will fortify themselves with the Word and trust in the Lord as their defense.

Scripture
"I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God , my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies" (Psalm 18:1-3).

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[Analysis] That two top-level Israeli leaders went to China on a diplomatic mission-and that one is Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya'alon-is not unusual. What marks last week's official visit as being out-of-the-ordinary is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's use of Bank of Israel head Stanley Fischer as his second emissary.

The US-born Fischer already had a stellar international reputation when Netanyahu-then finance minister under Ariel Sharon-convinced him to move to Israel and take command of its economy. But as that economy became the prime example of one that was sufficiently robust to withstand the global turn-down, Fischer's star ascended to the point where his presence will peak the interest of anyone concerned about dollars-and-cents. Or yen.

The Israeli daily Haaretz is reporting that the theme of the Ya'alon/Fischer mission is to present a no-information-withheld intelligence briefing to convince the Chinese to either support a new round of sanctions against Iran or at least not to interfere with efforts by other nations to do so.

Apparently believing that the best form of motivation is self-interest, it is being reported that Fischer's role is to persuade Beijing that a nuclear Iran means much higher oil prices-a compelling argument by the world's economic superstar for a nation heavily invested in oil imports from Iran.

(By The Media Line, March 1, 2010)

Prayer Focus
Though many do not think sanctions will work, we must pray that they will, for the alternative is great devastation for both sides. Pray that enough nations will come together for the sanctions to be strong enough to make an impact on Iran. Cry out for God's mercy.
 
Scripture
"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by" (Psalm 57:1).

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The jailed Hamas leader Sheik Hassan Yousef has disowned his eldest son after learning that he was a spy for Israel. Hassan Yousef, who has been held in an Israeli prison since 2005, said in a statement that he, along with other family members, disowned his oldest son Mosab, 32.

The statement was reportedly smuggled out of his Israeli prison. Mosab Yousef was Israel's most valuable source on Hamas for more than a decade. He converted to Christianity ten years ago and left the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] in 2007 for California, where he now resides.

His spying was reported last week by the Israeli daily Haaretz in advance of this week's release of  "Son of Hamas," a book written by Mosab Yousef and Rob Brackin. The son of Hassan Yousef reportedly was code-named "Green Prince" by the Mossad [Israeli intelligence agency].

His intervention is said to have led to the prevention of dozens of suicide bombing attacks and assassination attempts on Israeli officials and the exposing of several terrorist cells.

(By The World Jewish Congress, March 3, 2010)

Prayer Focus
Pray for Mosab's protection.

Scripture
"Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me" (Psalm 17:8-9).

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Israel recently facilitated the transfer of a CT scanner to the Gaza Strip, the first of its type in Gaza Red Crescent hospitals, which is a branch of the Red Cross. According to a press release from the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (CoGAT), international organizations working in the Gaza Strip assisted and provided funding for the medical supplies transfer.

In addition to the CT scanner, elevator maintenance supplies and spare parts for a mammography scanner were also transferred. According to the press release, "Transfers of medical supplies to Gaza's hospitals is part of CoGAT's humanitarian efforts-which take place on a daily basis on all levels-that are made on behalf of the residents of the Gaza Strip, with an emphasis on meeting medical needs."

Israel and Egypt maintain a blockade on many non-humanitarian items entering Hamas-controlled Gaza, a territory still holding kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and the origin of many terror attacks against Israel. However, this recent transfer is part of a long line of humanitarian supplies that have been sent to Gaza via Israel, supplies that have included food, fuel and electricity.

(By Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, February 28, 2010)

Prayer Focus
Praise God for Israel's acts of kindness and mercy towards their enemies. Pray that God will reward them according to His Word.

Scripture
"If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you" (Proverbs 25:22).

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For the tenacious, eighty-six year old Yehoshua Neiditz, surviving has been a way of life: evading Nazis in his native Poland and hiding out with the Partisans, logging one lucky escape after another. But his entire family number among the estimated six million Jews murdered in the Second World War. "I never wanted to think about it," says Neiditz in his small, tidy flat in Tel Aviv. "It makes me anxious to relive it. It's not good for my mind."

Sixty-seven years later, he has at last found the courage to dig up painful memories, share his testimony and record the names of family members from his hometown of Pinsk in the main database of the Nazi genocide.

The Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and Museum has launched what may be the last viable campaign to get remaining Holocaust survivors to record the names of Jews murdered in the war. A media campaign across Israel, the country with the largest living concentration of Holocaust survivors, has urged them to come forward and give the names of those who died.

According to the Centre of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel, an estimated 327,000 Holocaust survivors eventually received Israeli citizenship. About 167,000 are still alive today, and the majority of them are over 80 years old.

When Yad Vashem was founded in the 1950s, it was guided by the principle that "every victim has a name," and thus began the monumental task of identifying the victims of the Holocaust. It got off to a tough start. In the early years of the state, native Israelis ridiculed Holocaust survivors for not having fought the Nazis. The stigma caused many to hide their past.

As of today, Yad Vashem has collected the names of nearly four million victims and is trying to recover as many more identities as possible while survivors still live. "A name is essentially a person's soul," says Cynthia Wroclawski, manager of the Holocaust Victims' Names Recovery Project at Yad Vashem.

"It is their identity. The Nazis tried to wipe off every memory of their victim…, and when we try and create a personal commemoration to each and every victim, we are, in a sense, recreating the great tragic loss of six million of our brothers and sisters who were taken from us brutally."

The present campaign in Israel has included broadcasts on national radio stations and has generated hundreds of telephone calls a day. Identities can be added on the Yad Vashem Names Internet site, but volunteers are also dispatched to the homes of survivors to help them fill out the forms.

"We are really in a race against time," says Wroclawski. "Time is passing, and we don't know how many more years we have left to speak with actual witnesses who still remember this information."

Volunteers, like Zahava Schwartz, whose parents went through the Holocaust, have been reaching out to survivors. She says approaching death has caused some survivors to finally speak before it is too late. "Now they feel that they are old and they have to talk about it, otherwise it will be forgotten," Schwartz says. "Every person is a new story and every person is a sad story so it is difficult and sometimes we cry together, and sometimes I go home and then I cry."

Wroclawski says there are about 250 volunteers from across the country helping with the program. Most of the missing identities come from areas of the former Soviet Union and eastern Poland. Also, the ultra-Orthodox community, which often shuns national institutions, has been hesitant to register names with Yad Vashem.

"I know that the issue of Holocaust denial, which is rampant today, is an incentive to some of the survivors to say, 'Listen this was my family. I know who they were,'" Wroclawski says.

Excerpts of an article by Arieh O'Sullivan, The Media Line, February 28, 2010)

Prayer Focus
Pray that this project will glean much needed information that will help refute deniers of the Holocaust. Pray that Holocaust survivors will have the courage to share what they know.

Scripture
"These are the things you shall do: speak each man the truth to his neighbor; give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace" (Zechariah 8:16).

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Note: All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.