Dispatch from Jerusalem

The Desecration of Synagogues in Gaza

“We are Muslims and our religion and traditions don’t allow us to desecrate or destroy places of worship.”

 Abdullah Abudllah, Under-secretary of the PA Foreign Ministry
Al-Jazeerah.info and the Palestine Media Center, September 7, 2005 (before the destruction took place)

Millions Of Christians Pray For Israel

Tens of millions of Christians around the world joined their voices in prayer on October 2, calling on the Creator of heaven and earth to send His peace to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.

According to the United States-based leadership behind the second annual International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, Bible-believers, in churches and meetings across the globe, focused their thoughts and prayers on the ancient metropolis whose name in Hebrew means “city of peace.”

Arise And Shine: Jelly Doughnuts

By Charleeda Sprinkle

“For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you, and His glory will appear upon you” (Isaiah 60:2, NAS).

165 BC in Israel was a time of deep darkness. King Antiochus of Syria wanted his kingdom Hellenized (adapted to Greek culture). Jews were ordered to profane the Shabbat (the Sabbath), to stop celebrating the feasts, and to pollute the sanctuary by building altars for idols.  Torah (Gen.–Deut.) scrolls were burned and anyone who would not sacrifice to the Greek idols was put to death. Many Jews had already assimilated to the Greek way of life and welcomed the changes, but a few resisted.

Christian Allies Of Israel Honored

In a sign of the increasing cooperation between Israel and the Christian evangelical world, several Israel-based Christian groups were honored in October in Jerusalem for their unequivocal support for the State of Israel.

A State of Concern

The pressure is on U.S. President George W. Bush to make sure his actions, concerning terrorism, continue to match up with his words. On the one side, the war of words is broadcast, telecast, printed, and proclaimed. On the other side, terror increases.

Ashkelon Desalinization Plant Up and Running

The much anticipated Ashkelon water desalinization plant is up and running, with treated seawater already being supplied to the Negev from the Mediterranean Sea.

Wheels of Success

For college students, living close to campus is important, but Jerusalem’s Hadassah College’s School for Industrial Design student, Elisha Wetherhorn, is actually delighted that he didn’t find a close place to live––otherwise the Rider, his invention designed to ease the plight of commuters, might never have been born.

Now he’s hoping his urban tricycle––a lightweight (14kg. or 30lbs.) folding bike with an electric motor that you can take on the bus––will soon be a common sight in centers around the world with potential investors in Tel Aviv, India, London, and the United States.

Earthquake Shakes Israel

Israelis preparing to see out the old year and welcome in the new with the sound of shofar blowing on October 3, the eve of Rosh Hashanah (the biblical Feast of Trumpets) felt their country shaking, as a 4.3 scale earthquake struck the region.

Originating just after 7:00 a.m. near the northern Jordan Valley town of Bet She’an, the quake shook beds and buildings, momentarily frightening people, before subsiding as quickly as it had begun.

Israel Likely to Keep 180,000 Settlers

Israel expects at least 180,000 of the current 240,000 settlers in the occupied West Bank will be able to stay in their homes with approval from the United States. Just before the Gaza evacuation, Dov Weisglass, senior adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said that Israel expects the evacuation of 8,500 Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip and a small area in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).

Gaza’s Synagogues- Only the Latest

Despite the fervent claims of Palestinian Authority (PA) officials that the Muslims living under their rule have the utmost respect for Judaism, the synagogues of Gaza were burned and desecrated even before the last Jew had left the strip.

A cursory check of recent history would seem to contradict the PA’s assertions and make these scenes from Gaza very much expected.