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Every week, we post seven to ten news stories from Israel with a suggested prayer focus and scripture for each one, guiding readers how to pray for Israel’s most urgent needs. This Prayer Update is also sent to over 18,000 subscribers every Friday by e-mail. Please contact us at intl.office@bridgesforpeace.com if you would like to receive this Prayer Update by e-mail.
Is a War against Hezbollah Imminent?
by Israel Kasnett ~ JNS
An Israeli artillery unit stationed near the northern border with Lebanon.
Thursday, 21 March 2024 | The world’s attention is focused on Gaza, but if a war breaks out on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, it will be far broader and more destructive than the one Israel is waging against Hamas.
Hezbollah has so far refrained from launching a full-scale attack on Israel, though it has continuously fired rockets, mortars and drones at the Jewish state since October 8. Each increase in the intensity of Hezbollah’s attacks risks crossing the threshold into such a conflict.
Iran has reportedly authorized its Lebanese proxy to conduct a large-scale attack against Israel if Hezbollah is “certain” Israel will invade Gaza’s Rafah city, Hamas’s last remaining stronghold. Given Israel’s stated intention to enter Rafah, it thus appears war with Hezbollah is imminent.
US special envoy Amos Hochstein has been shuttling back and forth between the US, Lebanon and Israel in an effort to prevent the conflict from spreading. Hezbollah has violated United Nations [UN] Resolution 1701 since 2006, and then on October 8 additionally violated the 2022 Israel–Lebanon maritime border deal, which Hochstein negotiated.
According to JINSA’s [Jewish Institute for National Security of America] Vice President for Policy Blaise Misztal, however laudable the US goal of preventing the conflict from spreading, “In pursuing it this administration has, unfortunately, forgotten what George Washington already knew: ‘To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.’”
“US officials seem to believe that the best way to preserve peace is to loudly disavow any intention of stopping adversaries’ use of force,” he told JNS. “That approach led to the death of US service members in Jordan and the disruption of shipping in the Red Sea as Iranian proxies took US reluctance as an invitation to escalate, ultimately forcing the administration to take a more aggressive approach.”
The US, he continued, “does not yet seem to have applied these lessons to Lebanon, where it hopes that its eagerness for a deal can keep increasing Hezbollah attacks from sparking a broader conflict.”
This approach might appear to be working in the short term—but the fact is that Hezbollah views the US focus on diplomacy as a weakness, he said.
Hezbollah will seek to exploit this perceived weakness to compel Israeli territorial and other Western concessions in any future US-backed agreement, he continued. Furthermore, the US’s perceived fear of escalation renders a military outcome more likely.
As Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah boasted in July 2023, “What we did with the oil, gas and maritime border delineation, today also, through complementarity and cooperation between the state and the resistance…we can recover our occupied land in the town of Ghajar.”
On January 5, Nasrallah boasted, “We now have an opportunity to return to us Lebanese territories that Israel took over, such as Shebaa Farms, thanks to our standing on the side of Gaza and its people, but any talk about this should only happen after the end of the war on Gaza, and this is our official position.”
And in February, Nasrallah said that the terror group’s attacks against Israel would continue until Israel ceases its “aggression” in Gaza.
Then there is the matter of Israel’s evacuees. Since Hezbollah began its cross-border attacks on October 8, tens of thousands of Israelis have been evacuated from their homes in the north. This situation is putting huge pressure on the Israeli government.
As Israeli Minister Benny Gantz put it, “The stopwatch for a diplomatic solution is running out; if the world and the Lebanese government don’t act to prevent the firing on Israel’s northern residents and to distance Hezbollah from the border, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will do it.”
A diplomatic solution might involve a Hezbollah evacuation 8–10 kilometers [5–6 mi.] from the border. Hezbollah would be replaced with 10,000 to 12,000 Lebanese Armed Forces [LAF] troops. Israel would also be required to cease flights over Lebanese airspace and to withdraw troops from its side of the border partially.
But Hezbollah has already rejected a recent French proposal that would have obligated it to withdraw 10 kilometers [6 mi.] from the border.
Nor is any help to be expected in this regard from the Lebanese government, which seems unwilling or unable—or both—to prevent the Iranian proxy from dragging the crisis-plagued country into a costly war.
“Countries cannot allow their territories to become bases from which non-state groups like Hezbollah can attack other states,” said David Daoud, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
“Lebanon appears either unwilling or unable to restrain or disarm Hezbollah,” he told JNS.
Instead, and similar to the way it behaved during the maritime border demarcation negotiations, “Lebanon is exploiting Hezbollah’s ongoing attacks and the international community’s aversion to a Hezbollah–Israel war to extract concessions from the Israelis and the international community,” he added.
In Misztal’s view, “The best way to ensure that Hezbollah does not—or cannot—launch a devastating attack on Israel is for the US to do as President Washington advised: Make clear that the US is prepared for war, alongside its partner Israel, if anyone threatens the security of either state.”
However, Daoud emphasized that such backing must not extend to US “boots on the ground.”
“Israel’s military can handle the battle against Hezbollah on its own,” he said. “Israel cannot be perceived as requiring American boots on the ground to confront Hezbollah,” he said, as this would “irreversibly” damage Israeli deterrence.
“Israel will need time to prosecute a war against Hezbollah until victory—and it will be fighting against two different clocks: the Israeli Home Front’s ability to persevere in the face of an unprecedented war, and [that of] the UN Security Council.”
Photo Credit: Ayal Margolin/Flash90/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Cry out to the Lord for His guidance and protection as Israel is forced into a very difficult situation. Pray that Israeli leaders will hear the voice of the Lord as they make decisions regarding the burgeoning conflict with Hezbollah. If a military outcome is inevitable, pray that Israel will have a swift and decisive victory.
Scripture
“For the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”
Hamas Attack ‘Weapon of Mass Distraction’ as Iran Goes Nuclear
by Yaakov Lappin ~ JNS
The damage after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit a building in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona
Thursday, 21 March 2024 | Israel needs to be prepared for the possibility of conducting high-intensity strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon and on Iran’s nuclear program simultaneously, a former senior Israeli defense official told JNS in recent days.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Professor Jacob Nagel, former acting national security adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-head of Israel’s National Security Council, is currently a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a professor at the Technion‒Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. Nagel raised the possibility of a multi-staged Iranian strategy to go nuclear, involving regional proxies keeping Israel and the world distracted with conflicts.
Iran may have activated a “weapon of mass distraction” to make progress on building weapons of mass destruction, its nuclear program,” said Nagel. He said the possibility of a long-term Iranian plan—with a secret timetable and multiple stages—must be taken seriously.
The first stage of such a plan begins with the mass-murder attack launched on October 7 against southern Israel by Hamas in Gaza, which, even though it likely occurred without prior coordination with Iran on its timing, still serves Iran’s interests and could not have happened without Iranian support for Hamas.
Hezbollah entered the conflict from Lebanon with attacks on northern Israel in a lower-intensity but steady manner, starting on October 8.
In the second stage of the potential plan, Nagel said, Israel begins “treading water” in Gaza, and the international community becomes involved in responding to Iran’s proxies, particularly the Houthis. At the same time, Hezbollah maintains its involvement in a low-intensity manner.
In a future possible third stage, Hezbollah becomes involved in full-scale war, and in a potential fourth stage, Iran—taking advantage of the distraction—races ahead in its nuclear program.
“This scenario cannot be ruled out,” said Nagel.
‘This is Our Fight’
According to a report released by Reuters on March 15, Hezbollah told its Iranian patron recently that it would fight any future full-scale war with Israel alone.
The report noted that the head of Iran’s Quds Force, Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani, who oversees Iranian support for proxies, visited Beirut in February to “discuss the risk posed if Israel next aims at Lebanon’s Hezbollah.”
“The conversation turned to the possibility of a full Israeli offensive to its north, in Lebanon,” the report said, citing unnamed Iranian sources, adding that Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah “reassured Ghaani he didn’t want Iran to get sucked into a war with Israel or the US and that Hezbollah would fight on its own.”
“This is our fight,” Nasrallah reportedly told Ghaani.
“The events that have occurred so far do not disprove the idea that Iran has a multi-stage plan,” said Nagel. “I think today we are at the stage where Iran is developing the components of the ‘weapons group’ in the nuclear program,” he added, in reference to the work that needs to occur alongside uranium enrichment in order to assemble nuclear warheads.
He stated there is constant gradual progress being made by multiple Iranian teams, enriching uranium and creating the necessary components and systems for nuclear bombs. These teams “are doing what they can without being caught with a smoking gun in their hand,” he said.
“Israel has to prepare—as it has prepared all of these past years—to strike the nuclear program,” stressed Nagel. “If it were not for Israeli activities, Iran would have long ago become a nuclear state. Many do not understand this.”
Iran has already completed the longest part of the uranium enrichment process, Nagel stressed, referring to the enrichment of 20% and 60% uranium. “The big majority of the time needed to reach military-grade (90%) uranium is spent reaching those two enrichment levels of 20 and 60,” he said. “Little time is needed to subsequently, from there, reach 90% enrichment level—the military-grade,” he cautioned.
‘Strike the Weapons System Part of It’
On March 7, the National reported that Britain, France and Germany told the board of the United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran had installed more advanced centrifuges and “laid ground for a further expansion” of its ability to enrich uranium.
“Iran’s overall stockpile has grown by 30%,” the statement said, “although Iran appeared to have down blended some of its stock of 60% uranium to 20%,” according to the report.
On March 15, Washington reissued a US $10 billion Iran sanctions waiver that allows Iran access to revenue from its electricity sales to Iraq.
“Hence, Israel must be ready for anything. For being able to strike the enrichment part of the program, but also for being able to strike the weapons system part of it,” said Nagel.
“Israel must build munitions capabilities, mainly artillery and tank shells, and Israel must be ready to work in more than one arena. Because of what is occurring in the south, the timing of war with Hezbollah could change,” he added.
‘Falling Into a Trap’
On March 2, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies [FDD] published an assessment co-written by Nagel and Mark Dubowitz, FDD’s chief executive and an expert on Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions.
In the assessment, Nagel and Dubowitz wrote that Israel “risks falling into a trap set by Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. In supporting Hamas’s brutal attack on October 7 and keeping multiple Israeli military battalions engaged in the north and in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], Khamenei has unleashed a weapon of ‘mass distraction’ that is consuming the attention of Israel’s military, intelligence and political establishment. This fits neatly into the supreme leader’s strategy of advancing his atomic weapon of mass destruction.”
Meanwhile, Russia recently set up military positions in southern Syria near Israel. While Nagel doubted that Moscow posed any current operational threat to Israel, he added that Jerusalem must be cautious about future potential Russian assistance to Iran’s nuclear program, which could be given as repayment for the Iranian supply of unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles to Russia’s war effort against Ukraine.
“I hope the Russians do not do this, but it can happen,” said Nagel. “We are talking about knowledge in the nuclear field.”
Photo Credit: David Cohen/Flash90/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Pray that Israel will not “fall into a trap” set by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by allowing the war in Gaza, the conflict with Hezbollah and constant terror in Judea and Samaria to consume the attention of their military, intelligence and political establishment. Beseech the Lord that the Jewish state will be successful in all three arenas while preventing Iran from advancing its atomic weapon of mass destruction.
Scripture
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler.
Israel Ranked Fifth Happiest Country in the World
by JNS
Israel took fifth place in this year’s World Happiness Report.
Thursday, 21 March 2024 | Israel is the fifth happiest place on Earth, according to the World Happiness Report 2024, released on Wednesday.
The findings are powered by data from the Gallup World Poll and based on six factors: social support; income; health; freedom; generosity; and absence of corruption.
Finland topped the list for the seventh successive year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Israel, which dropped one position compared to 2023. Rounding out the Top 10 were the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Australia.
Notably, the United States (23) dropped out of the top 20 for the first time since the World Happiness Report was first published in 2012, driven by a large drop in the wellbeing of Americans under 30.
Afghanistan was ranked the least happiest country in the world.
“The broad country coverage and annual surveys of the Gallup World Poll provide an unmatched source of data about the quality of lives all over the globe. There are now enough years of data, going back to 2006, to enable us this year to plausibly separate age and generational patterns for happiness,” said Professor John F. Helliwell, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia, and a founding editor of the World Happiness Report.
The report was released to coincide with the International Day of Happiness, which was established when the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/281 in June 2012.
Photo Credit: Hadas Parush/Flash90/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Praise the Lord that Israel continues to rank in the top ten happiest nations on earth, despite the issues and challenges the country is facing. Plead with the Lord to bless His people with ongoing strength, courage and determination as Israel fights for her very existence. And pray that He will heal the trauma of every Israeli, young and old, granting them resilience and the determination to defeat evil and remain a happy nation for generations to come.
Scripture
Happy are the people who are in such a state; happy are the people whose God is the LORD!
‘No Other Choice’: Netanyahu Defying Biden on Rafah Operation
by JNS
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with President Joe Biden.
Wednesday, 20 March 2024 | The Israel Defense Forces [IDF] must clear Rafah of terrorists despite American opposition, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during Tuesday’s closed-door session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee.
The premier told the lawmakers that the US asked that the offensive in the last Hamas bastion in Gaza not take place, emphasizing that “we have no other choice.”
In a phone conversation on Monday, their first in over a month, US President Joe Biden told Netanyahu that he could not support a major military offensive in Rafah. Instead, the administration favors a limited operation aimed at high-value Hamas targets and securing the Gaza–Egypt border.
“I made it clear to the president in our conversation, in the clearest way, that we are determined to complete the elimination of these battalions in Rafah. And there is no way to do it, other than the entrance ground of ground forces,” Netanyahu said at Tuesday’s meeting.
During Monday’s White House daily press briefing, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that despite Biden’s opposition to a military operation in Rafah, the president did not threaten to cut off military aid to Israel during the call and the administration’s “red lines” reported in the news are a media construction that does not reflect administration policy.
The senior US official added that Biden’s concerns about Rafah should not be understood as a lack of US commitment to root out Hamas.
“The president has rejected and did again today the strawman that raising questions about Rafah is the same as raising questions about defeating Hamas,” Sullivan said.
Netanyahu approved the IDF’s operational plans for the city along the Sinai border last week. The IDF is preparing operationally for this next stage of the war while also readying for the evacuation of Gazan civilians from Rafah.
“We have an argument that I put on the table, and everyone knows it. Even Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, said it yesterday. We have an argument with the Americans about the need to enter Rafah. Not about the need to eliminate Hamas, the need to enter Rafah. We see no way to eliminate Hamas militarily without destroying these remaining battalions. We are determined to do it,” Netanyahu said at Tuesday’s meeting.
Additionally, Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel must control the 8.7-mile-long [14 km.] Philadelphi Corridor separating the Gaza Strip from the Sinai Peninsula.
He told the meeting that Israel is working on a new border crossing at the Kerem Shalom Israel–Gaza–Egypt triangle to replace the Rafah crossing with Egypt, one where Israel will have full control.
Netanyahu also said that Israel is preventing a humanitarian disaster in Gaza. “We are checking how to distribute the aid through non-local entities because Hamas thwarted the attempts to distribute it through locals. Private companies are also being checked,” he noted.
The premier once more rejected the idea of the Palestinian Authority playing a role in a post-Hamas Gaza, saying that “the uncompromising ambition of the entire Palestinian leadership in all its shades is the elimination of Zionism.”
Netanyahu said that “the US attacks are targeting me because I prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
Netanyahu said that he asked the military to return to using checkpoints in Judea and Samaria because of the deteriorating security situation. “I asked the army to devise a plan to respect the checkpoints in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria],” he said.
No matter what happens, only Israel should have security control between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, he added.
Photo Credit: Cameron Smith/Official White House photo/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Pray that President Biden will respect Prime Minister Netanyahu’s position as a leader in the free world and support the decisions that he and his cabinet are making. Pray that Israel’s American ally will stand alongside her if anyone threatens the security of either state. And beseech the Lord that Israel will indeed have security control “from the River to the Sea.”
Scripture
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Palestinian Terrorist Kills Israeli in Negev Stabbing
by JNS
Medical and security personnel at the scene of a terrorist stabbing at a gas station near Beit Kama in Israel’s northern Negev
Friday, 15 March 2024 | A terrorist killed an Israeli soldier in a stabbing attack on Thursday at a gas station near Beit Kama in the northern Negev, close to the Bedouin city of Rahat.
Magen David Adom [MDA] emergency medical personnel treated the victim, later identified as Uri Moyal, at the scene before evacuating the chief warrant officer to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva in serious condition.
The victim, 51, a senior technology and maintenance non-commissioned officer at the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] Nahal Brigade’s training base, subsequently died from his injuries, the military said on Thursday night.
Moyal used his personal weapon to neutralize the terrorist, the Ynet news outlet reported.
“When we arrived, there was a lot of commotion and near one of the shops a man was lying unconscious and suffering from penetrating injuries to his body,” said senior MDA medic Kalman Ganzburg.
“We immediately put him in an intensive care vehicle and transported the victim to the hospital while CPR was being performed,” he added.
The Israel Security Agency later identified the terrorist as Fadi Abu Latif, 22, originally from the Gaza Strip.
Abu Latif’s mother is from Rahat and his father from Gaza, where his parents currently reside.
A resident of Rahat, the terrorist lived in the Strip until the age of 18. He was granted Israeli citizenship in 2019 after getting married.
Following an assessment at the attack site, Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai called on the public to remain alert and report suspicious people or objects. The Merhavim Regional Council, which administers the area, instructed civilian security guards to increase vigilance.
On Wednesday, two Israelis were wounded in a terrorist stabbing at a checkpoint between Gush Etzion and Jerusalem.
MDA personnel treated a 19-year-old female member of the IDF Military Police and a 25-year-old male civilian security guard at the scene before evacuating them to the hospital in good-to-moderate condition.
According to police, a 15-year-old Palestinian who rode to the crossing on a bicycle drew a knife and stabbed security forces trying to question him. IDF troops responded by fatally shooting the assailant, later identified as Mohamed Abu Hamed, from al-Khader, near Bethlehem.
On Tuesday evening, a Palestinian terrorist infiltrated the hilltop community of Givat Ronen in northern Samaria and attempted to stab a Jewish resident.
The terrorist reportedly pursued a resident and managed to get within 220 feet of the outpost’s playground before he was scared off by a resident’s dog.
Photo Credit: United Hatzalah/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Pray for supernatural alertness and safety for all Israelis throughout the country. Pray that every terror attack will be thwarted before any harm can be done and cry out to the Lord for an end to this random violence. Pray that perpetrators will be prosecuted and ask the Lord to comfort the loved ones of these recent victims and bring both physical and emotional healing to all those affected.
Scripture
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those who rise up against me.
In First, Yemenite Cruise Missile Enters Israeli Airspace, Explodes North of Eilat
by Yoav Zitun and Ilana Curiel ~ Ynetnews
Eilat has been the target of Houthi missiles.
Wednesday, 20 March 2024 | A cruise missile fired overnight Monday from the direction of the Red Sea and the Houthi-controlled area of Yemen fell in an unpopulated area next to Eilat, the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] confirmed Tuesday evening.
“The target was monitored by Israel Air Force [IAF] troops throughout the incident. No injuries were reported and no damage was caused. The incident is under review,” according to the IDF.
The IDF did not disclose the missile’s entry into Israeli airspace until a report on Tuesday evening on News 13. Until now it was only reported as a “suspicious aerial target.”
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Houthi forces in Yemen have launched a number of missiles toward Eilat, which were intercepted by Israel’s missile defense systems. Most of the interceptions were made far from Israeli territory.
In one case, after a successful interception by the Arrow 3 system in November, two UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] were also launched toward the city. One of them was intercepted by the Patriot system and the other crashed into a school in the city, causing damage to the building.
The Houthis have repeatedly launched drones and missiles at international commercial shipping in the Red Sea region since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel’s military assault in Gaza.
The attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to take longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa.
The US and Britain, along with other navies, have carried out strikes against Houthi targets in response.
Photo Credit: Zairon/Wikimedia.org
Photo License: Wikimedia
Prayer Focus
Thank the Lord that the Houthi cruise missile caused no injuries or damage and landed in an open field. Pray that Israel’s missile defense system will continue at peak performance and cry out to the Lord that the Houthi threat will be eliminated.
Scripture
Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually.
Israel Fears ‘Domino Effect’ after Canada Arms Embargo
by Itamar Eichner ~ Ynetnews
The Canadian Jewish community helped prevent the worst-case scenario in Israel–Canada relations (illustrative).
Thursday, 21 March 2024 | On Monday, Canada’s parliament passed a motion 204 to 117 to end arms exports to Israel, demand an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages, and pursue “the establishment of the State of Palestine as part of a negotiated two-state solution.”
Israel fears other countries will follow suit, such as the Netherlands, which is delaying the delivery of parts for the F-35 fighter jet.
Israel does not purchase arms from Canada nor has Canada purchased Israeli weapons in the past decade, making this move purely symbolic. However, since the outbreak of the war, Canada has withheld the sale of 11 armored vehicles to Israel Police and prevented the shipment of night vision equipment to the Israel Defense Forces [IDF].
The problem with Canada’s decision is that it reflects Israel’s difficult situation and, above all, reveals how the world quickly forgot October 7 after standing with Israel. Sources familiar with Israeli–Canadian diplomatic relations say that “the writing was on the wall,” and the decision stemmed in part from the significant growth of the country’s Muslim population. The government, considered friendly to Jerusalem, relies on the center-left New Democratic Party [NDP].
“The problem with Israel’s status in Canada is primarily related to the demographic change in the country and the radicalization of the NDP,” said one of the officials. In addition, professional associations in Canada are leading a hardline anti-Israel campaign, putting pressure on left-wing figures in the ruling Liberal Party and the NDP.
The NDP initiated the anti-Israel proposal in parliament to recognize a Palestinian state. The original proposal introduced by NDP, MP Heather McPherson, was extremely biased against Israel and held Israel responsible for resolving the conflict, including the ongoing war, blatantly ignoring Hamas’s responsibility. McPherson also included a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state in the proposal without removing Hamas from power in Gaza.
Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state traditionally contradicts Canadian foreign policy. Canadian prime ministers, both Liberals and Conservatives, have always supported the two-state solution through negotiations.
The Jewish community in Canada and the Israeli embassy immediately moved to thwart McPherson’s proposal. The Jewish community clarified that such a proposal is unacceptable. More than 30,000 Canadian Jews and their Canadian allies mobilized against the NDP proposal, sending 900,000 emails to parliament members and making thousands of phone calls to their offices. These efforts bore fruit.
At the request of the Israeli embassy, Minister Benny Gantz spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking him to prevent the passing of the original proposal, fearing that some members of the ruling party would allow the proposal to pass as is, which would be intolerable for Israel. However, the pressure exerted by the Jewish community on the Liberal government, along with Gantz’s pressure on Trudeau, prevented the worst-case scenario.
On Monday night, the Liberal Party reached a compromise with the NDP on a softened text, dropping a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state and replacing it with a call to “work with international partners to actively pursue the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including towards the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution.”
The decision also included another problematic clause for Israel: a call for a future arms embargo on Israel and condemnation of supposed extremist settlers in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria]. Although the proposal is non-binding, the Canadian foreign minister announced that Ottawa had decided to halt arms sales to Israel, which prompted condemnation from Jerusalem. Israel estimates the foreign minister’s statement was a compensation to the left for softening the motion.
The Canadian–Jewish community said that even the amended proposal is “problematic” and places heavy blame on Israel while focusing little on dismantling Hamas or curbing terror against Israel. The Jewish community called on its supporters to thank the 117 parliament members who voted against rewarding Hamas and changing Canada’s foreign policy for years to come.
Photo Credit: Dietmar Rabich/Wikimedia.org
Photo License: Wikimedia
Prayer Focus
Praise the Lord that the Jewish community in Canada was able to prevent the passage of a proposal that would have been “intolerable” for Israel, dropping unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Pray that the Canadian government will recognize the dangers of its anti-Israel focus and repeal its call for an arms embargo.
Scripture
O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads. They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.
Survey: More than 70% of Jewish Teens Have Experienced Anti-Semitism
by JNS
Thousands of Jews attended BBYO’s International Convention in Orlando, Florida.
Tuesday, 19 March 2024 | BBYO [B’nai B’rith Youth Organization Inc.] has released the results of a new survey of 1,989 Jewish students conducted from January 23 to February 5.
The researchers found that 71% had experienced anti-Semitic hate or discrimination. Those who have faced it in person numbered 61% while 46% saw it online, and 36% had experienced both forms. Of those who had experienced in-person hate, 46% said it occurred at school and 45% chose not to report the incident.
For the teens who encountered online anti-Jewish hate, they reported that the most common platforms were Instagram (33%), Tik-Tok (23%) and Snapchat (17%).
Matt Grossman, CEO of BBYO, called the survey “a critical wake-up call, revealing the stark reality that Jewish teens are enduring.”
The Jewish youth organization said in a statement that “the data indicates that the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas and the subsequent spread of misinformation and anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence have had a traumatic impact on Jewish high school students’ safety, well-being, and mental health.”
According to the report, 74% of BBYO members have seen more discrimination since October 7.
Grossman emphasized that “every Jewish teen deserves to feel safe and supported, and it is incumbent upon us to ensure they have those safe spaces, as well as the tools and assistance they need, to navigate these turbulent times with strength and pride. We are so proud and grateful that involvement with BBYO has played such a significant role in helping teens cope with elevated levels of stress and anxiety.”
The uptick in anti-Semitic incidents and even hate crimes on college campuses has also come to play an important role this year for 64% of respondents in deciding which school to attend.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of BBYO/jns.org
Prayer Focus
Cry out to the Lord for an end to this alarming increase in anti-Semitic incidents around the world, especially those directed at young people. Pray for educational programming that will help dispel stereo types and the use of anti-Jewish tropes that incite violence. And pray that schools and colleges will recognize their responsibility in creating a safe environment for all, including Jewish students.
Scripture
“I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Global Criticism of Israel Mounts as Media Becomes Hamas Mouthpiece
by Maya Bar ~ Ynetnews
Hamas directly influences reports that level false accusations against Israel (illustrative).
Friday, 15 March 2024 | As the conflict in Gaza persists, Israel awaits Hamas’ response to the most recent cease-fire proposal. Amid reports suggesting that the Biden administration might restrict the transfer of arms to Israel if Israel Defense Forces [IDF] initiates a military operation in Rafah, global attention was now drawn to Palestinian testimonies from the IDF’s operation in a Khan Younis hospital last month.
The BBC recently reported that British Foreign Secretary David Cameron is seeking “answers from Israel” following the receipt of “disturbing evidence” of violent arrests of medical teams. The Guardian also reported that at least 13 patients died following the entry of forces into the hospital.
The BBC report included testimonies from three doctors at the hospital, claiming that IDF soldiers humiliated and assaulted them. It was also alleged that Palestinians detained by the forces were “forced to kneel for hours.” The British broadcaster noted that it had investigated these stories for several weeks and cross-referenced information, finding the evidence remained consistent. However, many of the sources cited in the report are from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which Hamas manages.
The IDF stated that its intelligence indicated that Hamas terrorists were present at the hospital. It also determined through evidence found there that Israeli hostages taken captive by Hamas on October 7 were held at the hospital, with some of them publicly confirming this. The IDF did not respond to specific reports of abuse but denied that any medical team was harmed. “Any abuse of detainees is contrary to orders and is therefore absolutely forbidden,” the IDF said in a statement. The terrorist organization Hamas denied that its members operate within medical facilities.
Aside from the extensive focus on the military operation at the hospital, which was previously the largest functioning hospital in the Strip, global reports are also highlighting the famine crisis in Gaza. Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told the Wall Street Journal that “Hunger is being used as a weapon of war.”
Borrell further argued that the severe shortage of humanitarian aid in Gaza is a “man-made disaster,” attributing its cause to Israel’s refusal to allow aid trucks to enter northern Gaza directly. “As hunger is being weaponized, we must condemn what is happening in Gaza,” he said.
In contrast, it was reported today that a World Food Program convoy used a new land route constructed by the IDF parallel to the fence. Consequently, aid trucks could enter the Netzarim corridor in the northern Strip via “Crossing 96,” adjacent to Kibbutz Be’eri.
Photo Credit: Brahim Guedich/Wikimedia.org
Photo License: Wikimedia
Prayer Focus
Beseech the Lord for the rise of media outlets of integrity that will tell the truth of what is happening in Gaza, free of the anti-Israel bias that is currently the status quo. Pray that people will become informed of the incredible efforts that Israel is taking to prevent civilian deaths and Israel’s commitment to getting badly needed humanitarian supplies into the hands of needy Palestinians.
Scripture
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
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