An army spokesperson said limited damage was caused to Israeli military bases, but there were no reports of Israeli casualties in the attack.
Meanwhile, those of us on the Jewish Voice Israel Tour, spending the night in Tiberias at the Sea of Galilee, were treated to an unexpected light show and a sonic boom at our hotel at 3 a.m. Israel time.
The Iron Dome system intercepted four of the 20 rockets fired on Israel; the remaining 16 landed in unpopulated areas near the Israeli-Syria border. Within minutes, the Israeli Air Force sent fighters racing into Syrian airspace to destroy the launch sites.
Syrian newspapers are reporting mass panic in Israel, but we have seen no alarm. Children are even in classes today at schools near the Syrian border.
The IDF has been on high alert as attacks were expected to coincide with Israel’s 70th anniversary and the relocation of America’s embassy to Jerusalem in the next week.
Earlier, reports of the impending attack had included confessions by a nabbed Hezbollah militant. He admitted awaiting orders to fire ground-to-ground missiles into northern Israel. Israeli intelligence additionally showed movement inside Syria for advanced targeting of Israeli military sites.
This activity comes in the wake of a televised presentation in late April, when Benjamin Netanyahu pulled back a curtain to display captured Iranian documents. The evidence proved Iran lied about its nuclear weapons program before signing the 2015 nuclear deal brokered by the former secretary of state John Kerry. Iran has maintained its nuclear technology and has since established several air bases near Israel in Syria.
Trump Nixes the Nuclear Deal
President Trump had until May 12 to make a final decision, but he didn’t wait, announcing Tuesday that he would withdraw from what he called the “one-sided” Iran nuclear deal. Some analysts believe Netanyahu’s presentation justifies the President’s decision to pull out. Others say backing out of the agreement will push Israel and Iran even closer to war.
Regarding Israel’s haul of intelligence from Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “There are thousands of new documents and new information. We're still going through it. There’s still a lot of work to do to figure out precisely the scope and scale of it.”
Pompeo said he plans to consult with European allies and other nations regarding next steps. “Now that the world knows Iran has lied and is still lying, it is time to revisit the question of whether Iran can be trusted to enrich or control any nuclear material,” he said.
Israel is Prepared
No one wants war between Israel and Iran. Many major players would be pulled in, including the U.S. and Russia. Analysts considered Netanyahu’s speech a warning for Iran to back off.
Netanyahu made it clear what the consequences of an attack would be. “We are determined to stop Iran's aggression in its early stages, even if this involves a conflict,” he said. “Better now than later. Nations that were unprepared to take timely action against murderous aggression paid much heavier prices afterward. We do not want escalation, but we are prepared for any scenario,” he said.
What’s next? The missiles fired in the far north this morning are roughly equivalent to a proverbial shot across the bow. Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman described how Israel would respond during April meetings in Washington. “If Iran attacks Tel Aviv, Israel will strike Tehran and destroy every Iranian military facility in Syria that threatens Israel,” he said.
Will Saber Rattling Become War Drums?
It is clear that Iran wants to eliminate Israel and has taken steps toward an attack. Equally clear, Israel is ready and will respond with massive force. Your prayers for Israel are urgently needed!
How You Can Pray
The Lord wants us all to remain alert and on our knees. As things unfold between Israel, Iran and other power players in the Middle East, this is a critical moment in world history. Israel’s intercessors must stand in the gap and fervently cry out to the Lord for her peace, safety, and – most of all – her salvation.
Stand With Israel Now
Your support for Israel has never been more important. Won’t you give your best gift today to help Jewish Voice stand with the Land, to provide help for her most vulnerable residents, to encourage and share hope with those serving in the Israeli military, and to assist with our efforts to achieve peace and reconciliation for Israel and her neighbors.
Just about an hour from Gondar is Enfranz, site of Jewish Voice Ministries’ next Medical Clinic. It’s our first clinic in this location, and we pray that a different kingdom will be manifested here, the kingdom of the Son of David and Son of God, Yeshua. May His kingdom come to Enfranz and create a spiritual habitation in and through the people of God that impacts generations for eternity!
Would you please help us welcome the King of Kings into Enfranz by praying through these daily prayer points for this first-time Medical Clinic? We also urge you to sign up on our Outreach Prayer Calendar to pray for a half hour, hour, or more from your home so we can cover the Enfranz, Ethiopia, Medical Clinic in prayer from beginning to end.
Please pray for:
Wednesday, May 16 – Wednesday, May 23 | Proverbs 24:27
Thursday, May 24 | Psalm 5:11, Psalm 5:12 in the TLV
For every participant throughout this Outreach:
Friday, May 25 | Philippians 4:11
Saturday, May 26 | 2 Timothy 1:7
Sunday, May 27 | Matthew 19:13
Monday, May 28 | 2 Corinthians 3:17
Tuesday, May 29 | Ephesians 3:20
Wednesday, May 30 | Ephesians 4:13-16
Thursday, May 31| Lamentations 3:22-23
Friday, June 1 | Colossians 2:7
Saturday, June 2 | Psalm 9:1, Psalm 9:2 in the TLV
Sunday, June 3 | 2 Corinthians 9:10
We pray: LORD, come to this region with Your love and power! The people there need to know You as Savior, Messiah, Father and King. You have pinpointed this community on the map for us so we know they are already on Your heart. May we indeed see Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in Enfranz!
He died last August. But before his death at age 113, he was officially recognized as the world’s oldest living man.
But even more important to Mr. Kristal and his family – Yisrael was a Holocaust survivor.
In 1939, Yisrael was one of 160,000 Jews forced by the Nazis into the infamous ghetto in Lodz, Poland – a tiny area of only four square kilometers. Lodz had been home to the second-largest Jewish population in Europe after Warsaw. And all these people were jammed into an area that was horribly overcrowded, surrounded by barbed wire, and without adequate food, running water or sanitation.
Two of Yisrael’s sons died in the Lodz Ghetto before he and his wife were sent to the Auschwitz death camp, where she was murdered.
Kristal was the only member of his large family to survive – and just barely at that. When the camp was liberated, he weighed only 80 pounds.
But even so, Yisrael was one of the blessed few. The Nazi’s “Final Solution” exterminated an estimated 6 million Jews – two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population. In countries like Poland, more than 9 out of 10 Jews perished – as Jewish men, women and children were imprisoned in city ghettos and death camps, where they were systematically starved, tormented, tortured and killed.
In the largest ghetto (Warsaw), between 4,000 and 5,000 were dying every month from hunger and related disease by the middle of 1941. Eventually the ghettos were dismantled and all surviving Jews were transported to camps for extermination.
But despite the gruesome efficiency of the Nazis, some Jews – like Yisrael – managed to survive. Many fled to Russia, Scandinavia, the United States or even Asia. Some remained in German-controlled Europe by assuming non-Jewish identities, or by hiding. And some simply outlasted the horror of the ghettos and camps.
Following the end of the war, many survivors fled to Palestine – and then to the new State of Israel when it was founded in 1948.
In the years following the war, many of these Israeli Holocaust survivors have died (with 13,000 more dying each year). But it’s estimated that as many as 175,000 still survive – with an average age of 83 years.
Unfortunately, even after all these dear people have suffered at the hands of the Nazis, their lives are still very difficult. A 2015 survey showed that about 45,000 Israeli Holocaust survivors live in poverty, surviving on such meager pensions that they sometimes choose between buying food, seeking medical care or heating their homes in winter.
In addition, half of Holocaust survivors say they feel “alone” – both from the deaths of family and friends, and the fact that most must live in apartments without elevators. So they seldom are able to go out.
Further, three out of five admit to worrying about their financial situation. And two out of five live in fear that the Holocaust will happen again.
Their already difficult lives are further complicated by the high cost of health care in Israel – including $100 for most eyeglasses, $500 for dental implants and $1,000 for dentures. So, many poor survivors must go without.
These elderly survivors of the Holocaust have already experienced the worst that man’s inhumanity can inflict, and now they deserve better than to continue suffering in their old age!
That’s why Jewish Voice Ministries is reaching out to help care for these dear men and women.
Working through our own office in Israel, and through other Messianic ministries we partner with, Jewish Voice is working to ensure that those survivors will no longer have to suffer. Right now, we’re providing:
God has called Jewish Voice to show His love for these, His people, so they will not have to feel the indignity of not being able to eat well, pay bills, read, buy needed medicine or meet other basic needs.
Through our connections, Jewish Voice gets excellent pricing on services in Israel. Because of this …
Just $25 can give sight to someone by providing them with a simple pair of eyeglasses.
Will you do your part by giving a gift now to bring compassion, healing and hope to a Jewish Holocaust survivor living in poverty in Israel?
I hope you’ll give generously.
Yom HaZikaron (Yohm Hah-Zee-kah-ROHN) is Israel’s Memorial Day. It falls the day before Israelis celebrate their independence on Yom HaAtzmaut (Yohm Hah-AHTZ-mah-oot). The deliberate pairing of these two holidays side-by-side highlights the reality that the freedom of Israel today rests squarely on the sacrifices of those who fought to defend her existence and protect her people.
A two-minute blast of an air raid siren marks the onset of Yom HaZikaron at 8:00 p.m. on the 4th of Iyar. An official ceremony at the Western Wall includes the lowering of the Israeli flag to half-mast. Public places of entertainment close, by law, for the 24 hours of the holiday.
Do you want to know how to pray for Israel in greater detail and depth? Jewish Voice Ministries has put together this Intercessory Prayer Guide for Israel that provides focused, targeted requests to help you pray for the nation of God’s People. We hope this prayer guide can help both Messianic Jews and Christians pray their support for Israel.
At 11:00 a.m. the following morning, another siren sounds, and all Israel observes two 2 minutes of silence. They stand to honor those who died in the War of Independence and serving the country since. It is a somber day of remembrance and respect, even in today’s Israel 70 years after her independence.
On Yom HaZikaron, the nation holds public prayers in military cemeteries, and, throughout the day, radio and television stations air programming honoring the fallen, telling stories of heroes and playing songs in keeping with the mood of the occasion. At least one television station airs a scrolling list of names of those who have died in service to the nation of Israel. Many high schools have memorial areas with photos of fallen graduates and invite the families to prayer services on the Memorial Day.
This year, Yom HaZikaron begins at sunset on Tuesday, April 17 and ends at sundown Wednesday, April 18.
With the raising of the flag back to full staff just after sunset on the 5th of Iyar, Israel makes a dramatic shift from mourning to rejoicing. Yom HaAtzmaut has begun!
In Israel today, Independence Day opens with an official ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem at which the president delivers a speech. The evening also includes a military parade and the lighting of 12 torches symbolizing the 12 Tribes of Israel. The evening is filled with outdoor parties, concerts, folk dancing and other festivities and concludes with fireworks displays all across the nation.
The following day (still the 5th of Iyar on the Hebrew calendar), families gather in parks for picnics, barbeques, hiking and other recreation. Museums, nature preserves and other attractions hold free events and activities for the public. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) bases offer public tours and highlight recent technological achievements.
Another highlight of Yom HaAtzmaut is the International Bible Contest, the Chidon HaTanakh (Hchee- DOHN Hah-Tahn-AKCH). Teen contestants from the world over challenge their detailed knowledge of the Scriptures in a nationally televised competition.
Yom HaAtzmaut celebrations conclude with honoring the year’s winners of the prestigious Israel Prize, the highest honor in Israel today. The awards are given to citizens who have contributed in outstanding ways to Israeli society in the categories of humanities, science, arts and culture as well as through their lifetime achievements.
In 2018, Yom HaAtzmaut begins at sunset on Wednesday, April 18 and concludes at sundown on Thursday, April 19. This year marks the 70th anniversary of Israel’s rebirth as a nation.
