Quick! Name a country where Jewish Voice has ministered.

Ethiopia. Zimbabwe. India.

Yes, yes and yes. And don’t forget Poland, Ukraine, Argentina, Mexico. The list goes on.

However, despite the international nature of our ministry, a burden for the United States, where we are headquartered, has never been far from Rabbi Jonathan Bernis’ heart.

We frequently ask you to pray for Messianic Jewish congregations in Africa and other parts of the world. But the Messianic Jewish Movement in North America is very much on our hearts and minds in 2022. There are approximately 300 Messianic Jewish congregations in the USA, with about another 30 in Canada. We would love your prayers for these communities to not only continue strong in the Lord but to flourish and grow.

Please pray for:

• Each Messianic Jewish congregation in North America to have a solid commitment to keep Yeshua (Jesus) at the center of the congregation’s shared life
• Existing congregations to experience a fresh infusion of life, unity, grace and hope from the Holy Spirit
• The establishment of new congregations
• Healthy leadership committed to the Lord, their own spiritual health, marriages, families and congregations.
• All congregations to be grounded in their Messianic Jewish identity and calling and fulfill the unique purposes for which the Lord has planted them in their communities and spheres of influence
• A vibrant witness and outreach to Jewish people and a deep desire and vision to also be a light to the Nations, whether across the world or in their own neighborhoods
• Openness to cultivate healthy relationships and partnerships with other Believers, including Gentile Christians and churches, in order to further the work of the Kingdom through shared expressions of the Messiah’s love

Let’s pray:

Lord, You desire to make Yourself known across the globe through Your Body. Thank you for each of these Messianic Jewish congregations in North America and their unique impacts and influences as local expressions of Your Body. May You strengthen and encourage them and motivate them to continue being lights in the world, for Your name’s sake. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

“Comfort, comfort My people, says your God.”

Isaiah 40:1 (NIV)

Shalom, my friend. 

Thank you for standing with God’s Chosen People through your prayers and generosity. I find tremendous hope in knowing that you love and support Israel and the Jewish people around the world.

When I think of the ministry your support makes possible, I can’t help but remember the words above from the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:1) issued thousands of years ago. Your faithfulness is helping to provide “comfort” to the Jewish people (and their neighbors) during a season of so much uncertainty.

Only God knows how the future will unfold as the enemies of God’s people surround them. But we continue to serve – and you’re with us every step of the way. Only God knows how the nuclear standoff with Iran will conclude.

And I can’t thank you enough. 

Please continue to pray for the work and ministry we share at Jewish Voice. And pray for God to open more doors to share the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus) with the Jewish people. He’s the only One able to bring the eternal “comfort” that so many long for. 

“WE WILL PRESERVE OUR FREEDOM TO ACT”

Late last week, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett didn’t mince words addressing Iran when he told The Jerusalem Post that “the Israeli strategy doesn’t depend on whether there’s an agreement or not. We will protect ourselves by ourselves. Even if there is an agreement, we’re not committed to it. We will preserve our freedom to act.”

The Prime Minister’s interview with The Jerusalem Post comes as talks continue with Iran in Vienna, along with negotiations for their return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). A deal that Prime Minister Bennet tells The Jerusalem Post is a mistake . . . 

“We and the Americans don’t see everything eye to eye. A deal that will send tens of billions of dollars to this rotten and weak regime will be a mistake because this money will go to terror against IDF soldiers and Americans in the region. When the money enters Iranian coffers, they attack American soldiers . . . through their proxies.”

The Jerusalem Post reports that Iran is very weak. Its currency is currently depleted, and regions of the country lack water. Further, there are large demonstrations taking place against the government. According to the Prime Minister, Tehran “is playing poker with a very weak hand, but they’re bluffing.”

Israel has relayed the message to its friends in the U.S. and Europe who are negotiating with Iran – but any deal remains far off in the current discussions to resolve the nuclear standoff. 

ISRAEL LAUNCHES NEW EFFORT TO CRACK DOWN ON CHINESE ATTEMPTS TO STEAL ISRAELI DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY

According to Breaking Defense, sources in the Israeli defense establishment say that enforcement has ramped up because of increased Chinese efforts to obtain Israeli technology, including Chinese firms making direct contact with Israeli industrial experts.

Breaking Defense also reports that China is operating a web of companies inside Israel as part of a dedicated effort to acquire advanced defense technologies. 

Chinese attempts to infiltrate Israeli defense firms are not new. But, according to Breaking Defense, the Chinese are now operating straw companies to partner with Israeli companies. They create corporations that can look very legitimate but, in fact, are aimed at moving Israel defense technologies to China. 

“These straw companies are well disguised, and it is very hard to identify who is the real client,” an Israeli defense industry said. 

This China situation has been thrown into the public eye due to a high-profile legal case against a drone company the Israeli government alleges was part of a multi-million-dollar effort from a Chinese firm. 

This case is viewed as more serious than others because it involved Israeli citizens and the test of the systems within Israel.

Breaking Defense reports that in December, Israel’s Financial Department of the State Prosecutor’s Office accused 10 individuals and three companies of helping sell loitering weapon systems to China without having received official approval.

According to an official statement, as reported by Breaking Defense, the suspects “manufactured dozens of cruise missiles and carried out different tests in Israeli territory, endangering people’s lives.” Per the statement, Ephraim Menashe, the head of drone manufacturer Solar Sky, allegedly worked with a Chinese firm to help supply loitering weapon systems to the Chinese army. 

Allegedly the scheme led to the production of dozens of systems, which were then transferred to China. It does not appear any of the systems have been actively used by the Chinese military.

ISRAEL URGED TO OFFICIALLY DECLARE HOUTHIS TERRORISTS AFTER DEADLY UAE ATTACK

The Jerusalem Post reported last week that Coalition MK, Zvi Hauser, has issued a letter calling on the Israeli government to declare the Houthis (a Yemeni Iran-sponsored militia), a terror organization.

The letter came after the Houthis launched missile and drone attacks on Abu Dhabi and Dubai in January, killing three people.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the Houthis has been steadily growing in its military capabilities over the past decade and has begun to take an interest in regional affairs.

“The Houthis have an ideology that is hostile to Israel and the West, and tout the slogan ‘Death to America, death to Israel, a curse on the Jews and victory for Islam,’” MK Hauser said, pointing out that this was originally an Iranian motto.

“Their desire to strike Israel, as the long arm of Tehran is proven,” Hauser stated. “Iran stands behind the organization and helps it economically and militarily, providing it with weaponry and training its people.”

Israeli officials have shown solidarity with the UAE in the days since the Houthis began the latest round of attacks.

Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, plans to travel to the UAE to meet with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) this week. Herzog condemned the Houthis in a call with MBZ soon after the attack took place.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, also spoke with MBZ recently, offering his condolences following the terrorist attacks.

Let Us Pray Together

Please pray with me for:

• God to move in the hearts of world leaders and give wisdom to address the global threat of a nuclear Iran 
• God’s protection to be upon His people in Israel who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• God to give insight in how to address, protect and move ahead as the Jewish people, Israel and the world continue to feel the impact of COVID-19 
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

Have you ever run into someone who wonders if God’s heart for Israel and the Jewish people has changed now that Jesus came and the New Testament is in place? Or someone who believes God has set aside His plans for Israel because, for the most part, the Jewish people have rejected His promised Messiah Jesus? Or maybe you’ve been unsure how the Old and New Testaments fit together regarding God’s love for Israel. 

If so, this collection of Bible verses is for you. It outlines Israel’s place in God’s heart, providing biblical evidence of His abiding love for and commitment to the Jewish people. And amid the verses, we confront the ultimate question lurking beneath all others on the matter. Let’s dive in.

God’s Love for Israel

God chose Israel on whom to set His affection.
 “Yet the Lord set His affection on your ancestors and loved them, and He chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today” (Deuteronomy 10:15).

Israel is God’s treasured possession.
“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6).

Israel is precious to God.
“But now, this is what the Lord says—He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine…. Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you….’” (Isaiah 43:1, 4a).

“For this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘…for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye’” (Zechariah 2:8).

God’s love for Israel is unfailing.
“‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).

“Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption” (Psalm 130:7).

God’s love for Israel is everlasting.
“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness’” (Jeremiah 31:3).

God’s love for Israel shows through His favor toward those who love her.
“‘I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’” (Genesis 12:3).

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure’” (Psalm 122:6).

Has God stopped loving Israel because of her unfaithfulness? No!

As the apostle Paul wrote, may it never be! How can God not love Israel? He IS love. He continues to love all humanity despite our unfaithfulness.

God is love. 
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8).

Love never quits.
“Love never fails…” (1 Corinthians 13:8a).

God is faithful.
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

God will never forget or forsake Israel.
“For the Lord will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance” (Psalm 94:14). 

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me” (Isaiah 49:15–16).

Has God rejected Israel because many Jewish people rejected His Sent One, Messiah Jesus? No!

God still longs for Israel to come to Him.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37).

God has not rejected Israel.
“I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom He foreknew….” (Romans 11:1–2a).

Israel has not stumbled beyond God’s ability to redeem.
“Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!” (Romans 11:11-12).

The question that must be asked

The subject of God’s faithfulness to Israel and His ongoing love for her affects every Believer in Jesus – Jewish or Gentile. The matter sifts down to one audacious question: Is God faithful and trustworthy or not? 

Either God is faithful to keep all His covenants, or He can’t be trusted to keep any of them. If God has ceased to love Israel and has broken His covenant with the people He chose for His own, how can we trust His love for those who Believe in Jesus the Messiah? If He changed His mind regarding Israel, how can we trust that He won’t change His mind regarding Believers today? 

Thankfully, Scripture answers that bottom-line question with an emphatic “Yes!” The Bible reveals the Lord is eternally faithful and unfailingly loving. He is a promise-fulfilling, covenant-keeping God. Take a look at the verses below, offering this assurance.

God is trustworthy and unchanging

God is trustworthy.
“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does” (Psalm 145:13).

God does not lie or change.
“God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

God’s faithfulness is forever.
“For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever” (Psalm 117:2).

God’s love is forever.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1).

“I will declare that Your love stands firm forever, that You have established Your faithfulness in heaven itself” (Psalm 89:2).

God keeps His covenants.
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below—You who keep Your covenant of love with Your servants who continue wholeheartedly in Your way” (1 Kings 8:23).

“He remembers His covenant forever, the promise He made, for a thousand generations” (Psalm 105:8).

Israel will always be a nation before Him.
“This is what the Lord says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord  Almighty is His name: ‘Only if these decrees vanish from My sight,’ declares the Lord, ‘will Israel ever cease being a nation before Me’” (Jeremiah 31:35–36).

How can we know Israel is still God’s Chosen People?

Here’s one more important proof that God has not rejected Israel, has not reneged on His promises and covenants and has not stopped loving the Jewish people.

God’s callings are irrevocable.
 “For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).

Scripture after Scripture, we see that God’s heart for Israel and the Jewish people has not changed and will never change. We can trust God. He is faithful and He keeps His promises.

“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him . . .” 
Psalm 22:27 (NIV)

Shalom, my friend.

Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember and honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Those who suffered and died at the hands of the ideological madness of Nazism, and those who were able to escape.

Days of remembrance like this are critical. We remember so that we never
forget . . . so that it never happens again.

As you remember God’s Chosen People, as you thank God for the Auschwitz liberation that took place today in 1945, please pray that the Jewish people will experience true liberation that can only come from Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah.

And as you pray, please lift up the ministry of Jewish Voice and the work we’re doing together for the Jewish people – in Israel and around the world.  

ISRAEL RESPONDS TO TERROR ATTACK IN UAE AND OFFERS MILITARY, INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT

Three people were killed and six were injured in a drone attack on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week.  Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement immediately claimed responsibility for it.

The Jerusalem Post reported last week that of those killed in the drone attack, one was Pakistani and two were Indian. They were killed by an explosion of tanker trucks. Meanwhile, those injured are lightly to moderately injured, according to local media.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, formally condemned the attacks last week. According to The Jerusalem Post, the Prime Minister sent a letter to the UAE Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, offering security and intelligence support to help protect citizens from “similar attacks.”

Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, reportedly also called UAE’s Crown Prince last week to condemn the attacks. According to The Jerusalem Post, President Herzog gave his full backing to the UAE and supported its right to act in self-defense. 

U.N. APPROVES RESOLUTION THAT CONDEMNS HOLOCAUST DENIAL

The U.N. General Assembly approved an Israeli-sponsored resolution late last week condemning any denial of the Holocaust, urging all nations and social media companies “to take active measures to combat antisemitism and Holocaust denial or distortion.”

According to Ynet News, the 193-member world body approved the resolution by consensus – without a vote – and with a bang of a gavel by Assembly President Abdulla Shahid.

“We now live in an era in which fiction is becoming fact and the Holocaust is becoming a distant memory,” Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the assembly in urging support for the resolution. “And as this happens following the greatest crime in human history, now comes the greatest cover-up in human history.”

Erdan, the grandson of Holocaust survivors, said the resolution is a commitment to make sure that Holocaust distortion and denial “will be tolerated no more.”

Ynet News also reports that the resolution will commend countries that have preserved Nazi death camps and other sites from the Holocaust and urges member states “to develop educational programs that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide.”

Furthermore, the resolution requests the U.N. and its agencies to continue developing and implementing programs aimed at countering Holocaust denial and distortions and to mobilize civil society and others to provide truthful facts about the Holocaust.

ISRAEL LEADS THE WORLD IN NEW DAILY COVID-19 CASES PER CAPITA – AND WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN

The Times of Israel reported last week that a top health expert advising Israeli officials indicated figures showing 0.6 percent of the Israeli population was testing positive for COVID-19.

According to Professor Eran Segal of The Weizmann Institute, this number places Israel at the top of the list in new daily COVID-19 cases per capita.

But, according to The Times of Israel, Professor Segal noted it’s likely that Israel is not truly the country with the highest infection rate. Rather, the figures indicate that Israel is a leading country in the number of tests performed each day, relative to its population size.

Speaking on the state of the pandemic, Professor Segal also predicted that the outbreak sweeping the country will end soon. “We are very close to the height, or even at the height of the Omicron wave.”

At the peak of the current outbreak wave, Professor Segal said that one in ten Israelis will test positive for COVID, if they are tested. But once Israel passes the peak, “there will be a relatively fast decline.”

The Times of Israel also reports that current health ministry data shows nearly 65,000 people tested positive for COVID-19 last week and current active infections are climbing to over 400,000.

Over 2 million have been infected since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.

LET US PRAY TOGETHER

Please pray with me for:

• The world to never forget the global horror of the Holocaust so that nothing like it ever happens again.
• God’s protection to be upon His people in Israel who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• God to give insight in how to address, protect and move ahead as the Jewish people, Israel and the world continue to feel the impact of COVID-19
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

Like many of you, we have watched with a growing sense of urgency as world events have unfolded these last two years. We have sought the Lord in prayer and are beginning 2022 with greater clarity and priority in several areas. We consider these priorities “apostolic” in nature as they involve the elements of reaching out, sending, and breaking new ground.

Four apostolic ministry priorities for Jewish Voice in 2022 are:

• Scouting to reach “all Tribes”
• Helping build the North American Messianic Jewish Community
• Messianic Jewish leadership development in North America
• New strategies for engaging the Church

We’ll touch on each of these in future Prayer Points but for now, let’s begin with the first one: scouting new locations for ministry to the “Lost Tribes of Israel.” Please pray with us!

SCOUTING to Reach All Tribes in the Coming Years

In 2021, the Lord gave us the vision for reaching all remaining scattered tribes in the coming years. Now we begin in earnest.

Please pray for:

Our indigenous staff and congregational leaders scouting out Clinic and lodging locations for 2022 Outreaches in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. We are excited for these leaders to work together in their own countries, preparing the way for us to come and minister with them.

A separate spring scouting trip with three key JVMI leaders. These leaders are asking the Lord to confirm where He wants to use us to break new ground in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. They will also visit several other African nations with great potential for ministry. We appreciate your prayers for:

• These nations in Africa to be open to international visitors
• Removal of previous limitations and obstacles to ministry in these places
• Strengthening of established relationships in these regions
• New relationships with key individuals and groups who will be drawn to help prepare the way for future Outreaches

Another scouting trip is proposed for the fall, during which we may revisit India, a past Outreach location, to see if there are new opportunities for long-term ministry and congregation planting. Please pray.

Two new countries are currently on the proposed agenda for this fall trip. This could open doors to reaching new groups. Ministering in new nations with deep spiritual needs will require much wisdom, discernment, and favor. And, as 1 Corinthians 16:9 states, as the Lord opens doors for effective ministry, we must be prepared for opposition. Please pray for:

• Clear confirmation and guidance from the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) regarding engagement with each of these Jewish people groups
• The Lord to order our steps as we move forward in faith
• Divine connections and favor with key leaders of the community and among Believers in each area

We believe the spiritual battle for souls, especially Jewish people, is intensifying. Therefore, our prayers must intensify as well. Please join us in interceding.

Let’s pray:

Lord, more than anything, we want Your presence to go with us and the confirmation of Your Spirit to do the work You are calling us to – when, where, how and for whom. Thank You that You’ve placed this desire in our hearts, and You will answer. In the name of Yeshua (Jesus), AMEN.

“The LORD gives strength to His people;

the LORD blesses His people with peace.”

Psalm 29:11 (NIV)

Shalom, my friend.

No matter what you’re facing today – personal challenge, obstacle to faith or overwhelming brokenness – the Scriptures promise that God is close at hand to bring strength and peace. 

There’s no greater promise we have from God – which was ultimately realized in the coming of His Son, Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah.

That’s why I hope that, as you claim God’s strength and peace for your own life, you’ll join with me and everyone at Jewish Voice as we pray for Israel.

We must stand together, remain watchful and vigilant . . . and ask God to strengthen His people, give them peace and change the hearts of their enemies.

And as you pray, please continue to pray for Jewish Voice and the work we’re doing together for the Jewish people in Israel and around the world.  

ALLEGED MEETING BETWEEN LIBYAN AND ISRAELI OFFICIALS MIGHT INDICATE FUTURE NORMALIZATION

The Jerusalem Post reported late last week that Mossad Director David Barnea and Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Mohammed Al-Dabaiba recently met in Jordan to discuss normalization and security cooperation.

This is only months after another alleged meeting took place in November when Saddam Haftar, son of Libyan warlord Gen. Khalifa Haftar, flew to Ben-Gurion Airport for meetings with Israeli officials.

Neither of the above have been officially confirmed by officials in either Israeli or Libyan camps. And The Jerusalem Post can only speculate the purpose of the meetings – assuming they took place – if security and normalization were the topics for discussion.

The Jerusalem Post reports that it’s unclear these Libyan officials could even carry out normalization with Israel given the ongoing chaos the country has been in for years.

Just last month, Libya’s long-awaited elections were delayed. And it is unclear uncertain if the various on-again and off-again warring groups will be capable of ever carrying out the elections, let alone altering decades of officially hostile relations with the Jewish State.  

IRAN’S GROWING NAVAL THREAT IN THE GULF 

According to Defense News, Iran’s naval forces and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) added the Alvand destroyer, four Martoob al-Sabehat 15 Type submarines and 110 combat speedboats in 2021.

And a top official says there’s more to come. Iran has ambitious plans to build a 6,000-ton destroyer and giant submarines, Rear Adm. Amir Rastegari, who heads the Iranian Defense Ministry’s Marine Industries Organization, told local news outlets last April.

Experts say the buildup of naval forces in Iran represents a rising threat to its neighboring countries.

“Iran has recently tried to modernize its Navy, which is primarily designed for the defense of [the] Persian Gulf against foreign navies,” Sina Azodi, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council and a visiting scholar with the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, told Defense News. The “Iranian Navy has historically been its smallest force.”

Unconventionally, Iran has two naval forces: its regular naval forces and the IRGC Navy. However, they have different missions and scopes of operations.

“The IRGC Navy and the Iranian Navy have two separate command structures,” Azodi said. “While some of their responsibilities overlap, the primary difference is the methods and strategies of operation.”

Azodi asserts that while the IRGC Navy focuses on hit-and-run tactics and asymmetric operations using fast boats, the traditional Navy consists of frigates, submarines and corvettes.

This focus, according to Azodi, is due to the fact that “Iran has been largely out of the arms market, and countries under U.S. pressure are reluctant to sell major weapons systems.” He said Iran sees this asymmetric approach as “quite effective against larger navies.” 

COVID STILL CLIMBING IN ISRAEL, BUT NO MAJOR RISE IN SERIOUS CASES

The Times of Israel reports that Israeli hospitals are reporting a significant drop in the number of seriously ill patients who need to be ventilated due to infection with the Omicron variant.

Even as the numbers of those infected with COVID-19 continue to climb, with 43,815 new cases detected as of last week, there was no major rise in serious cases (257). And only 64 required ventilator treatment.

According to Health Ministry and hospital officials, Omicron has less of an effect on the lungs, compared to previous variants. And requires shorter hospitalization.

Local, Israeli doctors are reporting that that those in a serious condition with Omicron were likely to leave the hospital after 5 days, compared to an average stay of 10 days with the Delta variant.

According to The Times of Israel, the Omicron virus variant has raced across Israel over the past week, leaving the country with 231,494 active patients, 198,099 of whom were diagnosed over the past seven days – a rate three times higher than the previous week. The rampage has left 171,296 Israelis in quarantine due to infection or exposure. And the death toll in Israel, since the start of the pandemic, rose by 27 over the past week to reach 8,290. 

LET US PRAY TOGETHER

Please pray with me for:

• God to move in the hearts of world leaders and give wisdom to address the global threat of a nuclear Iran
• God’s protection to be upon His people in Israel who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• God to give insight in how to address, protect and move ahead as the Jewish people, Israel and the world continue to feel the impact of COVID-19
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

God has done an extraordinary work.

And you’re a part of it.

Thank you for blessing the Jewish people — in Israel and across the globe. Your generosity as a faithful partner in this Kingdom work we share brings true hope to so many people in desperate need. And God has used you — to be a key part of extraordinary ministry around the world!

But our work is not complete. Until every Jewish person and their neighbor has a chance to hear the Good News of Yeshua, to experience the power of the Gospel — we must continue. The successes we’ve experienced, the impact we’ve made together — I pray — will be a catalyst that will inspire you to pray harder and give even more generously in the year ahead.

Below, you’ll read more about the amazing worldwide impact and key initiatives you can be a part of as we move ahead in 2022. This is an amazing time to be a part of God’s work. I’m grateful you’re with us in this season of ministry.

This is how you're transforming the hearts and lives of Jewish people around the world!

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus, the Messiah

The Gospel is the heart of everything we do at Jewish Voice. In fact, it is the only hope we have of ever accomplishing our vision to “transform lives and see all Israel saved.” Whether we’re serving Jewish people and their neighbors – including entire families – through Outreaches or mobile Clinics in Africa or serving vulnerable Jewish people in Israel . . . the Gospel is the fuel for impact and true, radical transformation.

Ministering to the “Lost Tribes of Israel”

Communities of Jewish descendants are living in remote areas of the world – including in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. Many live in extreme isolation. And others experience significant persecution. Your support helps rush physical care to these groups of Jewish people, providing clean water, medical essentials, dental care, eye exams and more! But more importantly, at each Outreach, we have a prayer and counseling area where God performs miraculous healings of both body and spirit. We’ve witnessed thousands of Jewish people come to faith in the Messiah, Jesus, inside our prayer tents!

Standing in support of Israel and Her People

Your support enables Jewish Voice to speak against the evil of anti-Semitism wherever it occurs – including acts of hostility against the people of Israel. And whenever possible, we offer encouragement and practical help to Jewish people suffering isolation and persecution – reaching vulnerable Jewish people like Holocaust survivors, the elderly, single moms and those struggling with homelessness and addiction.

Thanks to you...

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem— “May those who love you be at peace!’”

Psalm 122:6 (TLV)

Shalom, my friend. 

Peace can seem so far away. Our world is rife with animosity and anger, confusion and uncertainty and even fear of the unknown.

That’s why God commands us in the Scriptures to pray. It’s to His glory – and our greatest good – that we lay our burdens at His feet. 

This week, I encourage you to continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. But I also encourage you to pray for peace in your own heart. And may God grant you security in your mind and body so that you may experience His presence and blessings in a special way. 

And as you pray, please continue to pray for Jewish Voice and the work we’re doing together for the Jewish people in Israel and around the world.   

U.S. HOUSE-SENATE LAWMAKERS LAUNCH ABRAHAM ACCORDS CAUCUS

Jewish Insider reported that 8 U.S. lawmakers from both the House and the Senate met this week to launch an Abraham Accords Caucus focused on supporting and promoting the normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states.

Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a supporter of the Caucus, told Jewish Insider that “The bipartisan, bicameral Abraham Accords Caucus will provide a unique opportunity for world leaders to come together in our common pursuit of creating a better, safer and more prosperous world for our children and grandchildren.”

Senator Jacky Rosen, a co-chair of the Caucus, shared with reporters that “In just one year, the Abraham Accords have already transformed the Middle East by contributing to regional peace and stability, promoting U.S. interests, and enhancing Israel’s security. The Abraham Accords Caucus will build on that success by providing bipartisan leadership to strengthen existing partnerships and widen the circle of peace to new countries.” 

Since the signing of the Accords, Sudan and Morocco have also normalized relations with Israel.

According to Jewish Insider, the group has not yet sketched out any specific projects or initiatives that it plans to pursue but has confirmed the group has discussed trips to and conferences with the signatory countries.

“ISRAEL WILL MAINTAIN UNLIMITED FREEDOM TO ACT,” ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER

The Jerusalem Post reports that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee earlier this week that Israel will not be constrained by any agreement reached between world powers and Iran in Vienna.

“It’s important for me to unequivocally clarify: Israel is not a side to the agreements, Israel is not obligated to what is written in these agreements if they are signed, and Israel will continue to maintain full freedom of action at any time or any place, without limitations,” Prime Minister Bennet said, adding that Israel is concerned about the talks.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post, the Prime Minister also said that Iran is at the top of the list of Israel’s challenges, calling the Islamic Republic “the head of an octopus that constantly sends rivals and proxies and its tentacles.” 

“We are making a change to an approach of constant offense and not [just] constant defense,” the Prime Minister stated.

Bennett’s remarks came as the eighth round of negotiations for Iran and the U.S. to rejoin the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) continue in Vienna.

 The JCPOA, signed in 2015, limited Tehran’s nuclear program, while gradually lifting sanctions. Iran continued its JCPOA violations even during its talks in Vienna, which were renewed on November 29, by launching advanced centrifuges.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Israel has expressed concerns in recent months that the U.S. would reach an interim agreement that would lift most or all the sanctions on the Islamic Republic without significantly rolling back Iran’s nuclear program, which has reached 60%-enriched uranium. Weapons-grade uranium is enriched to 90%.

And while The Jerusalem Post indicates some progress in the discussions, western parties – France, Germany, the U.K. directly and the U.S. indirectly – have repeatedly questioned the Islamic Republic’s seriousness in engaging in them, saying that they will not allow the talks to drag on.

COVID: ISRAEL NIXES RED LIST AND OPENS DOORS TO FOREIGN TRAVEL

At the end of November 2021, Israel closed its borders to foreign nationals to hold off the Omicron variant. In addition, Israeli officials drew up a list of countries with high COVID morbidity that Israelis were prohibited to visit. 

At one point, 70 countries were on the red list, including the United States and most of Europe and Africa.

The Times of Israel reports that Israel ended the so-called red list of countries with high-infection rates late last week, as coronavirus rates in the country spiked to record levels, making the impact of the travel bans negligible.

All countries were removed from the list, reopening the skies to dozens of destinations where travel had been severely curtailed in a bid to slow the Omicron variant from infiltrating the country.

The move comes two days before Israel was already set to reopen to vaccinated international travelers.

Among the places where two-way travel will resume are the US, Britain and Turkey.

In recent days, according to The Times of Israel, coronavirus case numbers have soared past 16,000 a day, and officials now view the travel ban, credited with giving Israel time to prepare for the larger outbreak, as obsolete.

Israeli Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash told reporters at a press briefing that the data shows less than five percent of the 72,000 active coronavirus cases in the country came from abroad.

“We still recommend avoiding unnecessary flights. Morbidity is high worldwide and these transitions are a risk factor for infection,” Ash said.

Ash also predicted that in three days there will be 30,000 daily cases in Israel and within a week, the number will hit 50,000.

Let Us Pray Together

Please pray with me for:

• God to move in the hearts of world leaders and give wisdom to address the global threat of a nuclear Iran 
• God’s protection to be upon His people in Israel who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• God to give insight in how to address, protect and move ahead as the Jewish people, Israel and the world continue to feel the impact of COVID-19. 
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah