A Note From Jonathan Bernis:

Shalom, my friend!

As I write to you now, my heart is turned towards the declaration of the Psalmist:

“From the LORD comes deliverance. May Your blessing be on Your people” (Psalm 3:8 NIV).

There’s so much difficulty and uncertainty in the world today. That’s why I’m clinging to this critical truth from the Scriptures as I continue to pray for God’s deliverance in Ukraine, His will to be done with regards to Iran and for peace in Israel and among the Jewish people.

And I pray it over you as well, in whatever you’re facing today, that you’ll experience the power and presence of the Lord as the Deliverer of His people. 

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

God is close at hand to bring deliverance and blessing. Let that truth fill you with confidence and hope in the Lord. 

I hope you’ll also join me, and Jewish Voice, as we pray for God’s deliverance, strength, protection, love and blessing to be upon His people, wherever they are around the world. And that He will draw them to Himself through the Good News of Jesus, the Messiah – His greatest gift of all.

Thank you again for your partnership.

To the Jew first and also to the Nations,

Jonathan Bernis
President & CEO
Jewish Voice

Headline News

Zelenskyy: Ukrainian Forces Fighting for “Every Meter” Against Russian Forces in Severodonetsk

The Times of Israel reported heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in Severodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk — the final remaining vestiges in the Luganks region still under Ukrainian control.

Russian forces have reportedly targeted these areas for weeks, amassing heavy artillery operations in an effort to monopolize the region.

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenksyy said this week that Ukraine is fighting for “literally every meter” in what his military commander-in-chief, Valeriy Zaluzhny, called a land “covered in blood.”

But “despite everything, we continue to hold positions,” Zaluzhny said. 

In President Zelenskyy’s nightly video address, he noted that the fighting in Severodonetsk was “very fierce,” going on to say that Russia was deploying undertrained troops and was using its young men as “cannon fodder.”

Russia’s recent attacks on Severodonetsk’s remaining bridges would definitively cut off the industrial city from the rest of the country. Regional Governor, Sergiy Gaiday commented on Russia’s advancement, saying, “Most likely (in the next two days), they [the Russians] will throw all the reserves to capture the city.” 

Updates from the Middle East

Israel welcomes IAEA Board of Governors decision regarding Iran

Iran’s pursuit of military nuclear capabilities has never ceased. That’s why Israel welcomes the recent resolution by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – calling on Iran to urgently fulfill its legal obligations and become compliant with its safeguards.

The U.N. Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry on the situation in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza

Last week, the U.S. Department of State released a statement that opposes the open-ended and vaguely defined nature of the U.N. Human Rights Council’s (HRC’s) Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the situation in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, stating it represents a “one-sided, biased approach that does nothing to advance the prospects for peace.”

Pray with us this week:

• Ask God to protect the innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia
• Pray for God to change the hearts of Iranian leaders who continue to ignore the global outcry against their nuclear violations
• Ask the Lord to surround His people in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• Pray for peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• Pray for Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

Profound. Mature. Thorough and challenging. Those words describe the faithful and diligent teaching of Gil Kaplan. Perhaps even more moving are the words used to recount the nature of this man of truth: Humble. Genuine. Encouraging.

The Jewish Voice family and Messianic Jewish community are saddened by the loss of a dedicated teacher of God’s Word. Gil Kaplan passed away on June 11, 2022.

Gil, the son of Jewish Voice founder Louis Kaplan, grew up in ministry. Their family musical group traveled to churches around the country in the 1950s, singing gospel songs and sharing their experiences as Jewish Believers in Jesus. These early years helped build Jewish Voice, which was founded in 1967.

 As an adult, Gil served his country with distinction in the Vietnam War, earning 14 medals, including the Purple Heart. He helped pastor two Messianic Jewish congregations. He was a teacher of truth who authored several books and taught in congregations, at various conferences and Bible colleges.

Gil’s hunger for “rightly dividing God’s Word” and teaching about Jewish roots of faith in Jesus led him to earn a Bachelor of Theology degree in 2002 and a Master of Theology in 2006. In 2003, Gil was ordained as a Messianic rabbi by Jewish Voice Ministries International.  

In 2017, Gateway International Bible Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, conferred on Gil an Honorary Doctor of Theology degree, a fully recognized Doctorate and “an honor reserved for those who have achieved a high level of excellence and compiled a substantial, credible and recognizable body of work in their realm of ministry.” Commenting on how well-deserved the Doctorate was, Gateway’s Chancellor said he had watched Gil – despite being a profound and learned teacher of the Word – humble himself to enroll in his Bachelor’s and Master’s courses and receive further biblical academic training when he very well could have taught the instructors.

Gil taught passionately about a biblical perspective on the time each of us is given. “One of life’s most important lessons is learning to view time as precious,” he said, “and how to use it wisely. It is a neglected topic, seldom taught in discipleship training. Your time is your life, and your life is your time.”

Gil was a true theologian, deeply respected by his peers and well known as an avid encourager.

He unselfishly served the Lord with a heart toward helping members of the Body of Messiah find their deeper calling from God.

Gil is survived by Brenda, his loving wife of 38 years; children Susan, Mike, Steve, Rachel and Stacey; and his brother Dan and his wife, Nancy.

“We are just a heartbeat away from eternity,” Gil said during his doctorate ceremony. “So, in the time we have left, we must make our time count for the glory of God.” Gil Kaplan spent his life doing just that. He will be deeply missed, but we look forward to seeing him again in Heaven.

Currently, the Lord is opening eyes throughout the body of Messiah about the importance and priority of reaching the Jewish people with the Good News of their Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). This has always been the heart of our mission and vision at Jewish Voice.

On the heels of Shavuot and Pentecost, which were both celebrated this past weekend, we’re stirred to put out a fresh call to prayer for a great harvest of salvations among the Jewish people around the world. 

Shavuot was originally a harvest festival and also marks the giving of the Torah, which helped unify the 12 Tribes. Pentecost is the Greek word signifying Shavuot, and it identifies the giving of the Holy Spirit as early Believers gathered in unity, praying and waiting upon the Lord. 

May Believers everywhere intercede in unity during this generation, filled with hope and passionate devotion to the Lord as we call on Him for all Israel to be saved.

Here are some of the things we’re praying for:

• The Lord of the harvest to send workers into the harvest field, including those He’ll call to partner with Jewish Voice – Matthew 9:37–38
• Jewish Believers to embrace their calling as a blessing to the Nations by sharing Yeshua – Galatians 3:8
• The Word of the Lord to “run swiftly” wherever Jewish Voice goes, introducing many to the Living Word, Jesus – 2 Thessalonians 3:1
• A greater anointing of signs and wonders to accompany the preaching of the Word so that many believe – Mark 16:20
• Jewish people to hear the truth about Jesus, repent and receive Him – Acts 2:36–39
• Believers around the world to hear the Lord’s call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and become watchmen in prayer for the Jewish people everywhere – Psalm 122:6, Isaiah 62:6–7

It is a privilege to pray with you and watch what the Lord will do in response to our prayers – Spirit-led, Scripture-based prayers that He enables us to pray!

Let’s Pray

Lord, thank You that You watch over Your Word to perform it. As we pray Your promises, may You, Lord of the harvest, continue to bring those alongside Jewish Voice who will go, give, and pray to see many thousands of Jewish people come to Yeshua. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah” . . . “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

— Jeremiah 31:31, 33

Shalom, my friend!

Thank you for your love and compassion for the Jewish people – in Israel, in Ukraine and around the world.

As we prepare our hearts to celebrate Shavuot (June 4 – 6), I’m reminded that

Shavuot joins two amazing gifts from God.

The Lord gave us “bread” when He gave us the Torah, His instruction. It nourishes us with His words and is infused with His life. When He gave us His Spirit to live inside us, He gave us the “breath” of new life and placed His Law in our hearts in fulfillment of what He said He would do.

I pray you’ll receive afresh God’s incredible gifts to you – that He will open your eyes and touch your heart with the reality of His promises to you and for you.

And as you celebrate Shavuot, and God’s gifts to you, please also join us in praying for God’s strength, protection, love and blessing to be upon His people, wherever they are around the world. And that He will draw them to Himself through the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah – His greatest gift of all.

Thank you again for your partnership.

SENIOR IRANIAN MILITARY OFFICIAL’S ASSASSINATION WAS A PREEMPTIVE INTERVENTION

Late last week, Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodayar was shot dead in his car outside his home in Tehran by two unknown assailants on motorcycles. Ironically, Khodayar was one of the senior commanders of Unit 840 of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a unit known for launching attempted assassinations.

According to YnetNews, Iran’s Unit 840 is responsible for executing violence against Israelis and Israeli institutions – either as “avenge killings” or to preemptively remove threats against Tehran.

Khodayar's preferred method to exact revenge was clandestine assassinations that couldn't be traced back to the Iranian regime. But YnetNews reports that the Iranian intelligence and IRGC have often made things difficult for Tehran in the international arena by carrying out sloppily executed attacks.

According to YnetNews, these failed assassination efforts have damaged not only Iran’s image – at home and abroad – but also the country’s international economic ties.

In recent years Khodayar developed a new method of operations, recruiting and hiring foreign assassins to carry out the deadly missions.

While no official word has been released, the assassination of Khodayar is attributed to Mossad operatives – Israel’s Secret Service Agency. YnetNews indicates that Khodayar’s elimination was a move to prevent wide-scale harm from happening as a result of a successful execution of one of his attack plans.

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS THE WEST HAS DECLARED “TOTAL WAR” ON RUSSIA 

Late last week, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, accused Western countries of waging a “total war” on Russia and its people and culture as Moscow pushes on with its military operation in Ukraine.

“The West has declared war on us, on the whole Russian world. The culture of canceling Russia and everything connected with our country is already reaching the point of absurdity,” Lavrov is reported to have said.

The Times of Israel reports that Western capitals slapped Moscow with unprecedented sanctions after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24.

And in the Foreign Minister’s remarks last week, according to The Times of Israel, he also said Washington “and its satellites are doubling, tripling, quadrupling their efforts to contain our country.”

“In many Western countries, everyday Russophobia has become of an unprecedented nature,” Foreign Minister Lavrov continued. “And, to our great regret, is encouraged by government circles in a number of countries.”

SECURITY BOLSTERED FOR ISRAEL’S FLAG MARCH

The annual flag march, in which Israelis enter the highly symbolic Damascus Gate and walk through the Muslim Quarter to the Western Wall waving the Israeli national flag, takes place around sunset on what Israel calls Jerusalem Day, the celebration of the capture and annexation of East Jerusalem in the 1967 War.

Prior to the march this past weekend, Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett received a comprehensive security briefing on preparations by Israel Police.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the government's decision to allow the march to go through stoked fears that it could lead to renewed violence between Israeli forces securing it and Palestinian rioters.

Israeli security forces were put on high alert ahead of the march, according to The Jerusalem Post, with additional mobile shelters deployed to cities in the South and an increase in police presence in Jerusalem and other mixed Jewish-Arab cities.

According to initial reports, around 75,000 people participated in the march – record-breaking numbers of people along the different routes throughout the city.

This year’s flag march came at a particularly tense time, after two months of terrorist attacks in Israel. Israeli police said they arrested more than 60 people suspected of disorderly conduct or assaulting police officers and that five officers had been injured.

LET US PRAY TOGETHER

Please pray with me for:

• God to bring peace and safety to the situation in Ukraine, protecting the lives that could potentially be at risk
• God to move in the hearts of world leaders and give them the 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
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

As you receive this, our Medical Outreach to Gambela, Ethiopia, is winding down. We want to cover it in prayer as it ends and realize that, in some ways, things are only beginning. Please join us in praying for the important process of follow-up and discipleship. It is exciting to think about these newly planted “Gospel seeds” now having a chance to grow and multiply. Please pray for:

• The ability to see as many patients as possible on the last day and that the Lord will continue to touch and heal even after we are gone
• Safe travels home for all who participated and served in this Outreach
• The local leader and congregation who are following up with interested people and new Believers – this is their first time participating in a Jewish Voice Outreach and follow-up work
• Divine appointments with every individual, family and group that they contact resulting in more salvations
• Area congregations to be ready, willing, and able to receive new Believers into their faith communities with hearty welcomes and brotherly love
• Those who are still searching or wondering about the salvation message they heard and saw demonstrated at the Outreach – that they will come to faith in Yeshua (Jesus)
• Protection from the enemy for each new Believer and that they would engage in community and discipleship with other Believers and share the Good News with others

Let’s Pray

Lord, Thank You for the many people in Gambela who have had an opportunity to receive medical care and prayer and hear the Good News of Yeshua! May the numbers of those who gladly receive Him continue to grow, as happened in the book of Acts. Thank You for all You have done there and will continue to do to draw men, women, and children to Yourself. In Jesus’ name, AMEN. 

Join us this summer for Moving Forward – 55 Days of Prayer 

“I will bless those who bless Israel.” 
Genesis 12:3

Shalom, my friend!

Thank you for your love and compassion for the Jewish people – in Israel, Ukraine and around the world.

I’m so grateful that you are willing to stand with God’s Chosen People and their neighbors through your ongoing prayers and financial support. And I pray you’ll experience a special outpouring of God’s blessing on you for your faithfulness for His people. 

Please join us in praying for God’s strength, protection, love and blessing to be upon His people, wherever they are around the world. And that He draws them to Himself through the Good News of Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah.

Thank you again for your special partnership.

GANTZ: PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INDICATES AL JAZEERA JOURNALIST WASN’T KILLED BY IDF FIRE

Late last week, Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed while covering an Israeli counter-terror raid in Jenin. The Qatar-based news outlet attributed her killing to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

According to the Jewish News Syndicate, Israel’s Defense Minister, Benny Gantz, responded to the tragic death by saying that preliminary findings from the military’s investigation into the shooting indicates that Akleh was not killed by Israeli forces.

Addressing the Knesset, Defense Minister Gantz also said that “we have seen footage of indiscriminate shooting by Palestinian terrorists, which is likely to have hit the journalist.” However, he emphasized that the investigation into the tragic event was ongoing.

In an official statement, according to Jewish News Syndicate, Defense Minister Gantz said, “I would like to express my sorrow at the loss of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. The State of Israel values the protection of human life above all, as well as freedom of press. IDF troops would never intentionally harm members of the press, and any attempt to imply otherwise is baseless.”

Gantz also expressed his support for “our defense forces and to all the units that work solely to maintain our security and to reflect the truth,” adding, “We will communicate our findings in a clear and transparent manner to our American friends, as well as to the Palestinian Authority.”

RUSSIAN-UKRAINE WAR: NEARLY 100 CHILDREN KILLED IN APRIL ALONE 

The Jerusalem Post reports, quoting findings from international nonprofit UNICEF, that nearly 100 children were killed in Ukraine in April alone as a result of the Russian invasion of the country.

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Omar Abdi said, “We believe the actual figures to be considerably higher.”

The Ukrainian armed forces announced late last week that Russia has been shelling the northwestern Ukrainian district of Chernihiv. A Ukrainian media outlet reported that schools, office buildings and homes were damaged, and there are casualties. The extent of the death toll is still being determined by rescuers and medics currently on the scene.

Russian news agencies confirmed that its forces hit two ammunition depots in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the U.N. Human Rights Council passed a resolution by a strong majority late last week that will set up an investigation into allegations of rights abuses by Russian troops in parts of Ukraine formerly under their control.

U.N. Human Rights Chief, Michelle Bachelet, said that a thousand bodies had been recovered in the area of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, in recent weeks, adding that many of the violations it is verifying since the Russian invasion may amount to war crimes.

“The scale of unlawful killings, including indicia of summary executions in areas to the north of Kiev, is shocking,” Bachelet told the Geneva-based Human Rights Council. Bachelet also stated that casualties in the city of Mariupol are “in the thousands.”

HAMAS APPEALS TO RUSSIA FOR SUPPORT IN CONFRONTATION WITH ISRAEL

According to Al-Monitor, a Hamas delegation recently visited Moscow at a time when relations between Russia and Israel are taking a more tense turn due to Israel’s position in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Al-Monitor reports that relations between Moscow and Tel Aviv turned sour after the latter condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine and considered it a “flagrant violation of the international order.”

In addition, Al-Monitor reports that Israeli President Isaac Herzog demanded that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov apologize for statements he made regarding the Jewishness of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his connection to Nazism, and for Lavrov’s remarks that “Hitler had Jewish blood.”

A leading source in Hamas who was among the visiting delegation to Moscow told Al-Monitor, on condition of anonymity, that this visit was “unique and exceptional” in terms of the delegation’s members and the topics discussed with Russian officials.

The source explained that the delegation met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and others in the Russian Federation Council and Senate, with discussions touching on the Israeli attacks on Christian and Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem.

LET US PRAY TOGETHER

Please pray with me for:

• God to bring peace and safety to the situation in Ukraine, protecting the lives that could potentially be at risk
• God to move in the hearts of world leaders and give them the 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
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

We are taking the Good News to a small city in Ethiopia. It will be our first Outreach there, although there are already 10 Messianic congregations in the region.

We have been praying to break ground in new areas, as we did in Chivi, Zimbabwe, a few months ago. This can be challenging work! However, with your prayers and the Holy Spirit’s help we look forward to what the Lord will do as we enter another new area, this time in Ethiopia. We need your prayers covering this Outreach in a region that desperately needs the ministry of Yeshua (Jesus), the Prince of Peace.

Please pray with us, starting now, for this Ethiopia Medical Outreach taking place May 19–29. You can help cover these dates in prayer by signing up on our Jewish Voice 24-7 Prayer Watch schedule and by using these daily prayer points. Please pray for:

Wednesday, May 11–Wednesday, May 18 | Proverbs 16:3

• The buildings we’re using to be fully prepared for our medical equipment and teams
• The Lord to go before us and prepare the spiritual atmosphere
• The hearts of the people in this new area to be prepared to receive Yeshua
• Any opposition or forces of oppression to flee in Yeshua’s name

Thursday, May 19 | Psalm 121:7-8

• Safe travels for in-country and international team members
• Protection of all kinds and good health now and throughout the Outreach, including timely negative COVID-19 test results
• Spiritual and physical preparedness for the rigors of breaking new ground through Outreach

Friday, May 20 | Ephesians 4:1-4

• Unity to develop and grow among team members all through the week
• A sweet time of fellowship and rest during the Erev Shabbat dinner tonight
• The Lord to speak to each one regarding how He desires to use them during the Outreach
• A protective covering from the Lord over each team member and their families back home

Saturday, May 21 | Isaiah 49:10

• Good weather in this season and location, mild temperatures and no rainstorms throughout the week
• Smooth orientations for the Clinic and medical professionals and all participants to be fully prepared
• The Counseling and Prayer volunteers to be well trained and spiritually ready to minister
• The protective presence of the Lord and His angel armies to push back forces of darkness and release the Kingdom of light

Sunday, May 22 | Deuteronomy 10:21

• Special protection for patients who may be coming from across the border for treatment at this Clinic
• Healing from the Lord for the many who come to be treated, even as they travel and stand in line
• Miracles, signs, wonders and salvations to begin today as the Clinic opens
• A new era of God’s shalom to be established among the various tribes in the region

Monday, May 23 | Matthew 10:20

• The good reports we’ve heard about this area’s openness to the Gospel to prove true, with the Word going forth boldly and many receiving Yeshua
• Powerful worship and prayer times each morning that glorify the Lord, strengthen the team and see God’s kingdom come in answer to prayer
• The Living Waters team to be anointed and effective each day as they go out and share about clean water and the Living Water, Yeshua

Tuesday, May 24 | James 5:16

• The Ethiopian pastor, a mighty man of God, who will be heading up the prayer tent and serving as trip chaplain
• Many people to receive ministry in the prayer tent, leading to salvation, healing, and deliverance
• A new unity among the local Messianic congregations as they work together

Wednesday, May 25 | Romans 1:16

• A fresh revelation that deeply impacts the Gentile Believers in the region regarding God’s heart and plans for the Jewish people
• Many Jewish people to come to believe in Yeshua
• Locally hired workers to see how wonderful the Lord is and be saved

Thursday, May 26 | 1 Corinthians 14:40

• The ability to see and minister to the maximum number of patients on this last half-day of the Outreach
• Order, favor, safety and shalom in closing and packing up the Clinic
• Safe travels to the capital city once the Clinic closes

Friday, May 27 | Matthew 25:23

• Each participant to hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
• A blessed time of testimony and fellowship around Erev Shabbat dinner
• The spiritual seeds that were sown to continue bearing fruit for eternity

Saturday, May 28 | Acts 9:31

• Safe travels and smooth transitions home, including negative COVID-19 tests and luggage arriving with travelers
• Local Messianic Believers and congregations to be encouraged and multiplied as a result of the Outreach
• Effective follow-up among all who were interested in learning more about Jesus and that the number of people who come to know Him multiplies
• The region to be marked by the presence and power of God, with testimonies of His goodness that will bear more fruit long after our team members have left

Let’s Pray

Lord, we long for the Jewish people in this region to learn of the love of Jesus, to be drawn to Him and receive salvation. We pray for salvation for their neighbors as well. In this area that needs You so much, we pray for Your Spirit to move and to make Yeshua known. Help us be Your hands of love and give us Your words of life to speak. We believe You truly have good news for this location. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

“The LORD gives strength to His people;
the LORD blesses His people with peace.” 
Psalm 29:11 (NIV)

Shalom, my friend & Happy Israel Independence Day!

Today, as we celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut with joy and festivities, my attention is turned towards the words of the Psalmist who acknowledges the reality of God strengthening His people – and blessing them with peace. 

With the war continuing in Ukraine, and the ongoing tragic loss of life – more than ever we need a supernatural measure of strength and peace.

Maybe you’re facing an overwhelming challenge in your own life.

I pray over you now that God will pour out upon your heart and mind the strength and peace to overcome.

And I also ask that you join me and everyone at Jewish Voice as we pray for God’s strength over His people, in Ukraine and around the world — and His blessing of peace.

Thank you for your special partnership.

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE IN EASTERN UKRAINE INTENSIFYING 

The Times of Israel reported late last week that Ukrainian officials stated the Russian offensive in Eastern Ukraine has picked up momentum, with several towns coming under intense attack as Moscow’s forces attempt to surround Ukrainian troops.

According to The Times of Israel, the General Staff of Ukraine’s military says Russian forces were “exerting intense fire” in several places as they pushed on with the second phase of their invasion.

Reports indicate that the fighting intensified after Russia suddenly cut off natural gas to two NATO nations last week, in what was seen as a bid to punish and divide the West over its support for Ukraine ahead of the potentially pivotal battle in the eastern industrial region of the Donbas.

The most intensive action, according to The Times of Israel, is around Donetsk and close to Kharkiv, which lies outside the Donbas but is seen as key to Russia’s apparent bid to encircle Ukrainian troops there.

FORMER RUSSIAN BANK EXECUTIVE JOINS UKRAINIAN DEFENSES IN KIEV

The Jerusalem Post reports that Igor Volobuev, Vice President of Gazprom Bank, the third-largest bank in Russia, fled Russia to join the Kiev territorial defense forces.

According to a recent interview, Volobuev, who left on March 3 – just one week after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine – said that he couldn’t stay in Russia.

“The Russians were killing my father, my acquaintances and close friends. My father lived in a cold basement for a month. People I had known since childhood told me they were ashamed of me,” said Volobuev, who worked at Gazprom for 16 years before holding Gazprom Bank’s top position for six years.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the former bank executive went on to say that the way the Russian President is acting is a crime.

International sanctions were imposed on Gazprom Bank – among several Russian banks hit with unprecedented sanctions – the day after Russia began its assault on Ukraine.

According to other media outlets and reports, including The Moscow Times, other top executives and officials known to have left Russia during the war include Sberbank's first deputy chairman of the board Lev Khasis, presidential envoy Anatoly Chubais, and Aeroflot deputy CEO Andrei Panov.

U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL CLAIMS SECURITY COUNCIL FAILED TO HALT RUSSIA’S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres visited towns outside the capital of Kiev late last week to review evidence of mass killings of civilians that were found after Russia’s retreat from the area.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Guterres told reporters during his visit, “The Security Council failed to do everything in its power to prevent and end this war. This is a source of great disappointment, frustration and anger.”

Russia is one of five nations that have permanent seats on the 15-member U.N. Security Council (UNSC) – having veto power. The Jerusalem Post reports that Russia has used its veto power to block any UNSC action against it on the war in Ukraine, thereby underscoring the need for UNSC reform.

When asked about reform, Guterres replied: “I have not the power to reform the Security Council. I have no illusions about the possibility to do it immediately, but I will do everything I can through making the U.N. as effective as possible in situations like these to at least compensate for a failure that I cannot solve. And you can be sure about [our] total commitment to support Ukrainian people in this difficulty and to our permanent voice asking for the end of this war.”

According to Guterres, the U.N. has provided aid to 3.4 million people inside Ukraine and hopes to increase that number to 8.7 million by the end of August. There are some estimates that indicate some 25 million people could need assistance by the end of the year.  

LET US PRAY TOGETHER

Please pray with me for:

• God to bring peace and safety to the situation in Ukraine, protecting the lives that could potentially be at risk
• God to move in the hearts of world leaders and give them the 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
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah