This year, the month of May holds three important Israeli civil holidays:

May 4 - 5: Yom HaZikaron – Israel’s Memorial Day

May 5  -6: Yom HaAtzmaut – Israel’s Independence Day

May 28 - 29: Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Day

Yom HaZikaron – Israel’s Memorial Day

Israel declared her independence on May 14, 1948. Immediately, surrounding Arab nations and Palestinians waged war, confident they would defeat the newly reborn State of Israel. So, before Israel celebrates her independence, she honors those who lost their lives fighting to defend and preserve Israel’s freedom. 

Yom HaZikaron is a solemn day of remembrance that begins with a one-minute siren at 8:00 p.m. on the Hebrew date of Iyar 4. A national ceremony follows at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. At 11:00 a.m. the next morning (remember that a Jewish day begins and ends at sunset, so for Israel, it’s still Iyar 4), a second siren sounds for two minutes. It’s a signal to stand in silence, remembering those who paid for freedom with their lives.

Television and radio stations broadcast programming honoring the fallen. Some include a scrolling list of names, highlighting the fact that each one represents a valuable life with their own story.

At 1:00 p.m., a national service honors the victims of terrorist attacks. In the evening, a torch-lighting ceremony closes the day. Flags that have flown at half-mast all day are raised, and the celebration of Israel’s Independence Day begins.

Yom HaAtzmaut – Israel’s Independence Day

Fireworks light up the night sky on Yom HaAtzmaut, and the nationally prestigious Israel Prize is bestowed on selected individuals with outstanding accomplishments in various fields. The lifetime achievement award goes to someone who has made an exceptional contribution to the nation.

In addition to official ceremonies and religious services, Yom HaAtzmaut is a day filled with fun and recreation. All over Israel, people attend concerts, festivals, picnics, and barbeques, go hiking, to the beach and enjoy themselves in celebration of the country’s independence.

Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Day

Jerusalem Day marks the anniversary of a united Jerusalem coming back into Israeli hands at the end of the Six-Day War in June 1967.  Until then, Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan.

Tensions had been high in the region since Israel became a nation-state in 1948. In the first four months of 1967, Israeli farmers in northeastern Israel endured 63 attacks from Syrians on the Golan Heights above them. Then, Russia spread lies to Egypt that Israel was preparing to attack and wipe out Damascus, the Syrian capital. Egypt, being Syria’s ally, amassed troops at Israel’s borders. Other Arab nations staged hundreds of thousands of soldiers at Israel’s borders.

Despite messages of peace from Israel, the surrounding Arab nations would not stand down. Instead, they fanned the flames of impending war. Israel feared the loss of thousands of Israeli lives and determined their only recourse was to pre-emptively strike a disabling blow to the Egyptian Air Force. War was official.

Israel pled with Jordan to stay out of it, but Jordan attacked, hoping to gain complete control of Jerusalem. After six days of fierce fighting, Israel gained control over all of Jerusalem as well as the critical Golan Heights. After more than 2,000 years, Israel’s capital was once again intact and in her hands.

Today, Jerusalem Day is marked by civil ceremonies, prayers, concerts and other festivities.

As we consider Scripture’s command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), this month provides a fitting opportunity to engage with the Lord over the safety of His people, the State of Israel, and the salvation of Jewish people everywhere.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Shalom, my friend.

God is in control . . . and thankfully we can cling to His promises and trust that He has a plan, though we may not see it or even understand it.

I pray you cling to this promise – as you navigate your own challenges and circumstances.

Thank you for your partnership in this ministry. Please remember Jewish Voice in your prayers this week – praying for God’s continual protection for our partners on the ground in Ukraine, in Israel and around the world. And for the salvation of the Jewish people.

ISRAEL TO PROVIDE KIEV WITH PROTECTIVE GEAR FOR RESCUE AND EMERGENCY ORGANIZATIONS

The Jerusalem Post reported late last week that Israel’s Defense Minister, Benny Gantz, spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, and has agreed to provide protective gear such as helmets and vests.

The request from Kiev comes eight weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Following the agreement, Israel’s Defense Ministry released the following statement:

“This is part of Israel’s extensive effort to provide humanitarian aid, which includes the establishment of a field hospital, the absorption of refugees and immigrants, the provision of food and medical assistance, and more.”

According to The Jerusalem Post, Israel has been trying to strike a balance between Russia and Ukraine. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is said to have declined in February to sell weapons after he was asked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

As part of Israel’s aid to the embattled country, Jerusalem has set up a field hospital in Lviv and has donated several armored ambulances via the Magen David Adom rescue services.

Saying that he appreciates Israel’s efforts to bring an end to the war, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Korniychuk told Israeli reporters that the war “for us is genocide, not unlike your situation in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Unfortunately, we are dealing with a much stronger adversary and many more casualties, so thank you for your mediation attempts.”

PUTIN CLAIMS MARIUPOL “LIBERATED” AFTER AN ALMOST 2-MONTH SIEGE

According to YnetNews, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the biggest battle of the Ukraine war late last week, declaring the port of Mariupol “liberated,” despite hundreds of defenders still holding out inside a giant steelworks plant.

In a televised meeting with his Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, inside the Kremlin, Putin is reported to have said that there was no need for a final confrontation with the last defenders who were boxed in after surviving nearly two months of Russia's siege.

“I consider the proposed storming of the industrial zone unnecessary,” Putin said. “I order you to cancel it. There's no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial facilities. Block off this industrial area so that not even a fly can get through.”

According to YnetNews, Russia’s Defense Ministry estimates that 2,000 Ukrainian fighters remained inside the plant. Putin called on them to lay down their weapons and surrender, saying Russia would treat them with respect.

Putin’s “declaration of victory” lets him claim his first big prize since his forces were driven out of northern Ukraine last month after failing to capture the capital, Kiev.

YnetNews reports that Ukraine officials estimate that tens of thousands of civilians have died in Mariupol. It says some have been buried in mass graves, others removed from the streets by Russian forces using mobile cremation trucks to incinerate bodies. The United Nations and Red Cross say the civilian toll is still unknowable but is at least in the thousands.

The intensified Russian campaign to seize large swathes of eastern Ukraine has further diminished the prospects of stop-start peace talks producing any rapid agreement to end the war.

UKRAINE RECEIVES WARPLANES FROM UNIDENTIFIED SOURCE

The Times of Israel reported late last week that Ukraine received fighter jets to help resist the Russian invasion, as Moscow intensified its offensive in the east.

According to the Pentagon, as reported by The Times of Israel, Ukraine recently received fighter planes and parts to bolster its air force. But the Pentagon declined to specify the number of aircraft and their origin.

Kiev has asked its Western partners, according to The Times of Israel, to provide MiG-29s, which its pilots already know how to fly, and a handful of Eastern European countries have. The fresh weapons for Kiev would also push to increase “Moscow’s international isolation.”

The request came because of Russia’s renewed push to gain control of Donbas and the besieged southern port of Mariupol — both would allow Moscow to create a southern corridor to the Crimean Peninsula that it annexed in 2014, depriving Ukraine of much of its coastline.

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 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

Because of our many travels, we love Psalm 121:8, in which the Lord promises to watch over His people as they come and go. We are asking for your prayers for our comings and goings, including the places we have been and where we’re going now.

Scouting Trip Update – in a nutshell

Thank you for praying for our recent scouting trip to Africa. Our team has come home reporting success! Here are three big praises we experienced:

• Good connections with the Bembe people as we met with them and heard their story
• Successful meetings with the Yibir people in Ethiopia. We are deepening our relationships in the hopes of future opportunities to bless their community
• Significant progress pursuing a future, first-time Medical Outreach in Zambia. We are now on our way to securing permissions

Praise the Lord with us! These were our three main objectives, and it was very significant that the Lord enabled us to achieve all three. Thank you for your prayers that paved the way! Now…

• Please pray for future relationships and ministry opportunities among these peoples and areas
• Ask the Lord’s favor on us in securing favor and permissions for the Zambia Outreach

Messianic Leadership Training Trip

This trip is happening now! Every year, key members of our leadership team travel to Africa to spend time with the leaders of Jewish Voice-affiliated Messianic congregations. The primary purposes are to teach, equip, and engage with the leaders during interactive question-answer times together.

This year’s trip, including travel dates, will be from April 24 to May 8. The first week of training will be in Zimbabwe, with the following week in Ethiopia. Here are ways you can undergird this important annual teaching time in prayer:

• Safe and easy travels, good health, and protection of all kinds, including for our teams’ families at home
• Our two leaders, both of whom are Messianic rabbis, who will be conducting the training times and building relationships with the African congregational leaders
• A special Torah service in Zimbabwe where a Torah scroll will be presented, and the local Believers will learn how to conduct a Torah service themselves
• The guest speaker who is joining our two team members in Ethiopia. This gentleman was born in Ethiopia but now lives in the U.S. and will be ministering alongside our team in Amharic, the local language.
• Two groups of leaders in Ethiopia who have not been historically affiliated with Jewish Voice but whom we want to bless with the ministry training along with the three groups we have worked with there
• Every meeting, conversation and encounter in both nations to be marked by fruitful ministry and the presence of the Lord

You can cover these specific trip dates in prayer by following this link to our Jewish Voice 24/7 Prayer Watch and signing up for a time to pray from home.

Let's Pray:

Lord, we are filled with gratitude and joy at the way You opened doors of favor in each location of our scouting trip. Please allow these areas to now become open doors for effective ministry that will bear lasting fruit. Thank you for the fruit of godly leadership already in place in many Messianic Jewish congregations in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. Bless our teaching team as they present truth, encourage leaders, and deepen relationships, all in the name of Yeshua. AMEN.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Shalom, my friend.

The Scriptures promise us that God has good intentions for His people – that no matter what we face, what we are forced to endure or the circumstances around us and the world – we can trust God’s plan. We can believe in the future He’s written. And we can lean on the hope He supplies.

This promise feels more needed now than ever.

We may not be able to understand what’s happening in Ukraine, in Israel or in the midst of any act of evil that’s happening around the world. But we can rest in the hope that God has a plan. And our responsibility is to simply trust Him.

As you pray your own prayer of trust today, I hope you’ll also pray for this work of ministry. For our partners on the ground in Ukraine, in Israel and around the world. And for the salvation of the Jewish people.

Thank you for your partnership.

RUSSIA COULD EARN BILLIONS FROM REVIVED NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) revealed last week that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) from 2015 – the nuclear deal in discussions with Iran – permits Russia to undertake civil nuclear projects in Iran worth billions of dollars.

According to the FDD, this runs counter to the attempts of the U.S. and other countries worldwide who’ve ratcheted pressure on Russia through sanctions they’ve implemented in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The FDD reports that last month, Russia forced a pause in the Vienna talks to ensure the protection of its financial interests. Moscow seeks to resume several civil nuclear projects in Iran that it previously carried out under the JCPOA, such as building two additional reactor units at the Bushehr nuclear power plant according to a $10 billion contract. The Kremlin also seeks to recoup a $500 million debt for past work. More broadly, Russia wants to avoid running into Western sanctions for any such nuclear work in Iran.

But the FDD indicates that there is no technical reason a nuclear deal with Iran should protect the Kremlin’s interests.

The situation now begs for a course correction, according to the FDD. There is no need for Russian firms to engage in uranium transactions with Iran. Under a restored accord, the Islamic Republic could comply with the deal’s limits on enriched uranium by simply blending it down to natural uranium. Washington and its allies, reports the FDD, should announce that they will rescind sanctions for all projects carried out by Russian entities and should threaten new penalties.

RUSSIA WARNS IT WILL DEPLOY NUKES NEAR FINLAND, SWEDEN IF THEY JOIN NATO

According to The Times of Israel, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned late last week that Russia would deploy nuclear weapons close to the Baltic States and Scandinavia if Finland or Sweden decides to join NATO.

Medvedev, now the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, also said that if the countries joined, this would more than double Russia’s land border with NATO members.

“Naturally, we will have to reinforce these borders,” he said. “In this case, it would not be possible to talk any more about the Baltic non-nuclear status,” Medvedev continued. “The balance has to be restored.” According to The Times of Israel, his remarks indicate that Russia would be entitled to deploy nuclear weapons in the region.

According to The Times of Israel, Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine have sparked a dramatic U-turn in public and political opinion in both Finland and Sweden over long-held policies of military non-alignment.

Finland said this week that it will decide whether to apply for NATO membership within weeks, and Sweden is also discussing membership.

RUSSIAN BLACK SEA FLAGSHIP THAT ATTACKED SNAKE ISLAND SINKS AFTER BLAST

The Jerusalem Post reports that Russia said last week that the flagship of its Black Sea fleet – the Moskva – sank after being seriously damaged following an explosion that a Ukrainian official said was the result of a missile strike.

The Moskva was one of the two ships that seized Ukraine’s Snake Island on February 25.

Maksym Marchenko, the Ukrainian governor of the region around the Black Sea port of Odessa, said the Moskva had been hit by two Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles.

“Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage,” he said in an online post that The Jerusalem Post could not verify.

But The Jerusalem Post does report that the Snake Island incident included a small Ukrainian force of 13 stationed at the port of Odessa, where they were recorded cursing at a Russian warship after having been asked to surrender.

Initially, the Ukrainians announced that the 13 servicemen were killed in action, fighting to the end. The recording and story went viral in Ukraine and abroad and became a symbol for Ukraine's fight against Russia.

However, on February 27, it was announced by the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service that the servicemen could still be alive. Their capture was confirmed by the Ukrainian navy on February 28.

One serviceman was released from Russian captivity on March 28 and was awarded with a medal. It is unclear what the conditions for his release were and what the status of the other captives is.

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 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

JVMI Outreach in Africa: Transformed from the inside out . . .

Liya* thanks God – AND YOU – for the extraordinary work in her heart!

Liya heard that Jewish Voice was hosting an Outreach in her area of Ethiopia. And after receiving medical attention, Liya asked for prayer and counseling. She was looking for something – ANYTHING – that would loosen the squeeze she felt around life. Her husband had left her. Her children were depending on her. Liya was barely making it – performing backbreaking work day in and day out. It felt like her family was falling to pieces, and her life was falling apart.

Liya cried out to God. And she gave her life to Jesus! When Liya returned to the Outreach the next day, her face glowed in wonder. Her outward appearance
showcased the inner transformation of the Gospel taking deep root in her heart. As our team approached her, Liya shared:

“I had to come back because I accepted Jesus. Immediately I felt a change on the inside. I got home and I gathered my children together and we prayed.
We all felt such a tangible change that we had a special feast of celebration together. I had to come back and say thank you!”

This is the kind of transformation you help make possible through your generosity. Thank you for being a part of God’s work to reach the Jewish people and their neighbors with the Good News.

* Named changed for privacy.

If we don’t go, who will?

Your gift today will help share the Good News with those
who don’t know about Jesus, the Messiah.

As Jewish people celebrate Passover, I’m convinced that in addition to Israel’s
deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the Lord was also using Passover to encourage Israel to look ahead. It is a shadow, the beginning of what would ultimately be fulfilled by Yeshua (Jesus) – Who is our Passover Lamb.

It’s that conviction that has driven this ministry for the last 55 years. And it will
continue to drive us until “all Israel saved” becomes a reality and Jesus returns.

And I want you to be a part of it. We can accomplish so much for God’s Kingdom
together. Nothing is more exciting than being a part of fulfilling prophesy and preparing for the return of the Messiah.

If, together, we don’t reach the Jewish people . . . who will?

What you hold in your hands right now is an opportunity to make an eternal impact. And I hope you’ll prayerfully consider giving another generous gift.

There’s so much work God wants to do among His people and their neighbors. And none of it will be possible without your help.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

“For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.” 

Psalm 61:3 (NIV) 

Shalom, my friend.  

You know that we refuse to run away from dangerous situations when unimaginable darkness threatens the Jewish people and their neighbors. That’s why Ezra, Vice President of Global Ministry Affairs, and several of our executive team leaders joined me in spending nearly a week meeting with our partners on the ground in Ukraine and Poland.   

Watch this video we recorded that shares more about our exploratory trip into Ukraine. 

Our brothers and sisters – and the Jewish communities in the area – need our prayers. They need the presence of the Bright Light of the Lord during this dark hour.   

The Scriptures indicate that the Lord is a refuge for His people. That He’s a strong tower of safety and support. This was realized more fully in the death and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus).  

That’s why we’re asking God to provide a fresh revelation and understanding of His safe presence to the people of Ukraine – to our partners sharing the Gospel on the frontlines and to those who are suffering.  

We also pray it over your life – with whatever you may be facing today.  

 
Thank you again for praying with us and for us in this work of ministry. 

TWO RUSSIAN MISSILES STRIKE RAILWAY STATION IN KRAMATORSK, USED FOR EVACUATING CIVILIANS

The Jerusalem Post reports that at least 39 people were killed and 87 wounded when two Russian missiles struck a railway station in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine late last week. 

The station, according to The Jerusalem Post, had been used to evacuate civilians from areas under bombardment from Russian forces. And at the time of the strike, about 4,000 people – most of them elderly, women and children – were at the railway station. 

Multiple reports of the attack indicate that on one of the missiles were the words “for children.” 

According to The Jerusalem Post, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba responded on Twitter with, “Russians knew that the train station in Kramatorsk was full of civilians waiting to be evacuated. Yet they stroke [sic] it with a ballistic missile, killing at least 30 and injuring at least a hundred people. This was a deliberate slaughter. We will bring each war criminal to justice.” 

According to Ukrainian President’s Office adviser Oleksy Arestovych, Russia’s attack on the Kramatorsk railway station was preceded by thorough reconnaissance. 

In response, Eduard Basurin, press secretary of the pro-Russian separatist-controlled breakaway state the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), claimed that the rocket strike was not done by Russian troops or pro-Russian forces and was a “provocation” by the Ukrainian military.  

Russia’s Defense Ministry also denied responsibility for the attack. 

UKRAINE WARNS CIVILIANS OF “LAST CHANCE” TO FLEE RUSSIAN ATTACKS IN EAST 

According to The Times of Israel, Ukraine urged residents in the eastern areas of the country late last week to take their “last chance” to flee mounting Russian attacks. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia – which denies responsibility for the killings of civilians – was undeterred and continued “to accumulate fighting force to realize their ill ambitions in (eastern) Donbas.” 

“They are preparing to resume an active offensive,” he said, while officials in Donbas’ Luhansk and Donetsk regions begged civilians to leave. 

The Times of Israel reports that as of late last week, 1,200 people had been evacuated from Luhansk but that efforts were being hampered by artillery fire. 

The evacuation calls are being fueled by fears of fresh atrocities, after chilling discoveries in areas from which Moscow’s troops have withdrawn.

NEW EVIDENCE OF BUCHA MASSACRE DURING RUSSIAN OCCUPATION 

The Jerusalem Post reports that more evidence of the alleged Bucha Massacre was shared online by an independent Russian media outlet that obtained high-quality drone footage of the southern district of the city. 

The videos, taken between March 23 and March 30 by Russian national Sergei “Botsman” Korotkikh, who is fighting alongside Ukraine, allegedly showed the corpses of Ukrainian residents of Bucha, a city in the Kyiv Oblast near Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.  

It was determined that the bodies in the footage line up with the location of bodies found between April 1 and April 2 after Russian troops left the city. The videos also note military equipment used by Russian troops near the bodies. 

The implication, according to The Jerusalem Post, is not only that the Bucha Massacre likely occurred as Ukraine had alleged – but also that it occurred before Russian troops left the city. It also counters claim by Moscow, who deny that Russian troops were responsible for the mass deaths in the city. 

The Bucha Massacre was discovered by Ukraine after Ukrainian troops retook the city. 

According to Mayor Anatoly Fedoruk, around 320 bodies have been found in Bucha, with just around half (163) having been definitively identified. “These are the citizens of our city who were cynically killed, brutally tortured by the Russians,” Fedoruk explained. 

The alleged massacre has sparked widespread condemnation – with many accusing Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine.  

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 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 in a time of prayer and fasting at Jewish Voice and would like to ask you to join us.

Twice a year, we come together to focus on the Lord for a week. We worship, pray, intercede and fast – as a means of setting aside distractions so we can know Him better and hear Him clearly.

We pray for God’s wisdom, guidance and protection. We thank Him for all He has done in the past and is doing now, and we ask Him for clarity and favor in the things He will do in the future. And we pray for you, our partners.

Our theme for this spring is “Before the Foundation of the World.” We will be meditating on the Scriptures that tell us: we are chosen and called for good works, that God’s wisdom is being declared, that we have eternal life, and there is a kingdom that has been prepared for us. In this appointed time of Pesach (Passover), we will also meditate on the Lamb of God, Yeshua (Jesus), who was slain before the foundation of the world for our sins.

Will you pray for us as we gather in the Lord’s presence during this time of prayer and fasting?  Here are some ways you can pray:

• May we be hungry to fellowship together with the Lord and deeply moved by His love (1 John 1:3)
• That we will powerfully experience His presence during our worship times as we come prepared to offer Him our adoration and praise (1 Chronicles 16:29)
• For the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to lead our prayer times and help us “hit the mark” as we intercede (Romans 8:26-27)
• For the desire and grace to fast as those who are longing for our Bridegroom and diligently seeking our Father’s will in all things (Mark 9:15, Isaiah 58:6)
• That the Lord uses this time to give wisdom and guidance and to prepare us for all that’s ahead in His plans for us and for those He is calling us to reach (Isaiah 55:6)

Let's Pray:

LORD, thank You that You are faithful to call us into a living relationship with You and that You speak as well as listen to us. We are so grateful for this set-apart time of prayer and our partners who will be interceding for and with us. May we be renewed and refreshed in Your presence as we worship, pray and fast. May we come away from this time transformed to see You more clearly and follow You even more closely as we receive Your help and direction for the times in which we now live. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” 
Psalm 122:6 (NIV)

Shalom, my friend.

As a partner of Jewish Voice who loves the Gospel and the Jewish people, I’m sure you’ve been watching the news about the continuing situation in Ukraine and the current violence that’s been happening in Israel.

Just a few days ago, my team and I walked across the Polish border into Ukraine to meet with our partners on the ground. As we walked, the reality of everything we’ve been watching on the news came crashing over us. “This is real,” we thought. My heart aches over what is happening. I think of Ukrainians who are forced to flee their homes – and the lives being ended because of hatred, violence and acts of terror.

But in the midst of it all, God has called all of us to pray.

That’s why I encourage you to not feel overwhelmed by the darkness or the enemy today. Don’t give in to dismay. Obey God. Obey His command. Reach out to Him now – on behalf of Ukraine, Israel and the Jewish people. But also, with whatever challenge or heartbreak you might be facing right now. God will give you peace.

Thank you again for praying with us and for us in this work of ministry.

BREAKING: 6 INJURED IN TEL AVIV TERROR ATTACK

The Jerusalem Post reports that at least six people were wounded - some in serious condition - in what appeared to be a terrorist shooting attack in the center of Tel Aviv today. The attack took place in multiple locations on Dizengoff Street, a popular scene filled with restaurants and bars in the main Israeli city. 

At the time of writing, one of the wounded was said to be in critical condition. At least two shooters are reportedly still on the run. 

The suspected attack was the latest in a series of deadly attacks that began last month in Beersheba, Hadera and Bnei Brak. So far, 11 Israelis have been killed in the attacks.

Security forces have been on high alert in recent weeks amid the wave of terror attacks and concerns of further attacks during the month of Ramadan and the upcoming Passover holiday.

3 BNEI BRAK VICTIMS OF TERRORISM IDENTIFIED BY ISRAELI OFFICIALS

The Times of Israel released more information about the victims of those who were killed in last week’s Bnei Brak terror attack – when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire in a killing spree.

Of the 5 who were killed, 3 have been identified by Israeli officials:

Amir Khoury, a Christian Arab who served on the Bnei Brak police station’s motorcyclist responder team.

Yaakov Shalom, a resident of Bnei Brak who, according to The Times of Israel, was driving home when he was stopped by the gunman, who opened fire on his vehicle from a close range. Shalom, the son of a prominent Rabbi who passed of COVID-19 last year, is survived by his mother, wife and four children.

Avishai Yehezkel, a resident of Bnei Brak was shot while trying to protect his 2-year-old son. He is survived by his wife, who is eight months pregnant, and his son.

The remaining 2 victims remain unidentified. But, according to The Times of Israel, they were workers from Ukraine.

ISRAEL VOTES TO REMOVE RUSSIA FROM UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

On Thursday, Israel joined 92 other countries in the U.S.-led push to vote Russia off the United Nations Human Rights Council. Twenty-four countries voted no and 58 countries abstained.

The only other country to be removed from the Human Rights Council was Libya in 2011.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the United States announced it would seek Russia's suspension after Ukraine accused Russian troops of killing hundreds of civilians in the town of Bucha. 

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told Reuters: "It is important to say (to Russia) 'we're not going to allow you to continue to act with such impunity and pretend that you respect human rights."

Russia has warned countries that a yes vote or abstention will be viewed as an "unfriendly gesture" with consequences for bilateral ties, according to a note seen by Reuters. 

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid was also quick to note, "the vote today does not change our position on the UN Human Rights Council, which is an extremist, morally flawed, biased and essentially anti-Israel body that has been exploited since its inception by the main countries violating human rights in the world as a political tool, including to attack Israel."

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 wisdom to address the global threat of a nuclear Iran
• God to give peace and comfort to the victims, and their families, of the recent terror attacks
• 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