Confessing the Hebrew Scriptures – El Roee
Summary
Jonathan and Ezra continue their discussion about the power of God’s Word to transform our lives, and especially as we speak it aloud.
Image
URL
Purim – by ancient Jewish decree – is a party. It’s not one of the Jewish Feasts commanded by the Lord, but the book of Esther proclaims Purim is a celebration to be observed throughout all Jewish generations (Esther 9:28). And with good cause.
Purim marks another point in Jewish history when God intervened to save His people from utter destruction. The Jewish people have faced the threat of extinction time and time again through the millennia. Why is that? Simply put, Satan hates the Jewish people – because God loves them and chose them for His own. So, when God defeats the enemy’s plans to annihilate His people, it’s time to celebrate!
Here’s how God brought about the deliverance in the 5th century B.C.E.
The Jewish people were under the rule of King Ahasuerus. After he banished his disobedient queen, he conscripted young maidens from throughout the kingdom to enter a beauty pageant from which he would select the next queen. When the process concluded after a full year, the king chose Esther, a young Jewish woman who had kept her identity secret.
Mordecai, Esther’s cousin and guardian, overheard a plot to kill the king. He told Esther and thus saved Ahasuerus’ life. Officials recorded the event, but Mordecai received no thanks.
Haman, a wicked officer, convinced the king that the Jewish people were a threat. He persuaded Ahasuerus to issue an irrevocable decree offering payment to citizens who killed Jewish people on a selected day of the year. Haman cast lots to determine the day, and that’s where we get the word Purim, which means “lots” in Hebrew.
When Mordecai heard about the decree, he begged Esther to approach the king to save their people. “Who knows whether you have attained royal status for such a time as this?” he said (Esther 4:14). Esther knew that going to the king without an invitation was strictly forbidden, punishable by death if he didn’t welcome her.
Esther determined to go despite this dire threat, saying, “if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). She fasted and went to the king three days later. The king received her by extending his scepter to her, and Esther invited him and Haman to a banquet where she would explain her request.
Before the banquet, Ahasuerus discovered nothing had been done for the man who had saved his life. The king remedied that by lavishly and publicly honoring Mordecai – and ordering Haman – much to his distaste – to oversee it all.
At a second banquet, Esther revealed her Jewish identity and exposed Haman as the man whose plan threatened her life and that of her people. The king was outraged. He ordered Haman hanged and that his position be given to Mordecai. The Jewish people were allowed to defend themselves on the decreed day, and we know that it was God who provided a resounding victory, saving the Jewish people from destruction.
Curiously, the book of Esther never mentions God. But it’s easy to see His involvement at every turn.
The book of Esther outlines four elements for observing Purim: feasting, celebration, giving food gifts to one another, and gifts to the poor (Esther 9:22).
Friends and relatives gather for costume parties and festive meals. Hamantashen are Purim’s most popular food tradition. These triangular, filled cookies are said to represent Haman’s hat or his ears.
Celebrations include reading the book of Esther at synagogue and plays re-enacting the Purim story. Audiences cheer loudly for Mordecai and shout boisterous boos for Haman. They stomp their feet and rattle loud noisemakers every time Haman is mentioned to “blot out” his name.
Sending mishloach manot, or food gifts, is an important Purim custom. Jewish tradition requires a minimum of two ready-to-eat foods. However, many people send larger gift baskets of food and drink to friends of the same gender.
Traditional Jewish practice gives two gifts to the poor at Purim, one to each of two people. Even the poor are required to give something to charity. Gifts can be money, food, drink or clothing. It’s a lovely way to ensure every Jewish person can celebrate the Purim victory.
God wants us to celebrate the victories He has won for us. Amid your Purim festivities this year, take some time to remember and rejoice over what He has done for you personally. Most of all, celebrate the gifts God has given you in Messiah Jesus: salvation, redemption, reconciliation with Him, forgiveness, abundant life, peace, joy, His presence through the Holy Spirit, and the hope that awaits you in eternal life with Him.
A Joyous Purim to You!
“LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’
But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory,
the One who lifts my head high.”
(Psalm 3:1-3 NIV)
I'm sure you'll agree that last year didn't have many high points. However, one of them that I would regard as truly miraculous was the Abraham Accords. After 70 years of hostility toward Israel, Muslim nations like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia suddenly opened themselves to the idea of peaceful cooperation.
Over the last year we have seen diplomatic ties strengthened, technological and cultural exchanges, and talk of real peace among more and more nations. It’s a prayer I have prayed for a long time. If you’re reading this, then you have probably been praying the same prayer.
While I am more hopeful than even that there might be peace, we must not cease to pray. Israel still has many enemies that want to destroy her and the Jewish people.
Chief among those enemies is Iran. As you’ll see below, the country’s leadership is doing all they can to be in the news and to pressure newly inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden.
Please read through the news stories included and continue to pray for our Lord to be a shield around Israel and the Jewish people. Thank you.
Iran announced that it will take steps toward producing uranium metal. This is a direct violation of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement.
This news came just days after Tehran resumed enriching uranium to 20% purity. The JCPOA says Iran can enrich uranium only up to 3.67% until 2030.
Decision makers in Israel and the six world powers known as the P5+1 have taken notice of these deliberate breaches of the agreement.
“The production of uranium metal has potentially grave military implications,” said the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, the so-called E3, in a joint statement, The Times of Israel reported.
These moves are seen as an attempt to pressure the Biden administration to move forward quickly with re-entering the JCPOA agreement and end the sanctions former-President Donald Trump put in place in 2018 when he withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear agreement.
Jeffrey Lewis, nonproliferation scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, believes that in addition to trying to gain leverage in future talks with the Biden administration, Tehran is also trying to make as much progress as possible in its nuclear program before the U.S. re-enters the agreement.
U.S. President Joe Biden promised to re-enter the JCPOA while he was campaigning. In September, he wrote, “If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations.”
Last week, ministers from the Likud political party said the new U.S. administration must not “appease” Iran and warned Tehran that Israel will not tolerate its military presence in Syria or its development of nuclear weapons.
In one of the most forceful statements made by an Israeli official, the Likud’s Tzachi Hanegbi, considered an ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke out against Iran. He stated Israel could attack Iran’s nuclear program if the United States rejoins the JCPOA nuclear deal, as U.S. President Joe Biden has said he plans to do.
“If the United States government rejoins the nuclear deal – and that seems to be the stated policy as of now – the practical result will be that Israel will again be alone against Iran, which by the end of the deal will have received a green light from the world, including the United States, to continue with its nuclear weapons program,” Hanegbi said in an interview with Israel’s Kan news.
“This of course we will not allow. We’ve already twice done what needed to be done, in 1981 against the Iraqi nuclear program and in 2007 against the Syrian nuclear program,” he said, referring to airstrikes on those two countries’ nuclear reactors.
“The most important thing is to convince the new American administration not to repeat the mistakes of the Obama administration – to appease the Iranians. This only increased Iranian aggression and defiance. They saw this as American weakness,” said Hanegbi.
Airstrikes in the pre-dawn hours of January 13, allegedly carried out by Israel, were aimed at dozens of warehouses and sites belonging to pro-Iranian militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in eastern Syria and near the Syria-Iraq border. This is according to local news source Deir EzZor 24 in Syria.
The strikes were reported by regional media as some of the largest and most intense in eastern Syria in recent years. A number of buildings had been completely destroyed, based on images from the site, according to The Jerusalem Post.
An American intelligence source told The Associated Press the strikes were based on intelligence provided by the U.S.
These airstrikes hit “advanced weaponry and weapons depots… in a large combat arena,” a regional intelligence source said.
A U.S. official said the strikes hit a series of warehouses near the Iraqi border that were being used in a pipeline to store and stage Iranian weapons. Syrian media outlets reported that the targets were missiles that had been brought into the country in recent weeks, The Times of Israel reported.
Amos Yadlin, the director of Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies tweeted that the strikes served as a reminder to Iran that Israel will not stop fighting to stop Iranian activity in Syria, even during the Biden administration.
He added that they also served to remind Syrians that “there is a heavy price for the free hand you give to the Iranians in Syria,” and to remind the incoming Biden administration that the challenge from Iran includes conventional military threats, not just the nuclear issue.
Independent reports on the number of casualties ranged between 25 and 30. Syrian state media and Iranian media had not reported on casualties, but large numbers of ambulances were reported in the area soon after the strikes.
The Israel Defense Forces had no comment on the late-night strikes, which is according to its policy to neither confirm nor deny its operations in Syria, except for those in retaliation for an attack from the country.
Last Friday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held a military exercise involving ballistic missiles and drones in the country’s central desert, state TV reported. This is amid heightened tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program.
In the first phase of the drill, the IRGC’s aerospace division launched several surface-to-surface ballistic missiles against simulated enemy bases, state TV reported. Bomb-carrying drones were also deployed.
The missile capability of Iran is up to 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) – far enough to reach Israel and U.S. military bases in the region. Last January, after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad, Tehran fired ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing U.S troops in retaliation. The result was brain concussion injuries to dozens of troops.
In recent weeks, Iran has increased its military drills. Last week, Iran’s navy held a two-day short-range missile drill in the Gulf of Oman. A week earlier, Iran held a massive drone maneuver across half the country.
The IRGC is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.
While worrying, Iran’s military muscle flexing may have a positive side effect. Surrounding nations see Israel and her formidable military as the best counter to Iranian domination. This may increase the cooperation, and possibility for real peace, that has already begun between these nations and Israel.
Please pray with me for:
Because of God’s relentless pursuit of the Jewish people, we are calling you, our partners, to join us in relentless prayer for their salvation.
Despite all of last year’s challenges, here at Jewish Voice, we are moving forward with fresh energy, vision and excitement. And some of it might even be because of last year’s challenges.
It seems as if the events of 2020 have rocketed us forward on God’s timeline and intensified our resolve and urgency to accomplish everything to which He is inviting us. We are all the more convinced of and committed to the priority of unashamedly taking the Good News of Jesus to the Jewish people first as well as their neighbors – even to the ends of the Earth.
The Lord is focused on Israel and the Jewish people. He has chosen them for His own name’s sake and proclaims that all Israel shall be saved. He wants us, and you, to partner with Him toward that end with even greater intensity. We are counting the cost and finding Him worthy of the sacrifice.
The Lord is relentless in pursuing His people, and His love for them is a call to us for relentless prayer. Please join us as we recommit with fresh urgency to not only go to the ends of the Earth according to the salvation strategy of Romans 1:16 but also to unified, persistent prayer to see all Israel saved.
This year, we will continue what the Lord has always called us to as a ministry, but we believe we are also in the early stages of something new. We feel the pressing need of the times, and we want you on this journey with us. Your partnership in prayer really matters. It has a direct and even eternal impact on our effectiveness in accomplishing the Lord’s purposes together.
The 5 Steps for Relentless Prayer initiative will energize us as we pray. It will stir and focus us on what the Lord is saying and calling us to. And it will break spiritual ground, preparing the way in places and among people groups – some we can anticipate, and others we can’t even imagine.
Unashamed of the Gospel and Relentless in Prayer!
We are unashamed of the Gospel and want to take it to the Jewish people wherever the Lord leads us.
To that end, will you partner with us and relentlessly pray?
Here’s how you can engage:
Pray through the 5 Steps for Relentless Prayer during your committed time slot and also throughout this year. We are praying relentlessly and watching eagerly to see what the Lord will do through us in reaching His people.
Let’s Pray:
Lord, we are ready to recharge, reset and press on, partnering with You in Your purposes through relentless prayer. May we each set aside time for a three-week concentrated effort – as well as ongoing prayer throughout this year – to see Jewish people come to know Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah. This is Your heart, Lord – Your plan, and Your call to us to join You. As You look for people to watch on the wall and stand in the gap through prayer, may we be those who respond. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
In the midst of the difficulties we’ve experienced in the U.S. already this year, I wish you peace – the peace of God that transcends all understanding.
I want to start right off by encouraging you to pray for peace. Peace in your own heart and peace in our nation.
As Believers we know that no matter what is going on in our country and our world, when we seek the Lord, He guards our hearts and our minds. He gives us His peace.
Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll read about in this week’s email:
Israel’s president is seeing last week’s attack at the U.S. Capitol as a wake-up call for his country and is calling for citizens to not only adhere to the latest lockdown regulations, but to come together despite their differences and protect their democracy.
Israel is still on a record-setting pace with its coronavirus vaccination campaign. And thanks to a new agreement with Pfizer to supply more vaccines more quickly, the prime minister has made a promise to have everyone vaccinated by Passover in late March.
You’ll also read encouraging updates regarding Abraham Accord countries. Thank you for caring about and praying for Israel and her people.
In response to last week’s violence and arrests at the U.S. Capitol, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin called on Israelis to not fall victim to internal divisions.
“Over recent years, with all of the election campaigns that we have had, and the painful questions that have been on the Israeli public agenda, the distance between us has grown perhaps greater than ever. But we must ensure that even if the gaps are deep, our democracy will protect us as a people, as a society and as a state,” he said.
“The pictures of the disturbances from Capitol Hill are shocking. They remind us all that democracy, even when it is strong and deeply rooted, is not to be taken for granted,” Rivlin said.
“I call on all public leaders — in all towns, from all segments of society, political leaders and spiritual leaders, mayors, heads of civil society organizations — please do your duty and stop the threat of anarchy. The lockdown, with all its restrictions as decided by the government, applies to us all,” he said.
The lockdown began again last Friday with existing restrictions tightened and enforced and schools and nonessential businesses closed for two weeks, in accordance with a vote by cabinet ministers on Tuesday night, according to The Times of Israel.
In a video released to the public, Rivlin explained the reason for the new restrictions: “We are going into lockdown because the coronavirus wards and the hospital ICUs are close to overload. We are going into lockdown to protect our children. We, all of us and without exceptions, must follow its rules. All segments of society: Jews and Arabs, secular, religious and ultra-Orthodox.”
Rivlin hailed the success of the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine in Israel as a way for the country to get back to more normal times.
“There will be better days. We have gone through bad times in the past and overcome them. The effect of the vaccine is close at hand, and we will return to normality. Until then, we must be patient and disciplined, and do everything we can to minimize infection. God bless you all, my dear ones,” Rivlin said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that Israel will be the first country in the world to vaccinate all of its citizens over the age of 16. He also said it will be done by the end of March, reported The Times of Israel.
Netanyahu said Pfizer has agreed to send millions of additional doses to Israel. The Health Ministry announced it had signed an agreement with the pharmaceutical company to advance vaccine shipments that were not slated to arrive for another month.
Israel will serve as a “model country” for Pfizer, offering statistical data on the vaccine’s effectiveness, Netanyahu said. By sharing its data on the vaccine’s effectiveness, Israel would assist in the formulation of a “global strategy” to beat the pandemic.
The prime minister said this “model country” status was possible because of the success of Israel’s vaccination drive to date, enabled by the country’s superb healthcare service.
As of early this week, Israel had vaccinated nearly 1,900,000 people as reported by Israel’s Health Ministry, according to The Jerusalem Post. A recent Our World Data report said the country is leading the world in vaccinations.
“On the next Passover Eve, if there are no surprises, Israelis will be able to celebrate with their extended families,” Netanyahu said. Passover eve is on March 27 this year.
Last week, Sudan’s Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari signed the Abraham Accords with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The agreement indicates Sudan’s intention to move forward with normalization. It did not officially establish diplomatic ties between Sudan and Israel, but that is expected to happen in the near future.
The deals are called the Abraham Accords after the biblical patriarch who is revered by both Jews and Muslims.
Sudan is on a fragile path to democracy after a popular uprising led the military to overthrow Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, The Times of Israel reported. The county is now ruled by a joint military and civilian government that desire improved ties with Washington and the West.
In December, the Trump administration finalized the removal of Sudan from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. This move was a key incentive for the Sudanese government to normalize relations with Israel.
Earlier this month, in a call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI said the opening of embassies would be the “natural next step” of the peace process, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel were re-established in December within the framework of the Abraham Accords.
So far, Israel and Morocco have only committed to reopening the liaison offices. On Monday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced that former ambassador to Egypt, David Govrin, will head to Morocco in the coming weeks to reopen Israel’s liaison office in Rabat, the capital city. Govrin will serve as Israel’s temporary charge d’affaires in Morocco.
Diplomatic relations between Israel and Morocco were first forged in 1994. The two countries had unofficial relations decades before that. Morocco broke ties with Israel for political reasons. Now the countries plan to move toward full diplomatic relations.
Please pray with me for:
The new year is upon us! After all we have experienced in 2020, I imagine you might feel like me – thankful for a fresh start.
I believe because of everything that took place this past year – from the coronavirus pandemic to political turmoil to numerous natural disasters and more – 2021 will be a crucial year of ministry. God is using all of these challenges to open the hearts and minds of many, including Jewish people in Israel and around the world.
That’s why we need you now more than ever!
God has put a massive vision for 2021 and beyond onto our hearts and as we lean into His will we need the consistent prayers and support of friends exactly like you. God will meet our every need in the year ahead. I have no doubt.
I’m asking you to stand with us again as we launch a new year of ministry.
Your partnership tells me you care deeply about the Jewish people. You share our vision “to transform lives and see all Israel saved.” You give and pray to make this a reality and I’m so thankful for you.
Please consider starting out 2021 with a generous gift today.
When you do, your gift will be put to work immediately to support, provide care and transform the lives of Jewish people through six key ministry initiatives:
Sharing the Gospel of Jesus, the Messiah
The heart of Jewish Voice Ministries is to introduce people – especially Jewish people – to a saving knowledge of Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah and Savior because it’s the “power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16 NIV).
We do this in many ways – including our Outreaches in Africa and supporting Holocaust survivors and other vulnerable populations in Israel. But we also share the Gospel through television and other media and as a key part of all Jewish Voice Outreach programs.
Your support helps make it all possible!
Ministering to the “Lost Tribes of Israel”
Communities of Jewish descendants are living in remote areas of the world – including in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. That’s why we have been conducting Medical Outreaches to this part of the world for the past 21 years.
These Lost Tribes suffer terrible isolation and poverty and in some areas are relentlessly persecuted by their neighbors. We’re committed to providing physical and spiritual care to these groups of Jewish people – including bringing clean water, plus medical, dental and eye care – as practical expressions of God’s love. At each Outreach we also have a prayer and counseling area and over the years have seen God perform miraculous healings of both body and spirit, including thousands of Jewish people coming to faith in their Messiah, Jesus!
In addition, during our more than 20 years of ministry in Africa, we have helped plant 167 Messianic congregations that are locally led and making a significant difference in their communities. We also provide training and discipleship for the local leaders.
Despite the need to adapt because of the pandemic, life-changing ministry still happened throughout 2020 and will continue in 2021. With your support, we are able to come alongside the Messianic congregations to meet physical and spiritual needs of Jewish people and their neighbors.
Your support fuels all of these life-saving, life-changing efforts!
Caring for Holocaust survivors in Israel
The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent nationwide lockdowns in Israel mean Holocaust survivors face even greater needs.
Many have no family living or close by to assist them. They often live alone, trying to survive on very little money. And they are dealing with critical physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
Your support allows us to partner with local Messianic ministries to provide much-needed dental and vision care for Holocaust survivors and establish relationships with them. We want to let them know how much we care and share the Good News about their Messiah, Jesus.
We support more than 80 ministries and congregations in Israel that are run by local Jewish Believers. That means, with your help, we’re not only ministering to Holocaust survivors, but we’re also able to assist other vulnerable populations in Israel who are struggling with even basic necessities – including widows, orphans, recent immigrants and single mothers.
Standing in support of Israel
For 2,700 years, Jewish people have suffered the most enduring persecution in history. Anti-Semitism is still widespread – we’ve seen recent incidents in the news in the Middle East, Europe and the U.S. Not to mention ongoing threats and hostility against the Nation of Israel.
Your support enables Jewish Voice to speak against the evil of anti-Semitism wherever it occurs. And whenever possible, we offer encouragement and practical help to Jewish people suffering isolation and persecution.
Please stand with us in support of the Nation of Israel and encourage others to pray for Israel and for Jerusalem. We believe the reestablishment of a Jewish homeland is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy and an important landmark leading to the return of Jesus and the establishment of God’s eternal Kingdom.
But it simply isn’t possible without your partnership!
Teaching the Jewish roots of Christianity
God called Abraham and promised that his descendants would be God’s Chosen People and a blessing to all the nations of the world. He kept His promise by sending His Son, Jesus, to be born and live as a Jewish man.
But many Christians today don’t recognize the extent to which their Christian faith is built on a Jewish biblical worldview.
Through your support, you’ll serve Christians through teaching about the Jewish roots of their faith, the Church’s responsibility to Israel and the Jewish people and how to share the Good News of the Messiah with Jewish people.
Reaching people with our media and ministry resources
Millions of people are reached each year by Jewish Voice media and ministry resources. Our flagship television program – Jewish Voice with Jonathan Bernis – and other television specials reach hundreds of thousands with inspirational messages.
Your support also helps Jewish Voice produce a range of quality products to inform and inspire, including books, CDs, DVDs and online media resources.
Our new online magazine teaches the Jewish roots of Christianity. It also keeps readers informed on our activities and issues such as current events in Israel and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
And just a few months ago, we launched our new podcast A Jew & A Gentile Discuss, bringing a biblical viewpoint to life, faith and current events from different perspectives.
With your gift today, you’ll help support all six of these key ministry initiatives to care for the needs of Jewish people worldwide.
I believe, after what we’ve all experienced in 2020, this new year has the potential to be our greatest year yet for reaching Jewish people with the hope of Jesus, their Messiah!
In particular, the challenges brought on by the coronavirus have created an openness to the Gospel unlike anything we’ve seen in decades. That’s why it’s so important to hear from you soon – for the sake of the Jewish people, who I know you care deeply about.
Thank you for your partnership. And God bless you.
“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)
As we leave behind a tremendously difficult year, we look to 2021 with expectation and hope. While 2021 hasn't gotten off to the best start in the U.S., we know that as we move into this new year, we take God’s promises with us – He has a hope and a future for each one of us!
I am encouraged that coronavirus vaccines are being rolled out around the world, and that Israel is vaccinating people in record-breaking numbers. More than 10% of the population have already received the first dose! In addition, earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened with government leaders to discuss new lockdown steps in conjunction with the vaccination campaign to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.
In other news, Israel’s leaders failed to pass a state budget and that means another election this March. New political parties are rising up in response.
And, in an unexpected turn, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is collaborating with Israel to eliminate the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). The UAE had previously funded the UNRWA.
Read more about these news stories right here. And, as always, we treasure your support of Israel and prayers for her people.
On December 21, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, head of the Blue and White party, failed to pass the state budget. This means the Israeli Knesset (their Parliament) was automatically dissolved on December 23, the Middle East Monitor reported.
The deadline for budget approval was August 25, 2020 – 100 days after the government was formed. But it was postponed four months.
Netanyahu wanted a budget for year 2020, while Gantz wanted a two-year budget covering both 2020 and 2021 – which was agreed upon during negotiations between the two when they formed a coalition government in May 2020.
The May agreement came after three elections within a year produced a stalemate – Netanyahu’s Likud party won the most votes, but not enough parliamentary seats to form a coalition. Polls are currently projecting a similar deadlock, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The result of the dissolution is Israel will face a fourth election in less than two years. It is set to be held on March 23, 2021.
Last week, Ron Huldai, the mayor of Tel Aviv, announced a new center-left political party, The Israelis, to run in the election in March. He has recruited Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn as his second-in-command.
Huldai said he can’t “stand idly by” as Israel is led by a government that he said has eroded the country’s core values and threatens its democracy, according to The Times of Israel.
“We have grown accustomed to a crazy government. I will no longer stand idly by, I am here to announce a new party,” he said. Huldai also recounted his history as an Israel Defense Forces fighter pilot and an educator. He has been the mayor of Tel Aviv for the past 22 years.
“We can stop with the despair. I’m doing this for my children, and mainly for my grandchildren. Israel can and must be run differently,” Huldai said, declaring himself as the true alternative to Netanyahu.
Huldai’s party joins a crowded field of parties seeking the center-left vote.
Last Friday, Israel vaccinated the one millionth citizen against the coronavirus. That means more than a tenth of the country’s population have received the first of two doses, reported The Times of Israel.
“We are breaking all of the records. We brought millions of vaccines to the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said. We are ahead of the entire world…”
Israel has far outpaced other countries with 11.55% of the population inoculated. The UK is at 1.39%, the U.S. at .84% and the world average is .13%, according to statistics from the Our World in Data website operated by Oxford University.
The Jewish State is currently in its third nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus.
Israel began vaccinations on December 20, focusing on healthcare workers and then the over 60 and at-risk populations.
Israel and the UAE are collaborating to get rid of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), reported the French newspaper Le Monde.
Emirati officials are considering a plan to gradually eliminate UNRWA without making this development conditional on a resolution of the refugee problem, according to the report.
“In doing so, Abu Dhabi would be rallying to a long-standing demand from Israel, which insists that the agency is obstructing peace by nurturing refugees in the dream of returning to the lands from which their parents were driven in 1948,” a tweet of a portion of the report said.
UNRWA was established 70 years ago to supply aid to Palestinian refugees and its mandate is renewed every three years.
In 2018 and 2019 the UAE, along with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, were a major source of funding to UNRWA to offset the halting of funds by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Please pray with me for:
Wisdom for the leaders and people of Israel as the country faces another election this spring
Continued cooperation between Israel and the UAE
Protection for the people of Israel – another pandemic lockdown is being considered
Continued success in rolling out the coronavirus vaccine across Israel
Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah
