Amir Tsarfati: Hamas Attacks Aid Bus

Shalom from the Jezreel Valley in Israel! Today I was blessed to spend time with a wonderful group of people! Our 2025 Young Adults tour has launched, the first since before the October 7 massacre. Forty-five people arrived yesterday from eight countries: Philippines, Romania, Norway, Germany, United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, and the United States! How can young adults like these afford such a life-changing trip? Because of people like you! Nearly all received scholarships, with most having all their expenses paid! All thanks to the generosity of so many of you who gave. Pray for them these next ten days that the Lord touches each of them in a way that they will carry for the rest of their lives!

I had another of those “God, You are truly amazing” moments a couple days ago when Harvest House informed me that The Israel Decree was the number one book for the June 2025 bestseller list put out by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. This is the New York Times list of the Christian publishing world, and seven years ago when I released my first book I never imagined that one day a book of mine would receive this honor. It is truly a work of God, and whenever I think of it I am forced back to my knees to thank Him for allowing me to be part of this incredible work that He is doing.

Even as I rejoice in what God is accomplishing ministry-wise, I am feeling great apprehension as I watch the turmoil in the Israeli government. It is possible that we are on the verge of seeing the Netanyahu coalition come crashing to the ground. There have always been strong elements within the Knesset, the judiciary, and other aspects of the government who are vehemently against the prime minister. But Bibi has always been able to keep a slim hold on leadership, due in large part to the three Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) parties who make up part of his coalition.

Now, however, due to the move to discontinue the exemption of Haredi youth from mandatory conscription into the armed forces, many in the Ultra-Orthodox community are feeling persecuted and angry. Their remedy? Pull out of Netanyahu’s coalition and bring the government down. Unfortunately, if they do this, they will likely be shooting themselves in the foot, because it is very possible that whatever left-leaning government replaces Netanyahu will be less favorable to the Haredim. A vote in the Knesset on dissolution was talked about for Wednesday, but the day passed with no balloting. I will keep my eyes out, and if there is movement I will add a breaking news element in this narrative.

Breaking News: It appears that the Ultra-Orthodox MKs have reached an agreement with the prime minister, and a vote to dissolve the Knesset was defeated 61-53. For the moment, it seems as if Netanyahu can safely focus on the Iranian task at hand.

MidEast & Beyond

As you’ll see below, the news has been non-stop this week. If you want to be up on what is happening as it happens, subscribe to my Telegram channel, which I am constantly updating. Also, please take time to watch my latest “MidEast & Beyond” update with Pastor Barry Stagner from Tuesday. If you’re thinking, “I don’t know that I have time to watch an hour-long update”, then put it on 1.5x or even 2x speed. I promise I won’t be offended! I just want you to get the news you need to know and to hear it from a source that has an understanding of how it all relates to what God has revealed to us in the Bible.

Israeli Navy Strikes Yemen
Up until now, punching Yemen in the face had always been the responsibility of the Israeli Air Force [IAF]. On June 10, in a first time move, the IAF let the Israeli Navy in on the action. Two of the latest generation frigates entered the Red Sea shipping lanes running undercover. Once in position, they launched precision guided missiles that hit Hodeida port destroying much of the repair work that the Yemenites had so diligently been working at since the last time Israel blew it apart.

This was certainly payback against the Houthis for their continued firing of missiles into Israel, nearly all of which have been shot down. However, it was also for the eyes of the Shiite Islamic regime in Iran. Strikes by the IAF are difficult, because of the long distance. It is very expensive and the planes need refueling along the way. But now the navy has shown that they can simply sail up into the Red Sea and launch missiles that can not only hit Yemen, but that can strike deep into Iran. If one were to read the subtext, it would say, “When we come to level your nuclear sites, we won’t just be doing it from the air.” More about the Iranian nuclear program below.

Hostage Remains Recovered as Gideon’s Chariots Keep Rolling
You’ve read my words over and over that hospitals and other “humanitarian” sites are just shields for Hamas. That once again proved true when it was finally confirmed that the May 13 assault on the European Hospital in Khan Younis did, in fact, kill Mohammed Sinwar who had taken over Hamas leadership following the October 2024 death of his brother, Yahya Sinwar. Also killed in the operation was Mohammad Saganeh, commander of the Rafah brigade. Everything in Gaza that is not under Israeli control is heavily tainted with Hamas, which is why it all needs to come down.

Gideon’s Chariots is not just taking out terrorists, it is bringing home hostages – even those who didn’t survive their ordeal of being held like animals. A septuagenarian couple from Kibbutz Nir Oz went on a walk the morning of October 7, 2023. They never made it home, until now. The bodies of Gadi Haggai and Judy Weinstein Haggai were recovered in a special operation in Khan Younis, along with the body of Thai national Pinta Nattapong, who was also taken from the same kibbutz. Then, just yesterday, the bodies of Yair Yaacov and Aviv Atzili were brought back from Gaza. This is why the IDF is moving so slowly in this enormous operation. There are still 20 hostages confirmed to still be alive, and the military must be so careful to protect them. Israel now controls 50% of Gaza, but it will take its time to complete the job in hopes of bringing the remaining hostages back home.

Hamas Attacks Aid Bus
In a horrific display of brutality and ignorance, Hamas attacked an aid bus on its way to Khan Yunis last night carrying more than 20 workers involved in the Gaza Humanitarian Fund. At least five aid workers were slaughtered, while others were brutalized and possibly kidnapped. A distribution center was also attacked and members of the Abu Shabaab organization made up of locals involved in this humanitarian work was attacked. Hamas is throwing a tantrum over their loss of control of aid distribution and is taking it out on those risking their lives to serve the people. These are despicable acts of cowardice and evil and must be dealt with immediately.

Syria Cracks Down on Iran
Undoubtedly, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is simply ISIS in a tailored suit. However, he still sometimes does things that on the surface may seem surprising, but when you look more deeply make a lot more sense. For instance, he is cracking down on the smuggling operation that allows Iran to send weapons through Iraq and Syria to Hezbollah in Iran. Why would the “former” terrorist al-Sharaa be against the arming of other terrorists? Because al-Sharaa is a Sunni and Iran is a Shiite regime. And if there is one thing that a great many Sunnis hate more than the Israelis, it is the Shiites. Not long ago, the Syrian army captured and confiscated 200 Iranian made rockets intended for Hezbollah, which means they were ultimately intended for Israel. He has also implemented a process that is revoking the citizenship of hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals that former president Bashar al-Assad allowed in to fight in Iran’s terrorist militias. While there aren’t going to be any Israeli-Syrian dance parties anytime soon, this is definitely a classic example of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Nuclear Showdown Looms with Iran
Trump gave Iran two months to make a decision about his proposal for a nuclear deal. That time period ends today. But Iran had already made a decision. In their minds it was going to go one of three ways. Either Trump would cave and sign onto a weak sauce Obama-esque deal, Iran would delay long enough for Trump to fall off the scene through one means or another, or all parties would go to war. As of now, it looks like the third option is most likely.

Despite their protests, Tehran was never about a peaceful nuclear energy program. That’s always been a scam. They are radical Muslim jihadists who are anxious to act on their ideology and their threats. There are three pillars to the Islamic nuclear threat – uranium enrichment, development of warheads, and an advanced ballistic missile program. They are currently working on all three. The International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] has finally admitted to Iran’s end game. For the first time in 20 years, they have made a dramatic statement against Iran, saying, “By failing to cooperate with the inspectors of its nuclear program, Iran is violating its obligations.” In response, Iran has vowed to replace its first-generation centrifuges at its Fordow facility with sixth-generation centrifuges. Meanwhile, Europe is watching saying, “Mr. Ayatollah, can we maybe not build a bomb, you know, if that’s okay with you?” Trump, however, is watching the second hand tick down on his timeline, and Israel is gassing up its jets.

For their part, the Islamist regime is threatening U.S. interests in the region. In return, Washington is evacuating the embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. It is also clearing out non-essential personnel from Bahrain and Kuwait and putting all American tankers in the Persian Gulf on alert. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said yesterday that Iran is determined to go ahead with their nuclear program, so that seems to indicate that America is ready to green light Israel. This will be a tough operation. Much of the nuclear production is taking place far underground, and it will take several rounds of bunker busting bombs to destroy them. My hope is that the radicals in the Knesset will hold off on their vendetta against Netanyahu at least long enough to deal with this clear and present danger. Again, subscribe to my Telegram channel, because these next few days could be wild.

Europe’s Push for Recognizing a Palestinian State
French President Emmanuel Macron has been leading a charge to get European states to join the 147 out of 193 member states of the United Nations in recognizing the State of Palestine. The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belgium are all feeling the pressure as French diplomats claim that it is the only way to ensure an end to the alleged humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The United States has sent a diplomatic letter to many European nations discouraging them from participating in an upcoming UN conference on recognizing a Palestinian state. Actions like these would be considered contrary to US foreign policy, says America, and participants may face consequences from Washington.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway have imposed sanctions on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. These punishments include freezing assets and travel bans. The crimes these ministers are accused of include inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The United States has urged a reversal on this ridiculous decision.

The Selfie Flotilla
Greta Thunberg decided that the climate had stabilized enough for her to take time out to go after Israel. So, she got together 11 other form-over-function friends, loaded a meager amount of supplies on a boat, and launched her flotilla to save the Gazans. Along the way, there was plenty of opportunity for her to get her name back in the headlines and to pose for intense “we’re-making-a-difference” social media pics. Unfortunately, her little boat was intercepted along the way and she was “kidnapped” (her word) by the Israelis, who promptly placed her on an airplane and sent her home. What about all the aid she was bringing? It will be tucked into a small corner of one of the nearly 100 humanitarian trucks that have been going from Israel to Gaza each and every day. But, hey, at least her little antisemitic stunt got her back on the front page, so mission accomplished!

Anti-ICE Riots Intensify
As Antifa proved once again in Los Angeles, there is no such thing as a spontaneous riot anymore. The organized violence of the protests in the southern California city intensified as the weekend progressed. Now, as was already planned by their socialist leaders, new “peaceful protests” have flared up in other cities, such as San Francisco, New York, Washington, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, and Denver. Always ready to sacrifice any shred of dignity or credulity in order to show up Donald Trump, California Governor Gavin Newsom jumped into the fray, challenging the president to arrest him if it meant leaving innocent little four-year-olds alone. Nonsensical, disingenuous, and nauseating, as always, Mr. Governor.

In a move to quell the unrest, the president has called in the National Guard and the Marines. Unfortunately, it likely won’t be enough. What the organizers really want is for someone(s) to get killed by law enforcement. Then, the rioters will feel solidified in their moral high ground and this violent disorder can carry through the summer.

The Ministry

This past week, there were quite a few opportunities for you to engage in fellowship and teaching opportunities online. We had the Public Reading of Scripture, Weekly Prayer Meeting, CONNECT Q & A, MidEast & Beyond, and Let’s CONNECT: Meet the Behold Israel Board. This coming week is no different. See below:

• Public Reading of Scripture – Thursday, June 12, 6:00 PM PDT
• Weekly Prayer Meeting, a very special time praying with others from around the world – Friday, June 13, 10:00 AM PDT
• CONNECT Q & A with Pastor Barry Stagner and me – Monday, June 16, 8:00 AM PDT
• Authors’ Corner: with Dan Stolebarger – Tuesday, June 17, 10:00 AM PDT
• MidEast & Beyond with Pastor Barry Stagner and me – Wednesday, June 18, 10:00 AM PDT

July is coming soon, and with it comes my journey into the Great White North! Registration for our four different Canada speaking engagements is now available! Make sure to reserve your spot(s) soon by following the provided link.

Thank you for your prayers and your financial support of this ministry. As I look at the faces of each of the members of this Young Adults Tour, I see your sacrifice and intercession. May God bless you for how you have blessed them and the ministry of Behold Israel!

Awaiting His Return,

Amir Tsarfati

Photo credit: By Jaber Jehad Badwan – Jaber Jehad Badwan, CC BY-SA 4.0, link

Amir Tsarfati, a Jewish Christian, is the founder and president of Behold Israel, a news site to correct the scarcity in trustworthy reportage on issues and events impacting Israel, and to resolve the uncertainty about who or what to believe.

The views expressed in opinion articles are solely those of the author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Black Community News.