Black Community News News and Commentary for Christians
What a bizarre and interesting week it has been regarding events in the Middle East. Before I get into the nitty gritty of what’s transpired in my region of the world, allow me to first share some updates about the ministry.
James 1:16-17
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
I’m thanking the Lord for what He has done to make CONNECT a reality here in Israel. The studio is in its final stages of preparation. Construction is complete. The harvest is plentiful. My team is ready to get to work, as we have so many creative ideas regarding the sharing of biblical content and providing accurate reporting in this region of the world. I’m also excited to see how God uses CONNECT to reach Israelis and other ministries in the months ahead. I can’t thank you enough for your unwavering support through your faithful prayers and generous financial blessings throughout this process over the last several months and into the future.
Discovering Daniel is now available in the Behold Israel Shop! Moreover, the study guide that accompanies this bestseller is also available for order. I am so excited for this book to fall into the hands of believers and unbelievers alike. Understanding the Old Testament is the key to making sense of the New Testament. What Daniel foretells; Revelation fulfills. I believe you’ll find this new book to be a very helpful resource in your biblical studies.
“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream” (Psalm 126:1). God uses dreams, sometimes to speak, to warn, or even to encourage. But there are also times when being like someone who dreams means you simply can’t believe the incredible events you are witnessing. Please tune in tomorrow, Friday, at 12:00 PM PDT for my teaching, “Like Those Who Dream”. As the number of Jews moving to their homeland continues to increase, prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes. It also reminds us that the clock is ticking down for the time of the Gentiles to end and for the Messiah to return for His church.
Recently, I joined my dear friend, Jan Markell, on her radio program to discuss The Ultimate Bait & Switch. I encourage you to follow the link and listen!
I also want to encourage you to monitor our Facebook page and YouTube channel for the consistent release of short, informational videos over the next two weeks. These videos will cover a variety of topics from Zionism to the third temple to the UN and more, and they’re perfect for sharing with others in order to provide a fact-based and Scripture-driven perspective on such relevant topics! Today, we released our most recent video, wherein I asked author & lecturer Dr. Einat Wilf about her perspective on the two-state solution in the aftermath of October 7. The most effective way to be updated whenever we share a new video is to subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking the “subscribe” button.
Be sure to check out our Behold Israel Store, as we offer a handful of spiritually valuable resources, including books, Bible stuffers, and more! We’ve recently added two new Bible stuffers entitled, “Choose Life”, and “Who Has the Right to the Land of Israel?”. We designed these to be easy handouts to help equip people with the gospel and the truth about Israel!
The Middle East
Before I dive into the details of a multitude of events happening in my neck of the woods, allow me to remind you that the best way to stay up to date regarding world events – especially those impacting Israel – is to subscribe to my Telegram Channel. This is the one-stop shop for my real-time news updates as they unfold in Israel, the Middle East, and throughout the world.
Israel, Hamas, and Gaza
Since the onset of Israel’s operations in Rafah, the IDF has uncovered more than 700 terror tunnel shafts belonging to Hamas – and over 50 tunnels that funnel into Egypt to the south. As you’re likely aware of by now, Israel’s decision (which was the correct decision) to enter Rafah in a move to end Hamas and free the remaining hostages was not met with approval by a host of the international community. In fact, the IDF only made the decision to reveal its findings regarding the tunnels in Rafah for the benefit of the discussion in the Hague and the international justification for the action in Rafah.
Sadly, the bodies of more Israeli hostages were uncovered by the IDF in Rafah. The three bodies belonged to Yitzhak Gelernter, Amit Buskila, and Shani Louk. We expect more to be found. It’s worth noting that the Rafah situation could and likely will have negative ramifications regarding the relationship between Israel and Egypt.
Tragically, the Hague is maintaining its hypocrisy and ignorance when it comes to the survival of the Jewish state as it sympathizes with terrorists in Gaza. Apparently, the burning, raping, kidnapping, and slaughtering of over 1,200 Jews isn’t enough justification for what we’re doing in Rafah, not to mention the fact that an overwhelming amount of evidence shows that Hamas sees to oppressing its own people.
At this stage, over 800,000 Gazans have been evacuated from Rafah. 277 IDF soldiers have died since the ground operation in Gaza began.
Operations are continuing to take place in other locations throughout the Gaza Strip as well. A lot of military operations are becoming the regular in the area of Jabalia where the IDF has eliminated well over 200 terrorists so far. Dozens of others have been arrested for interrogation. The IDF claims this has been one of the most violent wartime locations so far. Not only are we operating in Gaza – we’re pursuing Hamas terrorists everywhere. Last week, the IDF also killed a senior member of Hamas near the Lebanon-Syria border. We’re also continuously active in Judea & Samaria (the West Bank).
Iran
Where do I begin? Well, let’s just call it what it is – Iran’s president is dead. Not only did Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi die in a helicopter crash this last weekend, but a number of other high-ranking Iranian officials were killed as well. The crash took place while the group of officials were on their way back to Tehran following a meeting at the border with Azerbaijan. Apparently, between the lack of capabilities of the particular helicopter they were in and the treacherous weather conditions, they fell short of survival. From the perspective of the naive international community, Iran just suffered a massive blow. However, ask the common Iranian citizen, and you’ll experience a different story.
Raisi and others like him were and are passionate about terror, death, and oppression. This is why numerous Iranian citizens could be seen celebrating his death across social media following the crash. Don’t let the corrupt leadership and radical ayatollahs confuse you. They don’t represent the worldview and mindset of the vast majority of Iranians. To make matters worse, the US offered its condolences to Iran, accompanying several other countries.
Since the death of Raisi, Vice President Muhammad Mokhber has become the president of Iran until the next election cycle. You can find more on this story by watching my breaking news segment. I also issued a second installation of breaking news at the conclusion of the event.
On another note, and unsurprisingly, following Iran’s massive projectile attack on Israel weeks ago, the Islamic Republic has allegedly vowed to join any future war that takes place between Israel and Hezbollah. We sure do live in prophetic times.
Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Syria
In what’s no surprise, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) continues to carry out strikes in various places in both Lebanon and Syria as tension with Hezbollah increases in the region. While the tension in this region has been ever-present for quite some time, the consistency of military confrontations has certainly increased since October 7, 2023. Moreover, targeted attacks are becoming all the more prominent, which was seen as recent as last Friday when a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in a vehicle attack about 40km from the border with Israel. However, the rockets keep coming from the north, as Israel – in a single strike from Hezbollah – had approximately 75 rockets fired into the region of the Golan and Galilee, most of which were intercepted.
Another key target that was eliminated by the IAF was the commander of the rocket unit of Hezbollah. This took place in the coastal sector in Lebanon. His name was Qasem Skalawi. In addition to conducting multiple strikes in Southern Lebanon & Syria, the IAF has also remained extremely busy intercepting a host of rockets, drones, and other aerial threats coming from their enemies to the north.
The Houthis & Yemen
It’s business as usual for the Houthis, as the Iranian-funded terror proxy in the Arabian Gulf continues to muster up chaos in the region. Most recently – aside from its periodic projectile launches towards Israel – the terror group hit an oil tanker in the Red Sea that was moving oil from Russia to China.
The International Community
Slovenia and other European countries – namely, Ireland, Norway, and Spain – have vowed to formally recognize a Palestinian state in the weeks ahead and they’re encouraging other countries to do the same. Now do you understand the spiritual blindness of the days in which we’re living? Over 1,200 innocent Israelis are murdered in cold blood and Europe pursues what it believes is best for the culprit of that terror.
The United States
Unfortunately, like a reckless wave, the US administration has been all over the place regarding its position on the Israel-Hamas War. There are moments when Team Biden voices support for Israel. There are also moments when it stands in the way of what the country needs to do right now. Furthermore, it has become common practice for the Biden Administration to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his every move to eliminate Hamas. And when there’s an opportunity for the US to side with Israel, lately, it seems that there are always strings attached.
Such is the case with the ongoing situation between Israel and the ICC. From various sources, we’ve received confirmation that the US administration gave a green light to the ICC to move forward with asking for an arrest warrant against Hamas and Israeli leaders as if they are equal. If that’s not enough, the US administration is conducting talks with Iran in Oman where both sides agree that Netanyahu must be removed. The most failed US administration is causing internal chaos and outside attacks on its best ally in the Middle East. Insane!
Wait on the Lord
Patience, endurance, and perseverance are virtues we, as believers, must all have in this ever-changing and morally self-destructive world. For me as an Israeli, a new dimension of the need for these three was added. We have been fighting an existential war for the past eight months on multiple fronts – both above the ground, under the ground, and in the airwaves. When you add the spiritual aspect of this battle, you’ll see how vital it is to be equipped with strong faith, knowledge of the Word, and power that can only come from the person of the Holy Spirit in us!
Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Awaiting His Return,
Amir Tsarfati
Photo credit: By IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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.
