Black Community News News and Commentary for Christians
Shalom from Northern Israel –
I’ve said it before and I will say it again – My region of the world never takes a holiday. This has become all the truer since October 7, 2023. The past five months and counting have resulted in greater levels of stress than I’ve dealt with in a long time – maybe my entire life. If the massacre of that Saturday wasn’t enough, we’ve been at war with Hamas for five months now. Adding to that, we’re dealing with an imminent war in the north with Hezbollah seemingly any day now. On top of both of these realities, there is a never-ending battle with the global bias against my beloved country…
…but God.
Even in this tragic season, I see the faithfulness of the Lord. And one of the primary ways I see this is through the preservation of His people, Israel. He’s preserved us throughout the ages and He’ll preserve us now.
Malachi 3:6
“For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”
I can’t thank you enough for all of the wonderful pictures and words of encouragement you’ve been sending over the past several weeks. They’ve had a greater affect than you know. Despite the circumstances, Behold Israel is moving full steam ahead in pursuit of the ministry God has entrusted to us for 2024.
Current Events
As I summarize some key happenings from the last week, please make sure to check out and subscribe to My Telegram Channel if you haven’t already, as this is the platform I use to provide real-time updates concerning Israel, the region, and events happening around the world on a daily basis.
Gaza & Hamas
Adding insult to injury, the US began supplying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip last week. If it’s not enough that the people of Gaza were seen throwing some of the aid in the trash because it came from the US, some locals were also killed in the process. Apparently, some of the aid was incorrectly dropped from the sky leading to fatalities. And don’t be fooled, there’s plenty of evidence revealing there’s no food shortage in Gaza. The people have plenty of access to food.
Sadly, the news doesn’t get better regarding US involvement in our war with Hamas. In a recent interview, President Biden explained that he would never cut off defensive weapons. This means the current administration would be willing to cut off offensive weapon supply as leverage against Israel in the future in an attempt to prevent further operations in Gaza. Both the US and Hamas share at least one thing in common – they have completely unrealistic expectations regarding what it will take to bring an end to this war.
Tragically, Israel has learned that at least 34 abductees of the 134 taken to Gaza on October 7 have died. On a positive note, #3 in the Hamas hierarchy is believed to have been eliminated over the weekend.
The US is slowly but surely becoming our greatest obstacle when it comes to obliterating this terrorist organization. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even had to correct Biden in a recent statement saying, “When he says that my policy is against Israeli interests and against Israeli public opinion, he is wrong on both counts.” No matter what, Netanyahu remains determined to win this war. I’m glad to have a strong leader at such a time as this.
None of this should surprise us, as the Biden administration has gone out of its way to save face with the pro-Palestinian audience over the last several weeks, especially since the beginning of Ramadan.
Lebanon & Hezbollah
With Hezbollah increasing its aggression, Israel has been the recipient of a multitude of rocket barrages from Lebanon over the last several days, which has forced the IDF to respond with a number of strikes in Southern Lebanon and Syria. While our primary military conflict has been with Hamas in Gaza, we’ve been dealing with these terrorists north of our border as well. At least 240 of them have been killed as a result of Israeli strikes since October 2023, which have happened in multiple cities and towns.
Tensions are only on the rise. Given recent developments, Israelis are expecting an imminent war with our enemy in the north. I encourage you to watch my most recent breaking news segment concerning this very issue!
The United States
It’s of no small concern to see what’s happening in the United States. Its sympathy towards the Muslim mentality is extremely alarming. Look no further than Times Square, where Muslims gathered for prayer at the onset of Ramadan. Beyond this, amid the war in Gaza, disgusting pro-Palestinian fliers were seen in New York City stating, “Rape is resistance”, and “Babies are occupiers too”. This is the direction the west has been heading for years. It’s no surprise that NYC is seeing a rise in Islamic terror propaganda.
As our war in Gaza rages on, it’s becoming clearer by the day that Biden is living in a fantasy world when it comes to his perception of the Middle East. He appears to think that Palestinians are eager for peace and Israel’s government is at odds with its people. Both are anything but true.
Russia
Since the onset of the war, Russia has stood by the side of the Palestinians. Just days ago, they denied the report of the special envoy investigating the sexual crimes committed against Israeli women throughout the massacre – crimes that left an overwhelming trail of evidence. If the Russians hadn’t already made their position clear concerning who they side with, they’ve now left zero room for doubt.
Yemen & the Houthis
After sinking a British-owned ship, the Iranian-sponsored Houthis continue to initiate terror in the region. Late last week, the group fired a pair of ballistic missiles at a Singapore-owned ship. Thankfully, the missiles missed their target. Within 24 hours, coalition forces and the US Navy intercepted 15 Houthi drones in the Gulf of Aden. Furthermore, the Houthis announced that they targeted a US container ship in the Red Sea with several naval strike missiles. The Houthis are now reportedly testing hypersonic missiles and are preparing to produce them as well.
Israel
Needless to say, Israel has its hands extremely full right now. In addition to what I’ve mentioned above, we have approximately 15,000 troops deployed in the West Bank for the month of Ramadan in order to counteract and prevent terror. The IDF has been extremely proactive in dealing with terrorists coming out of the West Bank throughout this war. Sadly, our readiness doesn’t stop those who love violence. Even today, we’re dealing with the aftermath of multiple isolated acts of terror.
I have zero doubts that my country demands strong leadership right now. The polls reflect this, as Netanyahu is overwhelmingly desired in contrast to his opponent(s).
The Ministry
We want you to know that we’re continuing to monitor the events in the region, as our hearts long to resume our Bible Experience Tours as soon as possible. Please continue to pray that God would give us clear wisdom as to the right timing for this. We’re so passionate about exposing people to the land of the Bible so they can testify of the faithfulness of our God.
After the amazing success of our Alaska Cruise conference in 2023, we are preparing to take our teaching back on the water! For these opportunities, we will be presenting our Discovering Daniel & Revealing Conference in two very different venues. The first will be a cruise through the Mediterranean, which will take place from October 19-29, 2024. Our second opportunity to present these teachings will be on the waters of the Caribbean on January 18-25, 2025. Registration for both cruises is currently open! Make sure to register soon, as we anticipate these events to fill up quickly.
For those of you in Arizona and surrounding areas, we’d like to invite you to join Pastor Mike Golay, Pastor Barry Stagner, Pastor David Guzik, and Gary Kah for the Prophecy 24 Conference! In this one-day gathering on Saturday, April 13, Pastor Mike and the others will open up the Scriptures to address the days we’re living in and the hope that lies ahead. For more information and to register, follow this link!
In just two-to-three minutes each, “Make Gaza Great Again?”, “Should Palestine Be Free From the River to the Sea?”, and “Who are the Palestinians?” confront the party line narrative with historical and political truth. Please make sure to utilize these resources while they remain on the internet by sharing them with those around you.
The hope of the coming of Jesus is the most important thing a believer can hold on to today. Why is it that this truth is scoffed at and trampled underfoot by so many from within the church? What are the driving motives behind this type of thinking? Tune in for the premiere of my teaching, “Where is the Promise of His Coming?”, this Friday, March 15, at 12:00 PM PDT!
Thank you for your abundant support through prayer and faithful financial gifts. We would not be able to do what we do without your help. Your prayers continue to fuel us each and every day.
As we approach this season in which we reflect on the finished work of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, may we long to be with Him all the more! For our Passover Lamb not only suffered for us in the most gruesome way possible, but He rose again assuring us of what’s to come! If you haven’t made the decision to put your confidence in Christ yet, what are you waiting for?
Acts 17:30-31
“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
Awaiting His Return,
Amir Tsafati
Photo credit: By Becker1999 from Columbus, OH – 04 IMG_8207, CC BY 2.0, link
Amir, 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.
