(Galilee, Israel) — Shalom from Israel! I trust that all of you had a blessed time celebrating the birth of the Messiah. It is because of God’s love for us that His Son, Jesus, came to this earth to live, die, and resurrect to new life. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we can receive eternal life, as we read in the gospels:

John 3:16 KJV – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

I pray that you take the joy and hope that come from a relationship with the Messiah with you into the new year. It is one that will certainly be interesting. I am optimistic when it comes to the things of God’s Word, because I know that He is working out His plan. However, I am very pessimistic when it comes to the state of the world. The influence of the enemy in all parts of the globe is steadily increasing, as people, even many inside the church, buy into his deceptions.

I’ve watched this deterioration of truth firsthand, and I must admit that it has taken a toll on me. Being fully immersed in news of the massacre of October 7 and its long-reaching aftermath has been difficult enough. But to witness the widespread antisemitism, lies, fake news, and conspiracy theories makes it at times almost unbearable.

As far as Israel is concerned, I believe that the worst of the war has not yet begun. Currently, there are only skirmishes taking place across our northern border. That will not last. Both Hezbollah and their Iranian leaders, as well as the generals of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), have their strategies planned for an all-out war across the Lebanese and Syrian borders.

Undoubtedly, Israel will be blamed for the conflict. Public opinion continues to deteriorate toward Israel. Those who take time to learn the history of the region, to study the atrocities of October 7, and to accept as real the genocidal intentions of the Arab and Persian nations toward Israel will stand with Jerusalem and the people of the land. But the growing majority reject the truths contained in each of those areas, because, once again, they are buying into the lies of the great deceiver.

It seems that everything that Israel does is vilified in the media and in international governmental settings. Yet, when other countries carry out true criminal acts and atrocities, the world is silent. I talk about this in a brief Breaking News Update I posted yesterday. As I’ve taken to saying, “No Jews – No News.”

For instance, on Christmas Day a Greek Catholic Melkite Church in Iqrit, northern Israel, was struck by a Hezbollah anti-tank missile. The 80-year-old Christian who was guarding the church was injured. Twelve Israeli soldiers rushed to rescue this Christian man. When they did, Hezbollah fired another anti-tank missile wounding all twelve IDF soldiers, one severely. The Muslim terrorists had intentionally used the Christian church as bait to draw out the Jewish soldiers whom they knew would come to the man’s aid. Have you heard anything about this from the mainstream media?

The United Nations and all the international courts, along with the liberal media, appear to be silent when it comes to 140 Christians in 20 Nigerian villages being brutalized and slaughtered on Christmas day by Muslim extremists. They won’t tell you that Pakistan is deporting more than two million Afghans back into a war zone. Why? Afghans are not Palestinians, so who cares? In West Darfur, Sudan, a genocide has left more than 9000 dead and 5.6 million people displaced. When is the last time you saw a story on West Darfur? Did you know that on Saturday the Turkish Air Force hit a clinic in their attack on 13 targets, killing innocent civilians? When was the last time you heard a detailed update on what Russian is perpetrating in Ukraine, or a mention of the fact that Moscow still has its military in Syria killing civilians?

Rarely, if ever, will you hear about these stories of late. And, if you do, they are usually sandwiched between reports of Israeli supposed atrocities and its “indiscriminate” bombing in Gaza. Why? No Jews – No News.

This is a trend that will continue. When you hear a lie long enough, it begins to sound like the truth. The “Jew bad, Palestinian good” narrative will continue to be drilled into the minds of the masses, and the world will soon forget October 7 and only see Israel’s response. What once was considered a legitimate reply to the atrocities and a necessary action for future protection will then be viewed simply as Jewish aggression. Within the framework of biblical prophecy, this fits perfectly like a square block into a square hole.

Skirmishes with Hezbollah

Late Tuesday night, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck several Hezbollah-related sites in southern Lebanon. In response the next day, two rounds of rocket attacks were fired across the border into Israel. The first round of 18 rockets was aimed near Rosh Hanikra, and the second of 16 was fired at Israel’s northernmost city of Kiryat Shmona. The Iron Dome intercepted most of the incoming missiles. However, some did penetrate the air defense and cause damage in Kiryat Shmona. Israel responded with more air strikes.

Senior IRGC Leader Assassinated in Syria

A brigadier general and senior member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed by an Israel airstrike on December 25 in Seyida Zainab, just outside of Damascus. Brig.Gen. Razi Mousavi was in charge of transferring weapons from Iran to the Hezbollah terrorist organization, so that they could be put to use against Israel. A couple missiles from the IDF ensured that the general’s employment was terminated. Hezbollah is the largest and most powerful of Iran’s proxy militias. If anyone ever doubted the connection between Hezbollah and the Islamist leadership of Iran, Mousavi could have been used as exhibit A.

It’s Time to Shut Down the UNRWA

The website for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will tell you that their “human development and humanitarian services encompass primary and vocational education, primary health care, relief and social services, infrastructure and camp improvement, microfinance and emergency response, including in situations of armed conflict.” Sounds lovely. Humanitarian work at its apogee. However, in a recent interview, a Gazan man told the IDF that Hamas essentially ran the UNRWA. All the money and humanitarian supplies are filtered through Hamas, which takes all it needs and wants before passing on the small remainder to those in need. This is no surprise to anyone in the know. UNRWA has long been suspected of having ties to Hamas. This was confirmed recently when Hamas tunnels were discovered near UNRWA facilities, and reports came in of a UNRWA worker holding prisoner one of the October 7 hostages. It’s time the UNRWA was either completely revamped or, preferably, shut down. Do I have any expectation that the UN will do the right thing? No. Why am I skeptical? Well, the august international body, in their great wisdom, just made Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Sigrid Kaag the new Humanitarian Coordinator for Gaza. It will be her job to ensure the aid trucks to Gaza don’t carry non-humanitarian goods. Kaag’s husband was a deputy minister in the PLO under Yasser Arafat. What could possibly go wrong? 

Houthis Continue to Fire Missiles

Within a ten-hour window on Tuesday, the American destroyer USS Laboon and USAF F/A-18 fighter jets shot down 12 suicide drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two cruise missiles, all fired by the Iran-supported Houthi rebels in Yemen. The terrorist weapons were all aimed at Israel or at shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis have firmly established themselves as the irritating blister on the heel of middle eastern maritime transport. For some companies, they’re painful enough to cause a temporary shutdown in business in the area. Even though they are currently just an irritation, they can very quickly turn deadly if one of the cruise missiles aimed toward Israel makes it past the defense of the US fleet and Israel’s missile barrier systems. By the way, how often have you heard of the dire humanitarian water crisis in Yemen as a result of the Houthis? No Jews – No News.

American Base in Erbil Attacked

As Washington strives to cuddle up to Tehran, the Iranian proxy militia, Kataib Hezbollah, used a suicide drone to attack the American Erbil Air Base in Iraq on Monday morning. Three US troops were injured in the provocation. The American military responded with airstrikes on three facilities used by the terrorist group. Unfortunately, hitting the terror group without punishing their Iranian masters is akin to blowing your nose and claiming to have cured your cold.

Japan Solidifies End of Pacifism

Tokyo announced Friday an increase in their military budget of 16%, bringing it to over $56 billion. Additionally, they will spend another $300 billion through 2027, and will bring their annual military budget up to a level that will make them the third-biggest military spender after the United States and China. With the growing threat of Beijing just across the East China Sea and the North Korean leader’s penchant for shooting off missiles, this increase is a necessary separation of Japan from Article 9 of their constitution, also known as the “pacifist clause.”

Amir Tsarfati is a fmr Deputy Governor of Jericho, Israeli tour guide, author, and the Founder and President of Behold Israel.