Shalom from just up the road from the Ramat David Airbase in Israel’s Northern District! It has been a very noisy month-and-a-half as jet after jet takes off heavily strapped with weapons, then later returns empty. Israel is a nation at war, and we are winning the fight. But despite my nation’s many victories over these last weeks, the fight still rages on. Hezbollah continues to threaten up north. Iran, the terrorist puppet master, has become fairly quiet, at least for them. This is likely because, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, they have recently upped their nuclear enrichment by 22 times. And around the world, pro-Hamas, anti-Israel protests are loudly and violently announcing their support of the Nazi terrorists.
Still, there are several visuals I witnessed this past week that brought a quiet joy to my heart.
I saw Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops carrying much needed medical equipment into the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. According to the world’s media which get its headlines directly from Hamas, there is nothing that Israelis enjoy more than bombing a hospital filled to capacity with ailing Palestinians and newborn children. What they neglect to mention is that, first, the reason the hospitals are even on the IDF’s radar is because Hamas built all their infrastructure under these human shields. Second, that the IDF gives many warnings before they attack. The Israeli military actually endangers itself by giving away the crucial element of surprise, just so innocent civilians can get to safety. Third, that the IDF attacks with precision so that they are targeting only Hamas terrorists, as much as possible. Fourth, that the Israeli military is bringing with it a massive amount of humanitarian aid, like necessary medical equipment, that the Israeli soldiers are providing to those that Hamas has purposely put in harm’s way. It is quite evident that the Israelis have far more compassion for the average Palestinian than do the terrorists of Hamas.
I saw the Hamas parliament building in Gaza exploding into a pile of rubble. Israel is sending a message – Hamas is no more. The IDF has destroyed more than 90 government institutions and buildings, levelling the corrupt leadership infrastructure. Throughout Gaza, in place of the Hamas flag, the blue and white of Israel is now proudly flying.
I saw four massive bulldozers with their huge blades brought together to form a makeshift synagogue. Within that sacred location on the beach, soldiers donned their shawls and read from their prayerbooks. In another picture, I witnessed members of the IDF gathered around a large Torah scroll. As they listened, an officer wearing his full kit read the Scriptures using a tactical knife as a yad, or pointer. We are seeing a great return of the Jews to their God. For some atheistic or agnostic Israelis, this is a necessary first step. Before they can accept the true Messiah at the end of the tribulation, they must first acknowledge that there really is a God. We must be praying that the Lord, who began this great work, will carry it on to completion.
God is at work in Israel. We can see Him in the miraculously smooth destruction of Hamas in Gaza to the south. His hand is in the hesitation of Hezbollah to open a second front in the north. Undoubtedly, He was in the overwhelming support that most of the world gave to Israel after the atrocities of October 7. And the United States’ tremendous demonstration of military partnership was a beautiful showing of our Lord at work.
