It’s a bright new day in Israel! I was praying for 62, and we very well may have gotten 65. What I mean is that in the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, there are 120 seats. A 61 member bloc will give you a mandate to form a government. However, it is always tenuous with just that one seat majority. So, I prayed for an extra seat. It was a big ask, because any majority lately in Israel’s government has been of the “barely” kind.

But then this landslide came pouring in. Soon-to-be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now has a solid majority within which to operate. It is obvious that the Israeli people have realized that this experiment with the liberal, progressive “government of change” was an unmitigated disaster. The country is smaller, weaker, and less respected than it has been for years. But now, the people are ready to take pride in their country again, and they determined that this could best be accomplished by bringing Netanyahu back for a third stint in the prime minister’s office.

It is without doubt that God moved as people prayed. However, He didn’t just reach down and change votes. He worked through the people, as the citizens of Israel went out and voted. In recent elections, the voter turnout was woefully low. People would say how much they loved Netanyahu, but when election day came – a public holiday in Israel – rather than going to the voting booth they would go to the beach. Tuesday was different. Voter turnout reached 71.3%, which is the highest since 2015.

This great victory in Israel should be a lesson for the church around the world. Christians must fulfill their civic duty and vote because God works through His people. Our friends in the United States should take particular notice of Israel’s elections. There is no excuse for a believer to not vote. And I understand that there was some hanky-panky that took place in the last election and that Americans rightfully have a difficult time trusting the election process. But if all the true Bible-believing church exercised their right to vote this Tuesday in favor of life and of righteousness, it would be very difficult to squash such a powerful voice.

Because the impact of US elections is truly felt globally, we are asking you, as we did for Israel, to join us for three days of fasting and praying for Tuesday’s elections. As you pray, please ask:

• That God would restore political order, integrity, and the rule of law in America. 
• That God would expose the deception of the progressive left.
• That Americans would avoid apathy and go fulfill their civil duty to vote.
• That American believers’ eyes would be opened, that they would restrain evil through God’s Spirit, and that they would commit to be change agents.
• That the American church would set the tone in voter turnout. That it would “Rise up, take courage, and act”, as well as “restrain” (Ezra 10:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:6).

WORLDVIEW —

Benjamin Netanyahu to Return to Israeli Prime Minister’s Office
Barring an unprecedented turnaround or various political shenanigans, Benjamin Netanyahu will soon become the next prime minister – again. “We are on the brink of a very big victory,” he told a cheering crowd. Already the longest serving prime minister in Israel’s history with 15 years in office, the 72-year-old native of Tel Aviv appears ready to do what he can to restore Israel to its previous glory. For more about the elections, the Israeli government, and what it was that caused this conservative backlash, watch my “Special Update – 2022 Israeli Elections” from Tuesday.

UNGA Demands that Israel Turn Over All Nuclear Weapons
In a 152-5 vote, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution demanding that Israel turn over control of all their nuclear weapons to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and sign on to the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT). Voting against the resolution were Canada, Israel, Micronesia, Palau, and the US. Abstaining from the vote were 24 countries, many from the EU. The move was as laughable as it was hypocritical, without a word being said about Iran’s race toward nuclear weaponry. In response to the resolution, Israel, who has never even admitted to having nuclear weapons, said, “Yeah, sure guys, we’ll get right on that.”

Iran’s Rhetoric Grows in Proportion to their Problems
Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), vowed last week that his nation will “take revenge” against countries that are affiliated with the US, UK, and Israel. Unfortunately for him, it is problems at home that are taking most of the government’s attention. Riots continue following last month’s death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police. Of course, to Salami the blame for the riots lies outside Iran’s borders. “This sinister plan is a plan hatched…in the White House and the Zionist regime,” he said Saturday. The riots are just one of the major problems facing the Islamist leadership. The Iranian rial is collapsing, hitting an unprecedented low yesterday of 344 thousand rials to the dollar. In addition, Germany and the EU are considering classifying Salami’s IRGC as a terrorist organization. Interestingly, when President Donald Trump made that classification, the nations of the EU ridiculed him. Now we see Europe criticizing Iran, and the ayatollahs threatening the US. According to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, “The US is very weak…and we will fulfill our promise [of revenge] after the martyrdom of Soleimani and company. Those who think that the United States is a superpower are wrong.”

Lebanon’s President Dismisses Government
On his last day in office, 89-year-old Lebanese President Michel Aoun signed a decree accepting the resignation of the government led by billionaire Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Mikati’s team will remain in power in a caretaker capacity, and he will serve as acting president until a replacement is installed in office. The political instability of the government of Israel’s northern neighbor is indicative of the instability of the entire country.

Russia Toys with the Global Food Supply
Citing an attack by Ukrainian drones on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet docked in Crimea, Russia announced Saturday that they were withdrawing from the Ukrainian grain deal which has allowed more than 9 million tons of grain to be transported into the world market. Immediately people panicked, and rightly so as stopping the flow of Ukrainian grain would greatly affect world food supplies. Within days the market price of grain escalated 6%. Then, yesterday, as the EU and Turkey were working on ways to get the grain through without Russian approval, Moscow said, “Just kidding everyone!” Russia agreed to let the grain continue to pass through, saying that they had received assurances from Ukraine that they would not use the Black Sea grain corridor for military operations. The quick spike in grain prices is indicative of the impact the Russia/Ukraine war is having on the world’s economy and supply chains. Inflation in the Eurozone states reached a record high 10.7% in October. In the US, anticipation of the European ban on the purchase of Russian crude and diesel is contributing in part to a serious diesel shortage that is expected to hit the nation within the month.

Ukraine Prepares for Russian Nukes and a Cold Winter
Russia continues with its nuclear threats causing Ukrainian leadership to scramble to prepare nuclear shelters. In the Kyiv region, the head of the military administration said that shelters are hastily being readied with the goal of having 425 ready by November 15. While there are over 1000 shelters in the region, only those deep and strong enough to withstand a nuclear blast are being prepared. Meanwhile, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has issued a plea to the West. “Send blankets and generators or we’ll freeze to death,” he said. This crisis is due to Moscow’s strategic attack on the Ukrainian energy grid which has placed hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in mortal peril as the temperatures drop.

Socialist Victory in Brazil
For as much as I am celebrating the results of the Israeli election, I am mourning that of Brazil. Luiz Inácio da Silva, popularly known as Lula, was elected president for the second time, defeating conservative incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. Having previously served in office from 2003-10, the socialist Lula was convicted in 2017 of money laundering and corruption and sentenced to nine and a half years in prison. The convictions were later overturned due to a technicality after he served only 580 days. Many are not accepting the results of the election, particularly given the fact that just a month ago the right wing gained strong victories in congressional elections. Citizens are responding en masse. Truckers are closing highways and massive crowds are gathering asking the military to intervene. Bolsonaro has not joined in the protests, but neither has he yet conceded the election. Let’s pray for the Brazilian people as this new president takes office. As the Book of Proverbs tells us: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2)

Bridge Collapse in India
More than 50 children were among the 134 people killed when a pedestrian suspension bridge collapsed in Morbi, Gujarat, India. Originally built in 1877, the bridge had just been reopened last week after repairs. However, authorities were not notified of the reopening to the public, nor had any certificates of public use been issued. So far, nine people have been arrested over the tragedy with more arrests expected to follow.

Tragedy in South Korea
A Halloween celebration in the Itaewon district of Seoul, South Korea, turned into a nightmare when a crowd surge killed more than 150 peopleand left over 150 more injured. Itaewon, known for its night life, contains numerous narrow alleys that connect the streets. Already crowded on a normal night, hundreds of thousands of celebrants packed the area for this special event. When a surge hit one of the narrow alleys, people became crushed, and many others were trampled. On Tuesday, police officials took responsibility for the catastrophe. “I feel a heavy responsibility [for the disaster] as the head of one of the related government offices,” said National Police Chief Yoon Hee Keun. “Police will do their best to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.”

North Korea Issues Warnings with Words and Missiles
On Monday, North Korea warned the US and South Korea of “more powerful follow-up measures” after they accused the countries of using joint military exercises to practice an invasion of their nation. The next day, Pak Jong Chon, a secretary of the North Korean Workers’ Party, upped the threat, saying, “The US and South Korea will have to face a terrible case and pay the most horrible price in history.” Then, as if to emphasize their point, on Wednesday the North Korean military fired 23 missiles into South Korean waters, followed by more than 100 artillery shells. South Korea responded by firing missiles of their own. And, today, Kim Jong Un’s military launched an intercontinental missile. The Wasong-17 flew 760 km before the test failed and the missile fell into the Sea of Japan.