6. I srael a t W ar 6 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 T h e I m p a c t o f H a m a s T e r r o r i n P i c t u r e s A f t e r t h e h o r r i fi c a c t s o f t e r r o r b y H a m a s o n 7 O c t o b e r a n d t h e c o n t i n u i n g a t t a c k s i n t h e d a y s t h a t f o l l o w e d , t h e s u ff e r i n g i n I s r a e l i s b e y o n d c o m p r e h e n s i o n . B u t t h e i m a g e s a n d s t o r i e s o f t h e v i c t i m s , t h e e x t e n t o f t h e d e v a s t a t i o n , f e a r , m i s e ry , p a i n , s o r r o w , d e a t h a n d d e s t r u c t i o n c a n b e s o e a s i l y f o r g o t t e n . E s p e c i a l l y w h e n w e c o n s i d e r h o w m a n y p e o p l e w e r e a ff e c t e d b y t h i s t e r r o r . L e s t w e f o r g e t w h a t h a p p e n e d , i n t h i s s e c t i o n , w e s h o w i m a g e s o f t h e a t r o c i t i e s . T h e i m a g e s a r e g r a p h i c , a l t h o u g h t h e r e a l i t y w a s m a n y t i m e s w o r s e , a n d t h o s e i m a g e s a r e n o t a p p r o p r i a t e t o p u b l i s h h e r e ( a l s o o u t o f r e s p e c t f o r t h e v i c t i m s ) . M embers of Zaka walk thr ough the destruction caused by H amas militants in Kibbutz Kfar Aza as they c ollect the dead bodies. These abandoned and burned cars f orm an almost surr eal image. I t was in this ar ea that the music f estival took plac e and wher e hundr eds of I sraelis wer e mur der ed or kidnapped. The ar ea of the N ova music f estival near the I sraeli-Gaza bor der wher e hundr eds of I sraelis wer e mur der ed and kidnapped by H amas terr orists. F amilies of those kidnapped by H amas during a pr ess c onf er enc e in Ramat Gan on 8 October . A silent witness to the tragedy that unf olded. I do N agar at a pr ess c onf er enc e in T el A viv on 12 October . I do had not hear d fr om his wif e, Seline Ben D avid, sinc e she took r efuge in a shelter in an open field. O nly on 1 7 October did her family learn she was dead. She leaves behind her husband and a baby daughter . W ounded I sraelis arrive at the Sor oka M edical C enter in Be ’ er Sheva in southern I srael. Abandoned army shoes on the side of the r oad near the I sraeli-Gaza bor der . Devastation in Ashk elon due to r ock ets fir ed by H amas.

7. Ma pping the Masscares I srael a t W ar 7 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 The attacks claimed the lives of mor e than 1,400 individuals, left mor e than 3,300 wounded and sa w over 240 people tak en as hostages. O n https:/ / oct7map .c om, you can find an interactive map to visit the attack sites, learn the facts, and view the horr ors. Y oung I sraeli childr en pla y inside a bomb shelter at a kindergarten in c entral I srael. The destruction caused by H amas terr orists when they infiltrated Kibbutz Be ' eri. M ember of the Zaka team in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Zaka is I srael’ s primary r escue and r ec overy volunteer organisation. F ragment of a burnt bible f ound by a soldier in Be ’ eri. “The L or d shall gr ant strength to H is people ” Psalm 29. H undr eds of I sraelis donate blood in J erusalem and other cities to help the wounded. Pictur es of I sraelis abducted by H amas terr orists in Gaza ar e scr eened on the walls of J erusalem ’ s O ld City on 6 N ovember . 230 empty beds in fr ont of the City H all in J erusalem symbolise the hostages. The destruction caused by H amas terr orists in Kibbutz Kissufim. I sraelis gather and light candles to r emember the victims who wer e mur der ed by H amas terr orists and I sraelis abducted by H amas terr orists in Gaza, at D izengoff Squar e in T el A viv , a month after the 7 October massacr e, 7 N ovember . F amily and friends attend the funeral of five members of the K otz family , Livnat and A viv and their thr ee childr en, R otem, Y onatan and Yiftach, on 1 7 October 2023. The K otz family was killed by H amas militants in their home in Kfar Aza, southern I srael. | Photos: Flash90 & J ewish Agency f or Israel

1. Unders tanding Isr ael and w orld e v en ts fr om a Biblical perspectiv e www .c4isr ael.c om.au | in f o@c4isr ael.c om.au A USTRA LIA A USTRA LIA Dec ember 2023 T e v e t—Sh’v a t 5784 Israel a t W ar “ Deliver Israel, O God, from all their troub l es!” P salm 25:22

15. 5 (A USTRALIA) U pda te fro m J ud ea & Samaria D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 Zac n W a l l er Ex ecuti ve Director | Ha Y ovel The world is still reeling from the horrific tragedies that took place in Israel on 7 October . 1,400 Israeli citizens were barbarically mur dered by Hamas, and more than 200 were tak en as hostages. This level of brutality against the J ewish people has not been seen since the H olocaust. N ow H ezbollah is threatening Israel ’ s northern bor der with more than 100,000 missiles, which are far more advanced than the rock ets Hamas has been firing from Gaza. M o s t o f t h e w o r l d h a s a n e y e o n t h o s e t w o f r o n t s — I s r a e l ’ s n o r t h e r n a n d s o u t h e r n b o r d e r s . T h e r e i s , h o w e v e r , a n o t h e r c r i t i c a l f r o n t t h a t m a n y a r e u n a w a r e o f . T h i s f r o n t i s e s p e c i a l l y s i g n i fi c a n t f o r u s B i b l e - b e l i e v i n g C h r i s t i a n Z i o n i s t s . W h a t m o s t p e o p l e d o n ’ t k n o w i s t h a t t h e r e a r e H a m a s , F a t a h , P a l e s t i n i a n I s l a m i c J i h a d , I r a n i a n a g e n t s , a n d o t h e r t e r r o r i s t g r o u p s o p e r a t i n g i n s i d e o f J u d e a a n d S a m a r i a . T h e m a j o r i t y o f t h e A r a b ‘ P a l e s t i n i a n s ’ s e e n a s ‘ p e a c e f u l c i v i l i a n s ’ a g r e e w i t h t h e i d e o l o g y o f t h e s e t e r r o r i s t g r o u p s . J u s t a f e w d a y s a f t e r t h e h o r r i fi c m a s s a c r e , t h o u s a n d s o f P a l e s t i n i a n s m a r c h e d i n s u p p o r t o f H a m a s i n s i d e A r a b c i t i e s i n J u d e a a n d S a m a r i a . T h e y c h a n t “ f r o m t h e r i v e r t o t h e s e a , ” w h i c h i s a c a l l f o r t h e g e n o c i d e o f t h e s e v e n m i l l i o n J e w i s h p e o p l e l i v i n g i n I s r a e l , r i g h t a l o n g w i t h t h e t e r r o r i s t s . Please note that this area is J udea and Samaria. This is the biblical heartland of Israel, where the vast majority of the B ible was either written or occurred. These are the exact locations where God spok e to Abraham, Isaac, and J acob , sa ying, “T o you, I will give THIS land.” In the earl y 1 900s, the J ewish peop l e embark ed on the ‘ gr eater ex odus. ’ Thousands of God ’ s peop l e began pouring back in to His land. Knowing the bib li cal signifi cance of J udea and Samaria, some began building up the small J ewish comm uniti es ther e. Ther e wer e attacks fr om the Arabs, man y of them Christian. T ragi call y , the Arabs comp l eted their work of making J udea and Samaria judenrein ( ethni call y cl eansed of J ews ) during the 1 929 massacr e in H ebr on. Thank God, after the six -da y war , Israel r egained its heartland. In the 1 980s, courageous J ewish pi oneers began to move back in to these bib li call y ri ch ar eas and r e-settl e the land. T o d a y , t h e r e a r e 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 J e w s w h o l i v e i n t h e 2 0 0 r e - e s t a b l i s h e d c o m m u n i t i e s i n J u d e a a n d S a m a r i a . T h e f a m i l i e s a r e t h r i v i n g , w i t h t w e n t y - fi v e p e r c e n t o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n u n d e r t h e a g e o f 1 4 . T h e s e p r e c i o u s p e o p l e l i v e i n t h e s e a r e a s b e c a u s e t h e y b e l i e v e i n t h e p r o m i s e s o f G o d a n d H i s p l a n f o r t h e w o r l d ’ s r e d e m p t i o n . T h e y p r a y m u l t i p l e t i m e s e v e ry d a y f o r t h e M e s s i a h t o c o m e a n d b e t h e i r k i n g . I t is these 200 small communities of God - f earing J ews who are surrounded by more than two million hostile Arabs. The communities do not ha ve the high - tech f ences that the Gaza bor der had. Some do not ha ve a f ence at all. In addition to this, their men ha ve been called up to ser ve on the southern or northern bor ders. They are ill -equipped and inadequately def ended due to Israel ’ s security f orces being stretched thin. On top of all this, the USA has demanded that none of the weapons being given to Israel to fight terror be distributed to an y of the communities or security personnel on the B iblical H eartland side of the G reen Line. U nf ortunately , the B iden administration still holds to their ludicrous stance that the J ewish pioneers of J udea and Samaria — the ‘ settlers ’ are more dangerous than their hostile Arab neighbours, whom President B iden continues to equip with arms and militar y equipment. T h i s e x t r e m e l y c r i t i c a l s i t u a t i o n w a s i m m e d i a t e l y a p p a r e n t t o m e a n d o u r o r g a n i s a t i o n , H a Y o v e l . M i r a c u l o u s l y , G o d h a s a l l o w e d u s t o s t a n d h e r e a l o n g s i d e t h e s e 2 0 0 c o m m u n i t i e s s i n c e 2 0 0 4 . A s t h e o n l y C h r i s t i a n o r g a n i s a t i o n i n t h e a r e a , w e h a v e d e v e l o p e d c l o s e r e l a t i o n s h i p s , u n d e r s t a n d t h e s t r u g g l e s , a n d a r e d e t e r m i n e d t o s h a r e t h e s e t r u t h s w i t h a n y o n e w i l l i n g t o l i s t e n . I m m e d i a t e l y a f t e r 7 O c t o b e r , s e e i n g t h e s e r i o u s n e s s o f t h e s i t u a t i o n , w e w e n t t o t h e h e a d s o f t h e r e g i o n a l c o u n c i l s i n t h e a r e a a n d a s k e d h o w w e c o u l d h e l p . A s w e s u s p e c t e d , t h e n e e d i s b a s i c p r o t e c t i v e g e a r a n d s u r v e i l l a n c e e q u i p m e n t . W e a s k e d f o r a l i s t o f e q u i p m e n t . T h e y c a m e b a c k w i t h a l i s t i n c l u d i n g p r o t e c t i v e v e s t s , t h e r m a l d r o n e s , n i g h t v i s i o n g o g g l e s , b i n o c u l a r s , fl a s h l i g h t s , s e c u r i t y c a m e r a s , g a t e s f o r s m a l l f a r m s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s , e t c . T h e i t e m s o n t h e l i s t a r e t r u l y v e r y b a s i c n e c e s s i t i e s f o r s e c u r i t y . W e did our research to find out where we could acquire the equipment, how we could get it shipped to Israel, what paper work we needed , etc. Within a week we launched what we ha ve named ‘ Operation I ttai. ’ In 2 Samuel 15, King D a vid was experiencing some of his most difficult da ys as king. Things become so tumultuous that D a vid is f orced to lea ve J erusalem. As he is making his wa y out of the city he notices a non - J ew , I ttai, a man from Gath ( modern -da y Gaza ) who had arrived in Israel only the da y bef ore. D a vid called out to I ttai and said: “Wh y should you come along with us? Go back and sta y with King Absalom. Y ou are a f oreigner , an exile from your homeland. Y ou came only yester da y . And toda y shall I mak e you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back , and tak e your people with you. Ma y the Lor d show you kindness and faithfulness.” Instead of f ollowing King D a vid ’ s advice, I ttai boldly responded: “ As surely as the Lor d lives, and as m y lor d the king lives, wherever m y lor d the king ma y be, whether it means lif e or death, there will your ser vant be.” Ironically , I ttai was from Gath, the same town where Goliath came from! Instead of f ollowing what ma y ha ve seemed lik e the easier route at the time and becoming an enem y of King D a vid , I ttai decided to throw his lot in with him. T oda y , Israel is facing their worst crisis since their f ounding in 1 948. W e, non - J ewish, Christian, B ible believers, from the nations, ha ve a choice to mak e. Will we be modern -da y I ttai ’ s and stand with Israel in this time of need? Or will we join with Hamas ( modern -da y Goliath) and stand against Israel? T oda y , we ha ve an incredible opportunity to bless Israel. W e can stand with these valiant men and women of faith. I t is the right thing to do. Think about the fruit that this could bear . If we come together and equip these communities, not only will they be ready in case, God f orbid , the Arabs attempt to do what they did in Gaza, but more families will f eel saf e enough to move here. W e ha ve a real opportunity to meet a serious need and be part of building up J udea and Samaria — the biblical heartland of Israel. Let’ s not be lik e those who did nothing when J ews were being sent to the gas chambers. On 7 October , J ews were slaughtered during your lif etime. Please, f or God ’ s holy name sak e, do all you can right now . At the time of this writing, we ha ve airlifted two shipments of equipment and delivered them to the communities in the B iblical H eartland. As you read this, suppliers, purchasers, exporters, importers, and dealers are lined up and ready to move all the equipment we can purchase directly into Israel and then into the J ewish communities and farms in Israel ’ s H eartland. Please go to www .ser veisrael.com and join us to protect the five hundred thousand vulnerable J ewish men, women, and children of J udea and Samaria toda y . T h e L i t t l e - K n o w n C r i s i s i n I s r a e l ’ s H e a r t l a n d T raining volunteer security teams on how to fly camera drones.

29. I srael a t W ar 13 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 W o r l d w i d e R a l l i e s f o r I s r a e l A ustra lia Belgi um A ustria Cote D’I v o ir e I ta l y German y N etherlands S urinam N ew Z ea land S wi tzerland V i etnam Ukraine

10. R epo rts fr o m I srael 10 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 C ontinued from page 9 F illed with the brain washed idealism of a tyrannical terrorist regime, these people claim that the rapes, the burning alive, the babies in ovens, the absolute depra vity ... are some sort of ‘ resistance ’, A ‘ push back’ against some sort of oppressive nation who made the mistak e of giving them land f or peace. A mob high on bloodlust, publicly recor ding their determination to ensure the destruction of Israel and the genocide of the entire J ewish people around the world , the propaganda enlists ignorant and unquestioning support f or the biggest fair ytale in modern histor y . U nquestioning? Because even the slightest attempt to research the truth mak es supporting the N akba m yth completely untenable. An un viable nation whose only uniting factor is a hatred f or Israel that has completely refused no less than f ive off ers that would ha ve given them virtually ever ything they demand , its leaders would rather siphon off the billions of dollars of f oreign aid to build luxur y palaces than actually in vest in the infrastructure of their people. Rather than build and develop , they lea ve their own people in poverty , pref erring to build terror tunnels and rock ets and buy munitions rather than the facilities their people need. This is a system of hate, rotten to the ver y core, a generation of children raised on UNR W A textbooks— paid f or un wittingly by the W est— that do not teach hope f or peace but hatred and incitement to the genocide of the J ews. And the world wa tches. S e v e r a l d a y s a g o , w e c o m m e m o r a t e d a b a t t l e f r o m 19 1 7 , w h e r e d o z e n s o f y o u n g N e w Z e a l a n d s o l d i e r s l o s t t h e i r l i v e s i n t h e m i l i t a r y c a m p a i g n t o r i d t h e L e v a n t a r e a o f t h e t y r a n n i c a l O t t o m a n E m p i r e . T h o s e l i v i n g i n t h e a r e a , s o m e t i m e s r e f e r r e d t o a s Pa l e s t i n e — Je w s , A r a b s , a n d o t h e r s — h a d n o r i g h t s , n o v o t e , a n d l i v e d a b r u t a l l i f e u n d e r a n o p p r e s s i v e o c c u p y i n g f o r c e . T h e r e w a s n o A r a b s t a t e , c e r t a i n l y n o c a p i t a l i n Je r u s a l e m , a n d n o s u c h t h i n g a s a ‘Pa l e s t i n i a n ’ . Despite the ridiculous cries of ‘ genocide ’ from those who would support Hamas et al., the Arab M uslim population has sky- rock eted since W orld W ar 1; the supposed population of Gaza alone is more than 4-5 times what the entire population of ‘ P alestine ’ was at the time Israel was re-established. W ak e up people. I t’ s time to call this out f or the lies and hatred that it is. F ree Gaza from Hamas. F ree the hostages. N ow . T hen ma ybe we can talk about peace. I a n W o r b y ( C 4 I A u s t r a l i a ) a t t h e S d e r o t p o l i c e s t a t i o n h o l d i n g f r a g m e n t s o f a r o c k e t f i r e d b y H a m a s o n I s r a e l . | P h o t o : C 4 I A u s t r a l i a T h r e e D a y s o f W h i s p e r i n g Leo n M ei jer n C h a i r m a n | C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l I n t e r n a t i o n a l I t’ s 30 degrees outside; we ’ re sitting in a spa in Ein Bok ek and looking out over the Dead Sea. If you didn ’ t know an y better , you ’ d think we ’ re on vacation. B ut the poignant stor y of Lothan sitting next to me on the couch mak es you immediately f orget about the surroundings. Lothan is a sur vivor of Kibbutz Beeri ( next to the Gaza S trip ) and has been evacuated to one of the hotels in this spa town at the Dead Sea along with his wif e, three children and about 1,000 residents of his community . F or twenty hours, Lothan and his family hid in the saf e room of his house. M ean while, he hear d shooting and Arabic shouts around the house. The residents k ept each other inf ormed via WhatsApp messages: “They are knocking on m y door .” “They are smashing m y window .” And so, un wittingly , Lothan witnessed the mur der of his parents- in - la w , who also lived in Beeri. His mother - in - la w , who was holding the door of the saf e room tightly shut, realised that her end was near and texted her children that she loved them. The Hamas terrorists put explosives on the door of her saf e room, blew it up and entered. “ HELP , HELP” are the last WhatsApp messages the family received from her . T wo da ys later , Israeli f orces f ound her and her husband at 300 meters from the kibbutz with a bullet through their heads. Apparently , Hamas had wanted to tak e them to Gaza, but they were too severely wounded to walk. Lothan tells us that probably 300 to 400 terrorists had entered the kibbutz. F or twenty hours, he and his family made as little noise as possible; they had no light. They didn ’ t ha ve enough f ood and too little to drink in the saf e room. When the arm y was f inally able to relieve them, there were still terrorists in the kibbutz and corpses ever ywhere. The soldiers who surrounded his family instructed him to hold his hands in front of his children ’ s eyes as they made their wa y to the road where they could boar d a bus. Halfwa y through, they were shot at, but f ortunately , one of the soldiers eliminated the intruder . Lothan has been in the hotel at the Dead Sea f or six weeks now . When they came in, there was a large amount of candy waiting f or the children in the lobby . His children only took health y things and took them to their room. “Then we ’ll ha ve f ood when the terrorists come here too,” they told their mother . Their youngest son asks his father to tie the doorknob with a towel at night. H e whispered f or three da ys after 7 October . L o t h a n , s u r v i v o r o f K i b b u t z B e e r i . | P h o t o : C 4 I Miracl e at Kibbu tz I bim “ A m i r a c l e , I h a v e n o o t h e r w o r d f o r i t ” , R a c h e l i s a y s . S h e w o r k s f o r T h e J e w i s h A g e n c y a n d i s r e s p o n s i b l e f o r s h e l t e r i n g 6 0 0 r e c e n t l y i m m i g r a t e d E t h i o p i a n J e w s i n I b i m , a k i b b u t z n e a r G a z a . I n t h e i r m u r d e r o u s m a r c h t h r o u g h t h e v i l l a g e s s u r r o u n d i n g G a z a , t h e H a m a s t e r r o r i s t s w a l k e d p a s t I b i m . T h e E t h i o p i a n J e w s i n I b i m w e r e c o m p l e t e l y d e f e n c e l e s s ; n o n e o f t h e m w e r e a r m e d . H o w e v e r , t h e y d i d s p e n d h o u r s i n s h e l t e r s a n d h e a r d m u c h w a r v i o l e n c e a r o u n d t h e m . T h e r o c k e t s fi r e d i n l a r g e n u m b e r s a l s o h i t t h e i r a r e a . O n M onda y , 9 October , while gr oups of terr orists wer e still r oaming ar ound, they wer e evacuated by buses. Ther e was much f ear and c onfusion. “W e wer e running ar ound pushing people into the buses. F ull? D rive!” J ust south of H aifa, in a large hotel, Racheli tells her story . The hotel houses 400 E thiopian r esidents of Kibbutz I bim, nearly 300 of whom ar e childr en. The many childr en r oam the hotel’ s lobby and dining r oom. They do homework, pla y games and run ar ound. M en and women ar e pra ying in the synagogue. The team of the J ewish Agency working with the E thiopian immigrants is also sta ying at the hotel. They c ome fr om the south themselves and ha ve now been evacuated to this plac e. The sadness and horr or can be hear d in their stories and r ead fr om their eyes. Each of the f our team members has lost family or friends. Their sons and daughters ha ve been drafted into the military . T ears well up in Racheli’ s eyes as she tells she will be able to briefly see her son that evening, who is in Gaza as a soldier . They ar e doing their best to support the r esidents of I bim as best they can and try to ac c ommodate the kibbutz r esidents as much as possible as a c ommunity to maintain their bond.

5. I srael a t W ar — Ana l ysis 5 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 T h e U N S e c r e t a ry - G e n e r a l S h o u l d R e t r a c t o r R e s i g n Dann y Dano n n António G uterres’ s moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas was neither moral nor just. U nited N ations Secretar y- General António G uterres took off ice two years into m y tenure as Israel ’ s Ambassador to the U nited N ations. Over the years, I got to know him well. W e talk ed on man y occasions, work ed together and na vigated some challenging situations in the Middle East. I respected G uterres f or his extensive experience in diplomacy . I t seemed to me at the time that he had a nuanced and insightful understanding of the complex and volatile situation in the Middle East. H e remained committed to promoting dialogue and peaceful resolutions to conflicts. H owever , his speech on 24 October to the UN Security C ouncil on Israel ’ s war against Hamas, f ollowed by an attempted clarif ication the f ollowing da y , was reprehensible. There can be no justif ication f or his claims that the 7 October Hamas massacre “ did not happen in a vacuum,” clearly implying Israeli responsibility f or the sa vage and inhuman attack on its own citizens. G u t e r r e s a p p e a r e d u n a w a r e o f t h e f a c t t h a t t h e r e i s n o j u s t i f i c a t i o n f o r b e h e a d i n g b a b i e s , r a p i n g y o u n g g i r l s , t o r t u r i n g c h i l d r e n a n d t h e i r p a r e n t s , t e a r i n g b a b i e s f r o m t h e i r m o t h e r ’ s w o m b s , b u r n i n g c h i l d r e n a n d t h e e l d e r l y a l i v e , m u t i l a t i n g a n d d i s m e m b e r i n g b o d i e s a n d d e s e c r a t i n g t h e d e a d — n o j u s t i f i c a t i o n w h a t s o e v e r ! W h i l e G u t e r r e s a c k n o w l e d g e d t h a t “ n o t h i n g c a n j u s t i f y t h e d e l i b e r a t e k i l l i n g , i n j u r i n g a n d k i d n a p p i n g o f c i v i l i a n s — o r t h e l a u n c h i n g o f r o c k e t s a g a i n s t c i v i l i a n t a r g e t s , ” h e t h e n j u s t i f i e d p r e c i s e l y t h a t , n o t o n l y w i t h h i s ‘ v a c u u m ’ c o m m e n t b u t w i t h l e n g t h y r e m a r k s o n t h e “ 5 6 y e a r s o f s u f f o c a t i n g o c c u p a t i o n ” t h a t t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s h a v e s u p p o s e d l y s u f f e r e d . I would lik e to suggest to the secretar y- general that the facts ma y ha ve escaped his attention. Israel does not occupy Gaza in an y wa y . Israel exited Gaza in 2005 in the hopes that it would help promote peace, and tens of thousands of Israeli citizens were removed. I n s t e a d o f u s i n g t h i s o p p o r t u n i t y t o b u i l d a b e t t e r l i f e f o r t h e m s e l v e s , i n 2 0 0 6 , t h e c i t i z e n s o f G a z a e l e c t e d t h e t e r r o r o r g a n i s a t i o n H a m a s , w h o s e s o l e a m b i t i o n i s t h e a n n i h i l a t i o n o f I s r a e l a n d t h e J e w i s h p e o p l e . E v e r y y e a r s i n c e , w i t h o u t e x c e p t i o n , I s r a e l h a s e x p e r i e n c e d r o u n d s o f r o c k e t f i r e t a r g e t i n g i t s c i v i l i a n s . I n s t e a d o f c r e a t i n g a p l a c e o f p r o s p e r i t y a n d p e a c e , t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s i n G a z a c r e a t e d h e l l . T h e s i t u a t i o n i n w h i c h t h e y n o w f i n d t h e m s e l v e s , a n d t h e w a r z o n e G a z a h a s b e c o m e , r e s t s s q u a r e l y o n t h e s h o u l d e r s o f H a m a s a n d i t s s u p p o r t e r s . G u t e r r e s s p o k e o f h o w t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s h a v e b e e n “ p l a g u e d b y v i o l e n c e ” a n d t h e i r e c o n o m y “ s t i f l e d . ” H e f a i l e d t o m e n t i o n t h a t t h e v i o l e n c e t h e y a r e “ p l a g u e d b y ” a n d t h e i r p o o r e c o n o m i c s i t u a t i o n a r e t h e d i r e c t r e s u l t s o f t h e g o v e r n m e n t t h e p e o p l e o f G a z a e l e c t e d t o p o w e r . H a m a s d i g s u p w a t e r p i p e s a n d t u r n s t h e m i n t o r o c k e t s ; u s e s e l e c t r i c i t y m e a n t f o r h o u s e s , h o s p i t a l s a n d s c h o o l s t o p o w e r g e n e r a t o r s i n t h e i r u n d e r g r o u n d t u n n e l s ; a n d b u i l d s t e r r o r t u n n e l s t o t a r g e t I s r a e l ’ s c i t i z e n s r a t h e r t h a n a n u n d e r g r o u n d t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s y s t e m . O v e r t h e y e a r s , G a z a a n d H a m a s h a v e r e c e i v e d b i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s i n a i d f r o m m u l t i p l e s o u r c e s . F r o m 2 0 1 4 t o 2 0 2 0 , n u m e r o u s U N o r g a n i s a t i o n s s e n t a l m o s t $ 4 . 5 b i l l i o n t o G a z a , i n c l u d i n g $ 6 0 0 m i l l i o n j u s t i n 2 0 2 0 . Q a t a r h a s p r o v i d e d $ 1 . 3 b i l l i o n i n a i d t o G a z a s i n c e 2 0 1 2 . T h e s e f i g u r e s d o n o t i n c l u d e t h e f u n d s g i v e n t o t h e P a l e s t i n i a n r e f u g e e a g e n c y U N R W A, w h i c h h a s r e c e i v e d b i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s , m o s t o f w h i c h i s s u p p o s e d l y m e a n t t o f u n d e d u c a t i o n i n i t i a t i v e s , o r t o U S A I D , w h i c h h a s r e c e i v e d m i l l i o n s f o r v a r i o u s p r o j e c t s i n G a z a . N o o n e k n o w s h o w m a n y o f t h e s e b i l l i o n s h a v e b e e n s t o l e n b y H a m a s f o r t e r r o r p u r p o s e s , b u t t h e n u m b e r m u s t b e v e r y h i g h i n d e e d . The international community should be rightfully outraged that the billions of dollars in aid that they ha ve given to Gaza, which should ha ve been used to build hospitals, schools, educational centres and other facilities f or Gaza ’ s citizens, ha ve instead been rerouted to the Hamas underground terror infrastructure. Hamas should be held fully accountable by the international community , and certainly by the UN , f or the billions of dollars in funds that continue to pour in to aid civilians but are instead stolen by the terror group . G i v e n t h e s e i n d i s p u t a b l e f a c t s , G u t e r r e s ’ s s t a t e m e n t w a s o u t r a g e o u s . H e a s s e r t e d a p a r i t y b e t w e e n I s r a e l ’ s d e f e n s i v e w a r a g a i n s t i n h u m a n t e r r o r a n d t h e c r i m e s o f H a m a s . I n d e e d, h e e s s e n t i a l l y p a r d o n e d H a m a s a n d t o o k i t s s i d e i n t h e c o n f l i c t . There is only one wa y to deal with Hamas ’ s evil: Calling it out f or what it is and eliminating it. This is a def ining moment in which moral clarity is required. G uterres failed to provide this clarity in the most spectacular manner possible. If, after all his years of public ser vice, he cannot understand the diff erence between the victims of terror and the terrorists, then we ha ve a serious issue at the U nited N ations. I call on Secr etar y- General G uterr es to r etract his statemen t. A t the ver y l east, the outrage he has witnessed in r esponse to his speech should indi cate to him that the speech was neither moral nor just. If he does not r etract and r ecognise that he was mistak en in his moral equival ence between a democrati c state def ending itself and a terr or gr oup that slaugh ter ed 1,400 innocen t civilians in an unpr ovo k ed attack , Israel will no l onger be ab l e to work with him. I t is our hope that G uterr es will sincer el y apo l ogise and clarify that ther e is zer o justif i cati on f or the genocidal horr ors perpetrated by Hamas. If he cannot do so, then he should r esign fr om his positi on as head of an organisati on that was estab lished to pr even t such atr ociti es. H e has fail ed not onl y to pr even t them but also, at the ver y l east, to condemn them unequivocall y . Ambassador Danny Danon is a senior member of the Knesset and chairman of W orld Likud. H e previously served as I sr ael’ s ambassador to the U nited N ations, minister of scienc e and technology and deputy minister of defenc e. Originally published at www .jns.or g. R epublished with permission. U N S e c r e t a ry - G e n e r a l A n t o n i o G u t e r r e s s p e a k i n g i n N e w Y o r k C i t y , 9 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 0 . | P h o t o : S h u t t e r s t o c k M urdered in their ‘Saferoom ’ H amas terr orists mur der ed an entir e young family in their home at Kibbutz N ir Oz on 7 October: T amar K edem Siman T ov; her husband, Y onatan ( J ohnny ); her mother -in-la w Car ol Siman T ov; two 6-year -old daughters, S hahar and Arbel; and son O mer , aged 4. T amar , 35, r eportedly sent friends a message on W hatsApp sa ying, “H i guys, we got into the shelter in our house, we ’ r e all going ( sic ) oka y . ” An hour later , she stopped answering messages. I t later became clear that terr orists had enter ed the pr otected r oom and slain the entir e family . Last Photo of R az and A vi v T h i s i s t h e l a s t p i c t u r e o f R a z ( 4 y e a r s o l d ) a n d A v i v ( 2 y e a r s o l d ) A s h e r , w h i c h w a s t a k e n b y t h e i r m o t h e r D o r o n a s t h e y t o o k s h e l t e r i n t h e s a f e r o o m i n t h e i r h o m e a n d s p e n t t h e t i m e p l a y i n g g a m e s . W h i l e t h e t e r r o r i s t s w e r e i n t h e h o u s e , t h e i r f a t h e r Y o n i ( w h o w a s n o t a t h o m e ) w a s s t i l l i n c o n t a c t w i t h h i s f a m i l y . R a z a n d A v i v , a l o n g w i t h t h e i r m o t h e r D o r o n a n d g r a n d m o t h e r w e r e a b d u c t e d t o G a z a . W h e n Y o n i w a s u n a b l e t o g e t i n t o u c h w i t h h i s f a m i l y , h e l o c a t e d h i s w i f e ’ s p h o n e a t 1 1 : 3 0 a m a n d d i s c o v e r e d t h a t h i s f a m i l y w a s n e a r K h a n Y u n i s i n t h e G a z a S t r i p . H e t h e n s a w a v i d e o o n T e l e g r a m s h o w i n g h i s f a m i l y b e i n g p u t o n t o a c a r t b y t e r r o r i s t s . S i n c e t h e n , h e h a s n o t r e c e i v e d a n y n e w s a b o u t h i s f a m i l y . Bey ond W ords Y o s s i L a n d a u w a s a v o l u n t e e r i n v o l v e d i n t h e r e c o v e r i n g o f t h e v i c t i m s i n k i b b u t z B e ’ e r i n e a r G a z a . W h a t h e f o u n d t h e r e c a n n o t b e p u t i n t o w o r d s . “ T h e s i g h t o f t h e 2 0 c h i l d r e n w e f o u n d i n t h e k i b b u t z w a s h o r r i fi c . T h e t e r r o r i s t s h a d t i e d t h e h a n d s o f t h e c h i l d r e n o n t h e i r b a c k s , t h e n t h e y h o r r i b l y a b u s e d a n d b e a t e n t h e m . T h e n t h e y s t a c k e d t h e c h i l d r e n i n t w o r o w s a n d b u r n e d t h e m . H o w o n e a r t h c a n y o u d o s u c h a h o r r i b l e t h i n g ? ” V i c t i m s o f W a r

3. I srael a t W ar — N ews 3 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 By Y ochanan V isser n C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l C o r r e s p o n d e n t i n I s r a e l On 7 October , a disaster occurred in Israel that will reverberate in the collective psyche of Israelis f or decades to come. Man y compare the carnage that Hamas and P alestinian Islamic J ihad (PIJ ) caused in southern Israel that da y to the attack on the T win T owers in N ew Y ork on 11 September 2001. Israel now has its own 9/11, it is said and this is more than true. One could even argue that Israel will never be the same nation as it was bef ore 10/7. Bef ore that B lack Shabbat, Israel was going through a crisis that deeply divided the J ewish nation and , accor ding to some, could ha ve ended in civil war . H owever , on 7 October , that crisis was over in one f ell swoop and what happened next in Israel is the exact opposite of what occurred in the nine months bef ore that a wful da y . The divisions ga ve wa y to an unprecedented unity even by Israeli standar ds and man y people immediately took action. The war that started then is still developing and could end in a major regional conflict but what is certain f or the Israelis is that the ID F will win this war . The Israeli arm y must win because the current war is once again about the sur vival of the state of Israel and it is f or this reason that some sa y this is the Second W ar of Independence. I spok e to man y Israelis about what they f elt when it became clear to them what Hamas and PIJ were doing in southern Israel. M ost inter viewees said that at f irst, they couldn ’ t understand it and immediately wondered how this could happen. H ow could the Middle East’ s strongest militar y and intelligence ser vices be surprised in such a wa y? they ask ed themselves. H owever , the questions about how this could happen will ha ve to wait until after the war , as they soon realised , there was work to be done! As the full extent of the tragedy began to emerge, man y Israelis left their homes and an yone with a gun rushed to the communities in the south that were then the scene of genocide and crimes against humanity on a large scale. I t was these heroes who in man y cases prevented Hamas and PIJ from carr ying out their plan to advance into J udea and occupy entire cities. T ak e f or example Y air Golan, an off-duty ID F general who was previously a Knesset member f or the far - left M eretz party . Golan was at home when wor d got out about the in vasion of southern Israel and without a second thought he put on his ID F unif orm, grabbed his gun, and rushed to the Gaza area in his T oyota Y aris. T h e f o r m e r d e p u t y h e a d o f t h e I D F ’ s c h i e f s o f s t a f f d r o v e t o t h e s i t e w h e r e t h e N o v a M u s i c f e s t i v a l w a s h e l d n e x t t o k i b b u t z B e ’ e r i a s i t t u r n e d i n t o I s r a e l ’ s k i l l i n g f i e l d s . There Golan sa ved the lives of young music lovers who tried to escape the massacre on f oot as they ran through the f ields to the nearby f orest. After the Israeli government off icially declared war on the P alestinian terrorist movements in Gaza, a spontaneous popular movement emerged of thousands of volunteers who wanted to do something. That was another factor that drove man y after 7 October , they wanted to do something, it didn ’ t matter what as long as it could help the victims, the people, the arm y , and the state. E v e n f r o m a b r o a d, e x p a t s c a m e b a c k t o I s r a e l a n d n o t j u s t t o v o l u n t e e r i n t h e a r m y b u t t o c o o k f o r t h e s o l d i e r s o r t h e e v a c u e e s a s m y d a u g h t e r d i d w i t h s o m e f r i e n d s . The appro ximately three hundred thousand ID F reser vists who had been called up f or active duty under or der eight ( T zav Shmoneh ) now received assistance from reser vists who had not been called up . Among them was f ormer Prime Minister N aftali Bennett who also reported to a base near Gaza but was sent back due to his status as an ex - prime minister and because his saf ety could not be guaranteed. Bennett then volunteered as Israel ’ s unoff icial spok esman f or the f oreign media. The soldiers waiting f or the or der to enter Gaza were often seen in videos demonstrating unprecedented determination and high morale that was motivated by the J ewish religion and tradition. N umerous video clips were posted on social media in which the soldiers were seen singing religious songs and dancing together . Other Israelis volunteered to help identify the remains of often burned victims of the 7 October massacre. These volunteers later ga ve testimonies about what they had seen and , some had to seek psychological help because of the trauma they had endured. Other Israelis with a background in psychological healthcare volunteered to counsel the massacre sur vivors and held sessions with young children who had witnessed the gruesome mur der of their parents. There is one overriding belief among the Israeli public at the time of writing this article and that is that the ID F must now f inish the job and eradicate the evil that has engulf ed Israel f or decades. Hamas and PIJ , as well as H ezbollah and their sponsor Iran, will be given a lesson they will never be able to f orget. Whether this will put an end to their con viction that Israel will ha ve to be wiped off the map is highly questionable, but Gaza will never again be a place where terrorists can freely work on their evil plans f or the J ewish state. P e o p l e l i g h t c a n d l e s i n J e r u s a l e m t o r e m e m b e r t h e v i c t i m s w h o w e r e m u r d e r e d b y H a m a s t e r r o r i s t s a n d t o r e m e m b e r t h e h o s t a g e s . | P h o t o : F l a s h 9 0 T h e A f t e r m a t h o f t h e B l a c k S h a b b a t M a s s a c r e I t was these heroes w ho in man y cases preven ted Hamas and PIJ from carrying ou t their plan to ad vance in to J udea and occu p y en tire ci ties. M a j o r G e n e r a l Y a i r G o l a n | P h o t o : S c r e e n s h o t f r o m X

9. R epo rts fr o m I srael 9 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 T h e W o r l d W a t c h e s a n d W a i t s B ry ce Turner n Ex ecuti ve Director | Christians for Israel N ew Zea land I t’ s somewhere up here on the left. Somewhere... Ha ving been to Sderot a number of times, and specif ically to the P olice S tation —a regular stop on our S tudy T ours, where you can look through the f ence and see shelves full of rock et fragments from Gaza — I was sure the P olice station was around here somewhere. Instead, there is an empty lot. B ut that is where the P olice S tation once stood. T his P olice station became the primar y target of the Gazan terrorists on 7 October , and the massive f ire- f ight that f ollowed sa w the building destroyed to the point where the city decided to simply remove what was left of the r ubble. CCT V f ootage of a lone car meant to be the means to saf ety f or a young family terrif ied by the f erocity and duration of the 6:30am rock et attack became f ootage of terror . Intercepted by pickup trucks loaded with hea vily armed terrorists, the lone car stopped at the sound of another rock et. The father and his 4- year -old daughter were attack ed whilst heading f or a bomb shelter . Thinking both were dead , the terrorists re-boar ded their vehicles and headed f or the P olice S tation in Sderot. W e hold our breath, watching the screen in the operations command centre, waiting. Finally , there is movement. The little girl stands to her f eet and looks around , stunned , shattered. At that moment the CCT V cameras catch her little face, ever y angle reflecting the ultimate f ear of being all alone in the world. As our heart sinks, breaking just a little more, we see movement from the badly wounded father . The video continues. A police off icer who had just f inished his shift pulls up to the intersection and sees the badly wounded man and his daughter . Sending the little girl back to her mother and little sister in the family car , the kind policeman places the wounded man in his own car to tak e him to the saf ety of the P olice S tation. T otally unaware of the murderous intentions of the terrorists, the P olice Off icer arrives at the P olice S tation, which is now in the hands of the Gazans. The P olice Off icer , the wounded father , the mother and the youngest daughter are killed. And on the beautiful little girl? That look , the penetrating panic of being all alone, just became the rest of her lif e. N ormally a community of nearly 40,000, Sderot’ s ma yor has become the largest hotel tenant in Israel. With nearly 30,000 Sderot sur vivors now evacuated to hotels, the humanitarian task of looking after the well -being of ever y Sderot citizen just became massive. Schooling, kindergarten, jobs, and healthcare all ha ve to be organised and coor dinated. A signif icant job or dinarily , faced with not only the geographic displacement but also the reality of the attack itself, this task is now monumental. And then there ’ s the challenges that aren ’ t so obvious. E ver ybody in this community has lost friends, family , neighbours. P eople can ’ t sleep at night, and children scream in terror at the bang of ever y door closing. P eople ha ve been shot, brok en, violated. Man y will never recover from this. And the world sa ys Israel should ceasef ire. The hotel is classy , and I ha ve sta yed at it whilst leading study tours in previous years. Or dinarily , it is a place of relaxation, good meals, and a quick walk down to experience the phenomena that is floating in the Dead Sea. The atmosphere this time, however , is subdued. In the f oyer , a series of tables displa y a collection of odd items. Some unusual, but items that were obviously of signif icance to somebody . B ut who? Then you see the displa y boar ds behind. Each boar d is covered in posters. S imple posters, black type, red titles, a colour photo. They all look the same at f irst, but they are diff erent. Looking closer , each poster is a diff erent face, a diff erent name, age, and even nationality . Hamas wasn ’ t fussy about who it mur dered or who it captured , it seems. Each poster is a person, a lif e, and the brok en hearts of family , friends, a community , a countr y . B ut it’ s not just the grief of a lost loved one, f or there are hundreds of those. I t’ s the not knowing. The grinding agon y of uncertainty . Are they still alive? Are they being look ed after ? The faces of elderly men and women who ha ve faithfully ser ved their community f or a lif etime, who are supposed to be enjoying the fruits of their labour as they love and live as only a grandparent can. The people who came from Gaza took them. Y oung men, f it, strong, their whole lives in front of them. They’ re gone, too. Beautiful young teenage girls who should be enjoying their journey through youth, who should be tr ying out clothes and mak eup . The butchers who cut off breasts and threw them at each other raped women until their pelvis shattered; those same ‘ resistance f ighters ’ took these innocent young girls too. W e can only wonder , in desperate hope, at what has happened to them. Enraged at such absolute brutality , the militar y is doing what they ha ve been f orced to do. E ver y da y , the faces of young soldiers, man y freshly f inished high school, are shared on national television as the memorial role pla ys; Each one counts another grieving family , another devastated mother . M ore bra ve young soldiers seeing things that no human being should ha ve to see. M ore gra ves. And the world wa tches and wai ts. T h i s a f t e r n o o n , t h e g o o d c i t i z e n s o f G a z a t r i e d o n c e a g a i n t o k i l l m e . F o r t h e s e c o n d t i m e t h i s w e e k , w e d e p a r t e d f r o m t h e T e l A v i v a r e a o n l y m i n u t e s b e f o r e a n o t h e r d e a d l y r o c k e t b a r r a g e w a s f i r e d i n t o t h e c i v i l i a n s u b u r b s . T h e a i r - r a i d s i r e n s h a v e a s o u n d l i k e n o o t h e r . E f f e c t i v e i n c o m m u n i c a t i n g t h e u r g e n c y o f a p e n d i n g a t t a c k , t h e s o u n d a l s o w o r m s i n t o t h e d e e p e s t a r e a s o f t h e b r a i n , c a u s i n g a p e r m a n e n t r e s p o n s e t o a n y s o u n d r e m o t e l y s i m i l a r — f o r t h e r e s t o f o n e ’ s l i f e . And sti l l, the world wa tches. And passes judgmen t from the safety of keyboards or armchairs. Some 500,000 people ha ve been f orced from their homes. Children live in hotel rooms—spacious and comf ortable accommodation f or the tourist to sleep in, but a prison cell f or a growing young mind that cannot lea ve, cannot return to home, to normal. And the world wai ts. The news channels show yet more marches from around the world. Some now ever y more violent, public places being damaged or destroyed , flags being torn down, vile antisemitic icons and slogans being splashed with paint, and the ever - increasing frenzy of screaming hate. Thousands, thousands, more thousands. In countries all around the world. C ountries in which, inevitably , most of these rabid masses were not born but were welcomed. And the others? Quiet. R espectfu l. C ontinued on page 10 T h e S d e r o t P o l i c e s t a t i o n i n 2 0 1 5 , w h i c h w a s a r e g u l a r s t o p d u r i n g o u r C 4 I S t u d y T o u r s | P h o t o : C 4 I A u s t r a l i a B r yce T urner and Leon M eijer at the empty lot where the Sderot P olice S tation once was. | Photo: C4I

4. I srael a t W ar — N ews 4 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 By J osh ua Mar ks n “ Hamas’ s goal is not to r un Gaza and to bring it water and electricity and such ” but to “ completely over throw the situation,” said a member of the terror group ’ s political bureau. Hamas has no interest in governing Gaza but wants a never -ending war with Israel, members of the terrorist group told The N ew Y ork Times in a f eature piece published early N ovember . Accor ding to the Hamas leaders, that was one of the primar y goals of their 7 October in vasion of the north western N egev , in which thousands of armed terrorists massacred 1,400 people, mostly civilians, wounded over 5,000 others and took back to Gaza more than 200 hostages. “ I h o p e t h a t t h e s t a t e o f w a r w i t h I s r a e l w i l l b e c o m e p e r m a n e n t o n a l l t h e b o r d e r s a n d t h a t t h e A r a b w o r l d w i l l s t a n d w i t h u s , ” T a h e r e l - N o u n o u , a H a m a s m e d i a a d v i s e r , t o l d t h e U S - b a s e d n e w s p a p e r . Khalil al - Ha yya, a member of the terrorist group ’ s politburo in Q atar , said they planned the 7 October assault to “ change the entire equation and not just ha ve a clash,” adding that “we succeeded in putting the P alestinian issue back on the table, and now no one in the region is experiencing calm.” “ Hamas ’ s goal is not to run Gaza and to bring it water and electricity and such,” said al - Ha yya. “ Hamas, the Q assam and the resistance wok e the world up from its deep sleep and showed that this issue must remain on the table.” H e added: “This battle was not because we wanted fuel or labourers. I t did not seek to improve the situation in Gaza. This battle is to completely overthrow the situation.” Seni or Hamas off i cial Ghazi Hamad to ld Lebanon ’ s LBC T V on 24 October that the terr or gr oup would con tin ue to carr y out massacr es lik e the one it carri ed out in southern Israel on 17 October un til the J ewish state is destr oy ed. “ Israel is a coun tr y that has no p lace on our land. W e m ust r emove that coun tr y because it constitutes a security , militar y and po liti cal catastr op he to the Arab and Islami c nati on, and m ust be f inished,” said Hamad, accor ding to a translati on of the in ter vi ew pr ovided by the Middl e East M edia R esear ch Institute. “W e are not ashamed to sa y this, with full f orce,” he added. Israel ’ s existence was “ illogical,” he said , adding, “The existence of Israel is what causes all that pain, blood and tears. “The Al - Aqsa Flood [Hamas ’ s name f or the 7 October mass terror attack] is just the f irst time, and there will be a second , a thir d , a f ourth because we ha ve the determination, the resolve and the capabilities to f ight,” said Hamad. Originally published at www .jns.or g. R epublished with permission. P a l e s t i n i a n m e m b e r s o f I z z a d - D i n a l - Q a s s a m B r i g a d e s , t h e a r m e d w i n g o f t h e H a m a s m o v e m e n t . | P h o t o F l a s h 9 0 H a m a s : W e W a n t P e r m a n e n t W a r w i t h I s r a e l By Y ari v Becher n Israel ’ s culture of innovation will help us win the war and build a new regional reality . When we talk about the success of the Israeli innovation ecosystem, we are often ask ed how , in a relatively short period , a tin y countr y in the Middle East emerged as a global innovation powerhouse. T o answer this, people often point to unique characteristics of Israeli culture that tend to breed entrepreneurship . Among these characteristics is resilience. Israelis don ’ t sh y a wa y from risk , and when they don ’ t succeed , they learn from the experience and implement the lessons learned. F or man y Israeli entrepreneurs, success only comes after failure. 7 October was one of Israel ’ s most tragic da ys. The countr y will never be the same again. The real test, however , is how Israel responds and rebuilds. H ow do we mak e sure this novel venture called Israel will endure and succeed? W e will lik el y be anal ysing and dissecting the causes of the 7 October disaster and the Israeli r esponse to it f or y ears to come. B ut we can alr ead y sa y with confidence that Israel ’ s populati on, civil soci ety and vari ous comm uniti es ar e unifi ed in unpr eceden ted support and compassi on f or their f ell ow Israelis. The immense mobilisati on of vo l un teers, incl uding high - tech ex ecutives and emp l oy ees, ex emp lifi es Israel ’ s agility , fl exibility and ‘ get- things-done ’ spirit. N o less astonishing is the fact that, while man y of the reser vists called up and man y of those who are volunteering come from the tech sector , that sector continues to ser ve its global customer base, prof essing that the Israeli tech industr y delivers no matter what. Hamas ’ s hideous massacre destroyed lives, families and communities. I t also shattered preconceptions and predispositions. H owever long it will tak e f or the war to end , it is clear that the da y after , there will be a diff erent reality . Man y commentators share the opinion that, in the aftermath of the war , a new paradigm will be needed that tak es a wider perspective integrating regional and international stak eholders. J ust a f ew weeks ago— which now seems lik e a lif etime ago— we celebrated the thir d anniversar y of the Abraham Accor ds against the back drop of increasing reports of impending normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia. While current developments ha ve cooled these newly f ormed relations, the infrastructure behind them is still in place. Over the past two y ears, S tart- U p N ati on C en tral has been working to build a f oundati on f or r egi onal r elati onships based on co llaborati on in innovati on, beli eving that such activiti es will help these r elati onships withstand crises. T h i s w a s r e c e n t l y e m p h a s i s e d b y B a h r a i n ’ s F i n a n c e M i n i s t e r , S h e i k h S a l m a n b i n K h a l i f a A l K h a l i f a , w h o s a i d t h e I s r a e l - H a m a s w a r s h o u l d n o t d i s r u p t t h e n o r m a l i s a t i o n i n i t i a t e d w i t h I s r a e l i n 2 0 2 0 . H e s h a r e d w i t h T h e W a l l S t r e e t J o u rn a l , “ I t ’ s e x t r e m e l y i m p o r t a n t i n t h e r e g i o n t h a t w e c o n t i n u e t o b u i l d b r i d g e s . ... T h e p e o p l e w h o s h o u l d w r i t e t h e f u t u r e a r e t h e b u i l d e r s i n t h e r e g i o n . ” P a r t o f o u r i n n o v a t i o n d i p l o m a c y h a s b e e n t o s h a r e t h e k n o w l e d g e a n d e x p e r i e n c e I s r a e l h a s a c c u m u l a t e d o v e r t h e y e a r s i n d e v e l o p i n g a t h r i v i n g i n n o v a t i o n e c o s y s t e m v i a a s t r u c t u r e d, l o n g - t e r m p r o c e s s . T h i s i n c l u d e s f o s t e r i n g e n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p a n d c u l t i v a t i n g a h e a l t h y r i s k - t a k i n g m i n d s e t . A c c e p t i n g f a i l u r e a l s o p l a y s a m a j o r p a r t i n f o u n d i n g a t e c h s t a r t - u p . B u t t h e m i n d s e t i s t r u e f o r a l l s u c h v e n t u r e s . I once hear d an Israeli CEO sa y that establishing the S tate of Israel was an innovation enterprise that embedded entrepreneurship in Israelis ’ D NA. I completely agree. Lik e man y start- ups that ha ve faced har dship , we now need to mourn our failure. Israel should honour its dead , tak e care of their families and pra y f or the release of the hostages. Then, we will need to stand up , learn from the tragedy and rebuild. Our partners in the region are looking at us to see if we will prevail despite this terrible blow . The network of regional connections and relationships we ha ve built is now dormant but not extinct. Dr Ali Rashid Al N uaimi, Chairman of the Def ense, Interior and F oreign Affairs C ommittee of the U nited Arab Emirates F ederal N ational C ouncil, rightfully said a f ew da ys ago, “The Abraham Accor ds are there to sta y .” When the time comes, and we hope it will come soon, we will work together with our friends and partners to create a new reality in which we will prosper together . Y a r i v B e c h e r i s v i c e p r e s i d e n t o f i n n o v a t i o n d i p l o m a c y a t S t a r t - U p N a t i o n C e n t r a l a n d a f o r m e r c o m m e r c i a l a t t a c h é f o r I s r a e l ’ s M i n i s t r y o f E c o n o m y . O r i g i n a l l y p u b l i s h e d a t w w w . j n s . o r g . R e p u b l i s h e d w i t h p e r m i s s i o n . T h e A b r a h a m A c c o r d s A f t e r t h e W a r

14. A J ewish P erspecti v e 4 (A USTRALIA) D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 Dr R o n W eiser AM n H onorary Life Presiden t of the Zionist Counci l of NSW As Israel battles to remove the threat of barbarism and depra vity to her citizens, it beggars ’ belief to see what is going on in the world. W estern democracies, themselves ultimately under similar threat, stand strongly with Israel when she is being attack ed. H owever , once Israel actually def ends herself, support waivers. There is a total disconnect in logic between people who understand the situation and articulate what, in their opinion, should not be done but are vague, to the point of extreme frustration, on what to actually do. On what they would do. A good example is provided by Australian F oreign Minister P enn y W ong, who correctly and clearly wrote on 4 N ovember in The G uardian about Hamas, sa ying, “ A cra ven terrorist group that has burrowed itself in civilian infrastructure, using civilians as a shield ”. Y et, despite Israel saf eguar ding evacuation routes and providing humanitarian aid directly to the hospitals, evacuation and aid to P alestinians, which Hamas tries to block by shooting and killing their own Gazans, and with strict adherence to International La w , Israel is pilloried and expected to def eat Hamas in some other , alwa ys undefined , manner . R epeti tion is R equired Israel does her utmost to minimise civilian casualties. Hamas purposefully targets all civilians, P alestinian and Israeli. As one obser ver noted , “ If Israel didn ’ t care about civilians, this war would ha ve been over on 8 October .” W e do not know the number of people killed in Gaza as yet, but as President B iden said with absolute clarity: “ I ’ m sure innocents ha ve been killed , and it’ s the price of waging a war . B ut I ha ve no confidence in the number the P alestinians are using.” In that same 4 N ovember article, F oreign Minister W ong also wrote—“ I t will require the dismantling of Hamas— which doesn ’ t represent the P alestinian people.” There is a heroic, unproven assumption here, f or which we ha ve no evidence about who does or does not represent the P alestinians. What we do know is that Hamas was democratically elected in Gaza in 2006 and that P alestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas has cancelled elections when scheduled f or f ear his party would be roundly def eated by Hamas. F or f ear that Hamas is indeed the popular choice of the P alestinians. The horrors perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October are almost impossible to believe. W e are witnessing two processes at pla y around the world , particularly in large sections of the media and from so-called influencers, even more so at the political level. F irstly , we are seeing ‘ atrocity denial. ’ J ournalists and influencers simply believe that the atrocities are overblown or never took place. Some cannot conceive that an yone could do the things Hamas did , and man y others f or whom denial is the only wa y they can perpetuate their agenda of anti - J ewish sentiment and hate. There are those who wish to paint Israel as the aggressor . And what is the highest expression of her aggression? Israel ’ s ver y existence. As man y ha ve pointed out, this is not about an ything Israel did. B ut simply that Israel is. This brings us to the second part of the delegitimisation of Israel and the J ewish people. W h e n p e o p l e g r o w u p w i t h t h e b e l i e f t h a t J e w s i n t e n d t o h a r m P a l e s t i n i a n c h i l d r e n , o r i n p r e v i o u s t i m e s t h e i m a g e s p e r p e t u a t e d b y a d i ff e r e n t m a n i f e s t a t i o n o f t h e b l o o d l i b e l s o f E u r o p e , t h e y r e q u i r e n o c h e c k i n g o f f a c t s o r v e r i fi c a t i o n w h e n t h e y h e a r a b o u t I s r a e l b o m b i n g a h o s p i t a l . C onfirmation bias allows them to think —“ Of course, the J ews killed babies. That is what J ews do.” In the so-called ‘ Arab street, ’ indoctrinated over generations to believe J ews are evil, one can more easily understand confirmation bias at work. B ut in the W est? Amongst so-called knowledgeable opinion mak ers and academics? The streets of our cities around the W estern world are witness to coded messages at pro- P alestinian rallies. M essages that are apparently unreadable by governments and authorities. In 1 964, when Israel had nothing to do with Gaza, J udea/Samaria/ W est Bank and even the O ld C ity of J erusalem, and these areas were ruled by the Arab world , the PLO was f ormed — the P alestine Liberation Organisation. Wha t was i t F ormed to ‘Libera te’? In case that coded message was not understood , the answer was Israel. The chant “ F rom the river to the sea,” which is directly from the H amas Charter of 20 17, A rticles 2 and 20, means nothing more or less than the disappearance of the S tate of Israel. As Y ossi Klein Halevy writes: “ F rom the river to the sea, P alestine will be free— free, that is, of J ews.” In the event that an yone might still be under an y illusion, those same rallies shout about “75 years of occupation.” They are not talking about what to do with the territories that f ell into Israel ’ s hands in the 6- D a y W ar of 1 967; they are screaming about 1 948, the establishment of the S tate of Israel. What it comes down to is our duty to explain what these messages really mean. And it is our obligation to polish the moral lens of Israel ’ s allies and friends. J u s t t o d ay , U n i t e d St a t e s N a t i o n a l S e c u r i t y s p o k e s p e r s o n J o h n K i r b y s a i d : “ W e h av e i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t H a m a s a n d t h e Pa l e s t i n i a n I s l a m i c Ji h a d u s e d s o m e h o s p i t a l s i n t h e G a z a St r i p, i n c l u d i n g A l- S h i f a a n d t u n n e l s u n d e r n e a t h t h e m , t o c o n c e a l a n d t o s u p p o r t t h e i r m i l i t a r y o p e r a t i o n s a n d t o h o l d h o s t a g e s . ” I t took the moral clarity of German Chancellor Sholtz yester da y when rebutting comments by T urkish President E r dogan, he expressed the reality of the situation to sa y: “ Israel is a democracy and a countr y that is bound to human rights and international la w and acts accor dingly .” A recognition and statement that Israel ‘ acts accor dingly . ’ W e can be proud of Israel ’ s simultaneous commitment to the def ence of her people and adherence to the highest moral code. A m Y israel Chai. I s r a e l M u s t D e f e n d I t s e l f | Photo: Sky N ews Some cannot concei ve tha t an y one cou ld do the things Hamas did, and man y others for w hom denia l is the on l y wa y they can perpetua te their agenda of an ti-J ewish sen timen t and ha te.

28. C4I E v en ts 12 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l o n T V i n N o rw a y R ev Co rnelis Kan t n E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r | C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l I n t e r n a t i o n a l “W e need to ha ve this in Oslo too!” P astor J an - Aage T orp told me after our conf erence in Bergen, N or wa y , last J une. And so he set to work on a 3-da y conf erence f or pastors of churches in Oslo in October . Over 60 pastors promptly registered. M ean while, the war around Gaza brok e out shortly bef ore, and some of them sta yed home out of f ear of incidents. The organiser was k een f or the lectures to be broadcast on T V to reach as man y people as possible. H owever , there appeared to be a considerable price tag f or the arrival of a camera crew . H e decided to pra y f or this. The evening bef ore the conf erence, a sponsor spontaneously phoned. During the week of 13 N ovember , all lectures were broadcast on Visjon N orge T V and on the internet via kristenk oalisjon. world. Andrew T uck er of thinc. spok e about international la w , the war in Gaza, the impossibility of the EU’ s two-state solution and the EU’ s long-standing anti - Israel stance. I spok e about the signif icance of Israel in God ’ s plan of salvation in the O ld and N ew T estaments, reading man y biblical passages, and explained the origin and development of replacement theology . A N or wegian M ember of P arliament, Himanshu G ulati, himself a Hindu, addressed us at the conf erence. H e told us that his nation of origin, India, along with man y Hindus worldwide, strongly stand with Israel. H e inf ormed us he is part of an international pro- Israel organisation of politicians. H ow shocking that man y churches and Christians in N or wa y are ver y critical of Israel, while a Hindu supports Israel. The conf erence concluded with a panel discussion in which a N or wegian la wyer and a f ormer colonel from the N or wegian arm y also participated. W e look back with gratitude on a valuable conf erence and pra y that the broadcasts ma y reach man y people. L e f t p h o t o : C o n f e r e n c e a t t e n d e e s i n B e r g e n , N o rw a y . R i g h t p h o t o : L e f t t o ri g h t : A n d r e w T u c k e r ; C o r n e l i s K a n t ; E i g i l J e s p e r s e n , f o r m e r c o l o n e l i n t h e N o rw e g i a n A r m y a n d l e a d e r o f p r o - I s r a e l g r o u p i n t h e L a b o r m o v e m e n t i n N o rw a y ; H a g n a r H a t l e m , i n t e r n a t i o n a l l a w l a w y e r ; P a s t o r K ä t h e A n n b j ø r g K r i s t o f f e r s e n f r o m K r i s t i a n s a n d ; J a n - A a g e T o r p a n d h i s w i f e A i n a , o r g a n i z e r o f t h e c o n f e r e n c e a n d P r e s i d e n t o f t h e E u r o p e a n A p o s t o l i c L e a d e r s . S u r i n a m e P r a y s f o r I s r a e l R ev Co rnelis Kan t n E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r | C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l I n t e r n a t i o n a l “ N ow I understand w h y we should pra y f or Israel ”. This is how a parti cipan t r esponded via WhatsApp the da y after our Israel conf er ences in P aramaribo, a f ormer co l on y of The N etherlands. The importance of pra y er f or Israel appar en tl y touched him deep l y since he wo k e up on Satur da y morning, 7 October , after our conf er ences and sa w the news about Hamas ’ horrib l e terr orist attacks on Israel. Over 500 peop l e attended the Israel conf er ences at P aramaribo ’ s biggest theatr e. A dance gr oup opened the conf er ence with Israeli songs, impr essivel y setting the mood. P astor Said Fl or es fr om C uraçao talk ed about the histor y of the peop l e of Israel. S uriname ’ s ambassador to Israel, S tevan us N oor dzee, exp lained that Israel was the f irst coun tr y in the Middl e East to estab lish dip l omati c r elati ons with S uriname after it r ecognised its independence in 1 975. S ince then, Israel has been an importan t partner f or S uriname in heal thcar e, agri cul tur e and techno l ogy . R ev K enneth Kross, chairman of the Israel C ommittee S uriname, spok e about the importance of pra ying f or Israel and taking a stand f or Israel in international politics. H e also mentioned that S uriname was a saf e ha ven f or man y E uropean J ews during WWII. The vice- president of S uriname, Ronn y B runswijk , attended a part of the conf erence and shared with the attendees that S uriname cooperates with Israel on the further development of S uriname in man y areas. During m y session, I explained the unique bond between J erusalem and the J ewish people from the B ible and that J erusalem can never be divided. The thir d conf erence took place in N ieuw N ick erie, in the west of the countr y , on the da y Hamas attack ed Israel. “ I t is so good to be rea wak ened about Israel with these B ible studies and speeches,” one pastor said. Another participant told me: “ I was born in S uriname, but now I know where m y real roots are.” E xtensive pra yers were off ered f or Israel ’ s protection. The conf erences were unique f or S uriname, especially since the war brok e out in Israel in these ver y da ys. T h e c o n f e r e n c e s i n P a r a m a r i b o w e r e l i v e b r o a d c a s t e d o n TV i n S u r i n a m e . A f t e r t h e c o n f e r e n c e s , w e w e r e i n v i t e d f o r a p e r s o n a l m e e t i n g b y P r e s i d e n t S a n t o k h i o f S u r i n a m e . T o g e t h e r , w e p r a y e d f o r I s r a e l . W e w e r e a l l p a r t i c u l a r l y t o u c h e d b y t h e w a r m t h o f t h e p e o p l e i n S u r i n a m e a n d t h e i r l o v e f o r I s r a e l . R e v C o r n e l i s K a n t t o g e t h e r w i t h R e v K e n n e t h K r o s s h a n d s a m e n o r a h t o t h e P r e s i d e n t o f S u r i n a m e . | P h o t o s : C 4 I

13. A Wor d fro m B ibli ca l Israel 3 (A USTRALIA) D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 S o n d r a O s t e r B a r a s n I n t e r n a t i o n a l P r e s i d e n t o f C F O I C H e a r t l a n d T h e w a r h a s b e e n g o i n g o n f o r w e e k s , a n d t h e r e i s n o e n d i n s i g h t . W h i l e t h e f o c u s o f m o s t o f t h e c o u n t ry a n d m o s t o f t h e w o r l d h a s b e e n o n t h e w a r i n G a z a , t h e r e i s a n o t h e r f r o n t w h e r e H a m a s i s a r e a l a n d v i a b l e t h r e a t a g a i n s t I s r a e l : J u d e a a n d S a m a r i a . T h e r e a r e 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 J e w s l i v i n g i n J u d e a a n d S a m a r i a , s u r r o u n d e d a n d o u t n u m b e r e d b y s o m e 2 m i l l i o n P a l e s t i n i a n s . W h i l e n o t a l l P a l e s t i n i a n s a r e t ry i n g t o d e s t r o y u s , r e c e n t s u rv e y s i n d i c a t e t h a t a m a j o r i t y a r e s u p p o r t e r s o f H a m a s . A s a P a l e s t i n i a n s u p p o r t e r o f I s r a e l r e c e n t l y p o i n t e d o u t — a l l P a l e s t i n i a n A r a b s h a v e b e e n r a i s e d i n t h e s a m e e d u c a t i o n a l s y s t e m s i n c e 1 9 9 3 a n d h a v e b e e n t a u g h t b y b o t h P A a n d H a m a s t e a c h e r s , t h a t J e w s a r e e v i l a n d m u s t b e d e s t r o y e d . T h e y h a v e b e e n r a i s e d o n t h e m o s t v i r u l e n t f o r m o f a n t i s e m i t i s m . M o s t a r e a p p l a u d i n g t h e H a m a s a t t a c k o n S o u t h e r n I s r a e l o f 7 O c t o b e r . F or years, terrorism has flourished in J udea and Samaria, k ept in check only by ID F vigilance. This past year , we witnessed a huge increase in terrorism in J udea and Samaria: J ews of all ages were attack ed and mur dered as they drove home from work , waited at bus stops, f illed their cars at a petrol station or stopped f or a falaf el. T oda y , we understand that this was all part of a diversionar y tactic to dra w the ID F’ s attention a wa y from Gaza and towar ds J udea and Samaria. B ut after 7 October attack , the ID F realised it could not aff or d to remove its f ocus from an y of our frontiers. S ince that attack , the ID F has arrested more than 1400 terrorists in J udea and Samaria, more than half of whom are members of Hamas. E ver y one of these terrorists could ha ve killed a J ew in J udea and Samaria. The ID F is literally sa ving lives and protecting us 24 hours a da y , seven da ys a week. W h a t d o e s t h e w a r f e e l l i k e i n K a r n e i S h o m r o n ? O n t h a t f a t e f u l S a t u r d a y o f S i m c h a t T o r a h , m o s t y o u n g m e n i n t h e c o m m u n i t y w e r e c a l l e d u p t o t h e I D F o n e m e r g e n c y d r a f t . S i n c e t h e n , t h e r e h a v e b e e n v e r y f e w m e n i n t h e c o m m u n i t y b e t w e e n t h e a g e s o f 1 8 a n d 4 0 . O u r r a p i d r e s p o n s e t e a m s a r e s u p p l e m e n t e d b y r e s e r v i s t s b e c a u s e s o m a n y t e a m m e m b e r s h a v e b e e n c a l l e d t o t h e i r r e g u l a r r e s e r v e u n i t s . F r i e n d s o f m i n e i n t h e i r 6 0 s , w h o s t o p p e d d o i n g r e s e r v e d u t y 2 0 y e a r s a g o , a r e n o w b a c k i n u n i f o r m , g u a r d i n g o u r s c h o o l s a n d d a y c a r e c e n t r e s . T wo of m y sons and m y son - in - la w ha ve been drafted. One is in the south, just outside of Gaza, one is guar ding a community in J udea, and one is at ID F headquarters in T el A viv . E ver y one of m y friends has children in the militar y . Some ha ve grandchildren in the ID F as well. M y daughter and daughters- in - la w are doing an amazing job coping with it all on their own — the f ear f or their husbands, looking after the children on their own and k eeping up with their jobs. D u r i n g t h e p a s t f e w d a y s , t h e d e a t h t o l l f r o m t h e G a z a g r o u n d i n v a s i o n h a s r i s e n . I s r a e l i s a s m a l l c o u n t r y , a n d w e a r e a l l c o n n e c t e d . I g o t a c a l l f i r s t t h i n g t h i s m o r n i n g f r o m a f r i e n d w h o u s u a l l y g i v e s a B i b l e c l a s s i n o u r s y n a g o g u e . S h e a p o l o g i s e d, b u t s h e w a s n o t g o i n g t o b e a b l e t o m a k e i t t o d a y — t h e s o n s o f t w o c l o s e f r i e n d s f e l l i n b a t t l e y e s t e r d a y , a n d s h e w a s g o i n g t o b o t h f u n e r a l s . O n e o f t h e s e s o l d i e r s w a s f r o m S h a d m o t M e c h o l a . T h e o t h e r h a d j u s t m a r r i e d a g i r l f r o m m y o w n c o m m u n i t y o f K a r n e i S h o m r o n . T h e r e a r e n o d e g r e e s o f s e p a r a t i o n . Early this morning, I wok e early to the sound of gunf ire. Rapid and loud. I t was coming from the valley just below m y neighbourhood , which is actually the B iblical Kana River V alley ( J oshua 17 ). And just as the gunf ire stopped , I hear d the M uezzin from the neighbouring village issue the morning call to pra yer . Y es, this is m y neighbourhood. W e are surrounded by Arab villages. The closest one is Azzun, which is known as a Hamas centre. The ID F is entering that village nearly ever y night, arresting terrorists and shutting down terrorist operations. The gunf ire we hear d was the ID F chasing a terrorist into the valley . F or years, we knew that Azzun was a threat, but we were conf ident that the ID F had the intelligence and the manpower to stop an attack bef ore the terrorists could enter our community . T oda y , after the horrif ic attacks on 7 October in the south, we ha ve to expect that Hamas in J udea and Samaria will tr y to mimic their Gaza brothers. And that is a whole diff erent level of threat. U ntil now , our rapid response teams were trained to confront the inf iltration of just a f ew terrorists; toda y , we know that we ha ve to be prepared f or hundreds at a time. On F rida y night, terrorists shot into three homes in the community of Rechalim. The families were home, man y in the rooms where the shots entered. I t was a miracle that no one was hurt. Arabs ha ve never gotten this close bef ore, never shot into Rechalim ’ s homes bef ore. The community is h ysterical with f ear . CFO I C H eartland has provided R echalim with security cameras, but clearly , they need an additional la yer of protection. At CFO IC H eartland , since 7 October , our f ocus has been on raising funds to equip the communities in J udea and Samaria to protect them against this new threat of sa vage Hamas terrorism. Each community has a rapid response team, but they need to increase the size of the teams, equip each new member with protective gear , and add a host of additional equipment, including cameras and communications devices. Thanks to Christians f or Israel and to Christian friends all over the world , we ha ve already supplied man y communities with vital needs. B ut there still so man y needs and community leaders are phoning us daily , desperate f or help . I hope you will do whatever you can to help us, protect the people of J udea and Samaria, and ensure a saf e and secure Israel. And one last thing. I believe that God is expecting each and ever y one of us to do whatever we can to help ourselves. B ut he is also waiting f or our pra yers. W e, in Israel, are pra ying. Our soldiers are pra ying. Their mothers and fathers are pra ying. Our leaders are pra ying. W e are all pra ying. I t gives me great comf ort to know that you are pra ying with us. Thank you. Sondr a Oster Bar as is the F ounder and I nternational P resident of CFOIC H eartland, representing the J ewish c ommunities in J udea and Samaria to Christians all over the world. T o support the ur gent security needs of the people of J udea and Samaria, please use the form on the back page and select CFOIC ( Christian F riends of I sr aeli C ommunities ). W a r D i a r i e s : T h e V i e w f r o m K a r n e i S h o m r o n H a d a r K a r a v a n i g r e w u p i n K a r n e i S h o m r o n a n d m a r r i e d h e r b e l o v e d Y o n a d a v R a z L e v i n s t e i n i n A u g u s t . Y o n a d a v f e l l i n b a t t l e i n G a z a o n S a t u r d a y 4 N o v e m b e r . M a y h e r e s t i n p e a c e . TW O ST A TES F OR TW O PE OPLES? By W olfg ang Bock and Andr ew T uck er By analyzing the assumptions underlying the EU tw o-stat e policy , The Hague Initiativ e f or Int ernational C ooper ation (thinc.) seek s t o stimulat e vigor ous debat e on the EU appr oach t o the P alestinian-Isr aeli conflict and a bett er way f orwar d f or E ur ope’ s engag ement in the Middle East. This booklet is a summary of the book: T w o Stat es f or T w o P eoples? LAND WITHOUT BORDERS By Johannes Gerloff and Heinz Reusch Return t o Zion! What the Jewish people hav e been pr aying f or f or tw o thousand y ears has been coming true since the end of the 19th century . A t the same time, ho w ev er , ther e is a fier ce struggle o v er the division of the country . This book uses maps t o illustr at e ho w Isr ael's bor ders hav e dev eloped betw een Isr aelis and P alestinians. An important book f or understanding curr ent conflict s. New Booklets A vailable Now . 0 0 $ 1 5 . 0 0 $ 2 0 OR DER YOUR C OP Y T ODA Y c4israe l.com.au/store

27. J ewish V o i ces 11 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 H a m a s ’ H a m a n / A m a l e k D e m o n i c S p i r i t Da vid N ekru tman n Imagine the f ollowing 7 October scenario: Gazans break through the security f ence, and tens of thousands just stand at the bor der demanding peace with Israel. N o missiles! N o artiller y! N o one is paragliding into Israel! That move alone would ha ve been more monumental than E gyptian President An war Sadat’ s visit to Israel 46 years ago. U nf ortunately , our nation is still grappling with the loss of over 1,200 mur dered , thousands ph ysically wounded , and 239 still held hostage by Hamas. F or the f irst week of S wor ds of Iron, most of the world seemed to be on our side. W orld leaders and even reporters wept in front of the camera who witnessed the barbaric nature of Hamas ’ killing spree of J ews and non - J ews. B y the beginning of the second week , an explosion of antisemitism had grabbed hold of the world. Pro- Hamas protests declaring “ F ree P alestine: F rom the River to the Sea ” has been echoed even in countries hea vily populated with J ews. In 2013, M ehdi Hasan already exposed the antisemitism of M uslims living in B ritain. I t seems that the pandemic of antisemitism has swept into other countries and has inf ected our college campuses. W e are living in a season where it’ s perf ectly legitimate in W estern democracies to publicly support a terrorist organisation and declare “kill the J ews.” I t just took three weeks to witness the full scale of a Haman spirit. In the court of public opinion as well as mainstream and social media, Hamas has successfully turned man y against us by tactically embracing an Amalek spirit in the use of Gazans as human shields, storing their weapons in hospitals and mosques, and preventing civilians from moving to saf er places in the area. Hamas was counting on Gazan civilian deaths so people would ponder the moral equivalency of Israel ’ s actions. M ore people are talking about “What is a proportional response?” than an y other period in histor y . H owever , a remnant within the Christian world understands that Israel is a sovereign and democratic state f ighting Hamas and other brutal Iran -sponsored non - state pla yers on behalf of the civilised world. F urthermore, they recognise there is no moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas. Instead of creating a Dubai on the M editerranean, Hamas oppressed their people. They used billions of international aid to buy an arsenal and dig an elaborate tunnel network under Gaza to actualise Article 15 of their Charter , “ In the face of the J ews ’ usurpation of P alestine, it is compulsor y that the banner of J ihad be raised.” On 7 October , Hamas deliberately went to individual homes to kill families and slaughter man y at a peace f estival. Y et, Hamas ’ demonic spirit has con vinced man y this was justif ied in the name of freeing P alestine. In the wak e of the greatest mass slaughter of J ews since the H olocaust, the most brazen example of terrorism on the international stage since 9/11, some pastors ha ve chosen to be silent on this issue from their pulpit. They ha ve been caught up in the moral equivalency argument and f orgotten about the biblical point of remembering what God said about Amalek in Deuteronomy 25:17- 1 9. While Hamas does not represent the a verage Gazan, this terrorist organisation revels in war crimes and proudly broadcasts its sa vager y f or all the world to see. I t is m y hope that these pastors see the light that ‘ F ree P alestine ’ should be interpreted as free from Hamas. David N ekrutman is an Orthodo x J ewish theologian with over two decades experienc e in the calling of J ewish-Christian relations. H e currently serves as the Ex ecutive Director of The I saiah P rojects and is the J ewish Adviser to The Chosen. C l o s e d C u r t a i n s Y oel Sch ukkmann n A f ew mon ths ago— at the beginning of the J ewish mon th of El oel — I was in vited to speak f or I sreality , the y outh movemen t of Christians f or Israel. I talk ed, among other things, about a custom we ha ve of sa ying an extra P salm ever y da y after our dail y pra y ers. In this P salm we sa y: “Though war br eak out against me, even then will I be confiden t” ( P salm 27:3 ). “That doesn ’ t sound l ogi cal,” I to ld the y oungsters. Rabbi M eir Shapir o (1887- 1 933) exp lained that if m y path in lif e wer e worth nothing, then neither would I encoun ter constan t r esistance fr om m y enem y , w ho is rising up against me in war . The fact that a ‘war’ comes m y wa y at ever y turn is a sign that m y actions, m y lif e ’ s purpose and ambitions are ver y valuable. So valuable that a total war breaks out against me to k eep me from realising m y dreams. W e also find ourselves in a war toda y , a war that brok e out against us. N ot because we are worth nothing but because we are valuable. Because we stand f or what is good and true. Closed Curtains As a five- year -old child , Rabbi Y itzchak Ar yeh Sek el (1768- 184 7 ), better known as the Baal Shem of Michelstadt, was already known as a child prodigy because of his wisdom. The fame of this prodigy eventually reached even the king ( or count) of Michelstadt, who now wanted to see f or himself whether the rumours were really true. H e summoned the child to his castle on a certain da y and time. The king or dered that ever yone should hide when this prodigy would come. After all, the castle had man y rooms, and with no one to show the wa y , he wanted to see if the child would find his wa y to him. When the da y da wned , the king look ed out his window and sa w young Y itzchak Ar yeh walking into the courtyar d. A short time later , the king was surprised by knocks on his door . The king was dumbf ounded. “ H ow did you know I was here?” he ask ed the child. “ Bef ore I went inside, I took some time to look at the castle from the outside,” he told the king. “ I sa w that the curtains of all rooms were open to let the sunlight in. Only one room had closed curtains, and I understood that had to be the room where the king was watching me from behind the curtains.” R edem ption and Goodness Y ears later , Rabbi Sek el repeated and explained the stor y . “When a person is going through difficult times, and he f eels that the curtains of hea ven are closed , it’ s just a sign that God is present, watching him from behind the curtain, from His hiding place.” J ust as da wn comes after night, har dship is often f ollowed by redemption and goodness. J eremiah 30:7 sa ys: “ I t will be a time of trouble f or J acob , but he will be sa ved out of it.” And as Rabbi Y ona ben Abraham (1200- 1263) writes: “The darkness is the origin of the light that will come.” Ma y we all see this light soon in our da ys. Y o e l S c h u k k m a n n g r e w u p i n t h e N e t h e r l a n d s a s a H a s i d i c J e w . I n h i s t e e n s , h e m a d e A l i y a h t o s t u d y i n a y e s h i v a . Y o e l n o w l i v e s i n J e r u s a l e m w i t h h i s w i f e a n d t w o c h i l d r e n . H e i s a s p e a k e r , t e a c h e s y e s h i v a b o y s a n d l e a r n s i n a K o l l e l , a l e a r n i n g i n s t i t u t e f o r m a r r i e d m e n . | P h o t o : C a n v a P r o “ H a r d s h i p i s o f t e n f o l l o w e d b y r e d e m p t i o n a n d g o o d n e s s . ” U n f o r t u n a t e l y , o u r n a t i o n i s s t i l l g r a p p l i n g w i t h t h e l o s s o f o v e r 1 , 2 0 0 m u r d e r e d , t h o u s a n d s p h y s i c a l l y w o u n d e d , a n d 2 3 9 s t i l l h e l d h o s t a g e b y H a m a s .

22. O p i n i o n P i e c e f r o m B e e r s h e b a V i s i o n W h y I s r a e l a n d t h e W e s t C a n n o t B e a t H a m a s M i l i t a r i l y Barry R od gers O AM n Presiden t of Beersheba V ision Hamas is not an organisation H a m a s i s b e t t e r d e s c r i b e d a s a n o r g a n i s m n o t a n o r g a n i s a t i o n , a n d d e a l i n g w i t h i t a t a n o r g a n i s a t i o n a l l e v e l j u s t w o n ’ t w o r k . F o r s u r e i t h a s s o m e o r g a n i s a t i o n a l s t r u c t u r e s b u i l t a r o u n d i t , b u t a t i t s c o r e i t i s a n a g g r e s s i v e a n d m i l i t a r i s t i c i d e o l o g i c a l l y d r i v e n o r g a n i s m , d i a m e t r i c a l l y o p p o s e d t o W e s t e r n J u d e o C h r i s t i a n v a l u e s . P e r h a p s t h e b e s t a n a l o g y t o H a m a s i s t h a t o f a c a n c e r . A c a n c e r i n i t s e a r l y s t a g e c a n b e s u r g i c a l r e m o v e d b u t i f a l l o w e d t o d e v e l o p u n c h e c k e d, w i l l s p r e a d t h r o u g h t h e b o d y a n d b e i m p o s s i b l e t o b e s u r g i c a l l y r e m o v e d . P r e c i s i o n a i r s t r i k e s i n G a z a i n m y o p i n i o n a r e f r u i t l e s s a t t e m p t s t o s u r g i c a l l y r e m o v e H a m a s , b e c a u s e H a m a s h a s s p r e a d e v e r y w h e r e , e v e n i n o u r c o u n t r y . I s a w t h e m o n t h e s t e p s o f t h e O p e r a H o u s e j u s t a f e w w e e k s a g o , a n d a r o u n d t h e w o r l d i n m o s t m a j o r c i t i e s . T h o u s a n d s o f H a m a s s u p p o r t e r s a r e c h a n t i n g t h e i r s u p p o r t , b u r n i n g I s r a e l i fl a g s a n d s h o u t i n g d e a t h t o t h e J e w s . S a d d e s t o f a l l w a s t o s e e A u s t r a l i a n s c h o o l c h i l d r e n m a r c h i n g i n s u p p o r t o f H a m a s , a n t i s e m i t i s m i s n o l o n g e r o n t h e o u t e r f r i n g e s o f s o c i e t y , i t h a s e n t e r e d t h e p u b l i c s q u a r e , a n d t h a t i s a n o m i n o u s s i g n . Will Israel ’ s militar y pressure on Hamas cause it to collapse? T o continue with the ‘ cancer’ analogy , it is a well known medical fact that stress and mechanical pressure, encourages its growth, or in medical terms causes it to metastasise, and that is precisely what has been happening f or several decades with militant radical Islam, thanks in part at least to the W ests substandar d immigration policies, this cancer has spread far and wide. So, in k eeping with this analogy the best outcome to be hoped f or is a temporar y remission in Gaza, unless God miraculously inter venes. A W ake- U p Ca l l to the Comfortable Ch urch Thinking of Hamas in terms of an ideology orientates us in the right direction but does not go far enough, behind the ideology lies something far deeper and sinister . There is a prof ound spiritual dimension to this conflict that man y in the church fail to see. E r i c M e t a x a s i n h i s b o o k, W a rn i n g t o t h e A m e ri c a n C h u r c h c o m p a r e s t h e g e n e r a l d i s p o s i t i o n o f t h e c h u r c h t o d a y t o t h a t o f t h e c h u r c h i n t h e 1 9 3 0 s . I n d e e d, t h e p a r a l l e l s a r e s o b e r i n g i f n o t c h i l l i n g i n t h e i r s i m i l a r i t y . T h e s o c a l l e d ‘ e s t a b l i s h e d c h u r c h ’ w i t h s o m e n o t a b l e e x c e p t i o n s , i s m o s t a t f a u l t w i t h t h e i r “ w e d o n ’ t w a n t t o g e t i n v o l v e d i n p o l i t i c s , w e d o n ’ t w a n t t o o ff e n d a n y o n e ” a t t i t u d e , t h e r e a r e g o o d p e o p l e b o t h s i d e s w e a r e t o l d, s o w e s h o u l d n o t t a k e s i d e s . B e s i d e s , w e h a v e o u r o w n s h e e p t o t a k e c a r e o f , s o w h y m a k e w a v e s a n d r o c k t h e b o a t , i t s u n c o m f o r t a b l e . W e l l , t h i s t y p e o f m e n t a l i t y l e d t o t h e H o l o c a u s t a n d t h e u n s p e a k a b l e h o r r o r s o f a W o r l d W a r 2 , a n d w e a r e i n t h e g r a v e s t o f d a n g e r o f h i s t o r y r e p e a t i n g i t s e l f . W e w o u l d n ’ t h a v e b e e n a b l e t o d e f e a t t h e N a z i s i f w e h a d h e l d b a c k o u r A l l i e d a r m i e s b e c a u s e o f h a r m i n g i n n o c e n t F r e n c h a n d G e r m a n c i v i l i a n s . O f c o u r s e , t h e I D F m u s t b e j u d i c i o u s i n i t s p r o s e c u t i o n o f t h i s w a r a n d b y a l l a c c o u n t s t h e y a r e , b u t s a d l y w a r i s w a r a n d p e o p l e s u ff e r . T h a t s a i d, w e n e e d t o s e e t h e b i g p i c t u r e a n d t h i n k i n t e r m s o f P r i n c i p a l i t i e s m o r e t h a n p e o p l e i n t h i s r e s p e c t , a n d w h e n f a c e d w i t h p u r e e v i l w e m u s t t a k e s i d e s , t o n o t d o s o p u t s u s i n t h e p l a c e o f t h e L a o d i c e a n s , w h o b e c a u s e t h e y w e r e n e i t h e r c o l d n o r h o t , t h e L o r d w o u l d s p e w t h e m o u t o f H i s m o u t h . Where are the Bonhoeffers and N iemol lers T oda y? If you think this is a J ew versus M uslim war , you had better think again, the statement, “ first the Satur da y people, then the S unda y people ”, attributed to Martin N iemoller one bra ve Christian leader who stood against N azism is true. Only recently the co- f ounder of Hamas Mahmoud al - Zahar , stated clearly that after they had eliminated the J ewish Z ionists the next to go are the ‘ treacherous Christians. ’ On top of that the unlik ely bedf ellows of the Islamists, the far - left Social Marxists ha ve risen up to jointly and willingly lend a hand in that task. I ask where the N iemoller’ s and the Bonhoeff er’ s are toda y , sadly f ew and far between it seems. The Arm y of King Da vid is Arising A gain The P salmist had it right, in P salm 20. 7, where we read “ some trust in war chariots and some in their horses, but we trust in the Lor d our God.” I ha ve great respect f or the ID F and the M erka va main battle tank , it is a great war chariot, but this war cannot be won by the ID F , even with the help of America, because this is no or dinar y war . The good thing is, the ID F and Israelis in general are beginning to realise this, tens of thousands are turning to God , calling out to Him to deliver them. The sale of tzitzits going through the roof is an encouraging sign of this renewal, what has been truly uplifting is seeing huge numbers of soldiers pra ying bef ore going into battle, I ha ve seen whole Regiments of the ID F singing joyously P salm 121. I t’ s lik e King D a vids arm y is rising up again. I hope Israel ’ s ‘ top brass ’ are watching this phenomenon and taking note after their abject failure leading up to the disaster of 7 October . W e know God is in control and has His plan but if they can ’ t line up with that and quickly , it won ’ t end well f or them. I t’ s alwa ys been morally right to stand with Israel, but now more than ever we need to stand with our J ewish B rethren and call on the God of Abraham to deliver us all, as we Christians are in line and not far behind. T o c ontact Barry , email admin@beershebavision.or g. I f you would lik e to know more about Beersheba Vision, go to their website at beershebavision.org Israel Def ence F orce. D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 12 (A USTRALIA)

8. Emer gency Campai gn 8 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 Israel is in a state of emergency—the scale of the br utal Hamas terror of 7 October is unlik e an ything the J ewish state has ever experienced. J ews were massacred, raped, kidnapped —because they are J ews. T he per petrators are beyond an y f orm of humanity . T heir actions are based on pure hatred fueled by lies. As Christians f or Israel, we ha ve been able to suppor t man y people in Israel directly in recent weeks through our emergency fund. The need remains high. Please be a ware that your financial contribution helps not only practically , but time and again, we hear that our help and comf ort are experienced as an enormous encouragement. Through our emergency fund , we help as man y people in Israel as possible. H ere are some examples: Ÿ P e o p l e i n t h e s o u t h h a d t o fl e e t h e i r h o m e s i n g r e a t h a s t e a n d w e r e t r a n s f e r r e d t o s a f e r p l a c e s . T h e y a r e o f t e n l e f t w i t h o n l y b a r e n e c e s s i t i e s . W e h e l p e d w i t h e v a c u a t i o n , s h e l t e r , f o o d a n d o t h e r b a s i c n e c e s s i t i e s . Ÿ The danger is still not over . Thousands of rock ets ha ve been fired at Israel in recent weeks. P eople constantly ha ve to seek shelter . I t is particularly important that children receive extra attention and psychological counselling. Ÿ Man y Israelis are assisting to protect the inhabitants of the villages. W e support them with basic protection necessities. Ÿ P eople are suff ering because of the horrific events. E ver yone in Israel knows someone who has been drafted into the arm y , knows or has lost someone because of Hamas terror , and lives in f ear of what ma y come next. Children, teenagers and young adults, man y of whom ha ve never actually seen or experienced an y suff ering, are especially traumatised. As they spend time on the Internet and social media they are exposed to all the unfiltered horrific images. S ur vivors of the H olocaust see their worst nightmare come true again: ‘ never again ’ did happen. T raumas from their past surface again. Theref ore, we are also helping in this area. Thousands of Israelis across the countr y— organisations and residents— are working tooth and nail to help those who are severely traumatised. Ÿ W e help with protective film f or the windows of retirement homes. These people cannot get to the shelters quickly or hear the alarm going off. - W e also assist an institution that helps children with hearing disabilities get security arrangements in place. This is especially important f or people with hearing problems. Ÿ U nf ortunately , first responders need to come into action a lot and need a lot of resources. W e support replenishing supplies. Ÿ W e support ZAKA , the Israeli organisation that helps identify victims of disasters. Ÿ S ince man y people ha ve been drafted into the arm y , organisations are f orced to close their doors due to a lack of staff. W e help organisations that support the vulnerable. F or example, women who are victims of domestic violence but cannot go to shelters or children with disabilities who cannot go to therapy . Let I srael feel tha t they are not a l one a t such a time as this! W i l l Y ou H el p? I srael has been brutally attack ed. As Christians f or I srael, we want to pr ovide help wher e ever it is needed. W hile we 've been able to support many urgent emergency r equests, r equests f or help fr om all over I srael ar e still pouring in daily . T ogether w e can mak e a diff er enc e, bless I srael and allevia te the tr emendous suff ering. C omplete the c oupon at the back of this newspaper . Any amount is welc ome! “ C o m f o r t , c o m f o r t M y p e o p l e ” I s a i a h 4 0 : 1 Thousands of Israelis across the countr y— organisations and residents— are working tooth and nail to help the worst needs. In this photo, T el A viv residents help pack emergency packages f or those aff ected in southern Israel. | Photo: Flash90 B e s i d e s fi n a n c i a l l y s u p p o r t i n g t h e p e o p l e i n I s r a e l , e n c o u r a g e m e n t o f t h e Je w i s h p e o p l e l o c a l l y i s a l s o v e r y i m p o r t a n t . C 4 I I n t e r n a t i o n a l C h a i r m a n L e o n Me i j e r a n d h i s w i f e , J a n i n e , w e r e r e c e n t l y i n I s r a e l o n b e h a l f o f C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l . C 4 I N e w Z e a l a n d n a t i o n a l l e a d e r Br y c e T u r n e r a l s o fl e w t o I s r a e l t o b r i n g c o m f o r t t o t h e p e o p l e i n I s r a e l (r e a d m o r e o n p a g e 9 a n d 1 7) . S d e r o t , a t o w n o f 3 0 , 0 0 0 w i t h i n 4 k m o f G a z a , w a s o n t h e f r o n t l i n e w h e n H a m a s g u n m e n r a m p a g e d t h r o u g h I s r a e l i c o m m u n i t i e s . T h e t o w n h a s b e e n e v a c u a t e d e v e r s i n c e . P i c t u r e d h e r e : T h e m a y o r o f S d e r o t w i t h L e o n M e i j e r , B ry c e T u r n e r , J a n i n e M e i j e r , a n d t h e m a y o r ’ s d a u g h t e r . | P h o t o : C 4 I

30. Theol ogy 14 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 T h e P o w e r o f O u r P r a y e r R ev H enk P oot n C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l I n t e r n a t i o n a l When we hear and see so man y atrocities against the J ewish people, we wonder what we can do. One thing we should cer tainly do is pra y . Bef ore I elaborate on the power of pra yer with a f ew examples from the B ible, f irst note: friends in Israel ask us to pra y . H ow precious is that in all the miser y? Ha ve we dra wn so close together through this crisis? What joy there must be in hea ven when we pra y together in unity . M oses: M y f irst example is M oses. After the children of Israel are delivered from E gypt, Amalek attacks. They attack from the rear . W e see the same thing now . A columnist wrote in the f irst da ys after the Hamas in vasion: ‘women and children f irst’ has a changed meaning from now on. O f c o u r s e , t h e p e o p l e o f I s r a e l f i g h t b a c k , b u t t h e r e a r e s o m e w h o b e c a m e t o o o l d f o r b a t t l e . M o s e s , f o r e x a m p l e . H e s t a n d s o n a h i l l t o p t o s e e t h e u n f o l d i n g o f t h e w a r . B u t h e d o e s n ' t j u s t s t a n d a n d w a t c h ; M o s e s r a i s e s h i s h a n d s t o G o d . H e c o n t i n u e s t o d o s o . L a t e r , A a r o n a n d H u r w i l l s u p p o r t h i s t i r e d a r m s , f o r h e n o t i c e s t h a t h i s p r a y e r s g i v e s t r e n g t h t o I s r a e l . S t r o n g e r e v e n t h a n t h a t : t h r o u g h p r a y e r , t h e e n e m y i s d e f e a t e d . T h e s e d a y s , I o f t e n t h i n k : W h a t i s J e s u s d o i n g ? W h a t i s t h e L i o n o f J u d a h d o i n g ? W h o l o v e s t h e J e w s m o r e t h a n H e d o e s ? I k n o w H e i s p l e a d i n g a t t h e r i g h t h a n d o f G o d w i t h d e e p s i g h s u n t i l H e i s a l l o w e d t o g o t o e a r t h , t o J e r u s a l e m , i n a l l H i s g l o r y a n d p o w e r . J ehosha pha t: Another example is King J ehoshaphat ( 2 C or inthians 20 ). When J udah is overrun by enemies, he stands bef ore his people, raises his hands and sa ys to God , W e do not know what to do, but our eyes are on Y ou. Our enemies want to drive us out of our possessions, but will Y ou not judge them? The Lor d answers that it is His battle! H e will give the victor y . W e read in the f ollowing verses that the children of Israel sing to the Lor d and praise Him during the battle. So pra yer is coming bef ore the Lor d with your own powerlessness, and pra yer is praising the Lor d f or His great deeds. What H e did , H e will do also now! Pra yer means putting the suff ering and evil that happens to Israel into God ’ s hands and praising Him as the God of Israel who does mar vellous deeds! P a u l: Our last example is P aul. P aul ’ s mission is to proclaim the coming of God ’ s kingdom in the centre of the superpower R ome. In E phesians, he writes that we do not f ight the battle against men but against spiritual f orces in the hea venly realms. H e tells them to put on spiritual armour . One of the important weapons from this armour is the W or d of God. When it comes to Israel, we should not close the B ible— lik e so man y in churches still do. N o, as Christians, we should open the B ible. And , as P aul sa ys, we must pra y persistently in that battle. H ow Can W e Su pport Israel? B y s h o w i n g t h a t w e l o v e t h e J e w i s h p e o p l e , b y g i v i n g o u r o f f e r i n g s n o w t h a t t h e y n e e d o u r s u p p o r t , a n d b y s e e k i n g t h e f a c e o f t h e G o d o f I s r a e l : L o r d , a r i s e . M a y Y o u r e n e m i e s b e s c a t t e r e d , a n d m a y t h o s e w h o h a t e Y o u f l e e f r o m Y o u r p r e s e n c e . The B ible S peaks The Coming of the M essiah ‘I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called F aithful and T rue. W ith justic e, he judges and mak es war . H is eyes are lik e blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. H e has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself . H e is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the W or d of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. O ut of his mouth c omes a sharp swor d with which to strik e down the nations. "H e will rule them with an iron sc eptre. " H e treads the winepress of the fury of the wr ath of God Almighty . ' R evelation 1 9:11 - 16 This is how the M essiah will c ome! P aul sa ys in R omans 1 that God endur es, but H e does not f orget. And her e we see how the ac cumulated wrath of the L or d over the evil done to H is childr en c omes to an eruption. N ot without r eason did the priest Z echariah sing at the birth of J esus that I srael will now finally be deliver ed fr om the hand of all who hate them. And we pra y: “M aranatha, L or d J esus, c ome!” P eace A cti vist M urdered Canadian-I sraeli Vivian Silver (7 4 ) work ed f or years as a peac e activist and leader of W omen W aging P eac e to bring peac e to the Gaza r egion. S he also br ought r esidents of Gaza who needed medical tr eatment to I sraeli hospitals. I t was initially believed that Vivian was kidnapped to Gaza during the 7 October massacr e. R ec ently , her body was f ound; she had been mur der ed. M urder of the I nnocen ts Y osef Winner , a H olocaust survivor , writes: “M y name is Y osef Winner , and I am 9 7 years old. I survived the flames of the N azi beasts. M y entir e family perished in the terrible inf erno. I was cut off fr om my deep r oots. O ut of exhaustion, despair , and dr owning, I clung to the gr ound and planted r oots in Zion. I married A viva, and we raised two wonderful childr en—Of er and N urit. F r om Of er and M ichal, I ha ve f our grandchildr en in Kfar Aza. F r om N urit and M iki, I ha ve six grandchildr en in Kfar Aza, too. I had a large and well-planted family tr ee in the homeland. A tr ee that bears fruits. But suddenly , the events of 7 October emerged fr om among the f enc es of evil. The gruesome sights of fir e and dust, the horrible killing and mur der of innoc ents, came to me again. M y dear est grandson Y aha v was mur der ed while pr otecting his wif e, S hai-Li, and his one-month-old daughter , S heya. And my dear est granddaughter , H adar , and her husband, I ta y , wer e mur der ed while pr otecting their ten- month-old twins, R oy and G uy . Again, I am exhausted, in despair , dr owning. " V i c t i m s o f W a r

26. S tori es fro m the Holoca ust 16 (A USTRALIA) T h e M o s a i c M u r a l a t T e m p l e B e t h I s r a e l R abbi n I saac R i esenberg The Lan tern F ounda tion M y father was a H olocaust sur vivor . Whilst he did not talk about that time it was a per vasive influence on m y upbringing. On his left hand were two large blue letters tattooed K L, which meant in German K oncentration Lager or an inmate of the N azi death camp . Whilst he got on with re-establishing his lif e in S ydney , Australia, I sa w his pain, his anguish, the nightmares that alwa ys came to the surface. N otwithstanding these horrors I grew up with the mantra of the wor ds “ NEVER A GAIN .” With the establishment of the state of Israel, such a massacre would never again be perpetrated again to the J ewish people. Y et, as we know , f or one da y , 7 October , Shabbat, on the J ewish f estival S imchat T orah, the mantra “ NEVER A GAIN” was f orgotten. Then the most barbaric acts that humanity can produce was perpetrated on innocent men women and children in Israel ’ s South. I t is f or these reasons we must continue to remember and tell the stories of that dark period of human histor y the H olocaust, so that we can truly sa y , “ N ever Again ”. I am pleased to share with you the miraculous stor y of 100- year -old Lena Goldstein, as told by well - known author and pastor Barbara Miller . Barbara, along with her husband N orman, f ounded the T abernacle of D a vid church in Cairns in 1 996, the C entre f or International Reconciliation and P eace, and launched the Canberra Declaration and the N ational D a y of Pra yer and F asting. Barbara is the author of several books, including a book on William C ooper , a Christian Aboriginal who led a protest against the infamous K r istallnacht at the German C onsulate in M elbourne in 1 938. H er books can be seen at www .barbara - miller -books.com. H ere is Barbara telling Lena ’ s stor y . In 2015, N orman and I hosted in S ydney , “Sons of Abraham C onference ” to bring together J ews and Christian Arabs to reduce antisemitism. At that time, I decided to author a book called F aces of E ve, stories of J ewish and Christian Middle Eastern women. When in J anuar y 2016. I was introduced to Lena Goldstein, a H olocaust S ur vivor; her stor y was so amazing that it required a whole book rather than just one chapter . I researched man y archives to give context to Lena ’ s stor y . I must add that her memor y was amazing, and she had k ept a small diar y . M y goal was to present the published book to Lena on her 100th birthda y in J anuar y 201 9, which I did , personally presenting her with the final book . Lena was a sprightly 97- year -old living on her own and still driving a car . She was bright and exuded a warmth that was delightful. She told a horrific stor y of lif e during the H olocaust without bitterness, and her resilience and strength of character shone through. I could see that she could charm a room, debate with an ybody , and was committed to making the world a better place or repairing it - tikkun olam. When she was incarcerated in the W arsa w ghetto, where J ews had been f orced to live by the N azis in appalling conditions, Lena ’ s sense of humour enabled her and those hiding with her to get through that time. They spent months hiding from the N azis in a bunk er in the sewers under W arsa w as W orld W ar 2 raged above. There, she wrote a little weekly newsletter on scraps of paper she could find and added little jok es. Lena helped the resistance in the W arsa w Ghetto by taking German unif orms from the laundr y so that they could be used to surprise the Germans in the uprising, and she took lightbulbs from the empty homes to be used f or M olotov cocktails. Lena told me, “They were star ving and could not stand because of the cramped space; they had the same clothes on them f or months, lice k ept bugging them, and the f ear of discover y and death continually hung over them.” Throughout this time, Lena would not allow herself to cr y . H owever , when the war ended , emerging from her bunk er , a flood of tears released. H er brother was killed in the W arsa w Ghetto U prising, and her parents and boyfriend in the T reblinka death camp . Lena continues to be in m y heart and often on m y mind – a H olocaust or Shoah sur vivor whose stor y I turned into a book. I remember the last time I sa w Lena. N orman and I were in S ydney f or the week end as I was scheduled to speak at a N ations B less Israel event at the G reat S ynagogue in S ydney on M other’ s D a y , 12 Ma y 201 9. W e had just flown into S ydney from Cairns and got a taxi straight from the airport to her nursing home with our luggage, k een to see her . E ventually , she was called to dinner . When she stepped into the lift f or the dining room, she turned back to face N orman and me and pleaded with us to visit her again the next da y . I wanted to step out and give her one more hug, but then the lift door closed. A f e w d a y s l a t e r , I r e c e i v e d a n e a r l y m o r n i n g c a l l f r o m a f r i e n d, l e t t i n g m e k n o w t h a t s h e h a d p a s s e d a w a y . I w a s s h o c k e d o n h e a r i n g t h e n e w s , b u t s h e w a s 1 0 0 y e a r s o l d, a s u r v i v o r w h o g a v e h e r t i m e t o t e a c h a b o u t t h e H o l o c a u s t w i t h t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n ’ s C o u r a g e t o C a r e a n d S y d n e y J e w i s h M u s e u m r i g h t t o t h e e n d . Lena passed a wa y in her sleep T uesda y night, 14 Ma y 201 9. The timing was not lost on me – the anniversar y of the rebirth of the state of Israel. R abbi I saac R iesenber g, F ounding R abbi C entr al Shule - M elbourne and SCAFI. H e is c ommitted to providing an understanding of the H ebr aic origins of the Scriptures and building bridges between Christians and J ews. Please reach out to R abbi.riesenber g@gmail.c om Should you wish to support a H olocaust sur vivor in Ukraine with a f ood parcel or message that you care about, please donate via Christians f or Israel Australia. D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 B a r b a r a a n d N o r m a n M i l l e r h a n d i n g L e n a G o l d s t e i n a c o p y o f h e r b o o k o n h e r 1 0 0 t h b i r t h d a y 3 1 J a n u a ry 2 0 1 9 . A Daily Dev otional b y R e v . Willem J.J. Glashouw er Get dail y r eadings in y our inbo x Did you know the Book of Revelation is the only book of the Bible to give a special blessing to those who read, hear and apply its message? 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12. So mething to thinc. abou t 2 (A USTRALIA) D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 A S h a m e f u l R e s o l u t i o n Dr Ma tthi js de Bl o is n Senior F el low | th i nc. On 27 October 2023, the UN General Assembly ( GA), meeting in the framework of the ongoing ( since 1 997 ) 10th E mergency S pecial Session, adopted a R esolution on the war that started with the atrocious attack by Hamas and similar terrorist groups on 7 October 2023 on Israeli soil. The war has resulted in the death of around 1500 Israelis and the kidnapping of more than 200 innocent people. Resolution A / RES / ES - 10/ 21 was adopted with 120 votes in fa vour , including Belgium, F rance, and Ireland , f or example. 45 UN M ember S tates abstained , including Canada, Australia, India and The N etherlands. Only 14 voted against it, including Austria, P apua N ew G uinea and the USA. T h e R e s o l u t i o n w a s a d o p t e d a s a r e s p o n s e t o w h a t i t c a l l s “ t h e 7 O c t o b e r 2 0 2 3 a t t a c k ” . T h e R e s o l u t i o n i s s h a m e f u l , p r i m a r i l y b e c a u s e o f i t s s i l e n c e o n c o r e i s s u e s . I t n o w h e r e i d e n t i f i e s t h e p e r p e t r a t o r o f t h e a t t a c k s : H a m a s a n d o t h e r t e r r o r i s t g r o u p s . I t f a i l s t o n a m e t h e e n t i t i e s r e s p o n s i b l e a n d d o e s n o t d e s c r i b e t h e m a s t e r r o r i s t i c . I n i t s p r e a m b l e i t c o n d e m n s “ a l l a c t s o f v i o l e n c e a i m e d a t P a l e s t i n i a n a n d I s r a e l i c i v i l i a n s ” . N o t e t h e o r d e r : P a l e s t i n i a n s a r e t h o s e f i r s t m e n t i o n e d a s v i c t i m s t h e n I s r a e l i s . T h i s i s h i s t o r i c a l l y f a l s e . T h a t c o u l d b e c o n s t r u e d t h a t I s r a e l s t a r t e d t h e h o s t i l i t i e s w h e r e a s , i n r e a l i t y , t h e w a r w a s i n i t i a t e d b y t h e u n p r o v o k e d p o g r o m o n I s r a e l i c i v i l i a n s c o m m i t t e d b y H a m a s a n d i t s c r o n i e s . T h e c a s u a l t i e s o n t h e P a l e s t i n i a n s i d e w e r e t h e c o n s e q u e n c e o f s e l f - d e f e n c e o f I s r a e l a g a i n s t t h e i n i t i a l a t t a c k . C o m p a r i n g t h e t e x t o f t h i s R e s o l u t i o n w i t h t h e R e s o l u t i o n ( A/ R E S / E S - 1 1 / 1 ) a d o p t e d b y t h e G A o n 2 M a r c h 2 0 2 2 o n t h e ‘ A g g r e s s i o n a g a i n s t U k r a i n e ’ , i t w a s m a d e u n e q u i v o c a l l y c l e a r t h a t t h e R u s s i a n F e d e r a t i o n w a s t h e a g g r e s s o r . T h e R e s o l u t i o n o f 2 7 O c t o b e r a s k s f o r t h e “ r e l e a s e o f a l l c i v i l i a n s w h o a r e b e i n g i l l e g a l l y h e l d c a p t i v e ” a s i f b o t h s i d e s h a v e p r a c t i s e d k i d n a p p i n g o f i n n o c e n t s . O n l y t h e P a l e s t i n i a n t e r r o r i s t o r g a n i s a t i o n s k i d n a p p e d m o r e t h a n 2 0 0 c i v i l i a n s , n o t I s r a e l . T h e h o s t a g e s a r e a l m o s t a l l I s r a e l i a n d J e w i s h b a b i e s , c h i l d r e n , a d u l t s a n d e l d e r l y . C a n a d a a t t e m p t e d t o n a m e t h e p e r p e t r a t o r o f t h e a t r o c i t i e s . I t i n t r o d u c e d a n a m e n d m e n t t o t h e R e s o l u t i o n : “ U n e q u i v o c a l l y r e j e c t s a n d c o n d e m n s t h e t e r r o r i s t a t t a c k s b y H a m a s t h a t t o o k p l a c e i n I s r a e l s t a r t i n g o n 7 O c t o b e r 2 0 2 3 a n d t h e t a k i n g o f h o s t a g e s , d e m a n d s t h e s a f e t y , w e l l - b e i n g a n d h u m a n e t r e a t m e n t o f t h e h o s t a g e s i n c o m p l i a n c e w i t h i n t e r n a t i o n a l l a w , a n d c a l l s f o r t h e i r i m m e d i a t e a n d u n c o n d i t i o n a l r e l e a s e ” ( A / E S - 1 0 /L . 2 6 ) . 8 8 S t a t e s w e r e i n f a v o u r o f i n c l u d i n g t h i s a m e n d m e n t , 5 5 w e r e a g a i n s t i t , a n d 2 3 a b s t a i n e d . T h e a m e n d m e n t f a i l e d b y a f e w v o t e s t o b e a d o p t e d b y t h e r e q u i r e d t w o - t h i r d s m a j o r i t y . T h e o m i s s i o n o f r e f e r e n c e t o t h e p e r p e t r a t o r o f t h e m a s s a c r e i n I s r a e l d i d n o t p r e v e n t m a n y s u p p o r t e r s o f t h e a m e n d m e n t f r o m v o t i n g i n f a v o u r o f t h e o r i g i n a l p r o p o s a l . A s a r e s u l t , t h e R e s o l u t i o n w a s a d o p t e d w i t h o u t t h e a m e n d m e n t . The R esolution omits the recognition of Israel ’ s right to self-def ence. Article 51 of the UN Charter guarantees “ the inherent right of individual or collective self- def ence if an armed attack occurs against a member of the U nited N ations ”. The right to self-def ence justif ies the militar y response by Israel to the massive terrorist attack by Hamas cum suis. There is no mention in the R esolution of Israel ha ving the right to act in self def ence. That is in sharp contrast with the R esolutions adopted by the UN Security C ouncil after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in the US in September 2001. R esolutions 1368 ( 2001) and 1373 ( 2001) recognise without reser vation the right of self-def ence by the US , which justif ied its militar y actions against the Al - Q aeda terrorist network in Afghanistan. A large majority of the M embers of the UN seem to den y that the J ewish S tate has the right to def end itself. The R esolution also fails to address and condemn the practice of Hamas using civilians as human shields. P alestinian terrorist movements operating in Gaza regularly operate using their militar y installations f or civilian locations. The R esolution ignores the fact that this practice is a major cause of the number of civilian fatalities in the Gaza S trip . I t is a shame that the Resolution has been adopted with the support of so man y S tates in the world , not only brutal dictatorships but also W estern democracies. They apparently see no problem in joining f orces with the Islamic R epublic of Iran, S yria, the R ussian F ederation and the Democratic P eople ’ s R epublic of K orea. I t is revealing that Hamas expressed support f or the Resolution and ask ed f or its immediate implementation, the ver y party that holds hostage more than 200 men, women and children continues to target civilians in Israel with their missiles. T o conclude, R esolution A / RES / ES - 10/ 21 is a shame. I t illustrates that the UN is, notwithstanding the pogrom of 7 October 2023, back to normal: Israel bashing. I t has lost all credibility as an institution to promote peace and justice in the world. D r M a t t h i j s d e B l o i s i s E m e r i t u s A s s i s t a n t P r o f e s s o r a t U t r e c h t U n i v e r s i t y ’ s I n s t i t u t e o f L e g a l T h e o r y o f t h e L a w F a c u l t y , w h e r e h i s a c a d e m i c f o c u s w a s t h e p h i l o s o p h i c a l a n d h i s t o r i c a l a s p e c t s o f t h e l a w , s p e c i f i c a l l y t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n l a w a n d r e l i g i o n . H e i s c u r r e n t l y S e n i o r F e l l o w a t t h e H a g u e I n i t i a t i v e f o r I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o o p e r a t i o n ( t h i n c . ) . T h e U N G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y A d o p t s R e s o l u t i o n A/ R E S / E S - 1 0 / 2 1 . | P h o t o : U N P h o t o / E v a n S c h n e i d e r C ontinued from page 1 Our regu lar projects and commi tmen ts are sti l l very im portan t and ongoing D e a r f r i e n d s , j u s t a s t h e n a t i o n o f I s r a e l h a s t o fi g h t a n d d e f e n d i t s p e o p l e o n m u l t i p l e f r o n t s , w e a r e a l s o b e i n g c a l l e d t o s t r e t c h a n d s a c r i fi c e w i t h f a i t h f u l p r a y e r s f o r p r o t e c t i o n a n d c o m f o r t f o r t h o s e w h o h a v e b e e n i n j u r e d , h a v e l o s t l o v e d o n e s , a n d a s w e c o n t i n u e t o p e t i t i o n h e a v e n a n d o u r g o v e r n m e n t s t o s t a n d f o r I s r a e l a n d t o s e e t h e r e t u r n o f t h e h o s t a g e s , a n d w i n t h e i n f o r m a t i o n w a r o f p r o p a g a n d a a g a i n s t G o d ’ s p e o p l e , w e a l s o s t i l l h a v e o u r e x i s t i n g b a t t l e t o p r o v i d e f o o d , c l o t h i n g a n d s h e l t e r f o r t h e e l d e r l y , a n d d e s t i t u t e , e s p e c i a l l y a s w e a p p r o a c h t h e e n d o f t h i s y e a r i t w i l l s o o n b e w i n t e r i n I s r a e l a n d U k r a i n e , w h e r e m a n y o f o u r J e w i s h b r o t h e r s a n d s i s t e r s n e e d t o b e k e p t w a r m w i t h b l a n k e t s , c l o t h i n g a n d h o t m e a l s . Can I ask you to stop and pra y f or the N ation of Israel and the people of Israel, not f orgetting to include the holocaust sur vivors in war - torn Ukraine, where untold horrors are also still taking place? Please consider supporting our E mergency Aid A ppeal and the new Adopt a C ommunity in Israel initiative by sending your generous tax -deductible gifts of love and practical help to those suff ering; simply go to the back page of this newspaper f or a whole range of diff erent wa ys you can C omf or t Israel and send them yours and Gods love to them at this time. T o me, this is the real reason f or the Christian season. Thanks again f or your faithful, pra yerful and generous support. $10, $50 or $100 will mak e a big diff erence. Or perhaps you can consider bringing one J ew home or a family of five, or even a busload. Imagine the thrill of knowing you helped change a person ’ s lif e f orever and fulfilled a bible prophecy . “ T hus saith the Lor d God, Behold, I will lift up m y hand to the Gentiles, and set up m y standar d to the people: and they shall bring th y sons in their arms, and th y daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.” I saiah 49:22 T ogether , we are seeing some wonderful stories of lives being blessed because of your love f or the Lor d and f or his brethren. I am sure our H ea venly F ather smiles when H e sees His children showing such unconditional love and generosity to “ these, the least of His brethren ” as we read J esus wor ds in M athew 25:37-40. Thank you f or being pra yerful and generous as you mak e your tax - deductible donation on the back page of this newspaper or online @ www .c4israel.com.au/ donate Ian W orby , N ational leader C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l A u s t r a l i a F o u n d a t i o n L t d PS : When sending cheques or money or ders or depositing funds into our bank account, please use the new legal name Christians f or Israel Australia F oundation Ltd. F ailure to do so could mean your pa yments ma y not be honoured by the bank. Please note these changes on the response f orm on the back of the newspaper and on our website www .c4israel.com.au/ donate I an W orby is the N ational Leader for Christians for I sr ael Austr alia F oundation L td.

35. Y o u n g P e o p l e f r o m U k r a i n e t o I s r a e l — D e s p i t e t h e W a r J ust in September , an international Christians f or Israel ( C4I) team accompanied 26 J ewish teenagers from all over Ukraine on their wa y to W arsa w Air por t f or a new lif e in Israel. H ow are they doing in their new homeland, which has been under severe attack? And what about the young people already sitting on pack ed suitcases f or the next flight? By A nemo ne R ü ger & n A lina Gryad chenk o Christians for Israel In terna tiona l A f ew weeks ago, 26 young people from Ukraine ’ s J ewish communities ventured out into a new lif e in Israel after years of preparation, accompanied by a Ukrainian - Dutch - German C4I team. Through the N a ’ aleh and Selah youth programmes, Israel ’ s J ewish Agency enables young people from the f ormer Soviet U nion to obtain their high school diploma in Israel or to continue their education in Israel. E xactly one month after their arrival, news of the devastating Hamas massacres went around the world. “They Are A l l Safe” “ A l l t h e y o u n g p e o p l e w h o a r r i v e d f r o m U k r a i n e o n 7 S e p t e m b e r a r e s a f e . ” T h i s r e l i e v i n g m e s s a g e r e a c h e s u s f r o m t h e J e w i s h A g e n c y . T a n y a , o u r c o n t a c t p e r s o n i n B e l a y a T s e r k o v n e a r K i e v , a l s o h a s g o o d n e w s . “ V e r o n i k a , o n e o f t h e N a ’ a l e h g i r l s f r o m o u r J e w i s h c o m m u n i t y , w a s a s s i g n e d t o a s c h o o l i n K f a r S i l v e r , n o t f a r f r o m A s h k e l o n . S h e i s d o i n g w e l l . S h e h a s b e e n e v a c u a t e d w i t h s e v e n t e e n a g e r s f r o m h e r c l a s s t o a n o t h e r s c h o o l f a r t h e r n o r t h . T h e p r o g r a m m e c o o r d i n a t o r s a r e v e r y d e d i c a t e d t o t a k i n g c a r e o f t h e k i d s . ” A second group was scheduled to go to Israel in October . What about these young people? S urely , the Aliyah has come to a standstill f or the time being after the horrif ic events of 7 October ? N ot at all. V ia Buda pest to Israel As I write these lines, at the beginning of N ovember , a bus with 16 promising young people and several C4I staff from Ukraine is on its wa y to B udapest. The flight had to be postponed several times due to the war in Israel, but now these amazing young people are ready to go and start a new lif e in the land of their ancestors. Gleb , 16, comes from near Dnepropetrovsk in eastern Ukraine. H e is the youngest of f our siblings— and the f irst to go to Israel. H e would normally be in 11th grade now , but two years of C orona and two years of war in Ukraine ha ve severely limited his educational opportunities. “ In Israel, I want to do three more years of high school,” Gleb sa ys. “ Def initely learn H ebrew well, then do m y arm y ser vice. I will tak e ever y opportunity to do m y part f or Israel.” O leg, 1 9, is from Kiev . His parents had made Aliyah bef ore but then returned with him to Ukraine. His brother lives in Haifa. N ow , O leg, too, has decided to return to his original homeland , learn H ebrew , and join the arm y . “ I am not afraid of the war ,” O leg sa ys. “ I thought it over carefully , and I decided that I do want to live in Israel. I want to stand by Israel in this diff icult time and mak e it even stronger!” F irm R esol ve Margarita, 18, comes from Kherson — the city on the B lack Sea that has been under constant attack across the Dnieper River since R ussian troops left just over a year ago. “W e sur vived the whole occupation there,” Margarita sa ys. “ B ut once they were gone from the city , it got really bad. W e were bombed non -stop . Those were terrible da ys. There was no electricity , no water , nothing.” The family decided to flee— f irst to Odessa, then to U zhgorod. There, Margarita made the decision to go to Israel. “ M om encouraged me a lot— f irst to learn H ebrew well and then to study architecture,” Margarita sa ys. “ B ut that was at the beginning of the year . N ow , Israel is at war . M om is worried , of course, but she also knows that ever ything will be f ine.” Margarita ’ s grandma and great-grandma are living in Haifa. “ M y mind was made up all along,” Margarita sa ys. “ I ha ve nothing to lose by going. B ut if I didn ’ t go, I would lose a lot.” E va also comes from eastern Ukraine. H er older brother has been in Israel f or seven years. E va wants to f ocus on studying the language f irst, then study design. “ And , of course, I ’ m going to join the arm y , def initely! N o, I ’ m not afraid. N ot at all. S ta ying in Ukraine is much more dangerous, and I don ’ t see a future there. Y es, there is also a war going on in Israel now , but it’ s a diff erent war . Israel is a strong countr y . There is nothing that can stop the spirit and the determination of the Israelis!” Photos: Christians for I sr ael P lease pra y f or these courageous young people who are set on fulf illing their and God ’ s dreams f or their lives despite the rough circumstances. F r o m the Pr o jects 19 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 P art of our mission is to c omf ort I srael and the J ewish people thr ough pra yer and action. I f you would lik e to support one of our pr ojects you can c omplete the c oupon on page 16 or mak e an online donation. Thank you very much f or your support! A li yah Aliyah is the H ebr ew wor d f or the r eturn of the J ewish people to I srael. W e support Aliyah mainly fr om U kraine ( and the f ormer Soviet U nion ), but also fr om I ndia and F ranc e. F urthermor e, we help new immigrants (in H ebr ew: olim ) to integrate into I sraeli society . H i n e n i S o u p K i t c h e n W e help the poor of I srael, by pr oviding them with f ood. W e do this in partnership with the H ineni C enter in J erusalem, headed by Benjamin Philip . Y our gift f or the soup kitchen goes dir ectly to the pur chase of f ood. H oloca ust Survi vors W e support impoverished H olocaust survivors in I srael and U kraine thr ough various pr ojects which pr ovide assistanc e to survivors of the H olocaust. Those survivors ar e elderly and will not be among us f or long, and ther e is a gr owing demand f or practical assistanc e. Christian Friends of Israeli Comm uni ties (CFOIC) Y ou can support the J ewish c ommunities in J udea and Samaria, the heart of B iblical I srael. The main purpose is to enc ourage the people in the B iblical H eartland and to show them that ther e ar e Christians thr oughout the world who support them and shar e the belief that the ar eas of J udea and Samaria ar e part of I srael’ s inheritanc e. F ood P arcel Campaign Ukraine W e distribute f ood par c els amongst J ewish people in U kraine. These par c els ar e handed out to H olocaust survivors, needy families, and the sick. Those f ood par c els ar e a sign of friendship that demonstrates your support f or our J ewish br others and sisters and that they ar e not alone. Arab Christians Lif e f or Christians in Bethlehem is often not easy . Christians f or I srael supports the First Baptist Chur ch of R ev N aim Khoury in Bethlehem and J erusalem. The members of this chur ch spr ead the gospel among Arabs and shar e their love and heart f or I srael and the J ewish people. F or c ountry-specific or further information on our projects, go to our website, www .c4isr ael.c om.au Our Pr o jects Ov ervi ew W ould you also help us invest in their futur e? E very donation helps! Select donate option Aliyah U kraine. 1 6 y o u n g p e o p l e s a y g o o d b y e o n t h e i r w a y t o I s r a e l o n 1 N o v e m b e r . A r r i v a l a t B e n G u r i o n a i r p o r t w h e r e K o e n C a r l i e r w e l c o m e d t h e g r o u p .

17. Christian F ri ends o f MD A 7 (A USTRALIA) D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 C ontinued from page 6 If it was, then he would ha ve accepted the P eel C ommission ’ s P artition Plan of 1 937. B ut no, his real aim was to mak e Mandated P alestine free of J ews from the River J or dan to the M editerranean Sea. In other wor ds, ‘ J udenrein ’ . Proof of this was his alliance with the N azis to extend Hitler’ s so-called ‘ F inal Solution ’ from E urope right across the Middle East. This could ha ve resulted in the genocide of the hundreds of thousands of J ews in P alestine as well as those in Iraq, Y emen and across N orth Africa. The God of Israel inter vened with an Allied victor y at El - Alamein. The shocking demonstrati on at S y dney’ s Opera H ouse, just after Israel ’ s r esponse to the massacr e began, incl uded calls to “ gas the J ews!” as well as other an tisemiti c exp l etives w hi ch we won ’ t prin t her e. A t demonstrati ons in London, some wer e calling f or jihad, w hil e in some cir cumstances, can ha ve other meanings, in such a charged atmosp her e, can mean nothing but ‘ho l y war’ . This, even in its mildest f orm, is an incitemen t to vi o l ence. The M etr opo litan po li ce r efused to mak e arr ests. B ut m uch mor e pr ominen t in demonstrati ons acr oss the W est ar e the p lacar ds and chan ts “ F r om the River to the Sea, P al estine will be F r ee!” F r ee of w hat? F r ee of Hamas? N o. F r ee of the S tate of Israel and fr ee of the J ews! In other wor ds, J udenrein! T h e H a m a s f o u n d i n g c h a r t e r o f 1 9 8 8 c a l l s f o r t h e e r a d i c a t i o n o f I s r a e l a n d t h e m u r d e r o f a l l J e w s . M a r t y r d o m i n p u r s u i t o f t h a t a i m i s e n c o u r a g e d, a n d t h a t i s w h a t t h e c h i l d r e n o f G a z a a r e b r a i n w a s h e d w i t h f r o m t h e c r a d l e u p w a r d s . H a m a s w a s s p a w n e d b y t h e M u s l i m B r o t h e r h o o d, w h i c h h a s i n fi l t r a t e d m a n y o f t h e M u s l i m o r g a n i s a t i o n s i n t h e W e s t , i n c l u d i n g i n B r i t a i n , A u s t r a l i a a n d t h e U S A . I n c o u n t r i e s l i k e S a u d i A r a b i a , E g y p t ( w h e r e i t w a s f o u n d e d i n 1 9 2 8 ) , J o r d a n a n d t h e U A E , t h e M u s l i m B r o t h e r h o o d i s p r o s c r i b e d a s a t e r r o r i s t o r g a n i s a t i o n , b u t n o t i n t h e W e s t e r n c o u n t r i e s j u s t m e n t i o n e d . P r e s i d e n t B a r a c k H u s s e i n O b a m a h a d M u s l i m B r o t h e r h o o d a d v i s o r s i n h i s A d m i n i s t r a t i o n w h o a r e p o s s i b l y i n fl u e n c i n g t h e B i d e n A d m i n i s t r a t i o n t o d a y . Genera tions of P alestinian Chi ldren T a ugh t to Ha te and M urder J ews B ut it is not just the childr en of G aza w ho ar e pumped full of this J ew- hatr ed. The childr en and y oung peop l e in the P al estinian A uthority-con tr o ll ed ar eas ar e subject to the same curri cul um that is funded by tax - pa y ers in the W estern world. They ar e br ough t up with the val ues of the PLO Charter ( the organisati on w hi ch con tr o ls the P al estinian A uthority ), w hi ch also calls f or the destructi on of the J ewish state thr ough ‘ armed struggl e ’ (i.e. terr orism) and an y means possib l e. In the da ys f o ll owing the October massacr e, the P al estinian A uthority imams wer e instructed to pr each the anci en t H adith that calls f or a tr ee or a stone behind w hi ch a J ew is hiding to call out so that the J ew can be kill ed. And the P al estinian A uthority is Israel ’ s supposed ‘ peace partner’! Can the S imchat T orah massacres be lik ened to another K r istallnacht? While the circumstances were quite diff erent—even though the number of J ews mur dered on 7 October 2023 was far greater than on 9- 10 N ovember 1 938, the one thing the two atrocities ha ve in common is that they are a wak e- up call f or the civilised world , including Israel. J ust as the nations of the world had turned a blind -eye to what was happening under the N azis in German y , in the W est a similar blind -eye is turned to what is happening under Hamas and the P alestinian Authority . Lest W e F orget was premiered in the B ritish P arliament at the height of the Second Intifada in October 2003. I ts exposé of the ancient hatred that has haunted Israel and the J ewish world is even more relevant toda y . In the last twenty years since then at least two more generations of P alestinian children ha ve been polluted by the genocidal death -cult that we ha ve recently witnessed to our horror . Those children that we sa w in Lest W e F orget are now adults, and more youngsters are f ollowing in their f ootsteps. Y et the W est continues to fund this poisonous propaganda by direct grants to the P alestinian Authority and through other organisations such as UNWRA. Our political leaders need to wak e up to what is really going on. E ver y H olocaust R emembrance Day we repeat the wor ds “ N ever Again!” N ever again is now! Y ou can view Lest W e F or get on our website: www . whoseland. tv /lest-we- for get. Y ou can watch the full documentary (75 minutes ) or a 6-minute preview for free. H ugh Kitson is a documentary filmmak er who has made many films about I sr ael. H is films about the British M andate for P alestine include ‘The F orsak en P romise ’ —a three-part series ( H atikvah F ilm T rust 2006) and ‘W hose Land?’ presented by C olonel R ichar d K emp (Title Deed M edia 2017 )—see T o c ontact H ugh Kitson please email him: whoseland. tv . hugh.kitson@titledeedmedia.c om A n n e A y a l o n n C h r i s t i a n F r i e n d s o f M a g e n D a v i d A d o m I t h a s b e e n o n e m o n t h s i n c e t h e m a s s a c r e o f 1 4 0 0 i n n o c e n t p e o p l e , w h o l e f a m i l i e s , c h i l d r e n , w o m e n a n d e l d e r l y , a n d t h e k i d n a p p i n g o f 2 4 2 I s r a e l i s . W e n o w h a v e l o s t 2 9 s o l d i e r s i n t h i s w a r f o r o u r e x i s t e n c e . O u r n a t i o n m o u r n s t o g e t h e r a s w e l i g h t c a n d l e s i n m e m o ry o f t h e f a l l e n . E v e n w i t h t h e s t r e s s o f f a m i l y a n d f r i e n d s b e i n g c a l l e d b a c k i n t o t h e a r m y a n d o u r w o r ry f o r t h e h o s t a g e s , I s r a e l i s s t r i v e t o b e a p o s i t i v e l i g h t , c o n t i n u i n g t o c h e r i s h l i f e , l i v i n g w i t h p u r p o s e , a n d w i t h k i n d n e s s . T h e r e i s n o s e n s e o f v e n g e a n c e – o n l y d e t e r m i n a t i o n t o r o o t o u t e v i l – f o r t h e s a k e o f I s r a e l , a n d f o r t h e i n n o c e n t P a l e s t i n i a n c i v i l i a n s , a n d y e s , f o r c i v i l i z a t i o n . T h i s e x e m p l i f i e s W H Y t h e J e w s ( t h a t G o d c a l l e d a s t i f f - n e c k e d p e o p l e – s t u b b o r n , u n b e n d i n g , a n d t e n a c i o u s – w e r e c h o s e n b y G o d t o b r i n g H i s W o r d t o t h e w o r l d . A n d W H Y G o d g a v e t h i s l a n d t o t h e J e w i s h p e o p l e t o p o s s e s s , s e e D e u t e r o n o m y 9 : 6 . T o d a y , w h e n o u r y o u t h a r e s w o r n i n t o t h e a r m y , o n e h a n d i s o n t h e B i b l e , a n d t h e o t h e r h o l d i n g t h e i r r i f l e . I n s p i t e o f t h e i n c r e a s i n g s p r e a d o f v i c i o u s i n t e r n a t i o n a l a n t i - J e w p r o t e s t s a n d a c t i o n s , G o d g i v e s u s s t r e n g t h . O n 7 O c t o b e r , M a g e n D a v i d A d o m l o s t s e v e r a l t e a m m e m b e r s – p a r a m e d i c s , E M T s a n d a m b u l a n c e d r i v e r s w e r e m u r d e r e d w h i l e t e n d i n g t o t h e w o u n d e d . N e a r l y 8 5 % o f o u r a m a z i n g s t a f f a r e v o l u n t e e r s ( 3 6 , 0 0 0 ) , d o i n g w h a t G o d h a d c a l l e d t h e m t o d o , e v e n u n d e r f i r e w i t h t h e i r o w n l i v e s a t r i s k . T h e c o u r a g e a n d t h e p u r p o s e t h e y h a v e i n t h e i r m i s s i o n i n s a v i n g l i v e s i s e v i d e n t e v e ry d a y . B u l l e t - r i d d e n , b u r n t a n d d e s t r o y e d a m b u l a n c e s w e r e p u r p o s e l y a t t a c k e d s o t h a t w e w o u l d n o t b e a b l e t o g i v e t r e a t m e n t t o t h e w o u n d e d . W e n e e d a m b u l a n c e s u r g e n t l y ! M D A i s t h e c o m m a n d & c o n t r o l c o o r d i n a t o r o f a l l t h e m e d i c a l s e rv i c e s f o r t h e e m e r g e n c y a n d d i s a s t e r r e l i e f a n d c o m m u n i c a t e s w i t h t h e h o s p i t a l s a n d d o c t o r s i n r e a l t i m e p r e p a r i n g t h e m f o r t h e i n c o m i n g w o u n d e d . M D A t r a i n s a n d c e r t i f i e s a l l t h e p a r a m e d i c s i n I s r a e l , i n c l u d i n g p r i v a t e o r g a n i z a t i o n s , s o t h e c a r e i s u n i v e r s a l l y e x c e l l e n t . M D A p r o v i d e s 1 0 0 % o f a l l t h e b l o o d t o t h e I D F a n d 9 7 % t o t h e I s r a e l i p e o p l e o f a l l f a i t h s . M D A d i r e c t s t h e c a l l s f o r w h i c h e v e r a m b u l a n c e o r s e rv i c e i s c l o s e s t t o p r o v i d e t h e m o s t i m m e d i a t e t r e a t m e n t . T h i s i s p a r t o f p r o p r i e t a ry l o g i s t i c s t e c h n o l o g y t h a t c o u n t r i e s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d c o m e t o s e e i n o p e r a t i o n . As the Christmas season and Advent dra ws near , we are especially hungr y f or Good N ews, f or the message of peace and brotherly love. And yet, I see it ever y da y in the compassion, the generosity of spirit, and the patience shown to each other here in Israel. Y es, we ma y be stressed , we all ha ve f ear , but we will not be intimidated against doing what is right. W e are not deterred in helping our neighbors. So, in these dark times, His light is shining brighter than ever in our land. This is a land , a nation and a people I chose – or rather , God planned f or me. W e don ’ t alwa ys know His plans f or us, but as f or me, perhaps it is f or such a time as this. If you would like to support your local CFMD A, please send a check or wire transfer to: Bank: CBA A ccount N ame: Australian F riends of Magen D a vid Adom Limited — Christian F riends BSB: 062124 | A ccount: 11389721 Anne A yalon is the P resident of CFMDA, serving for the past 4 years. She gives much of her time to promoting interf aith relations, educating Christians about I sr ael and the J ewish roots of their f aith. Anne moved to I sr ael as an evangelical Christian 45 years ago. T h e S t i f f - n e c k e d J e w s !

21. B ibli ca l Co mmentary 11 (A USTRALIA) D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 J i l l Curry n J ewish & Israel Pra yer F ocus Coordina tor Christians ha ve long known God as the God of grace, mercy and love, as ha ve the J ews since M oses interceded f or his rebellious nation and God appeared to him as “The Lor d , the Lor d God , compassionate and gracious, slow to anger , and abounding in loving kindness and truth; who k eeps loving kindness f or thousands, who f orgives iniquity , transgression and sin ” ( E x 34:6- 7 ), yet f ew of us ha ve encountered Him by some of His other names. “The Lor d is a warrior; The Lor d is His name. Pharaoh ’ s chariots and his arm y H e has cast into the sea; And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the R ed Sea.” E x 15:3-4 “The Lor d your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior . H e will exult over you with joy , H e will be quiet in His love, H e will rejoice over you with shouts of joy .” Zeph 3:17 One of God ’ s names is Y ahweh T seva ’ ot – literally , God of the armies, which is unf ortunately most often translated God of hosts. The hea venly hosts are armies of angels! E ven though God ga ve Israel the land , the people still had to fight f or it and enem y nations still came against them to wipe them out. S uch is Satan ’ s agenda against God ’ s plans and purposes. When nations come against Israel they will discover that they come against the real owner of the Land , the Almighty God. “ I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of J ehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of M y people and M y inheritance, Israel.” J oel 2:2 The T orah dedicates a whole chapter to the La ws of W ar in Deuteronomy chapter 20. “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; f or the Lor d your God , who brought you up from the land of E gypt, is with you. When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. H e shall sa y to them, ‘ H ear , O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies toda y . Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid , or panic, or tremble bef ore them, f or the Lor d your God is the one who goes with you, to fight f or you against your enemies, to sa ve you.” Deut 20:1-4 When the Israelites entered the land , J oshua was confronted by a warrior angel who reminded him that God does not carr y the biases of humans but ser ves the purposes of God alone ( J osh 5:13- 15 ). H e ga ve J oshua God ’ s strategy to march around the city and blow the shofars, the walls f ell down and the Israelites did not lose a man in the battle. I am sure this was not the strategy that J oshua had in mind! H e obeyed and God brought the victor y . H owever , disobedience and pride shortly after caused man y to fall in the attempt to tak e the city of Ai. In 2 Chronicles 20, when a conf ederacy of nations came against J udah from the east, King J ehoshaphat sought the Lor d and fasted and all J udah ask ed the Lor d f or help . H e encouraged the people through a prophetic Levite, sa ying, “The battle is not yours but God ’ s ’ and to ha ve faith in the Lor d. H e ga ve a strategy of praise and worship and God caused the attack ers to turn on one another . God was glorified and ‘ the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they hear d that the Lor d had f ought against the enemies of Israel ” ( 2 Chron 20:29 ). When Elisha was surrounded by armies out to capture him and the king, he was a ware that “ those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” ( 2 K gs 6:15 ). The Lor d ’ s chariots of fire are still toda y more than those of the enem y . “ Elisha pra yed blindness and confusion over the enem y and they were led astra y but then God or dered Israel to f eed the enem y and not to destroy them!” 2 K gs 6:21- 23. Israel’ s division and the rebellion in its ranks over the last f ew years has caused her enemies to seize the weakness in the nation. The war has at least brought ever yone together in unity . The battle over Israel is essentially spiritual in nature. The real question is: Who will rule the nations from J erusalem? W e thankfully know the answer as told by the prophet Zechariah. “Then the Lor d will go f orth and fight against those nations, as when H e fights on a da y of battle. In that da y His f eet will stand on the M ount of O lives, which is in front of J erusalem on the east... And the Lor d will be king over all the earth; in that da y the Lor d will be the only one, and His name the only one.” Zech 14:3-4, 9 Y esh ua W i l l Come as a W arrior “ And I sa w hea ven opened , and behold , a white horse, and H e who sat on it is called F aithful and T rue, and in righteousness H e judges and wages war ... F rom His mouth comes a sharp swor d , so that with it H e ma y strik e down the nations, and H e will rule them with a rod of iron; and H e treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God , the Almighty . And on His robe and on His thigh H e has a name written, ‘ KING O F KINGS , AND LO RD O F LO RDS .” R ev 1 9: 11,15- 16 What is our responsibility as Christians? The ekklesia of God is called to the battle in the H ea venlies. W e need to discern the strategies of God and not react in the flesh. As D aniel contended through pra yer and fasting f or the destin y of his nation which in volved much conflict, he was comf orted by the fact that God was hearing his pra yers and in answer , the hea venly hosts and the archangel Michael were dispatched to fight the Satanic f orces ( Dan 10 ). Israel will win because God is fighting f or her and working out His purposes through the nation. W e need to hold up the arms of our elder brother in the battle and contend in pra yer and fasting f or God ’ s purposes to be established. Ma y the intercessors tak e up their positions on the ramparts, put on the spiritual armour and stand against Satan ’ s plans to destroy God ’ s people. Pra y that Israel will repent and seek God; f or the leaders to ask Him f or His strategies and be obedient to f ollow His instructions. Pra y f or prophetic Levites to arise to give godly advice and f or Israel ’ s enemies to turn on themselves, so that lives of man y young Israelis ma y be sa ved. His intent was that now , through the church, the manif old wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the hea venly realms. E ph 3:10 NIV W a r f a r e i n t h e H e a v e n l i e s - G o d ’ s S u r p r i s i n g S t r a t e g i e s | Photo: Lightstock I s r a e l w i l l w i n b e c a u s e G o d i s f i g h t i n g f o r h e r a n d w o r k i n g o u t H i s p u r p o s e s t h r o u g h t h e n a t i o n . W e n e e d t o h o l d u p t h e a r m s o f o u r e l d e r b r o t h e r i n t h e b a t t l e a n d c o n t e n t i n p r a y e r a n d f a s t i n g f o r G o d ’ s p u r p o s e s t o b e e s t a b l i s h e d .

16. 6 (A USTRALIA) Histori ca l P erspecti v e D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 7 O c t o b e r M a s s a c r e — A n o t h e r K r i s t a l l n a c h t ? H u g h K i t s o n n W riter, Director & Producer of the W hose La nd? Documen tary The Dar kest Da y in Israel’ s History On the last da y of S ukkot— S imchat T orah — the nation of Israel wok e up to the worst mass mur der of J ews since the H olocaust. What happened that da y is indelibly etched on the Israeli psyche and will be f or generations to come. E ven man y J ewish people in the Diaspora lost family members or friends. I n t h e d a y s t h a t f o l l o w e d t h e m a s s a c r e , m a n y l e a d e r s i n t h e W e s t e r n w o r l d e x p r e s s e d o u t r a g e a t t h e e x t e n t a n d s c o p e o f t h e H a m a s b u t c h e r y o f t h e I s r a e l i p o p u l a t i o n w h o l i v e d i n t h e t o w n s a n d k i b b u t z i m n e i g h b o u r i n g t h e G a z a b o r d e r . S o m e w o r l d l e a d e r s , i n c l u d i n g P r e s i d e n t J o e B i d e n a n d B r i t i s h P r i m e M i n i s t e r R i s h i S u n a k, v i s i t e d I s r a e l t o e x p r e s s t h e i r s y m p a t h y a n d h o r r o r a n d t o p r o c l a i m I s r a e l ’ s r i g h t o f s e l f - d e f e n c e a g a i n s t t h e H a m a s t e r r o r i s t s . T h e y e n d o r s e d t h e ‘ S w o r d s o f I r o n ’ w a r t h a t I s r a e l h a d d e c l a r e d t o e r a d i c a t e t h e w i d e l y p r o s c r i b e d t e r r o r i s t o r g a n i s a t i o n a s a ‘ j u s t ’ w a r , w i t h t h e c a v e a t t h a t i t m u s t n ’ t fl a r e i n t o a r e g i o n a l w a r a c r o s s t h e M i d d l e E a s t . P r e s i d e n t B i d e n , a d d r e s s i n g t h e p o s s i b l e i n t e n t i o n o f H e z b o l l a h a n d I r a n t o a t t a c k I s r a e l , p o i n t e d l y s a i d : “ D o n ’ t . ” H e s e n t t w o U S a i r c r a f t c a r r i e r fl o t i l l a s i n t o t h e e a s t e r n M e d i t e r r a n e a n a s a s h o w o f d e t e r r e n c e . W h e t h e r t h a t p r o v e s e ff e c t i v e o r n o t r e m a i n s t o b e s e e n . God’ s J udgemen t on Ha tred of His P eople Prophesied M ost political leaders in the W est lea ve God out of the equation. Does the God of Israel ha ve an ything to sa y about what is happening? If so, what? T h e r e a r e s e v e r a l O l d T e s t a m e n t p r o p h e c i e s , w h i c h h a v e p o s s i b l y y e t t o b e f u l fi l l e d , t h a t g i v e u s a n i d e a . O n e i s A m o s 1 : 6 , a n o t h e r i s f o u n d i n Z e p h a n i a h 2 : 4 - 7 . H o w e v e r , I w o u l d l i k e t o h i g h l i g h t t h i s o n e i n E z e k i e l 2 5 : 1 5 - 1 7 : ‘ T h u s s a y s t h e L o r d G o d : “ B e c a u s e t h e P h i l i s t i n e s d e a l t v e n g e f u l l y a n d t o o k v e n g e a n c e w i t h a s p i t e f u l h e a r t , t o d e s t r o y b e c a u s e o f t h e o l d h a t r e d , ” t h e r e f o r e t h u s s a y s t h e L o r d G o d : “ I w i l l s t r e t c h o u t M y h a n d a g a i n s t t h e P h i l i s t i n e s , a n d I w i l l c u t o ff t h e C h e r e t h i t e s a n d d e s t r o y t h e r e m n a n t o f t h e s e a c o a s t . I w i l l e x e c u t e g r e a t v e n g e a n c e o n t h e m w i t h f u r i o u s r e b u k e s , a n d t h e y s h a l l k n o w I a m t h e L o r d w h e n I l a y M y v e n g e a n c e u p o n t h e m . ” ’ This is the Lor d speaking thr ough the pr op het E zekiel mor e than 2, 500 y ears ago. I t is a pr op hecy against the P hilistines— a peop l e that became ethni call y extinct well bef or e the time of Christ. T oda y’ s ‘ P al estinians ’ actuall y carr y the name of the anci en t P hilistines. C ould this be a pr op hecy about the P al estinians w ho, lik e the anci en t P hilistines and Cher ethites, inhabit the r egi on of G aza? The possib l e cl ue li es in E zekiel 25:15: “The P hilistines deal t vengefull y and too k vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destr oy because of the o ld hatr ed.” If ther e is one characteristi c that the modern -da y P al estinians shar e with the anci en t P hilistines, it is the ‘ spiteful heart’ that comes fr om the anci en t hatr ed of Israel. After the ex odus from E gypt, when Pharaoh attempted the first genocide of the Israelites, the first manif estation of this old hatred came from the Amalekites ( E xodus 17 ). The Amalek hatred of Israel continued f or man y centuries. The Ancien t Ha tred P ersists Of course, this ancient hatred of Israel has been carried through man y other peoples and empires— the Philistines, the G reeks, the R omans and the N azis, all of whom now lie in the gra veyar d of histor y— in fulfilment of God ’ s promise to Israel in Genesis 12:3 —“ I will curse those who curse you.” Histor y shows us— as does the Qur’ an and man y of the Hadiths— that this ancient hatred is har d - wired into the spirituality of fundamentalist Islam. I t is ver y evident in the regime that rules modern -da y P ersia — Iran — with the A yatollahs publicly swearing to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. I t is notable that the international community ignores this fact. I t is this evil regime that is the puppet master of the war that Israel now finds itself engaged in. A question man y people are asking is: will Israel launch a pre-emptive strik e against Iran? The H oloca ust R e- Li ved M a n y p e o p l e h a v e s e e n s o m e o f t h e g r u e s o m e v i d e o f o o t a g e o f t h e H a m a s s l a u g h t e r i n t h e I s r a e l i c o m m u n i t i e s b o r d e r i n g G a z a o n 7 O c t o b e r . M a n y w e r e s h o t w h i l e o t h e r s w e r e r a p e d o r d i s m e m b e r e d i n f r o n t o f t h e i r f a m i l i e s , a n d o t h e r s w e r e b u r n t a l i v e — s o m e 1 , 2 0 0 m e n , w o m e n a n d c h i l d r e n a l t o g e t h e r . O v e r 2 0 0 p e o p l e , i n c l u d i n g y o u n g c h i l d r e n a n d H o l o c a u s t s u rv i v o r s , w e r e t a k e n h o s t a g e i n t o G a z a . T h e w o r d s a b o u t t a k i n g “ v e n g e a n c e w i t h a s p i t e f u l h e a r t ” — a s E z e k i e l d e s c r i b e s i t — a r e b a r e l y a d e q u a t e t o d e s c r i b e w h a t h a p p e n e d . B u t t h a t i s e x a c t l y w h a t t h e s e H a m a s t e r r o r i s t s d i d w h e n t h e y m u r d e r e d a n d b u t c h e r e d m o r e t h a n 1 , 2 0 0 J e w s — j u s t b e c a u s e t h e y w e r e J e w s . T w e n t y y e a r s a g o , w h e n I m a d e t h e d o c u m e n t a r y L e s t W e F o r g e t , w h i c h d r a w s a p a r a l l e l b e t w e e n N a z i a n d P a l e s t i n i a n J e w - h a t r e d , o n e o f t h e H o l o c a u s t s u rv i v o r s w e i n t e rv i e w e d s a i d t h a t h e r b r o t h e r w a s b u r n t a l i v e b e c a u s e t h e g a s c h a m b e r s a n d c r e m a t o r i a c o u l d n o t c o p e w i t h t h e v o l u m e o f p e o p l e t h e N a z i s w e r e m u r d e r i n g . A n o t h e r s u rv i v o r s a i d s h e s a w N a z i s o l d i e r s s m a s h i n g b a b i e s ’ h e a d s a g a i n s t b r i c k w a l l s . O n o n e o c c a s i o n i n A u s c h w i t z , s h e m e t D r J o s e f M e n g e l e . H e w o u l d e x p e r i m e n t o n h o w m u c h p a i n h i s v i c t i m s c o u l d b e a r b y s a w i n g o ff t h e i r l i m b s w i t h n o a n a e s t h e t i c . T h e f r e n z i e d b u t c h e r y t h a t H a m a s t e r r o r i s t s p e r p e t r a t e d o n 7 O c t o b e r w a s e v e n w o r s e . Are we about to see the rest of this Ezekiel prophecy come to pass? T ime will tell over the next f ew weeks and months. This is a just war , as the war against Hitler was, and we ma y well see Gaza all but destroyed because of the wa y Hamas uses its civilian population as human shields and has embedded its terror operations and infrastructure in densely populated areas, apartment blocks and hospitals. This is something that is f orbidden in the la ws of armed conflict. The resulting civilian death toll, which is part of the Hamas strategy , is ha ving its intended eff ect: the world is turning against Israel. S piral ling J ew- Ha tred in the W est S o m e t w o m o n t h s o n f r o m t h e h o r r i fi c m a s s a c r e s b y H a m a s i n s o u t h e r n I s r a e l o n S i m c h a t T o r a h , w e a r e s e e i n g a n t i s e m i t i s m r e a r i n g i t s u g l y h e a d t h r o u g h m a n y c i t i e s i n W e s t e r n n a t i o n s o n a s c a l e n o t s e e n s i n c e t h e 1 9 3 0 s a n d 4 0 s i n N a z i G e r m a n y . W h e n I l i v e d i n A u s t r a l i a i n t h e 1 9 7 0 s , 8 0 s a n d 9 0 s , a n t i s e m i t i c i n c i d e n t s w e r e e x t r e m e l y r a r e . N o w , w i t h t h e s e m a s s i v e ‘ p r o - P a l e s t i n e ’ d e m o n s t r a t i o n s a n d a c c o m p a n y i n g a t t a c k s a g a i n s t J e w i s h p e o p l e a n d i n s t i t u t i o n s o n a n u n p r e c e d e n t e d s c a l e , J e w i s h c o m m u n i t i e s n o w l i v e i n f e a r . T h i s i s n o t j u s t t r u e i n A u s t r a l i a , b u t i n F r a n c e , B r i t a i n a n d o t h e r W e s t e r n c o u n t r i e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e U S A a n d C a n a d a . W h y i s t h i s a n t i s e m i t i c ‘ p r o - P a l e s t i n e ’ o b s e s s i o n h a p p e n i n g ? O n e r e a s o n i s t h e m a s s i v e M u s l i m i m m i g r a t i o n i n t o W e s t e r n n a t i o n s , b o t h l e g a l a n d i l l e g a l , w h i c h i s u n d e r m i n i n g t h e J u d e o - C h r i s t i a n h e r i t a g e t h a t h a s u n d e r p i n n e d s o c i e t y . A n o t h e r f a c t o r u n d e r m i n i n g o u r t r a d i t i o n a l W e s t e r n v a l u e s i s t h e r i s e o f n e o - M a r x i s t i d e o l o g y — i d e n t i fi e d t o d a y a s ‘ w o k e ’ i d e o l o g y — t h a t h a s a d o p t e d t h i s a n c i e n t h a t r e d o f t h e J e w i s h p e o p l e a n d t h e i r n a t i o n . Y e t a n o t h e r f a c t o r i n t h e d r a m a t i c e s c a l a t i o n o f J e w - h a t r e d w h e n e v e r I s r a e l i s i n v o l v e d i n a n y c o n fl i c t — a n d n o w m o r e t h a n e v e r — i s t h e s i c k e n i n g a n t i - I s r a e l b i a s o f m o s t o f t h e m a i n s t r e a m m e d i a , p a r t i c u l a r l y o u r s t a t e - f u n d e d n a t i o n a l b r o a d c a s t e r s s u c h a s t h e A B C a n d B B C , w h i c h c o n s t a n t l y s k e w t h e f a c t s a n d p r e s e n t a t i o n s t y l e t o p o r t r a y I s r a e l a s t h e o p p r e s s i v e g u i l t y p a r t y . Wha t Does ‘F ree P alestine’ R eal l y M ean? So, what are these massive ‘ pro- P alestine ’ demonstrations all about? Is the ‘ F ree P alestine ’ slogan calling f or self-determination, and even the recognition of statehood , f or the people known as ‘ the P alestinians ’? Haj- Amin Al - H usseini, the B ritish - appointed G rand M ufti of J erusalem, is often regar ded as the ‘ godfather’ of the P alestinian movement. Y asser Arafat took on his mantle, as has Mahmoud Abbas, toda y’ s President of the P alestinian Authority . Both are determined to fulfil H usseini ’ s legacy , which now goes back f or a whole centur y . W as the M ufti ’ s goal to create a sovereign state f or the Arabs living in Mandated P alestine? Christian vigil supporting Israel and J ewish communities opposite Downing S treet in Whitehall, London, 1 9 N ovember . | Photo: H ugh Kitson C ontinued on page 7

23. T eaching fro m the Torah 13 (A USTRALIA) D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 Greg Cumming n The T orah P ortion | www .thetorah portion.org Our B ible is a big book. I t starts in the first two chapters describing the account of God creating the world and then creating the first man and woman and putting them in the Gar den. In only the thir d chapter , Adam and E ve ha ve sinned , and death has entered our existence. In the last two chapters of the B ible— in the book of R evelation —death is gone and the W orld - to- C ome has begun, and mankind has been recreated into an incorruptible f orm. A total of five small chapters in our big B ible discuss the wa y things are meant to be. The rest of the entire B ible discusses man in His current state, coexisting with death, and God ’ s core desire to dwell with mankind and His amazing plan of love to restore that relationship . The B ible is the ver y patient explanation of how God deals with death so that H e can dwell with man — firstly through one nation (Israel) by means of His Presence in the T abernacle and later the T emple administered by the priesthood. And secondly in the final state through the redemption of M essiah. Theref ore the centrepiece of this whole stor y is the M essiah and what H e accomplished — which is— the resurrection from the dead. This thing called resur rection is the proof that M essiah was successful — the great la ws of the hea vens and universe regar ding God dwelling with mankind ha ve been satisfied —death has been def eated , and we are destined to live with God f orever . R esurrection shows that, instead of nothingness, there is a lif e after this one— a better one. This current lif e in volves working alongside the original curse; managing death and deca y; dealing with injustice, pain, sorrow and suff ering; labouring har d just to exist. B ut the resurrection gives us hope. Y ou ha ve a soul of inestimable value that will go on living with God beyond this lif e. R esurrection proves God ’ s existence and that there is lif e after death. This is wh y the devil would lik e to hide it, change its meaning, mak e it a misunderstood subject and ultimately deceive people out of entering into it. R esurrection of the Dead Therefore is a Fundamen tal Biblical Belief One of the big questions that people were asking in J esus ’ da y was, is whether resurrection is mentioned in the T orah — the first five books of the B ible— the Book of M oses. This is a ver y important point because the T orah is rightly considered the f oundation of all scripture. The Sadducees said ‘ N o— the resurrection is not mentioned in the T orah ’ . The Pharisees said ‘Y es— the resurrection IS mentioned in the T orah ’ . J esus said ‘Y es it is ’ . And the Rabbis sa y ‘Y es it is ’ . So Where is the R esurrection of the Dead M en tioned in the T orah? The first verse in the T orah which speaks of the resurrection of the dead is considered to be in only the thir d chapter of Genesis, and ref ers to human beings coming from dust and returning to dust. “ F o r d u s t y o u a r e , a n d t o d u s t y o u s h a l l r e t u r n . ” G e n e s i s 3 : 1 9 W e tend to view that as meaning we were created from the dust and when we die our bodies deca y and return to become dust again. B ut the Rabbis look at this verse slightly diff erently . The Midrash and commentaries explain this verse lik e this: “There the resurrection of the dead is meant as sa ying, dust you are now , and therewith, as the same dust, or state, you will return a second time in the resurrection of the dead. M idrash Bereshit Rabbah 20:10 They see it as meaning we are a soul contained inside the dust that God f ormed into a human body , then we die and our soul departs, and then at the resurrection our soul will come back in to our body made of dust a second time. The second verse in the T orah which speaks of the resurrection of the dead ref ers to Abraham going to his fathers in peace. N ow as f or you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. Genesis 15:15 Rashi ’ s commentar y on this verse sa ys that when God sa ys, “Y ou will come to your f orefathers in peace ”, H e is ref erring inclusively of Abraham ’ s father , T erah, who we understand to ha ve been an idol merchant and worshipper . Abraham ’ s father was an idolater , and H e announces to him that he will come to him? This teaches you that T erah repented. Rashi on Genesis 15:15 This reveals that the Rabbis believe that Sheol is NOT O NL Y the ph ysical gra ve where the body goes when it dies but also the place where their soul goes when they die— making Sheol both the ph ysical gra ve and the place of departed souls. When Abraham died , his ph ysical body was buried with his wif e in the Machpelah Ca ve in H ebron. His father T erah, however , died and was buried in Haran 800 km a wa y . Theref ore when the Lor d promises to Abram that he would ‘ come to his f orefathers in peace ’, it is speaking of the f ollowing: Ÿ His future ph ysical death Ÿ His coming to his f orefathers in Sheol (i.e., the place of departed souls ) not the ph ysical gra ve Ÿ His coming to them in peace— implying that his reunion with his f orefathers will be in P aradise rather than Gehenna Ÿ That Abraham ’ s f orefathers must also be there in P aradise, meaning that they must ha ve repented of their idol worship and believed in God just as he had. The thir d verse in the T orah which speaks of the resurrection of the dead ref ers to the P atriarchs who God promised would inherit the promised land , but never did so in their ph ysical lif etime. “ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to J acob , as God Almighty , but by M y name Lor d I was not known to them. I ha ve also established M y covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers.” E xodus 6:3-4 ... “ F rom where in T orah do we learn the resurrection of the dead? F rom the verse, “ I also established m y covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan. I t doesn ’ t sa y ‘ to give you ’; it sa ys ‘ to give them ’ . Theref ore since Abraham, Isaac, and J acob ha ven ’ t yet received the land , the resurrection of the dead is proved from the T orah.” T almud Sanhedr in 90b:7 F or the P atriarchs to ph ysically inherit the promised land , they must be resurrected from the dead at some time in the future. Disc over more about resurrection of the dead from The M ilk C ourse. The M ilk C ourse explores the six foundational principles of M essiah. Y ou can join The M ilk C ourse at milk c ourse.or g. As well you can join Ps Greg Cumming every Satur day morning from 9.30- 11am AEST for The T or ah P ortion. thetor ahportion.or g T h e R e s u r r e c t i o n o f t h e D e a d | Photo: Lightstock O n e o f t h e b i g q u e s t i o n s t h a t p e o p l e w e r e a s k i n g i n J e s u s ’ d a y w a s , i s w h e t h e r r e s u r r e c t i o n i s m e n t i o n e d i n t h e T o r a h — t h e f i r s t f i v e b o o k s o f t h e B i b l e — t h e B o o k o f M o s e s .

20. B ibli ca l Co mmentary 10 (A USTRALIA) T h e C o m f o r t o f t h e R e s u r r e c t i o n P s E n o c h L a v e n d e r n Director | Oli ve Tree Ministries ... On this rock I will build M y church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ( M att. 16:18) Am I the only one confused by this sa ying of J esus? Hades is commonly understood to ref er to H ell, but wh y would its gates be fighting against the Church? Does it mean that the Church is seeking to break into H ell itself ? If so, wh y? T h e t e a c h i n g m i n i s t r y F i r s t F r u i t s o f Z i o n e x p l a i n s t h a t t h i s t e x t i s i n f a c t a r e f e r e n c e t o t h e S a i n t s’ f u t u r e v i c t o r y o v e r d e a t h . T h e y h e l p f u l l y p o i n t o u t t h a t t h e w o r d ‘H a d e s’ i s a t r a n s l a t i o n o f t h e He b r e w t e r m ‘ S h e o l ’ w h i c h r e f e r s t o t h e a f t e r l i f e . T h e g a t e s o f S h e o l a r e d e f e n s i v e s t r u c t u r e s i n t e n d e d t o p r e v e n t t h e d e a d f r o m p a s s i n g b a c k t o l i f e . Ho w e v e r , Je s u s p r o m i s e s t h a t t h e s e g a t e s w i l l n o t b e a b l e t o h o l d b a c k H i s C h u r c h o n t h e g r e a t D a y o f t h e R e s u r r e c t i o n . O n t h a t d a y , t h e g a t e s o f H a d e s w i l l fl i n g w i d e o p e n a s t h e S a i n t s r e t u r n t o l i f e . I n t h a t g r e a t d a y o f r e j o i c i n g a n d j u b i l a t i o n , t h e b e l i e v e r s w i l l r i s e a n e w i n r e c r e a t e d b o d i e s , p h y s i c a l l y e m b r a c i n g l o n g l o s t l o v e d o n e s w i t h t e a r f u l s h o u t s o f j o y . The H ope of the F irst-Cen tury Believers The scene was one of heartbreak and sadness. Mar y and Martha were surrounded by friends and relatives as they grieved the recent loss of their beloved brother Lazarus. They had requested J esus to come urgently , but now it was too late. The intimate con versation that f ollowed between J esus and Martha reveals much about the first centur y J ewish understanding of the afterlif e; an understanding which J esus did not contradict: J esus said to her , “Y our brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “ I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last da y .” J esus said to her , “ I am the resurrection and the lif e ”. ( J ohn 11:23- 25 ) When facing the loss of her brother , Martha ’ s source of comf ort and hope was not f ocussed on seeing him again in H ea ven, but rather of one da y meeting him again ph ysically here on Earth in ‘ the R esurrection at the Last D a y’ . This is not to sa y that there is no afterlif e. The B ible recor ds J esus sa ying to the dying criminal hanging beside Him on the cross ‘ toda y you will be with me in P aradise ’ ( Luke 23:43 ). H owever , the afterlif e was seen as only a temporar y place f or the dead while a waiting the resurrection. A waking from Sleep [ J esus ] said to them, “ Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I ma y wak e him up .” ( J ohn 11:11 ) The B ible often ref ers to the dead as being ‘ asleep ’ . Lik e the afterlif e, sleep is a state of rest where one is out of reach with the ph ysical surroundings of Earth. The afterlif e, lik e sleep , is only temporar y until the time when one wak es up . J ust as the clanging sound of an alarm clock wak es up the sleeper , so one da y the piercing sound of the T rumpet of J esus ’ Return will wak e up those who are in the sleep of death. D aniel the prophet speaks clearly of this: And man y of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall a wak e, Some to everlasting lif e, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. ( Dan. 12:2 ) While sleep is a part of lif e, our real f ocus is what happens while we are a wak e. In the same wa y , first centur y J ews such as Martha were not primarily f ocused on the sleep of the afterlif e, but rather on the a wak ening to come at the great Resurrection. This was their source of comf ort and future hope. A f ew years ago, m y family and I discovered this truth f or ourselves in a deeply personal wa y . F inding Comfort in the R esurrection ... the Lor d has anointed M e .... to proclaim liberty to the captives [ of death], ... T o comf ort all who mourn, ... T o give them beauty f or ashes, The oil of joy f or mourning. ( Is. 61:1-3, author’ s comment inserted) A year and a half had passed since the arrival of our twins, and m y wif e was pregnant again. As we began to pra y , we f elt that the Lor d ga ve us a name f or her , calling her J oy . I t was a beautiful name, and we were looking f or war d to meeting her , ha ving received prophetic wor ds about this little baby . V e r y e a r l y i n t h e p r e g n a n c y , m y w i f e h a d a s m a l l b l e e d . T h e d o c t o r s r e - a s s u r e d i t u s t h a t i t w a s n o t h i n g t o w o r r y a b o u t , b u t w h e n t h e y l a t e r c h e c k e d h e r o u t p r o p e r l y t h e y c o u l d n o l o n g e r fi n d J o y ’ s h e a r t b e a t . W e a s k e d t h e m t o c h e c k a n d t r i p l e c h e c k, b u t t h e r e s u l t r e m a i n e d t h e s a m e - s h e w a s g o n e . W e w e r e d e v a s t a t e d a n d s t u n n e d b y w h a t h a d h a p p e n e d . T h e h a r d e s t p a r t f o r m e p e r s o n a l l y w a s t h e s e n s e t h a t G o d h a d g i v e n u s c l e a r p r o p h e t i c w o r d s a b o u t t h i s l i t t l e o n e , a n d n o w t h o s e w o r d s w e r e q u i t e l i t e r a l l y f a l l i n g t o t h e g r o u n d u n f u l fi l l e d . I t w a s c o n f u s i n g , d i s c o u r a g i n g a n d d i s h e a r t e n i n g . As I reflected on what had happened , gradually the light and comf ort f ound in the teaching of the Resurrection began to wipe a wa y m y tears. I began to ponder the man y unfulfilled prophecies given to Israel and realised that while these promises seem impossible to fulfil right now , God is faithful to His W or d and will fulfil them in the M essianic Age. I came to understand that these are not the only promises that will a wait fulfilment in the M essianic Age. God ' s promises to us concerning our little baby J oy will also come to pass in that great da y of restoration. There is a da y coming when m y wif e and I will literally and ph ysically encounter our baby J oy , and O h what J oy it will be! Then the prophetic meaning of her name will be fulfilled as we embrace her with tears of joy . There is coming a great J ubilee in which God will comf ort our mourning and replace our tears with shouts of joy . M y pra yer is that our personal stor y of loss and of the hope we f ound in the Resurrection will also minister comf ort into your lif e. F or more about the c omfort and hope found in the R esurrection and the J ubilee, see my new book ‘The J ubilee: Disc over the E nd Time M ystery’ . | Photo: Deposit Photos I n this gr ound br eaking book, join P astor E noch La vender as he unc overs k ey elements of the E nd Times fr om a fr esh M essianic P erspective. The message of the J ubilee off ers an ex citing and uplifting perspective on the E nd Times thr ough its original J ewish c ontext. The Apostle P eter speaks of the J ubilee as “the r estoration of all things... spok en by mouth of all H is holy pr ophets” (A cts 3:21 ). I n this book we ar e going to disc over that the J ubilee off ers a message of hope in the midst of darkness, of new lif e out of death, of entering one ’ s God-given inheritanc e, of the wick ed being deposed fr om power and the meek entering the Kingdom. T opics c over ed include: Ÿ A f r e s h u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e w o r d ‘ G o s p e l ’ Ÿ J esus’ miracles as a f or etaste of the gr eater to c ome Ÿ The J ubilee T rumpet and its links to J esus’ r eturn Ÿ The tr emendous hope of the r esurr ection Ÿ The final ingathering of God’ s people Ÿ The kingdom to c ome Ÿ The r estoration of all things The J ub ile e : Discove r the End T ime Myste ry B ook vision.org.au/store . 0 0 $ 2 0 plus p&p D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4

33. R eflecti o n 17 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 I s r a e l a t W a r : A M u l t i - D i m e n s i o n a l C o n f l i c t Kameel Ma jda li n Director | T each A l l N a tions Inc. Of all the man y challenges we face as our ‘world is on f ire, ’ nothing has our attention more than the conflict between Israel and Hamas. M y phone gets regular notif ications of rock et sirens sounding across the countr y , from the South to the N orth. The war is def initely ‘ On. ’ The question: Will it be a multi - front war , especially in the N orth or beyond? Or will it sta y contained? H ere are at least f our parts of this multi - dimensional conflict: This is a Blood F eud B y def inition, a blood f eud is an inter - family squabble with a cycle of retaliator y violence. Arabs and J ews are cousins and neighbours, with a histor y of harmonious community interaction f or centuries, even up to now . Y et, if violence erupts, vengeance is a possibility . Middle East memories are long and strong. A ‘ tit- f or - tat’ mindset could be a factor , but it’ s not the most dominant. This is a Ci vi lisa tional W ar The Israel - Hamas war ma y appear to be localised , but it really is a global conflict, bringing W estern nations to the frontlines. M ore specif ically , it is the ongoing war f or the sur vival of W estern civilisation. Based on B iblical J udaeo- Christian principles, the classic W est represents some powerful and revered institutions lik e ( monogamous ) marriage, family , religious freedom, private property ownership , rule of la w , equality of opportunity , minimal government, and maximum freedom. C ontrast this with the neo- Marxist/ Islamist front ( a Berkley prof essor conf irmed that Hamas and H ezbollah were part of the ‘ progressive 1 global Left’), which detests the W est and all that it stands f or . The neo-/ cultural Marxists dream of a utopian world of equality of outcomes, of big government that wants to sever the individual ’ s allegiance to nation, faith, family , and freedom. In their place, neo- Marxism promises to meet your needs, k eep you saf e, and mak e you equal and happy . B ut to obtain these benef its, they demand total compliance. Dissent will not be tolerated. C oercion is their modus operandi. Those who fall out of line will be dealt with swiftly and severely . In short, the Left wants you to trust and obey big government lik e a Christian trusts in the Lor d. The Islamist is ver y similar to the neo- Marxists and also desires a global realm, ex cept they dream of a worldwide caliphate with J erusalem as the capital. If the neo- Marxist/ Islamist- J ihadi alliance succeeds, there will be an inevitable power struggle between them. Which side do you think will prevail? So, in summar y , this is not merely a nationalist conflict but a global clash of civilisations. Israel, which represents the W est, is merely the f irst pin in the bowling alley . Aim the bowling ball at the correct angle, roll it with skill, and not only will the f irst pin fly , but so will all the other pins with it. The W est are the ‘ pins. ’ This is a Theological W ar While the f ounders of modern Israel were staunch secularists, pious J ews and evangelical Christians sa w a prophetic element in the rebirth of the J ewish state. J eremiah 16:14- 15, Isaiah 11:11, and Amos 9:14- 15 speak of God gathering the dispersed of Israel f or the ‘ second time ’ from all lands and planting them in their own land , never to be pulled out of it again. Hamas and man y mainstream schools of Islamic la w ha ve a ver y diff erent theology . Their unchanged Charter calls f or the elimination of the S tate of Israel and of all J ews worldwide. They believe that P alestine, captured by the Caliph Omar in 638 AD , became Islamic waqf, a sacred and perpetual trust to be reser ved f or future generations of M uslims until J udgment D a y . F or the waqf to fall into non - M uslim hands is unacceptable, if not blasphemous. Theref ore, it is their duty to liberate P alestine from the occupation of the ‘ inf idel Z ionists. ’ This is a S piri tual W ar F or the mature, B ible-based and S pirit- led Christian, this should come as no surprise. Accor ding to E phesians 6:10- 18, we are to put on the whole armour of God because the f ight is not with flesh and blood lik e Hamas, the a yatollahs, or the W estern Left. I t’ s with in visible spiritual powers and hosts of wick edness in the hea venly realm. Daniel 10 speaks of the ‘ prince of P ersia, ’ who dela yed D aniel ’ s angelic visitor . Decades later , this same spiritual principality instigated Haman ’ s devilish scheme to mur der all the J ewish people in the P ersian empire. Who knows what spiritual f orces govern Gaza, once part of the ‘land of the Philistines ’ in B iblical times? W e are seeing the most horrif ic manif estations of antisemitism in our lif etime. U nauthorised protestors at the S ydney Opera H ouse chanted “ Gas the J ews ” less than eighty years after the ‘ never again ’ H olocaust. S ince 7 October , 2 global antisemitism has risen 1,180%, and in London alone it has skyrock eted 3 1, 350%. If the J ewish people ha ve an end - time prophetic future, then it is no surprise that the f orces of darkness seek to destroy them so that these prophecies will not come to pass. They will fail despite the current fur y ( see J eremiah 31:35-37 ). I t’ s war , alright, a multi -dimensional one. In the latter arena — the all - important spiritual dimension — the Church is best equipped to f ight. I ts armour y is unbeatable ( 2 C or inthians 10:4-5; E phesians 6:10- 14; 1 J ohn 3:8; 4:4 ). Intercessors will sa ve the world! I t’ s time to be strong in the Lor d , put on the whole armour of God , and go to work. 1 https:/ /www . frontpagemag.c om/berk eley-professor - hamas -and-hezbollah-are-progressive-and-part-of - global-left/?mc_cid=f9 7040d210&mc_eid=771 9dc c037 Ac c essed 01 N ovember 2023. 2 J erusalem P ost, 1 N ovember 2023. 3 The Daily Wire, 1 N ovember 2023 A n I s r a e l i s o l d i e r p r a y i n g n e a r t h e I s r a e l i b o r d e r , n o r t h e r n I s r a e l , 5 N o v e m b e r 2 0 2 3 . | P h o t o : F l a s h 9 0 E vidently , flying into a war z one suggests one is either dodgy or crazy . A t least the interr ogations we r ec eived at several plac es along the journey would suggest so. N o matter how many times I visit I srael, the trip is still a r eally long grind. J u s t t o h i t t h e g r o u n d r u n n i n g , w e s t a r t e d s t r a i g h t f r o m t h e a i r p o r t w i t h a v i s i t t o t h e A l z h e i m e r ’ s M e d i c a l C e n t r e , w h i c h i s s t r u g g l i n g w i t h a n i n fl u x o f r e f u g e e p a t i e n t s w h o h a v e h a d t o fl e e t h e s o u t h o f I s r a e l o r t h e n o r t h e r n b o r d e r . I t i s a g r e a t p r i v i l e g e t o b e a b l e t o v i s i t i n p e r s o n a n d t o b e a b l e t o b l e s s a n d e n c o u r a g e t h o s e w h o a r e f a c i n g t h i s t r a g e d y a n d i t s a f t e r m a t h . T h e n , t r a v e l l i n g t o J e r u s a l e m , o n e c o u l d b e f o r g i v e n f o r n o t r e a l i s i n g t h a t t h e r e i s a w a r o n e x c e p t f o r t h e fl a g s . I s r a e l i fl a g s fl y e v e r y w h e r e . T e n s o f t h o u s a n d s . A u n i t y I h a v e n ’ t s e e n b e f o r e . N o t j u s t f r o m J e w i s h I s r a e l i s , t h o u g h ; A r a b I s r a e l i s — s o m e 2 . 5 m i l l i o n o f t h e m — a r e g r i e v i n g t o o . A t t a c k e d a n d k i l l e d b y t h e t e r r o r i s t s o r t h e i r r o c k e t s , h o m e s d a m a g e d o r d e s t r o y e d , t h e s e I s r a e l i s h a v e b e e n v i o l a t e d j u s t t h e s a m e a s t h e i r J e w i s h n e i g h b o u r s . A n d t h e n t h e r e ’ s t h e p o s t e r s . T h e y a r e e v e r y w h e r e . E a c h o n e i s t h e f a c e a n d n a m e o f a p a w n i n G a z a ’ s p o w e r g a m e s . E a c h o n e r e p r e s e n t s n o t j u s t a n i n n o c e n t p e r s o n b e i n g h e l d i n a t e r r o r i s t ’ s l a i r , b u t t h e f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y l e f t w a i t i n g , l o n g i n g , a n d a c h i n g . W e f o u n d o u r a c c o m m o d a t i o n , c h e c k e d i n w i t h t h e H i n e n i t e a m , a n d t h e n g r a b b e d s o m e s l e e p b e f o r e r e p o r t i n g f o r d u t y t h e f o l l o w i n g m o r n i n g . H a ving c ome to serve in whatever wa y was useful, we had anticipated hours peeling potatoes and washing dishes. So far , we ha ven ’ t r eally done any of that, as it was quickly r evealed that H ineni, the humanitarian r estaurant in J erusalem that C4I has supported f or many years, had other uses f or us. And so we ’ve fix ed things. Lights, machinery / equipment, plumbing, electrical, we ’ve been flat -out getting thr ough Benjamin P hilip ’ s long—and gr owing—list. I t is gr eat to be able to sort out some of these issues, allowing the f oundation to operate unhinder ed. A s w e s i t t o g e t h e r a t l u n c h , s u r r o u n d e d b y n e e d y f o l k o f a l l s h a p e s , s i z e s a n d c o l o u r s , w e b r i n g e n c o u r a g e m e n t . T h e r e a r e p e o p l e h e r e w h o s u r v i v e d t h e h o r r o r s o f N a z i G e r m a n y , e s c a p i n g d e a t h c a m p s , w h o r e m e m b e r t h e e x p l o s i o n o f r a c i s m a n d p r e j u d i c e t h a t b e c a m e k n o w n a s K r i s t a l l n a c h t ( N i g h t o f B r o k e n G l a s s , 1 9 3 8 ) The whole world said “ never again ” . And yet her e we ar e. R e p o r t D i r e c t l y F r o m I s r a e l B y B r y c e T u r n e r N a t i o n a l L e a d e r C 4 I N Z

25. In tervi ew 15 (A USTRALIA) D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 F r o m ‘ W a r Z o n e U k r a i n e ’ t o ‘ W a r Z o n e I s r a e l ’ A nemo ne R ü ger n C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l Christians f or Israel has been suppor ting young families with their integration into Israel through ‘ F irst H ome in the H omeland ’ f or man y years. T he over whelming majority of these families are coming from the f ormer Soviet U nion. Man y of them just fled war -torn Ukraine last year . H ow are they doing now? Be ’ eri - a piece of paradise, no more than f ive kilometres from the Gaza S trip . The orange blossoms of the flame trees, green la wns, well - k ept sidewalks, in viting little houses f or families who don ’ t want to go an ywhere else. That’ s how we know this kibbutz in the north of the N egev , and that’ s how it was described to us by V alya and Ma ya when we visited there last summer with a small C4I team. A f ew months earlier , they had repatriated to Israel with their young son Mark from war - torn Ukraine with the help of C4I and had been accepted into the ‘ F irst H ome in the H omeland ’ intensive integration programme. Be ’ eri and the kibbutz community literally became their f irst home in their historic homeland , Israel, and the little family was happy when their request f or an extension of another six months was approved. T h e B e ’ e r i w e k n e w n o l o n g e r e x i s t s . T h e k i b b u t z i s d e v a s t a t e d ; b o d y p a r t s w e r e s t i l l f o u n d o v e r a w e e k a f t e r t h e m a s s a c r e H a m a s c a r r i e d o u t t h e r e o n 7 O c t o b e r . A t e m p o r a r y m i l i t a r y b a s e h a s b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d t h e r e . O t h e r w i s e , B e ’ e r i r e s e m b l e s a g h o s t t o w n . I har dly dare ask V aleria about ‘ our’ Ukrainian families of new immigrants. V aleria — herself a repatriate from R ussia who came just a year and a half ago—oversees the programme and has been working around the clock to help the families since that inconceivable Shabbat. She has good news. “V alya and Ma ya just moved a f ew towns over to Sderot two months ago,” V aleria sa ys. “They were lucky . B ut Sderot was then also attack ed. They are sta ying with friends f or now .” W e h e a r m a n y s u c h n e a r - m i s s s t o r i e s n o w , a l s o f r o m V a l e r i a ’ s c o l l e a g u e , w h o l i v e s i n a k i b b u t z s o u t h o f t h e G a z a S t r i p a n d a c t u a l l y i n t e n d e d t o t a k e h e r f a m i l y o n a t r i p t o t h e b e a u t i f u l s a n d y b e a c h n e a r Z i k i m o n t h a t f a t e f u l S h a b b a t . I t w o u l d h a v e b e e n a d e a t h t r a p . I n s t e a d , s h e s p e n t a g o n i s i n g h o u r s i n t h e d a r k w i t h o u t e l e c t r i c i t y i n t h e s h e l t e r . S h e a n d h e r f a m i l y w e r e r e s c u e d — s e v e r e l y t r a u m a t i s e d . B u t m a n y o f h e r f r i e n d s a n d m a n y o f h e r c h i l d r e n ’ s c l a s s m a t e s a r e n o l o n g e r a l i v e . Emergency H el p for N ewcomer F ami lies “W e ha ve more than 150 families in the programme, including those who ha ve extended another six months,” V aleria tells us. “They are all saf e. T wenty of them had to be evacuated — most from the south, from Or HaN er and N ir Am, but also some who live on the bor der with Lebanon.” T h e t e a m — o v e r s e e n b y t h e J e w i s h A g e n c y a n d f i n a n c i a l l y s u p p o r t e d b y C 4 I — i s d o i n g e v e ry t h i n g h u m a n l y p o s s i b l e t o p r o v i d e f o r t h e f a m i l i e s . “ T h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t t h i n g f o r t h e f a m i l i e s r i g h t n o w i s g o o d i n f o r m a t i o n , ” V a l e r i a s a y s . “ W e o f f e r d i f f e r e n t Z o o m m e e t i n g s j u s t t o t a l k t o t h e f a m i l i e s . T h e r e i s p s y c h o l o g i c a l h e l p ; t h e r e a r e m a n y a c t i v i t i e s t o a t t e n d t o t h e n e e d s o f t h e c h i l d r e n . L a n g u a g e c l a s s e s a r e c o n t i n u i n g ; p e o p l e w a n t t o k e e p l e a r n i n g H e b r e w . B u t p r a c t i c a l s u p p o r t i s a l s o n e e d e d — t h e e v a c u a t e d f a m i l i e s c a n ’ t w o r k f o r t h e t i m e b e i n g a n d r e l y o n h e l p f o r e v e ry t h i n g . ” And help is coming. N eighbours are moving closer together; even new immigrants who are still in the process of getting settled in Israel are looking f or wa ys to support their f ellow countr ymen. E veryone is Pu l ling T ogether “ One of our local coor dinators decided to sta y in Or HaN er , ver y close to the Gaza S trip , to help guar d the kibbutz and tak e care of the ID F soldiers there. H e called me to ask if I needed help!” V aleria shares. “ Another co- work er , whose husband was drafted , is baking cak es f or the soldiers. E ver yone pitches in somehow , including our olim ( new immigrants ).” M an y families only recently ar r ived from war -tor n Ukraine with high hopes for a happy new life. H ow are they coping with the events? “So far , no one has told us that they regret ha ving moved here,” sa ys V aleria. “W e get a lot of messages from families thanking us f or taking such good care of them here.” “W e are saf e— thanks to the eff orts of Sla va and the people from the kibbutz. W e are so glad that we were assigned to this kibbutz, despite all the horror ,” writes one family . And another: “W e can ’ t help but be amazed at how compassionate the people around us are. I ha ve not regretted f or a second that I became an Israeli. W e are proud to be part of this great nation!” E ver yone is tr ying to be bra ve, stick together and do something to help others. “ E v e r y o n e i s s c a r e d , o f c o u r s e , ” V a l e r i a s a y s . “ N o o n e k n o w s w h a t w i l l b e t o m o r r o w , e v e n w h a t w i l l b e i n a n h o u r . W h a t h e l p s u s t h r o u g h t h i s i s h a v i n g f r i e n d s a r o u n d u s n o w . W e n e e d y o u r s u p p o r t l i k e t h e a i r w e b r e a t h e . Y o u r p r a y e r s a r e t h e g r o u n d b e n e a t h o u r f e e t . ” L e t t e r t o a n I s r a e l i s o l d i e r b y 7 - y e a r o l d K i r a w h o r e c e n t l y c a m e t o I s r a e l w i t h h e r p a r e n t s : “ T h a n k y o u f o r p r o t e c t i n g u s ! ” | P h o t o : C 4 I CHR ISTIANS FO R ISRAEL A USTRALIA CALEND AR 2024 $ 2 9 A unique 2024 calendar designed especially for A ustr alians that showcases the national symbols of I sr ael. Ÿ S hows B iblical/J ewish/I sraeli holida ys and f estivals Ÿ D ispla ys W estern and H ebr ew dates Ÿ S hows Australian public holida ys Ÿ Large date ar ea f or notes Ÿ M onthly psalms Ÿ S upports Christians for I sr ael A ustr alia Available Now 2024 Ca lendar - ORDER N O W Or der your Christians for I srael A ustra lia 2024 Ca lendar online at c4isr ael.com.au/stor e or complete the coupon on the back page. K i b b u t z B e ’ e r i l a s t s u m m e r . | P h o t o : C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l T h e d e s t r u c t i o n c a u s e d b y H a m a s M i l i t a n t s i n K i b b u t z B e ’ e r i , n e a r t h e I s r a e l i - G a z a b o r d e r , i n s o u t h e r n I s r a e l , 1 4 O c t o b e r 2 0 2 3 . | P h o t o : F l a s h 9 0

11. Ian W o rby n C4I A ustra lia N a tiona l Leader and R egiona l Director for Oceania Dear precious readers and friends ( Chavor im ) W elcome to this special December - J anuar y Australia edition of Israel and Chr istians T oday . T h i s b u m p e r 3 6 - p a g e W a r a n d E m e r g e n c y e d i t i o n i s f u l l o f a l l t h e c r i t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n r e p o r t s a n d s t o r i e s t o I n s p i r e y o u i n t h e m i d s t o f t h i s v e ry d a r k a n d u n c e r t a i n t i m e t o p r a y a n d b r i n g C o m f o r t a n d p r a c t i c a l s u p p o r t a n d a c t i o n s b y w a y o f o u r s o l i d a r i t y a n d s p e a k i n g u p f o r I s r a e l a n d a g a i n s t t h e r i s i n g t i d e o f a n t i s e m i t i s m , w e a r e s e e i n g n o t j u s t i n I s r a e l a n d E u r o p e a n d A m e r i c a , b u t r i g h t h e r e i n A u s t r a l i a . Or dinarily , I would be writing to prepare us f or the f estive season of Christmas to celebrate the first advent of J esus and to recount the miracle of the extended oil during the f east of dedication, other wise known as the F estival of Lights or H anukkah, that J esus himself attended in December (winter ) in J erusalem. J ohn 10:22- 23 This was all overtak en by this dreadful war that exploded out of the unprovok ed barbaric massacre that happened on the morning of 7 October 2023; Hamas led a simultaneous wa ve of assaults on Israeli civilian communities and militar y posts. The da wn attack began when Hamas launched over 5,000 rock ets from Gaza into Israel, then used these strategic barrages as cover to breach the bor der . In this massive surprise onslaught on southern Israel, Hamas terrorists committed unfathomable atrocities that ha ve reverberated globally . The attacks claimed the lives of more than 1200 individuals, of which 843 of the identified bodies were civilians. They left over 4,834 wounded and resulted in 240+ people being tak en hostage. Additionally , some of the bodies remain unidentified due to substantial mutilation. This barbarous attack when thousands of Hamas terrorists and civilians brok e through the bor der f ences and poured across to some 22 nearby towns and kibbutzim, shooting, butchering, raping and burning innocent Israeli citizens in their homes on what should ha ve been a special quiet Sabbath high holy da y know as S imchat T ora ( the J oy of T orah ) which is a celebration of the end of the annual weekly T orah reading cycle or P arashah, accompanied by dancing and singing. Instead , it was a chilling repeat, almost to the da y of the Y om K ippur W ar 50 years ago. Sadly , some of those killed by the terrorists from Gaza were regular volunteers who often took sick P alestinians and their children from the Gaza S trip to local Israeli hospitals f or free medical treatment. Man y hundreds of Gazans were given employment working on the farms, earning 6- 8 times as much as what they could earn in Gaza, by the kind locals who wanted to help the P alestinians mak e a better lif e. In return, they sur veilled the towns noting which houses and compounds to come back and kill, rape and burn and pillage and kidnap without mercy . I ’ m reminded of the ancestors of the P alestinians, the children of Edom and Essau, who treated the sons of J acob (Israel) violently and what God said H e would do to them. Read the short book of Obadiah in just one chapter and also J oel in chapter 3. Our V ision H ol y Land T our was cu t short d ue to the W ar breaking ou t in Israel M y w i f e , M a n d y , a n d I j u s t e n t e r e d t h e s o u t h e r n p o r t c i t y o f E i l a t i n I s r a e l w i t h 4 8 f e l l o w A u s t r a l i a n s t h e d a y a f t e r t h e m a s s a c r e . W e h a d j u s t fi n i s h e d t h e fi r s t p a r t o f o u r E g y p t a n d J o r d a n t o u r a n d w e r e e a g e r l y l o o k i n g f o rw a r d w i t h g r e a t e x p e c t a t i o n t o s p e n d t h e n e x t 1 4 d a y s e x p l o r i n g t h e P r o m i s e d L a n d f r o m t h e s o u t h t o t h e M o u n t a i n s o f H e r m o n i n t h e n o r t h a n d t h e G a l i l e e a n d J e r u s a l e m t h e C i t y o f t h e G r e a t K i n g f o l l o w i n g t h e e x o d u s s t o ry a n d e n t e r i n g t h e l a n d w a l k i n g i n t h e f o o t s t e p s o f t h e p a t r i a r c h s , A b r a h a m , I s s a c a n d J a c o b , a n d t h e p r o p h e t s , M o s e s , a n d J o s h u a a n d J e r e m i a h , K i n g D a v i d a n d J e s u s a n d t h e A p o s t l e s . B u t t o o u r s h o c k, h o r r o r a n d d i s a p p o i n t m e n t , w e h a d t o c u t o u r t o u r s h o r t w h e n I s r a e l r i g h t l y d e c l a r e d w a r o n H a m a s , a n d a f t e r j u s t f o u r d a y s i n I s r a e l , w e h a d t o l e a v e v i a J o r d a n a n d r e t u r n h o m e t o A u s t r a l i a ( w e h o p e t o r e t u r n w i t h o u r n e x t t o u r i n S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 4 , s o l o o k o u t f o r m o r e d e t a i l s i n t h e n e w y e a r ) . Emergency Aid for Israel A ppeal and our new “ A dopt a Comm uni ty in Israel” project In these critical times, Israel is at war after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise mur derous attack on Satur da y , 7 October , resulting in the loss of over 1,200 lives, 4,800 injuries, and 240+ people abducted into the Gaza S trip . Visit to see the https:// oct7map.com/ communities aff ected. F ollowing these events, on 26 October , Christians f or Israel Australia, along with other pro- Israel Christian leaders, met f or a ver y important and strategic video conf erence call with H. E . Amir Maimon, the Ambassador of Israel, to discuss practical wa ys we could show our compassionate unconditional love and support, in bringing C omf or t, and showing solidarity and to partner with the Ambassador and the Israel Ministr y of F oreign Affairs (MF A) as we are all steadfastly committed to the recover y and empowerment of the residents and communities of Southern Israel. The Ambassador , along with the Israeli MF A , is initiating the Adopt a C ommunity in Israel project, with the primar y objective of helping the most aff ected population in Israel. This project is designed to f oster connections between the communities in Southern Israel and individuals, communities, cities, towns, and local municipalities around Australia. W e at Chr istians for Israel A ustralia F oundation ha ve agreed to do our Christian God - given part in committing to this long- term project. The repair and revitalisation of the towns and villages stands as an immediate national imperative. Presently , 150,000 residents of Southern Israel ha ve been compelled to lea ve their homes and are currently displaced , with man y experiencing the traumatic loss of family members, friends, neighbours, pets, and personal belongings. I t ma y be weeks or months bef ore the traumatised locals can return. The scope of destruction is substantial, with thousands of buildings, vehicles, and agricultural assets severely damaged. The utmost priority is placed on both the mental and ph ysical recover y of these aff ected individuals. This commitment to long- term engagement will f oster sustained support and solidarity between those off ering assistance and those in need. W e b e l i e v e t h a t b y w o r k i n g h a n d - i n - h a n d w i t h d e d i c a t e d p a r t n e r s l i k e y o u , w e c a n e n s u r e t h e s u c c e s s o f t h i s c r u c i a l i n i t i a t i v e a n d m a k e a p o s i t i v e w i t n e s s t o i m p a c t t h e l i v e s o f t h o s e w h o n e e d i t m o s t . Y our heartf elt, generous commitment and support will be in valuable to the Adopt a C ommunity in Israel project, and we look f or war d to receiving your help to show Christian love in restoring these communities. $100,000 ma tching gift offer to la unch this new “ A dopt a Comm uni ty in Israel” project Chr istians for Israel A ustralia F oundation is pleased to be able to off er a matching gift incentive to ever y donation of an y amount up to A UD $100,000. The urgency of this project to bring C omf or t and practical support is ver y real. So if you are able to give $50, it will be matched , and $100 will be sent to bring aid to those in desperate need , f or example, in the area of mental health treatments f or trauma or f or basic care products f or babies and mothers. Or if you can give $500, then that will be matched and $1,000 will be sent to be used in the rebuilding of schools f or children and where there is a significant need in equipment related to renewing studies in educational institutes aff ected by the attack , including computers f or students etc. Y our generous tax -deductible gift of $2,000 will become $4,000, which could be used to provide assistance with evacuating communities from dangerous areas to saf er towns or perhaps to purchase portable above- the-ground bomb shelters called M igunit to protect the communities from an y continued rock et attacks from the Gaza S trip . Or your ver y generous gift of $5,000 will be matched to become $10,000 to assist in equipping standby emergency teams and organising periods of relief f or people who suff er from prolonged stress due to the ongoing conflict situation. These are just a f ew examples of what and where your generous, pra yerful support as a Christian f or Israel will be applied on your behalf by the MF A , who will know where the funds are most urgently needed. December 2023 R epo rt F r o m Our N a ti o na l Lead er Ian W orby at S tanding with Israel Rally in B risbane, N ovember 2023 C ontinued on page 2

18. 8 (A USTRALIA) D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 Theology Maxine Carli l l n T he f estival of H anukkah which celebrates evil f orces over thrown and the desecrated temple won back from the Selucid armies, has the delightful tradition of lighting candles each of the eight nights. I t commemorates the miracle of one da y’ s supply of oil k eeping the T emple M enorah burning f or eight da ys. Light rekindled, shining as a symbol of victor y over the darkness of hate. Ligh t and Dar kness On 7 October this year it is as if some lights were suddenly turned off. An evil darkness engulf ed the homes and hearts of Israelis. Our minds struggled to comprehend the horror . The Israel so man y ha ve experienced through tours and visits, the wonderful memories of beautiful biblical sites and of mingling with a restored , dynamic nation, became in an instant, an Israel grappling with grief and plunged into a war . The period bef ore the events of H anukkah was one of darkness. A long period of intense hatred towar d the J ews and their wa y of lif e and terrible consequences f or those who resisted the decrees of Antiochus E piphanius, the merciless leader . The Lam pstead When J erusalem was recaptured and the temple rededicated , the huge golden menorah stood dark ened until uncontaminated oil was f ound. I t was enough f or a da y . B ut lik e the loa ves and fishes of a later time, its supply went beyond normal expectation and light shone once more. The menorah ’ s design as described in E x odus 25:33-34, was to include the bud and blossoms of an almond tree. There was a reason f or this interesting decoration. In N umbers 16, there was a serious challenge to the spiritual leadership of God ’ s anointed leader . K orah whose clan had been allocated a most holy and responsible position, ( N umbers 4:15, 7:9 ), that of carr ying the Ark of the C ovenant and other sacred items when the nation was on the move, desired a higher status— even that of high priest. In N umbers 17 that appointment was settled once and f or all by a compelling demonstration that the role of the high priest, which pointed to a High Priest to come, was connected to resurrection power . T welve dead ‘ sticks ’ were placed bef ore the Lor d. A man ’ s rod was a symbol of authority and leadership , so one from the leader of each tribe was placed bef ore the ark of the covenant. Overnight Aaron ’ s rod budded , blossomed , and produced ripe almonds. Lif e from death! The menorah has another lesson in its botanical design. The blossom of the almond tree is the first blossom in Israel appearing near the end of winter . S plashes of pink and white brighten the landscape pointing to the promise of new lif e. I t was in this season that J eremiah was given a difficult assignment. Israel was in a situation of seeming hopelessness. The prophet was to speak to his people with warnings and pleas to repent bef ore judgement comes, even though God told him they would oppose him, J eremiah 1:1 9. H owever , God assures him that amid the bleakness of exile and suff ering, His promises f or Israel will come to pass. One of the signs he gives is the almond tree. H e ask ed J eremiah what did he see and J eremiah replies in 1:11, “ I see the branch of an almond tree.” God sa ys, “Y ou ha ve seen well, and I am watching / guar ding over m y wor d to perf orm it.” The wor d translated ‘watching’ or ‘ guar ding’ is shaked, the same letters, but pronounced slightly diff erently is also the wor d f or ‘ almond ’, sh ’ked. A pla y on wor ds is common in the H ebrew Scriptures to mak e a point. J ust as the sight of the blossoming almond tree promised the end of winter’ s bleakness, so God ’ s wor ds assured J eremiah that there was indeed hope f or an end to a dark situation. The menorah ’ s design represents authority; lif e from the dead; hope in dark times. N o wonder the resurrected Y eshua appeared among the lampstands, the menorot, in R evelation 1:12- 13, where each stand represented a church whose task was to shine the light with which they were entrusted. The Ligh t P salm 36:9 sa ys, “ In Y our light we see light”. The light that we see the T almud sa ys, is the M essiah. J ohn 1:9 bears out the T almudic teaching, “The true light which gives light to ever y man, was coming into the world.” As does the bold statement of Y eshua, “ I am the light of the world.” T h e fi r s t c o m m a n d m e n t o f G o d w a s “L e t t h e r e b e l i g h t ” . W a s i t a n e x t r a- o rd i n a r y l i g h t b e c a u s e t h e s u n a n d t h e m o o n w e r e y e t t o b e c r e a t e d ? W a s i t t h e e n e r g y t h a t w a s r e l e a s e d t o b r i n g f o r t h t h e u n i v e r s e s ? O n e t h i n g i t c e r t a i n l y w a s —i t w a s a m o s t d r a m a t i c s t a t e m e n t , a p o w e r f u l p i c t u r e , t h a t o u t o f d a r k n e s s G o d b r i n g s l i g h t . Light is most eff ective when applied accor ding to God ’ s directions. N umbers 8:1-3, “ ...S peak to Aaron, and sa y to him, when you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand. And Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps...as the Lor d commanded M oses ”. And Y eshua explained in M atthew 5:14- 16 how his f ollowers were to shine. I t is good works that will be lik e a lamp on a stand , seen by others, causing them to give glor y to the F ather . What a responsibility— to reflect the Light of the world — which is M essiah. S ince the terrible events of 7 October , the ever present darkness of antisemitism has manif est itself to a frightening level. And out of that darkness light must shine. This is the time f or all who name the God of Israel as their God , to stand against the hatred of His people. The lights of H anukkah are a reminder of triumph over hate, the W or d of God over the wor ds of man. Isaiah 60:1 declares, “ Arise, shine; F or your light has come! And the glor y of the Lor d is risen upon you.” | Photo: Lightstock H a n u k k a h , t h e F e s t i v a l o f L i g h t s T h e L i g h t R e k i n d l e d

24. P astora l Insi gh ts 14 (A USTRALIA) D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 K ei th Buxto n n F ormer N a tiona l Director | Bridges for P eace A ustra lia This is m y f ourth and last article sharing some thoughts from the T orah portion, or parsha, named Ekev— Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25 — in which we read how M oses encourages the Israelites who are about to cross the J or dan into the Promised Land to put their trust wholeheartedly in God , and to discover how H e will abundantly bless them if they faithfully listen to and obey Him. W e see f or example in Deuteronomy 8:8- 10 the Lor d ’ s desire to pour out blessing upon His people, including the promise of rich agricultural blessing in the land: “ A land of wheat and barley , of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and [ date ] honey” — the well - known seven species. W e ha ve however been discovering that their experi ence of these man y pr omised b l essings is dependen t upon a n umber of importan t conditi ons— that he shall r eceive b l essing fr om the Lor d w ho (1) ho lds fast to the W or d of God, ( 2 ) disp la ys true h umility , and (3) demonstrates obedi ence to our Lor d. Throughout the Scriptures our good God whose heart is alwa ys to bless His people is revealed as a God of incredible patience, compassion, love, faithfulness, mercy , f orgiveness and grace. H ear echoes of M icah 6:8 as you hear now the wor ds of the Lor d to His people in Deuteronomy 10:12- 15: “ And now , Israel, what does the Lor d your God require of you, but to f ear the Lor d your God , to walk in all His wa ys and to love Him, to ser ve the Lor d your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to k eep the commandments of the Lor d and His statutes which I command you toda y f or your good? “ Indeed hea ven and the highest hea vens belong to the Lor d your God , also the earth with all that is in it. The Lor d delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and H e chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this da y .” T h i s i s t h e l o v i n g G o d w h o , a s R a b b i L o r d J o n a t h a n S a c k s r e m i n d s u s , c a l l s H i s p e o p l e t o l i s t e n . W e r e a d t h e o p e n i n g w o r d s o f t h i s T o r a h p o r t i o n : “ T h e n i t s h a l l c o m e t o p a s s , b e c a u s e y o u l i s t e n t o t h e s e j u d g m e n t s , a n d k e e p a n d d o t h e m , t h a t t h e L o r d y o u r G o d w i l l k e e p w i t h y o u t h e c o v e n a n t a n d t h e m e r c y w h i c h H e s w o r e t o y o u r f a t h e r s . ” Rabbi Sacks goes on to sa y: “These wor ds with which our parsha begins contain the verb sh - m -a. I t occurred in last week’ s parsha in the most famous line of the whole of J udaism, Shema Yisrael. “ One of the most striking facts about the T orah is that, although it contains 613 commands, it does not contain a wor d that means ‘ to obey . ’ The verb used by the T orah in place of ‘ to obey’ is sh - m -a.” W e s h o u l d a t t h i s p o i n t n o t e t h a t s h - m - a c o n v e y s a v a r i e t y o f m e a n i n g s , i n c l u d i n g t o h e a r , t o l i s t e n , t o h e e d , t o p a y a t t e n t i o n t o , t o u n d e r s t a n d , a n d t o b e w i l l i n g t o o b e y . “This [ sa ys Rabbi Sacks ] is of the highest possible significance. I t means that blind obedience is not a virtue in J udaism. God wants us to understand the la ws H e has commanded us. H e wants us to reflect on wh y this la w , not that. H e wants us to listen, to reflect, to seek to understand , to internalise and to respond. H e wants us to become a listening people. “ If we want God to listen to us we ha ve to be prepared to listen to Him. And if we learn to listen to Him, then we eventually learn to listen to our f ellow humans: the silent cr y of the lonely , the poor , the weak , the vulnerable, the people in existential pain.” What does this mean, then, f or Israel on the brink of entering the Promised Land? What does it mean f or you and me? I t means this. The God who loves us and cares about us, the God who watches over us and seeks only His best f or us, calls us to so listen to and internalise His commandments and His wa ys that we desire to— and choose to— love our neighbour and the stranger among us, and engage in acts of kindness and compassion, helping to build a society based on love. T h e a p o s t l e J o h n g a v e e x p r e s s i o n t o t h i s t r u t h i n 1 J o h n 3 : 1 7 - 1 8 : “ B u t w h o e v e r h a s t h i s w o r l d ’ s g o o d s , a n d s e e s h i s b r o t h e r i n n e e d , a n d s h u t s u p h i s h e a r t f r o m h i m , h o w d o e s t h e l o v e o f G o d a b i d e i n h i m ? M y l i t t l e c h i l d r e n , l e t u s n o t l o v e i n w o r d o r i n t o n g u e , b u t i n d e e d a n d i n t r u t h . ” Deuteronomy 10:17- 1 9 puts it this wa y: “ F or the Lor d your God is God of gods and Lor d of lor ds, the great God , mighty and a wesome, who shows no partiality nor tak es a bribe. H e administers justice f or the fatherless and the widow , and loves the stranger , giving him f ood and clothing. Theref ore love the stranger , f or you were strangers in the land of E gypt.” As Rabbi J onathan Sacks puts it, “ God created the world in love and f orgiveness and asks us to love and f orgive others.” That is the kind of obedience that pleases God. And m y pra yer f or all those reading this is that we ma y ha ve an uncompromising desire to please God in all things. The reality that we ha ve been seeking to understand is that we can only truly reflect the character of our God , and please Him, and experience His abundant blessings, if we hold fast to the W or d of God , displa y true humility , and demonstrate obedience to our Lor d. Our T orah portion is named Ekev , a wor d from the first verse Deuteronomy 7:12, f or the Israelites are told that “because ( ekev ) ” or “ if ” they listen to, k eep and do God ’ s commandments, the Lor d will bless and care f or them. God desires that we k eep His wor ds constantly in our minds and in our hearts, as we read in Deuteronomy 11:18- 21: “Theref ore you shall la y up these wor ds of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand , and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. Y ou shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the wa y , when you lie down, and when you rise up . “ And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your da ys and the da ys of your children ma y be multiplied in the land of which the Lor d swore to your fathers to give them, lik e the da ys of the hea vens above the earth.” M y wif e and I moved over eight years ago into a new home on the beautiful S unshine C oast in Queensland. One of the things that we did the da y we moved was to affix a mezuzah ( pictured right) on the right doorpost of the front door , as a reminder of God ’ s presence with us, and of all that H e requires of us. The mezuzah contains biblical expressions of our love and respect f or God and His commandments, as f ound in this Deuteronomy 11 passage and the important and f oundational Shema Y israel verses in Deuteronomy 6:4-9: “ H ear , O Israel: The Lor d is our God , the Lor d alone. Y ou shall love the Lor d your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. K eep these wor ds that I am commanding you toda y in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are a wa y , when you lie down and when you rise. B ind them as a sign on your hand , fix them as an emblem on your f orehead , and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Ma y we all be reminded —one wa y or another — that God knows what is best f or us. H e has communicated His heart and His instructions f or godly living in His W or d. Ma y we live daily in humble dependence upon Him, and in loving obedience to Him bless others with the kindness and compassion that H e shows to us. K eith Buxton is an or dained pastor . H e currently serves on the Christians for I sr ael ( C4I) Austr alia management c ommittee and is a liaison with C4I Oc eania I sland affiliates. I m p o r t a n t C o n d i t i o n s f o r E x p e r i e n c i n g t h e A m a z i n g B l e s s i n g o f O u r G o d — P a r t 4 The Seven S pecies—two grains and five fruits—listed in Deuteronomy 8:8 as special agricultural products of the Promised Land. | Photo: www .gar denindelight.com

31. Histo ry o f the Ch ur ch 15 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 B e l i e v i n g W i t h o u t I s r a e l T h e C h u r c h a s t h e N e w a n d ‘ S p i r i t u a l I s r a e l ’ — P a r t 8 R ev Co rnelis Kan t n E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r | C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l I n t e r n a t i o n a l I n t h i s s e r i e s o f a r t i c l e s R e v C o r n e l i s K a n t e x p l a i n s h o w i t h a p p e n e d t h a t t h e r o l e o f I s r a e l w a s s e e n a s i n s i g n i f i c a n t i n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f o u r C h r i s t i a n f a i t h a n d i n t h e h i s t o r y o f C h r i s t i a n t h e o l o g y . Let us continue by seeing how certain biblical passages ha ve been used to def end enlargement or fulf ilment theology . When people unf ortunately do not consider Israel and the J ewish people an ymore as signif icant f or the Christian faith, they consider the church, the congregation of Christ, as the new ‘ spiritual Israel ’ . This is, in fact, another kind of replacement. As a result, all the promises to Israel in the O ld and N ew T estaments are applied to the church in a spiritual sense. This is remarkable because, f or the man y hundreds of times the name Israel appears in the B ible, it alwa ys ref ers to the people or land of Israel and never to the church. Those who consider the church as the new ‘ Israel of God ’ often lik e to ref er to Galatians 6:16: “ And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” This passage ref ers to believers who ha ve become a new creation in Christ J esus. They were then said to be the new ‘ Israel of God ’ . H owever , if you read P aul carefully , you will notice that he actually distinguishes between two groups by using the insert ‘ and ’: “ peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God ”. ‘Them ’ and ‘ Israel of God ’ are theref ore not the same but distinct. Y et the ‘ Israel of God ’ has been persistently seen by man y theologians as a further def inition of the earlier ‘ them ’ . The E nglish - language B ible translation of the N ew International V ersion (NIV ) has even omitted the little wor d ‘ and ’, thereby encouraging this misinterpretation. While the original G reek text really does contain the wor d ‘ kai ’ ( and). S upporters of enlargement or fulf ilment theology also often ref er to 1 P eter 2:9: “ B ut you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood , a holy nation, a people f or God ’ s own possession.” P eter is addressing believers in J esus Christ here. W e can also read this same passage in E x odus 1 9:5, where the Lor d God Himself addresses the people of Israel. I t is argued that what f irst pertained to the people of Israel is now related to the church of Christ. The church of Christ would ha ve tak en the position of Israel. This is a peculiar conclusion because we cannot read that in either text. If both Israel and the Christian congregation are addressed as a royal priesthood , a holy nation, this does not mean that one replaces the other . Israel and the Christian congregation both coexist and are both named with these titles. I t should be noted that there are also theologians who believe that P eter’ s f irst letter was written to M essianic J ews in R ome. After all, the letter begins with the wor ds: “T o those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout P ontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and B ith ynia, who are chosen accor ding to the f oreknowledge of God the F ather” ( 1 P eter 1:1 ). R egar dless of how we see this, never can the conclusion be that the church has replaced Israel. | P h o t o : L i g h t s t o c k S i gns o f F ai th B y K ees de V r eugd Han ukkiah In this series , ‘ Signs of F aith ’ , objects , pr oc edur es and c onc epts that expr ess Jewish faith ar e explained and discussed . A hanukkiah is a menorah , a candlestick , with nine arms . Y ou ar e pr obably familiar with it . I t is used at the H anukk ah f estival . Actually , it is mor e ac curate to sa y that it has eight lamps and a ninth loose lamp with which to light the others . T his loose lamp is called the shammash , the ' servant ' . T he H anukk ah f estival c elebra tes the victory of the J ews ov er Gr eek oppr ession in 165 B C . T he Gr eek king A ntiochus Epiphanes I V had desecra ted the temple. T he J ews had r ebelled under the leadership of the Mac cabees, a priestly family , and suc c eeded in driving out the Gr eeks. T he temple was cleansed, and the altar was r ededica ted. T he f east of r ededica tion lasted eight da ys, lik e the f east of the dedica tion of S olomon ' s temple (1 K ings 8) . T he temple was f estiv ely illumina ted, as it was during the F east of T abernacles. T he hanukkiah r ecalls tha t f estiv ely lit temple. I ts history can be r ead in the books of the Mac cabees. Th e T a l m u d r e c o r d s t h a t t h e a m o u n t o f c o n s e c r a t e d o i l a v a i l a b l e f o r t h e n e r t a m i d, t h e l a m p t h a t a l w a y s b u r n s i n t h e t e m p l e , w a s o n l y j u s t e n o u g h f o r o n e d a y . A g r e a t m i r a c l e h a p p e n e d t h e r e: f o r e i g h t d a y s , t h e m e n o r a h b u r n e d o n t h a t s m a l l a m o u n t o f o i l . H e n c e t h e f e a s t i s a l s o c a l l e d t h e ‘F e a s t o f Li g h t s’ . I t i s c e l e b r a t e d t o d a y b y l i g h t i n g o n e c a n d l e o r l a m p o n t h e f i r s t n i g h t o f H a n u k k a h , t w o o n t h e s e c o n d , a n d s o o n u n t i l a l l t h e c a n d l e s a r e l i t o n t h e e i g h t h n i g h t. Hanukk ah begins on 25 K islew . K islew is the winter month of the Jewish calendar . T his year , H anukk ah is fr om Dec ember 7 to Dec ember 15 . T wo basic rules apply to the hanukkiah : the lights must be in a straight line and the same height . O ther than that , artists and designers can tak e all the liberty to mak e something beautiful out of it , and they do . O i l i s a c e n t r a l e l e m e n t i n t h e s t o r y . Th e r e f o r e, i t i s b e s t i f t h e l i g h t s a r e l i t o n o l i v e o i l. Bu t c a n d l e s a r e g o o d t o o. Li g h t i n g i s d o n e u n d e r t h e p r o n o u n c e m e n t o f t h e a c c o m p a n y i n g b l e s s i n g, a f t e r w h i c h t h e H a n u k k a h s o n g M a o z T s u r i s s u n g. P sa lm 83: ‘So tha t they wi l l seek Y our name’ The I sraeli P r esident, I saac H erz og, addr essed the worldwide c ommunity on 9 October 2023, and said: “N ot sinc e the H olocaust ha ve so many J ews been mur der ed in one da y . The cruelty , the brutality , the barbarity of monsters—not of humans—of monsters. And not sinc e the H olocaust ha ve we witnessed sc enes of J ewish women and childr en, grandpar ents—even H olocaust survivors—being driven into trucks and abducted as hostages. H amas has adopted and embrac ed ISIS cruelty . E ntering or dinary r esident’ s homes on a H oly J ewish H olida y ( Simchat T or ah ), and c old bloodedly mur dering entir e families and r elatives, young and old. Kicking, hitting, torturing, violating and burning bodies. ” Ha tred A gainst Israel H atr ed against I srael is pr of oundly hatr ed against the God of I srael. T riumphantly you c ould hear a M uslim leader sa y: “This is only the beginning. ” B ut this battle will be waged worldwide. J ews and Christians: destr oy and obliterate. The entir e world will be submitted to I slam. The holy city of I slam, J erusalem, Al-Q uds, will be purified in the name of the pr ophet M uhammad. ” P salm 83 H ow does the J ewish writer of Psalm 83 r eact on this? Does he beg the M ost H igh to sa ve his lif e and r escue him? N o, not primarily . H e sa ys: L or d, give them a tr emendous thrashing... so that they will seek Y our name, O L or d! ( verse 16- 18 ). H e sa ys: “ ... T o let them know that you, whose name is the L or d— that you alone ar e the M ost H igh over all the earth. ” This is his deepest motivation. That is his ultimate pra yer . That they will look f or and find the O ne and only true God. I f not, then they will be lost f or ever . R ead P salm 83 and pr ay for I sr ael with the words o f this P salm. R e f l e c t i o n B y R e v W i l l e m J J G l a s h o u w e r P r e s i d e n t C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l I n t e r n a t i o n a l

19. R estoring the Torah 9 (A USTRALIA) K ya l n Cumming Senior P astor of Kingdom Ch urch on the Gold Coast Ha ve you hear d of the term Replacement Theology? I ’ m sure you are familiar with this term, but it is the idea that the Christian Church has replaced the nation of Israel in God ’ s plan. In essence, it suggests that the J ewish people ha ve been rejected by God due to their rejection of J esus. Accor ding to this view , the promises and blessings originally given to the people of Israel in the O ld T estament are now transf erred to Christians. The Church is seen as the new and true Israel, and the covenant made with Israel is thought to ha ve been abrogated by the N ew C ovenant established through J esus. This view is incredibly dangerous and ma y ha ve made some sense prior to 1 948, but it is indisputable, especially given recent events, that Israel is both a ph ysical people and land , and that God ’ s covenant to Abraham of both a people and land remains steadfast. U ntil da y and night cease ( Genesis 8:22 ), His covenants remain perpetual and steadfast. In the book of Daniel (ESV ), we can examine the back drop of an apocalyptic - style dream in chapter seven, and in verse 25, it sa ys: “ And he shall speak great wor ds against the M ost High, and shall wear out the saints of the M ost High, and think to change times and la ws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” This dream indicates that one of the central characters, a type of anti - messiah, will speak against the M ost High and think to change both the TIMES and LA WS . This is important territor y f or us to understand , as a change can sometimes be a subtle shift or an outright ‘ replacement. ’ The acceptance of an y change or replacement is a matter of careful education and adoption over time, and D aniel is warning those who read to watch f or a change or replacement of the TIMES and LA WS . The area f or f ocus in this article is the ‘la ws ’ of God —or , more specifically , the T orah. Ha ve you hear d the sa ying, “ J esus has done a wa y with the la w?” Is it really conceivable that J esus could ha ve done so? Did H e ha ve the authority to do so? Let’ s explore a couple of J esus ’ own statements on this. “ Do not think that I ha ve come to abolish the La w or the Prophets; I ha ve not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” M atthew 5:17 ( ESV ) Y ou ma y ha ve hear d this taught in various wa ys, but you cannot den y that J esus clearly states that H e has not come to abolish the T orah or the prophets. Rather , H e fulfils them. H e k eeps them so that H e can be the sinless M essiah. “The La w and the Prophets were until J ohn; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God is preached , and ever yone f orces his wa y into it. B ut it is easier f or hea ven and earth to pass a wa y than f or one dot of the La w to become void.” Luke 16:16 - 17 ( ESV ) Let’ s examine this together . The T orah and Prophets were, until J ohn, meaning that they point towar ds the M essiah. J ohn recognised , baptised , and anointed J esus, and at this moment, the F ather confirmed J esus ’ M essiah status by voice and with the sign of the H oly S pirit. Then, a clarifying statement proceeds in verse 17, as if to sa y , although the M essiah is here, it is easier f or ever ything else to be destroyed than one Y O D from the T orah. In other wor ds, let’ s link the M essiah and the T orah together . H e is the King of the Kingdom of God , and the T orah are His instructions of governance f or the Kingdom of God. “ And one of the scribes came up and hear d them disputing with one another , and seeing that he answered them well, ask ed him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” J esus answered , “The most important is, ‘ H ear , O Israel: The Lor d our God , the Lor d is one. And you shall love the Lor d your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” M ark 12:28 - 30 ( ESV ) W e are ver y good at taking the first part and summarising the most important command as loving the Lor d your God and then the second command in verse 31 as loving your neighbour as yourself, but we need to recognise that J esus is not being original here. H e is quoting from the T orah, and His direct quote comes from Deuteronomy 6:4- 7, which sa ys: “ H ear , O Israel: The Lor d our God , the Lor d is one. Y ou shall love the Lor d your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these wor ds that I command you toda y shall be on your heart. Y ou shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the wa y , and when you lie down, and when you rise.” T h e s e a r e n o t t h e w o r d s o f a T o r a h - c a n c e l i n g M e s s i a h . T h e s e w o r d s o f J e s u s a ffi r m t h e w h a t a n d h o w o f l o v i n g G o d a n d , t h e n , t h e s i g n i fi c a n c e o f c o n t i n u i n g t o t e a c h t h e s e w o r d s o f t h e T o r a h , t h e w o r d s o f t h e K i n g d o m , t o e a c h g e n e r a t i o n . So what are we to do? Especially f or Gentiles, we are in vited , not out of obligation, but as part of an ‘ outworking’ of our faith, to listen to, explore, and immerse ourselves in understanding the T orah — not to the point, as the book of Galatians deals with, of becoming a J ew through ritual con version ( circumcision). One ’ s ‘ calling’ or ‘ nature ’ —being J ew or Gentile, cannot attain resurrection, and P aul taught to remain true to one ’ s calling, which is not one ’ s vocation but ph ysical birth status— J ew or Gentile. Being born again or resurrected is a matter of faith and obedience; however , P aul raised this significant issue to the J erusalem council, overseen by J ames, P eter , and J ohn in J erusalem. Theref ore, m y judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God , but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality , and from what has been strangled , and from blood. A cts 15:1 9 - 20 ( ESV ) This ruling f or Gentiles deals with how J ew and Gentile will be able to live in community together , both God - f earing Gentiles and the J ewish people. The commonality is faith in J esus as the M essiah. H owever , most teachers and preachers will end this ruling here, but J ames continued with a qualifier and , in verse 21, sa ys: “ F or from ancient generations M oses has had in ever y city those who proclaim him, f or he is read ever y Sabbath in the synagogues.” I n o t h e r w o r d s , o n c e a G o d - f e a r i n g G e n t i l e c o m e s t o f a i t h i n J e s u s a s M e s s i a h , l e t h i m / h e r t a k e o n t h e s e f o u r c o m m a n d m e n t s t h a t w i l l a l l o w a p p r o p r i a t e c o m m u n i t y f e l l o w s h i p a c c o r d i n g t o G o d ’ s s t a n d a r d ( L e v i t i c u s 1 7 , 1 9 a n d A c t s 1 5 ) , b u t k n o w t h a t a s t h e y c o n t i n u e t o f e l l o w s h i p , e v e ry S a b b a t h , t h e y w i l l a l s o c o m e u n d e r t h e i n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e K i n g d o m o f G o d , t h e T o r a h ( M o s e s ) . H ow often has verse 21 been missed from our teaching? H ow often ha ve we disregar ded or changed our view of the T orah to fit the narrative that ex cuses us from the instructions of the T orah (which are the instructions of the Kingdom of God). Remember Daniel 7:25? The role of this ‘ anti - messiah ’ will be to tr y to change the times and la ws of God. Is it possible that we ha ve not only seen the strategy of the enem y unf old to ‘ replace ’ the people of God ( J ews with Christians ), and is it possible that we ha ve seen the strategy of the enem y unf old to ‘ replace ’ the appointments of God (P assover with Easter , T abernacles with Christmas etc ), and is it possible that we ha ve seen the strategy of the enem y unf olding over the millennia to replace the ‘la ws ’ or ‘ covenant’ of God ( O ld C ovenant with N ew C ovenant)? I do not den y the presence and power of the N ew C ovenant ( Ezekiel 36 and J eremiah 31 ), but merely highlight that the fulfilment of the N ew C ovenant will occur when you and I are resurrected , and God ’ s covenants until da y and night cease will remain in full eff ect. That is the nature of a covenant- k eeping God , f or should the alternative be true, H e would be a liar — which H e is not. As the scripture sa ys in H ebrews 13:8 ( ESV ); J esus Christ is the same yester da y , toda y , and f orever . If J esus was the wor d at the beginning, H e was there when the world was created , H e was there when the T orah was given to M oses, and H e was there when resurrection was secured. H e is unchanging in His covenants— F or H e is not a liar . “ God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said , and will he not do it? Or has he spok en, and will he not fulfil it?” N umbers 23:1 9 ( ESV ) I f you would lik e to explore more about the restor ation of things that must tak e plac e before M essiah J esus returns, we have a FREE 14 -part mini-series called REST ORA TION that you can watch. Visit www .k c.or g.au/ c ourses R e p l a c e m e n t C o v e n a n t o l o g y D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 M en touching a T orah Scroll at the W estern W all. | Photo: Lightstock

2. I srael a t W ar —E d i t o r i a l 2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 C o l o p h o n I sr ael & Christians T oday is the premier publication of Christians for I sr ael. Mission O u r m i s s i o n i s t o b r i n g B i b l i c a l u n d e r s t a n d i n g i n t h e C h u r c h a n d a m o n g t h e n a t i o n s c o n c e r n i n g G o d ’ s p u r p o s e s f o r I s r a e l a n d t o p r o m o t e c o m f o r t o f I s r a e l t h r o u g h p r a y e r a n d a c t i o n . 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C4I Offices Christians f or I srael I nternational Leon M eijer , Chairman R ev Willem JJ G lashouwer , P resident R ev C ornelis Kant, Ex ecutive D irector PO Bo x 1100 | 3860 BC N ijk erk, The N etherlands | T el: +31 33 422 0405 inf o@c4israel.org | www .c4israel.org The E nglish E dition of I sr ael & Christians T oday is published by the f ollowing E nglish speaking branches: Christians f or I srael - Australia I an W orby , N ational Leader PO Bo x 1508, S pringwood Q ueensland, Australia 4127 T el: +61 7 3088 6900, inf o@c4israel.c om.au www .c4israel.c om.au Christians f or I srael - N ew Z ealand B ryc e T urner , N ational Ex ecutive D irector PO Bo x 12 006, P enr ose, Auckland, N ew Z ealand 1642 T el: +64 9 525 7564, +6421 127 7214 inf o@c4israel.org.nz www .c4israel.org.nz Christians f or I srael - K or ea R ev P aul W onil J ung, D irector S uite 3, 37 Railwa y P arade, Eastwood NSW , Australia 2122 T el: +61 410 430 677 email: c4israelk or ea@gmail.c om www .c4israelk or ea.org Christians f or I srael - USA D a vid S udlow , Chairman PO Bo x 400, F r ont R oyal, V A 22630, USA usa-inf o@c4israel.org www .c4israel.us DISCLAIMER - Articles printed in I sr ael & Christians T oday expr ess the views of the individual authors and do not nec essarily r epr esent the views of the E ditors or that of the Boar d of Christians f or I srael. The printing of articles or advertising in I sr ael & Christians T oday does not nec essarily imply either endorsement or agr eement. © Christians f or I srael I nternational. R epr oduction, or storage in a r etrieval system or in any other f orm, is pr ohibited without permission. Please c ontact the M anaging E ditor should you wish to syndicate or r epublish any articles or materials appearing in I sr ael & Christians T oday . w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / c 4 i s r a e l A U S P r a y e r P o i n t s Israel l Pra y f or Israel with the wor ds of P salm 27 . “ T he Lor d is my light and my salvation — whom shall I f ear ? T he Lor d is the str onghold of my lif e — of whom shall I be afraid ? ( ... ) T hough an army besiege me , my heart will not f ear ; though war br eak out against me , even then I will be c onfident . ” l Pra y against the demonic f or c es that ar e behind the hatr ed and destruction of Hamas and other enemies of Israel . l Pra y f or the healing of Israel . Healing of the wounded , of those traumatised , and of those who f eel overwhelmed by grief . l Pra y f or liberation f or all the hostages who ar e being held by Hamas . Pra y also f or their family members who ar e in gr eat distr ess . l Pra y f or Israel ’ s pr otection on all bor ders . Pra y that G od ’ s angels will surr ound the land and fight f or Israel . Pra y also f or wisdom f or the government and the c ommanders of the I D F to mak e the right choic es . Pra y that they will turn to G od f or wisdom and that H e will guide them . Israel & the N a tions l I f something happens in Israel , hatr ed and violenc e against Jews incr eases worldwide . Pra y f or G od 's pr esenc e and f or pr otection f or the Jewish c ommunity in your c ountry and ar ound the world . l Pra y that nations will choose to support Israel during this difficult time . Pra y also that the truth will be shar ed by the media . In many news outlets , the news is not pr esented objectively . Pra y f or objective r eporting without bias . Christians for Israel l Pra y that C hristians will be friends of Israel . N ot all C hristians ar e c omf ortable with this , and some ar e among the first to c ondemn Israel . F or daily Pra yer P oints , go to : www . c4isr ael . c om . au H o w D o W e R e s p o n d t o E v i l ? A ndrew Tu ck er n I n t e r n a t i o n a l E d i t o r | C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l T h e w h o l e w o r l d w i t n e s s e d t h e b r u t a l s a v a g e r y o n S a t u r d a y 7 O c t o b e r . M i l i t a n t I s l a m i s t s f r o m G a z a b r o k e t h r o u g h I s r a e l ’ s b o r d e r a n d m u r d e r e d , r a p e d , a n d m i s t r e a t e d t h o u s a n d s o f I s r a e l i s a n d f o r e i g n e r s . A r o u n d 2 4 0 w e r e k i d n a p p e d a n d t a k e n a s h o s t a g e s b a c k i n t o G a z a . T h e s c e n e s o f w a n t o n v i o l e n c e a n d d e s t r u c t i o n s h o c k e d t h e w o r l d . These people were attack ed because they were J ews. M ore J ews were killed in a single da y than on an y other da y since the H olocaust. Man y people ha ve been warning f or years that something lik e this would happen. I t is incredible that the Israeli leadership was so ill - prepared. This is a game-changer . The m yth of Israel ’ s in vincibility has been shattered. So, too, has the m yth of the ‘ two states ’ solution. The attack was not an isolated incident but part of a larger strategy . This was a well - prepared and highly coor dinated attack. Hamas and P alestinian Islamic J ihad (PIJ ) are extremely sophisticated , well -organised and well - funded entities. I t in vo l ves and connects man y Islamist en titi es thr oughout the Middl e East and N orthern Afri ca — and bey ond — f ounded on princip l es of jihad: the use of f or ce to impose Islamism. As the Hamas Charter mak es cl ear , the killing of J ews is cen tral to their ideo l ogi call y-driven self- iden tity . I r a n a n d Q a t a r a r e p l a y i n g a c e n t r a l r o l e i n a l l o f t h i s . T h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y r e g i m e i n T e h r a n h a s b e e n f i n a n c i n g a n d s u p p o r t i n g i t s p r o x i e s i n t h e r e g i o n , s u c h a s H a m a s a n d P a l e s t i n i a n I s l a m i c J i h a d ( P I J ) , f o r d e c a d e s . T h e r e i s n o w a y H a m a s a n d P I J c o u l d h a v e c a r r i e d o u t t h i s a t t a c k w i t h o u t I r a n ’ s c l o s e i n v o l v e m e n t . Q atar is also responsible f or this war . I t is Hamas ’ largest f inancial sponsor . I t has provided a saf e ha ven f or Hamas leaders to live in luxur y while their own people in Gaza suff er . The war is developing on several fronts. Iranian pro xy H ezbollah in Lebanon shares the Iranian regime ’ s goal of destroying Israel and has over 150,000 rock ets in place directed against Israel. This is developing into a multi - front war in which Israel must deal with attacks from the south, north and east. T h e g o a l o f I s r a e l ’ s c o m p l i c a t e d a n d d i f f i c u l t g r o u n d o f f e n s i v e i s t o r e s c u e t h e h o s t a g e s a n d r o o t o u t a n d d e s t r o y H a m a s . T r a g i c a l l y , g i v e n H a m a s a n d P I J d e l i b e r a t e l y u s e t h e i r o w n p e o p l e a s h u m a n s h i e l d s , t h o u s a n d s o f P a l e s t i n i a n s h a v e b e e n k i l l e d . M a n y , p e r h a p s h a l f t h e n u m b e r , a r e H a m a s t e r r o r i s t s . T h e r e w i l l b e m a n y m o r e c a s u a l t i e s . Israel ’ s enemies are using psychological warfare to undermine W estern conf idence in the J ewish S tate of Israel. Dr Ir win Mansdorf describes this as f ollows: “ W h e n i t c o m e s t o p s y c h o l o g i c a l w a r f a r e ( o f t e n c a l l e d P S Y O P S ) , v a r i o u s ‘ p l a y b o o k s ’ h a v e b e e n u s e d o v e r t h e y e a r s . H a m a s , a n i d e o l o g i c a l l y d r i v e n I s l a m i s t t e r r o r o r g a n i s a t i o n , h a s u s e d s e v e r a l o f t h e s e t a c t i c s . M o s t n o t a b l y , t h e y m a n i p u l a t e t h e ‘ v i c t i m ’ r o l e t o g a r n e r s u p p o r t f r o m w o r l d o p i n i o n . W h e n f a c i n g a s t r o n g e r f o r c e l i k e I s r a e l , t h i s s t r a t e g y ( a l s o k n o w n a s ‘ p s y c h o l o g i c a l a s y m m e t ry ’ ) h a s a l l o w e d t h e m t o u n d e r t a k e a c t i o n s t h a t c a n b e c l a s s i f i e d a s w a r c r i m e s , a n d t h e y t h e n t a k e c o v e r u n d e r a b l i t z o f d i s t o r t e d i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t f o c u s e s o n I s r a e l a s t h e g u i l t y p a r t y . I n e s s e n c e , t h e a s y m m e t ry a r i s e s w h e n t h e s t r o n g e r m i l i t a ry p a r t y , I s r a e l , i s f o r c e d t o c e a s e i t s o p e r a t i o n s , p r e v e n t i n g i t f r o m a t t a i n i n g l e g i t i m a t e o p e r a t i o n a l g o a l s . ” I t is critical that we pra y into this situation with an understanding that the E nem y of the C reator of this universe is doing all in his power to destroy the apple of God ’ s eye, to confuse the nations, and disrupt and distort God ’ s plans f or redemption. As Christians, we ha ve the duty to engage in spiritual warfare. As the Apostle P aul sa ys in E phesians 3: “ His intent was that now , through the church, the manif old wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the hea venly realms, accor ding to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ J esus our Lor d.” H e continues in chapter 6 of the letter to the E phesians: “ F or our struggle is not against flesh and blood , but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual f orces of evil in the hea venly realms.” The Lor d God of Israel watches over His people. The shepher d of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps ( Psalm 121 ). The enemies of Israel will be def eated. Let us pra y that the spirit of God will work in the lives of all: Ÿ f or the government and people of Israel in their loss and grief. F or the families who ha ve lost loved ones or whose next of kin are missing or captive. Ÿ f o r t h e p e o p l e o f G a z a — t h a t t h e y a l s o w i l l b e p r o t e c t e d . F o r t h e l e a d e r s o f H a m a s a n d P I J — t h a t t h e r e w i l l b e m a s s i v e r e p e n t a n c e a n d t u r n i n g f r o m e v i l Ÿ that the J ewish people, the Christian world and all the nations of earth will turn to the living God and put their trust and conf idence in Him, not in their own strength and wisdom. Above all, let us pra y with increased urgency f or the coming of the M essiah of Israel, who will judge the nations, tend to His people of Israel, and wipe the tears from ever y eye. Only then will evil be overcome, and there will be true peace on earth.

32. Theol ogy 16 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 T h o s e W h o B r i n g G o o d N e w s J o hannes Gerl o ff n T h e o l o g i a n , J o u r n a l i s t , L e c t u r e r & A u t h o r T his is par t f our teen in a series of ar ticles based on the book R ejoice, Y ou N ations, with H is P eople by J ohannes Gerloff. H ow shall they hear without a preacher ? ( R omans 10:14c ) In verse 8, the Apostle had already spok en about ha ving “ to preach ” “ the wor d of faith ”. The ‘ preacher’ is the pivotal point in the f ivef old chain of “ calling on ”, “believing in ”, “hearing”, “ preaching” and “being sent”. T oda y , ‘ preaching’ is commonly understood as the public sharing of more or less private thoughts, experiences, insights, knowledge or opinions of the ‘ preacher’ . In the best case, preaching deals with, among other things, the philosophies and opinions of the Zeitgeist (The S pirit of the Age ). The G reek wor d ‘ κηρύσσειν / ker yssein ’, however , has another meaning. Originally , the ‘ κῆρυξ / ker yx ’ designated the herald who con veyed the emperor’ s declaration of his will to his subjects. The personal opinion of the ‘κῆρυξ/keryx’ had no meaning at all in the process of proclaiming the sovereign ’ s intentions. The herald ’ s person was unimportant in comparison to his message. And the message itself was in no wa y a ‘ private matter’ but binding to all who hear d it. E ven those who did not want to hear the message were held accountable sooner or later by the one who had sent the ‘ κῆρυξ / ker yx ’ . A herald does not proclaim ‘what he f eels ’ or ‘what is on his heart’ . H e neither off ers an explanation of his message nor a personal evaluation of the overall situation. H e simply proclaims the will of the regent: unchanged , unadulterated and unabridged , but also without an y additional explanation. The primar y objective of ‘ preaching’, theref ore, is not the edif ication of the listener but his taking a stand — his decision, his obedience. The Babylonian T almud sa ys: “ If someone mak es a mistak e in public pra yer , it is a bad testimon y f or him who pra ys. B ut if he has been assigned by the congregation, it is a bad sign f or those who ha ve commissioned him because a man ’ s agent is equivalent to himself ”. T h i s m e a n s t h a t t h e ‘ κ ῆ ρ υ ξ / k e r y x ’ i s n o t m o r e , b u t a l s o n o t l e s s , t h a n t h e a u t h o r i t y t h a t s e n d s h i m . S e n d e r a n d e n v o y a r e s o i n s e p a r a b l y c o n n e c t e d t h a t t h e r e c i p i e n t o f t h e m e s s a g e r e a l l y h e a r s “ d i r e c t l y ” f r o m t h e o n e w h o h a s s e n t t h e ‘ p r e a c h e r ’ . T h e r e f o r e , t h e a n g e l a d d r e s s e s S a r a i ’ s b o n d s e r v a n t H a g a r v e r y d i r e c t l y i n t h e n a m e o f G o d, a s i f h e w e r e G o d H i m s e l f . Thus, J esus is able to sa y in commissioning his disciples: “Whosoever hears you, hears me; and he that despises you, despises me; and who despises me, despises Him that sent me ” ( Luke 10:16). N either a sense of mission nor talent determines the authority of a ‘ κῆρυξ / ker yx ’ . Preaching is not even justif ied by recognising a legitimate need. This is true, even f or Y eshua Himself. When H e “ sa w the multitudes, he was moved with compassion f or them, because they fainted , and were scattered , as sheep without a shepher d“ . Ha ving gained this insight, however , J esus did not turn to His disciples urging them: “Y ou see what is needed! Y ou ha ve what it needed! Theref ore go and off er these disoriented sheep what they need!” Rather , with great humility , he asks His disciples: “The har vest is immense, but the labourers are f ew . N ow , ask the Lor d of the har vest, that H e will send labourers into His har vest” ( M atthew 9:36-38). The fact that he is sent is decisive to the authority of a ‘ preacher’ . Theref ore, the last link in P aul ’ s chain of questions has to be: A preacher who has not been sent is as unthinkable as a herald who is not back ed up by the authority of an emperor . E ver y preacher should ha ve the absolute certainty that God has really called him into his ministr y . This is just as important to God — as H e himself testif ies in J eremiah 23:21: “ I ha ve not sent these prophets, yet they run. I ha ve not spok en to them, yet they prophesy”. The God of Israel ho lds these heralds that lack a commissi on accoun tab l e, “y ou use the expr essi on ‘bur den of the Lor d ’ even though I ha ve sen t to y ou, telling y ou [ exp li citl y], do not use the term ‘bur den of the Lor d ’ . Ther ef or e, l oo k , I will lift y ou up lik e a bur den and upr oot y ou and the city w hi ch I ha ve given to y ou and y our fathers a wa y fr om m y face. I will bring upon y ou eternal r epr oach and everlasting shame, w hi ch shall never be f orgotten ” ( J eremiah 23:38-40 ). The meaning and function of ‘ κῆρυξ / ker yx ’ (= herald , preacher ) and ‘ ἀπόστολος / apostolos ’ (= apostle, en voy ) are so closely related that the one can be equated with the other . Theref ore, the terms ‘ to preach ’ and ‘ to be sent’ are often parallel in the N ew T estament. ‘ H eralds ’ ha ve to ‘be sent’ with a clear and distinct commission. The importance of the message being hear d is not in question; “ the real question is whether we are the right ones to do it” (Barth). This question must be ask ed — and never be tak en f or granted. C onsequently , the choice to preach or not to preach does not lie with the ‘ κῆρυξ / ker yx ’ . T imoth y is encouraged by his spiritual father to: “ Preach the wor d , be ready in season and out of season ” ( 2 Timothy 4:2 ). And P aul states about himself and his own commission to preach the gospel: “W oe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” ( 1 C or inthians 9:16). P aul, also called Rabbi Sha ’ ul of T arsus, had this concept of a ‘ κῆρυξ / ker yx ’ in mind when he introduced himself as an ‘ apostle‘ in his epistles. B y claiming to be ‘ an en voy of M essiah Y eshua ’, P aul essentially positions the doctrinal statements of his epistles on the same level as the authoritative “V erily I sa y to you ” of Christ and the “Thus sa ys the Lor d ” of O ld T estament prophets. The authenticity of the ‘ κῆρυξ / ker yx ’ is established by his message. This is also true in J eremiah 23 regar ding the false prophets. In our text, the Apostle also gives an indication as to what the content of the message is— just in case the Gentile messengers were truly sent to Israel by the God of Israel: As it is written: “ H ow pleasant are the f eet of those who proclaim good news!” ( R omans 10:15b ) T h e p a r a b l e o f t h e L o s t S h e e p — M a t t h e w 9 : 3 6 - 3 8 . | P h o t o : L i g h t s t o c k R e f l e c t i o n B y R o g e r v a n Ord t F o r m e r Di re c t o r C 4 I N e t h e r l a n d s H o n o r a r y Co n s u l Is r a e l Hamas M eans V iolence G e n e s i s 6 : 1 1 s ay s o f t h e t i m e b e fo re t h e fl o o d : “ No w t h e e a r t h w a s d e p r a v e d b e fo re G o d , a n d t h e e a r t h w a s f u l l o f v i o l e n ce [ h a m a s ] ” . T h e He b re w w o rd ‘ h a m a s’ m e a n s ‘ v i o l e n ce ’ . At t h a t t i m e t h e Lo rd re p e n t e d t h a t h e h a d m a d e m a n o n t h e e a r t h , w h i c h h a d b e co m e a p l a ce f u l l o f v i o l e n ce , f u l l o f h a m a s . O u r S a v i o u r co m p a re s t h a t t i m e w i t h t h e t i m e b e fo re Hi s Co m i n g . It w i l l b e s i m i l a r t o t h e d ay s o f No a h . T oda y , the hor des ar e again walking the str eets of E ur ope to voic e their hamas, violenc e. J ust as in the 1 930s, the H itler Y outh and the SS c ould indulge their slogans and hatr ed of J ews undisturbed in parades of violenc e and destruction, so now I srael is ac cused of genocide, and J ews ar e intimidated. The slogans “ fr om the river to the sea, P alestine will be fr ee ” and “ death to the J ews” r esound thr ough the str eets of E ur ope. I n 2005, I srael withdr ew fr om Gaza. Eight thousand J ews had to lea ve their c ommunities. They had made parts of Gaza f ertile. All of this was destr oyed by the Gazans and turned into r ock et - launching bases. An ar ea that c ould ha ve bec ome the H ong K ong of the M iddle East has degenerated into an ar ea of H amas, violenc e. Childr en as young as f our who wer e taught at H amas and I slamic J ihad summer camps that the only value in lif e is to kill as many J ews as possible. F or H amas, lives do not c ount. O nly destruction is the goal. The head of the snak e is in T ehran— the tail is in Gaza and Lebanon. H uman lives do not c ount in I ran, either . C ruelty and brutality is the trump car d of the M iddle East. God has giv en I srael grac e to fac e ev en ‘innoc ent’ enemies with caution in or der to spar e the liv es of innoc ent w omen and childr en who H amas use as shields. I srael does not need the w orld' s enc ouragement of modera tion. The I srael D ef enc e F or c e uses the utmost caution to a v oid civilian dea ths. But the horrific evil called H amas must be destr oyed to enable a new futur e f or Gazans. Golda M eir , P rime Minister of I srael in the last century , said: “U ntil the Arabs love their childr en mor e than they hate us, ther e will be no peace ” . The Arab world has chosen H amas. The God of I srael will ha ve mer cy on H is land and people.

36. F r o m Our Pr o jects 20 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 Y E S , I W O U L D L I K E T O M A K E A T A X - D E D U C T I B L E D O N A T I O N T O W A R D S . . . Q uantit y Price inc GST _ _ _ _ _ _ _ $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ CHEQUE OR MONEY ORDERS: Please make out to: C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l A u s t r a l i a F o u n d a t i o n L t d . ( d o n ’ t u s e s t a p l e s ) INTERNET BANKIN G: BSB: ANZ BANK — 014- 279 Accoun t N o: 433641954 Ref: Y our name & gift purpose Please confirm by emailing inf o@c4israel.com.au MY DET AILS: N ame: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Christians for Isr ael Austr alia F oundation Ltd . ABN: 58 655 970 3 S ocial W elf ar e Pr ojects Ali y ah—Bring the Jews H ome 2 *NO TE: C ertificates f or individuals and families fr om U kraine only . M E M B E R I D ( I F K N O W N) : P L E A S E C O M P L E T E T H I S F O R M A N D R E T U R N T O : C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l A u s t r a l i a , P O B o x 1 5 0 8 , S p r i n g w o o d , Q L D , 4 1 2 7 o r d o n a t e s e c u r e l y o n l i n e c 4 i s r a e l . c o m . a u / d o n a t e F o r e n q u i r e s : 0 7 3 0 8 8 6 9 0 0 I F YO U D O N ’ T K N O W O R H AV E YO U R M E M B E R I D P L E A S E I N C L U D E : Addr ess: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ P hone: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ E mail: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ H ineni soup kitchen J erusalem ($10 per c ook ed meal) $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ H olocaust S urvivor C omf ort U kraine ($50 or best gift ) $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ M eals on Wheels U kraine ($15 per c ook ed meal) $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ H elp E thiopian J ews mak e Aliyah ($875 per person ) $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ First H ome in the H omeland in I srael ($675 per person ) $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ F o o d P a r c e l s U k r a i n e : $ 2 5 p e r p a r c e l f o r 1 m o n t h / p p $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Arab Christians ($10, $20 or your best gift ) $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ CFOIC ( J udea and Samaria ) H eartland ($30 or your best gift ) $350 O ne P erson fr om U kraine $6250 O ne Busload fr om U kraine ( 25 persons ) $1460 B nei M enashe—Asian exiles ( 1 person ) $1250 O ne F amily fr om U kraine (5 persons ) SUB T O T AL $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ T eaching Resources I&CT Australia Calendar 2024 $29 each __________ T w o S t a t e s f o r T w o P e o p l e s ? ( B O O K ) b y W o l f g a n g B o c k & A n d r e w T u c k e r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ $ 1 5 e a c h Land Without Bor ders ( BOOK) by J ohannes Gerloff & H einz R eusch __________ $20 each T wo S tates f or T wo P eoples? AND Land Without Bor ders ( BOOKS) __________ $30 package Calendar , T wo S tates f or T wo P eoples? AND Land Without Bor ders __________ $50 package R e b u i l d i n g t h e T e m p l e ( B O O K ) b y P s E n o c h L a v e n d e r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ $ 2 0 e a c h Living A Lif e I n Victory ( BOOK) by Willem G lashouwer __________ $20 each Behold H e C omes ( BOOK: 800 pages ) by Willem G lashouwer __________ $36 each ICT1223 C4IA SUB T O T AL $ MY T O T AL I srael E mergency Aid Appeal Adopt a C ommunity in I srael ( matching gift project ) General donation (inc c osts f or I sr ael & Christian ’ s T oday ) thinc. ( c ountering anti I srael “la wfar e ” ) $30-$50 $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ $_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

34. B ibli ca l R eflecti o n 18 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3 | I s r a e l & C h r i s t i a n s T o d a y T e v e t — S h ’ v a t 5 7 8 4 C h r i s t m a s T r e e o r P a l m B r a n c h ? K ees de V reu gd n T h e o l o g i a n | C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l I n t e r n a t i o n a l & E d i t o r | I s r a e l & t h e C h u r c h H anukkah is not Christmas, of course. Y et there are a f ew striking details that mak e a closer look interesting, without wanting to directly compare or equate the f estivals. T ak e the date. H anukkah is celebrated on 25 K islew and the seven f ollowing da ys ( a total of eight, that is, lik e the F east of T abernacles ). Christmas is celebrated on 25 December . H anukkah is a f estival of lights ( J osephus, J ewish A ntiquities XII). Christmas is a f estival of lights. This is not surprising considering that in the northern hemisphere, where they originate, both f estivals fall in the dark da ys of winter ( J ohn 10:22: it was winter ). In the dark est da ys of the year , we long f or light. So, is there a connection after all? Han ukkah F or the origins of H anukkah, we ha ve to go to the books of the M accabees (100 BC). Several places mention the institution and the f irst celebration of the f east. W e read there that the G reek king Antiochus E piphanes IV had an ‘ abomination of desolation ’ built on the altar on 15 K islew and had sacrif ices off ered f or it on 25 K islew ( 1 M accabees 1:54 ). E a r l i e r , t h e k i n g h a d o r d e r e d h i s e n t i r e k i n g d o m b y l e t t e r t o ‘ f o r m o n e p e o p l e a n d g i v e u p t h e i r o w n c u s t o m s ’ ( v e r s e s 4 1 - 4 2 ) . S o , a u n i f i e d c u l t u r e a n d r e l i g i o n w e r e a l s o i m p l e m e n t e d i n J e r u s a l e m . T h e t e m p l e w a s d e d i c a t e d t o t h e O l y m p i a n Z e u s ( 2 M a c c a b e e s 1 : 2 ) , t h e G r e e k c h i e f g o d . The date 15 K islew is also noteworth y . C ould it be that the king decreed f estivities around the solstice? Or perhaps he wanted his own appearance as a deity ( E piphanes ) to be celebrated? The fact is that people were also f orced to participate in the monthly sacrif icial meal f or the king' s birthda y ( 2 M accabees 1:7 ). F east of T abernacles The rededication after the cleansing of the temple was also on 25 K islew ( 1 M accabees 4:52-59 ) — i.e. the same date as that of the desecration. The celebration of the rededication hark ed back to the original dedication of Solomon ’ s temple, which took place during the F east of T abernacles ( 1 K ings 8). The association was so strong that there is spok en of the F east of T abernacles in the month of K islew: “Theref ore, in the month of K islew , celebrate the F east of T abernacles ” ( 2 M accabees 1:9 ). “ F ull of joy , they celebrated f or eight da ys, in the manner of the F east of T abernacles, remembering how only recently they should ha ve celebrated the F east of T abernacles in ca ves in the rocks, lik e animals in the wild. They carried sticks decorated with f oliage, green twigs and palm branches and sang songs of praise to him who had enabled them to cleanse his house. B y general decree, it was decreed that hencef orth all the J ewish people would celebrate these da ys ever y year” ( 2 M accabees 10:6- 8). At H anukkah, then, the memor y of S ukkot lives on. A brightly lit temple tak es centre stage. I t was so at the dedication; it is so again at H anukkah. In one breath, the two f easts are mentioned , along with the ‘ f ire ’, which recalls the f ire that descended from hea ven to light the sacrif ice ( 2 Chronicles 7:1 ). Praises from green trees and palm branches ( the lulav of S ukkot ) also return to the temple at H anukkah. Solstice That H anukkah ma y ha ve originally been related to the solstice is not generally believed. H owever , the T almud does mention the Roman solstice f estival. The T ractate A vodah Zarah ( on idolatr y ) states that a J ew should not do business with the Gentiles three da ys bef ore and three da ys after a pagan f estival so as not to be associated with idolatr y . Among the holida ys mentioned are the Satur nalia and the K alendae. The Satur nalia were celebrated on 17 December in honour of Saturn, god of agriculture and sown grain. The duration of the f estival ranged from three da ys to a week. The K alendae f ollowed from 25 December to 1 J anuar y . The K alendae traditionally had to do with f ixing the year . The Satur nalia were connected to the winter solstice. W e also f ind this in the T almud: the Saturnalia are the eight da ys bef ore the winter solstice. A n o l d J e w i s h s t o ry ( i n T a l m u d A v o d a h Z a r a h ) t e l l s t h a t A d a m w h e n h e w a s d r i v e n o u t o f p a r a d i s e , n o t i c e d a t o n e p o i n t t h a t t h e d a y s w e r e g e t t i n g s h o r t e r a n d s h o r t e r . T h e n h e b e c a m e a f r a i d t h a t t h i s w a s t h e p u n i s h m e n t f o r h i s s i n , ‘ t o d u s t t h o u s h a l t r e t u r n ’ , t h a t t h e w o r l d w a s g r a d u a l l y f a l l i n g b a c k i n t o t h e t o h u w a v o h u , ‘ d e s o l a t e a n d e m p t y ’ , o f t h e b e g i n n i n g o f c r e a t i o n . H e s t a r t e d f a s t i n g a n d p r a y i n g f o r e i g h t d a y s . T h e n h e n o t i c e d t h a t t h e d a y s w e r e g e t t i n g l o n g e r a g a i n . A p p a r e n t l y , t h i s i s t h e o r d e r o f t h e w o r l d , h e c o n c l u d e d . T h e n h e c e l e b r a t e d f o r e i g h t d a y s . H e d i d s o a g a i n t h e n e x t y e a r . A d a m i n s t i t u t e d t h e s e f e a s t s f o r H e a v e n , b u t t h e p a g a n s l a t e r t u r n e d t h e m i n t o i d o l a t r o u s f e a s t s , t h i s l o r e c o n c l u d e s . In short, this is a primal experience. B ut you can attribute the experience of the changing of the seasons, and midwinter in particular , to the M ost High but also to the wrong powers. On the R oad Christmas is a f east of Light. The light shines in the darkness. J esus is the Light of the world. I t is, however , on the F east of T abernacles that J esus sa ys: “ I am the Light of the world.” The light born with the F east of T abernacles illuminates even the dark est da ys of the year . On Christmas, it shines even stronger . W e experience that same primal experience of Adam but then remember the second Adam, who himself is the Light that shines in the darkness. “The W or d became flesh and ‘ pitched his tent among us ’” ( J ohn 1:14 ) is the Gospel reading of Christmas morning. The tent is the tabernacle. Or is it the T abernacle, the sanctuar y in the desert? And so we come again to the temple as the shining centre, in viting us to go on our wa y , from year to year as pilgrims to bow down bef ore the King, the Lor d of hosts, and to celebrate the F east of T abernacles ( Zechar iah 14:16). Let us go. L i g h t i n g c a n d l e s o n t h e l a s t n i g h t o f t h e J e w i s h h o l i d a y o f H a n u k k a h . | P h o t o : F l a s h 9 0 “Therefore, in the mon th of K isl ew , celebra te the F east of T abernacles” (2 Maccabees 1:9) K ees de V reu gd n T h e o l o g i a n | C h r i s t i a n s f o r I s r a e l I n t e r n a t i o n a l & E d i t o r | I s r a e l & t h e C h u r c h H anukkah is not Christmas, of course. Y et there are a f ew striking details that mak e a closer look interesting, without wanting to directly compare or equate the f estivals. T ak e the date. H anukkah is celebrated on 25 K islew and the seven f ollowing da ys ( a total of eight, that is, lik e the F east of T abernacles ). Christmas is celebrated on 25 December . H anukkah is a f estival of lights ( J osephus, J ewish A ntiquities XII). Christmas is a f estival of lights. This is not surprising considering that in the northern hemisphere, where they originate, both f estivals fall in the dark da ys of winter ( J ohn 10:22: it was winter ). In the dark est da ys of the year , we long f or light. So, is there a connection after all? Han ukkah F or the origins of H anukkah, we ha ve to go to the books of the M accabees (100 BC). Several places mention the institution and the f irst celebration of the f east. W e read there that the G reek king Antiochus E piphanes IV had an ‘ abomination of desolation ’ built on the altar on 15 K islew and had sacrif ices off ered f or it on 25 K islew ( 1 M accabees 1:54 ). E a r l i e r , t h e k i n g h a d o r d e r e d h i s e n t i r e k i n g d o m b y l e t t e r t o ‘ f o r m o n e p e o p l e a n d g i v e u p t h e i r o w n c u s t o m s ’ ( v e r s e s 4 1 - 4 2 ) . S o , a u n i f i e d c u l t u r e a n d r e l i g i o n w e r e a l s o i m p l e m e n t e d i n J e r u s a l e m . T h e t e m p l e w a s d e d i c a t e d t o t h e O l y m p i a n Z e u s ( 2 M a c c a b e e s 1 : 2 ) , t h e G r e e k c h i e f g o d . The date 15 K islew is also noteworth y . C ould it be that the king decreed f estivities around the solstice? Or perhaps he wanted his own appearance as a deity ( E piphanes ) to be celebrated? The fact is that people were also f orced to participate in the monthly sacrif icial meal f or the king' s birthda y ( 2 M accabees 1:7 ). F east of T abernacles The rededication after the cleansing of the temple was also on 25 K islew ( 1 M accabees 4:52-59 ) — i.e. the same date as that of the desecration. The celebration of the rededication hark ed back to the original dedication of Solomon ’ s temple, which took place during the F east of T abernacles ( 1 K ings 8). The association was so strong that there is spok en of the F east of T abernacles in the month of K islew: “Theref ore, in the month of K islew , celebrate the F east of T abernacles ” ( 2 M accabees 1:9 ). “ F ull of joy , they celebrated f or eight da ys, in the manner of the F east of T abernacles, remembering how only recently they should ha ve celebrated the F east of T abernacles in ca ves in the rocks, lik e animals in the wild. They carried sticks decorated with f oliage, green twigs and palm branches and sang songs of praise to him who had enabled them to cleanse his house. B y general decree, it was decreed that hencef orth all the J ewish people would celebrate these da ys ever y year” ( 2 M accabees 10:6- 8). At H anukkah, then, the memor y of S ukkot lives on. A brightly lit temple tak es centre stage. I t was so at the dedication; it is so again at H anukkah. In one breath, the two f easts are mentioned , along with the ‘ f ire ’, which recalls the f ire that descended from hea ven to light the sacrif ice ( 2 Chronicles 7:1 ). Praises from green trees and palm branches ( the lulav of S ukkot ) also return to the temple at H anukkah. Solstice That H anukkah ma y ha ve originally been related to the solstice is not generally believed. H owever , the T almud does mention the Roman solstice f estival. The T ractate A vodah Zarah ( on idolatr y ) states that a J ew should not do business with the Gentiles three da ys bef ore and three da ys after a pagan f estival so as not to be associated with idolatr y . Among the holida ys mentioned are the Satur nalia and the K alendae. The Satur nalia were celebrated on 17 December in honour of Saturn, god of agriculture and sown grain. The duration of the f estival ranged from three da ys to a week. The K alendae f ollowed from 25 December to 1 J anuar y . The K alendae traditionally had to do with f ixing the year . The Satur nalia were connected to the winter solstice. W e also f ind this in the T almud: the Saturnalia are the eight da ys bef ore the winter solstice. A n o l d J e w i s h s t o ry ( i n T a l m u d A v o d a h Z a r a h ) t e l l s t h a t A d a m w h e n h e w a s d r i v e n o u t o f p a r a d i s e , n o t i c e d a t o n e p o i n t t h a t t h e d a y s w e r e g e t t i n g s h o r t e r a n d s h o r t e r . T h e n h e b e c a m e a f r a i d t h a t t h i s w a s t h e p u n i s h m e n t f o r h i s s i n , ‘ t o d u s t t h o u s h a l t r e t u r n ’ , t h a t t h e w o r l d w a s g r a d u a l l y f a l l i n g b a c k i n t o t h e t o h u w a v o h u , ‘ d e s o l a t e a n d e m p t y ’ , o f t h e b e g i n n i n g o f c r e a t i o n . H e s t a r t e d f a s t i n g a n d p r a y i n g f o r e i g h t d a y s . T h e n h e n o t i c e d t h a t t h e d a y s w e r e g e t t i n g l o n g e r a g a i n . A p p a r e n t l y , t h i s i s t h e o r d e r o f t h e w o r l d , h e c o n c l u d e d . T h e n h e c e l e b r a t e d f o r e i g h t d a y s . H e d i d s o a g a i n t h e n e x t y e a r . A d a m i n s t i t u t e d t h e s e f e a s t s f o r H e a v e n , b u t t h e p a g a n s l a t e r t u r n e d t h e m i n t o i d o l a t r o u s f e a s t s , t h i s l o r e c o n c l u d e s . In short, this is a primal experience. B ut you can attribute the experience of the changing of the seasons, and midwinter in particular , to the M ost High but also to the wrong powers. On the R oad Christmas is a f east of Light. The light shines in the darkness. J esus is the Light of the world. I t is, however , on the F east of T abernacles that J esus sa ys: “ I am the Light of the world.” The light born with the F east of T abernacles illuminates even the dark est da ys of the year . On Christmas, it shines even stronger . W e experience that same primal experience of Adam but then remember the second Adam, who himself is the Light that shines in the darkness. “The W or d became flesh and ‘ pitched his tent among us ’” ( J ohn 1:14 ) is the Gospel reading of Christmas morning. The tent is the tabernacle. Or is it the T abernacle, the sanctuar y in the desert? And so we come again to the temple as the shining centre, in viting us to go on our wa y , from year to year as pilgrims to bow down bef ore the King, the Lor d of hosts, and to celebrate the F east of T abernacles ( Zechar iah 14:16). Let us go.