26. 16 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Political Analysis Dr Ron Weiser AM Hon Life Pres of the Zionist Council of NSW In the battle between Russia and Ukraine, the Western world and most democracies, see the situation in black and white terms. Russia is in the wrong and Ukraine is protecting her sovereign borders. However, when it comes to Israel, the support of her own allies is much greyer. On the one hand, what we saw last May, when Hamas launched over 4,300 missiles and rockets into Israel, was rarely seen almost wall to wall support for Israel. As but one example, the Austrian Chancellery flew the Israeli flag over its building. If that happened in the past, I do not recall it. When the Israeli/Arab matrix remains a territorial dispute, the free world’s support nowadays more or less remains intact. More or less.... Yes, a distinction is made between attacks on Israelis inside the Green Line and over the Green Line, but Israel generally is left to deal with these events if they are not perceived to have got ‘out of control’. Each time peace is discussed or seems closer, those opposed to an accommodation with Israel within the Palestinian/Arab world become more desperate and terror increases. And so it is this time that the mere sight of the Abraham Accords follow-up, with the foreign ministers of four Arab countries coming to Sde Boker for their unprecedented meetings inside Israel, led to the wave of terror that so far has seen 19 Israeli deaths by brutal random attacks in various towns and cities in Israel. These acts of terror have been condemned, almost without qualification, by Israel’s allies. The main issue for Israel is when the dispute moves from the territorial arena to the religious one. And sometimes also when the so-called free press appears to be physically attacked—such as the destruction of the empty press building in Gaza during last May’s Hamas offensive. These two types of occurrences press Western buttons. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority understand this very well and both are currently exploiting this fault line in Western thinking. Their prime focus has been to ignite tensions on the Temple Mount. This year, once again, Ramadan coincided with Passover and Easter bringing the three monotheistic religions marking important religious festivals at the same time and in the same area. Though this was a clear case of young Moslem youth instigating the riots, even desecrating their own mosque by wearing their shoes and chipping away parts of the mosque’s walls for rocks to throw, the pictures of the response by Israel to Palestinian violence spread on social media and the news services, as if it was the beginning of the story, rather than the middle of it. Almost most disturbingly, this also brought unusually heavy condemnation from the Jordanians who have a vested interest in keeping their relationship to management of the Temple Mount in play. There were also some significant positives—it is just that these received virtually no coverage. The Norwegian Tor Wennesland, is the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. He was previously Norway’s representative to the Palestinian Authority. This was his report on the Temple Mount situation as he presented it to the UN Security Council at its monthly forum on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “On 15 April, during the early morning hours, a large number of Palestinians gathered at the Al Aqsa compound. Some Palestinians threw stones, fireworks and other heavy objects toward Israeli Security Forces, and ISF used stun grenades, sponge- tipped bullets and batons, including against some bystanders. Despite the tensions, overall, hundreds of thousands of Muslims, Jews, and Christians have been able to celebrate the holy days in and around the Old City in relative peace and without further escalation.” But of course, it all came too late. The damage had been done. The Moslem world was incensed at alleged Jewish ‘desecration’ of the Temple Mount— Judaism’s most Holy Site. When it came to the tragic shooting of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh from as yet undetermined sources, the Palestinian Authority has seen great mileage in preventing any serious investigation to determine if she was shot in the crossfire by Palestinian gunman, or accidentally by the IDF. Whilst the PA is unsurprisingly uninterested in the truth, what is of great concern is that Israel is being roundly condemned by her own allies, without them even knowing or seemingly caring about the facts. Israel’s presumed guilt is the default option. Scenes around the funeral itself threw further oil on the flames. There is one more factor spurring Hamas in particular, to exacerbate these issues— Mansour Abbas and his Ra’am party. Small right wing Jewish elements of Israel’s opposition and some commentators constantly claim that Mansour Abbas is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Time will tell. However, Hamas fears Ra’am’s legitimacy with Israeli Arabs and will do whatever it can to damage this. Abbas was able to resist all Palestinian pressure to leave the government until the Temple Mount flareup. That is until the Israeli/Palestinian dispute turned again to the religious arena and opinion in the Arab street, forced him to freeze his participation in the coalition. Just as Abbas was about to return, Shireen Abu Akleh was killed. Never the less, even against this background, Abbas and his three other MK’s presented at a press conference stating unanimously that they had re- joined the government. Abbas also needs more time in government himself to show his potential constituency that he can deliver. Hamas knows that when they rain rockets down on Israel’s population or murder Israeli civilians in the street, large segments of world opinion look at Israel similarly to the way they look at Ukraine. But when it comes to any religious dispute, and Israel’s reactions, even her own allies see her more like Russia. Sadly, Israel’s allies’ inability to assess the situation correctly, and in some cases deliberate blindness, will only encourage Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and others to increase the religious dimension of the conflict, to encourage and create even more violence and to further exploit accidents that may occur in the field, whether caused by Israel or not. _______________________________________________________ Dr Ron Weiser AM is a Life Member of the ZFA Executive, Past President of the ZFA and Hon Life Pres of the Zionist Council of NSW. Almost Always Presummend Guilty! Israel’s Constant Struggle From It’s Western Allies Israel is being roundly condemned by her own allies, without them even knowing or seemingly caring about the facts.

21. 11 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Keith Buxton article continued... aim of pleasing and blessing Him, and bringing joy and blessing to others (and that pleases and blesses and brings great joy and glory to Him!), then know this: Change will come; your life may well be hard; your risks will be great (at times you will fail)—but your joy will be full! You were created for this—to take risks for the cause of God. Said the pioneer Christian missionary David Livingstone, “I’ll go anywhere as long as it’s forward.” To baulk at moving forward because it will thrust you into a season of change is to miss the joy that accompanies obedience to God. It’s to miss the joy of living for God! There was a very cautious man who never laughed or played; He never risked, he never tried, he never sang or prayed. And when one day he passed away his insurance was denied; For since he never really lived they claimed he never died! You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the win- loss record of the referee. But getting involved in the game of life means you will face many unknowns and uncertainties and changes. All of our plans for tomorrow’s activities can be shattered by a thousand unknowns whether we stay at home, venture out onto the roads, or sail solo across the world’s oceans. It’s been well said that “you cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore” (French author—André Gide). Jessica Watson is an Australian sailor from my home community in Queensland who at the age of 16 became the youngest person to sail solo, non- stop and unassisted around the world—a wonderful achievement. She left Sydney on 18 October 2009, sailed eastbound over the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, eventually arriving back in Sydney just before her 17th birthday. The reason for her journey? “I wanted to inspire people. I hated being judged by my appearance and other people’s expectations of what a ‘little girl’ was capable of.” This from someone who first had to overcome her fear of high seas. My point simply is this. The risks and fears associated with change are built right into the very nature of our all too short lives. But the more you turn your back on the inevitable changes that life brings, the more you die a little inside.... and you’ll never inspire anyone. Back to our Torah passage. A new chapter in their history faced the Israelites! Changes were inevitable—big changes. But God had given them some even bigger promises, and rock-solid assurances that He would be with them. This raises an interesting thought that we will pick up later when we consider the place of faith in God’s promises. You see, our need to check things out for ourselves may in fact reflect an underlying doubt that God really has everything in hand. Our trust in Him is shaky at best. When faced with significant change in our lives we are prone to want to have all the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed. And so we organise everything ourselves—and we leave God out of the equation. Resh Lakish, generally recognised as a giant of Torah study, interpreted the words “Sh’lach Lecha”, translated simply as “send” in Numbers 13:2, to mean that God gave Moses discretion over whether to send the spies. “Sh’lach Lecha” actually means “send for yourself ” or “send on your behalf.” Resh Lakish read Moses’ recollection of the matter in Deuteronomy 1:23 that “the plan pleased me well” to mean that agreeing to send the spies pleased Moses well—but not God. God would have known what would be the tragic outcome of the spies’ mission. Certainly He would have wanted the Israelites to advance into Canaan trusting totally in His promises and embracing the changes inevitable in moving forward. Hadn’t God parted the Red Sea and delivered Israel from the bonds of slavery? He had rained manna from Heaven and poured water from a rock! Hadn’t He led them by fire and by cloud? God knows the end from the beginning. And God knows our hearts—intimately. We read in Jeremiah 17:9-10— “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” As a Christian, I for one am grateful that through Jesus God has shown Himself to be a forgiving Father who knows and understands my heart—all my follies, failures and fears—and still loves me! It seems that the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran, however, simply could not overcome the fear barrier. —————————————————————— Keith Buxton is an ordained pastor. He currently serves on the C4I Australia management committee and is a liaison with C4I Oceania Island affiliates Change will come; your life may well be hard; your risks will be great...but your joy will be full!

6. Yochanan Visser n Correspondent in Israel Israel is once again experiencing turbulent times with a wave of new attacks by Palestinian terrorists, rapidly changing relations with states in the Middle East, and changes in Syria that could affect the covert war between Israel and Iran. The wave of new terrorist attacks that began on 21 March 2022, with an attack on civilians in the city of Beer Sheva, reached its lowest point on 5 May when two Palestinian terrorists armed with axes and knives from the Jenin area murdered three Jewish men in the central town of Elad, Israel. Jenin It is no coincidence that several of the terrorists, who recently committed seven attacks in seven weeks, came from the city of Jenin in northern Samaria. Always a stronghold of extremists, Jenin was dubbed the capital of suicide terrorism during the Second Intifada because many terrorists who blew themselves up in buses, hotels, and restaurants came from that city and its suburbs. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Palestinian Authority security forces have always been wary of operating in Jenin, especially within the city’s refugee camp. That cautious approach by the IDF, however, has changed since April after a terrorist from the Jenin area murdered three young Israelis on Tel Aviv’s busy Dizengoff Street. Since then, the IDF has regularly raided Jenin and the refugee camp there while arresting dozens of suspects. Hamas and the Temple Mount Another factor in the current wave of terror attacks is the incitement by Hamas in Gaza. Hamas leader Yahiya Sinwar recently delivered an inflammatory speech that was broadcasted by Quds TV in Gaza. During that speech, Sinwar called on Palestinian Arabs in Judea and Samaria to arm themselves, if necessary, with axes and butcher knives and then hunt for Jews who should then be murdered. Apparently, the two Elad terrorists were influenced by Sinwar’s incitement as they carried out their horrific attack with axes and knives. Hamas has long incited the Palestinian masses over the alleged Israeli desecration of the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount. Sinwar, in his fiery speech, threatened a religious war that would change “the face of the world and scorch the earth in the Middle East”. He also threatened that Hamas would attack synagogues around the world. Tensions around the Temple Mount peaked during Passover and the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan when hundreds of young Muslims attacked Israeli police daily from within the Al-Aqsa mosque. Police were eventually forced to enter the mosque in an attempt to bring the situation under control. To keep things from getting completely out of hand, Jews were then banned from ascending the Temple Mount during the last ten days of Ramadan. Tensions with Jordan Relations with Jordan further deteriorated due to the tensions surrounding the Al-Aqsa mosque. The government in Amman blamed Israel for the riot and even summoned Israel’s ambassador to dress him down. Jordan also demanded an increase in the number of guards of the so-called WAKF, the Islamic custodian of the Muslim holy sites on the Temple Mount. Israel responded to this demand with ambivalence. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett rejected the request, but Omer Bar-Lev, his internal security minister, was in favour of expanding the WAKF in exchange for removing Hamas elements from within the organisation. Prime Minister Bennett, however, stuck to his rejection of the Jordanian demand, saying that only the Israeli government makes decisions about the Temple Mount. Israel-Russia Relationship Under Pressure Then there is the situation in Syria, where the Russian army is reducing its presence because of the war with Ukraine. More on that later. This war caused deterioration in relations between Israel and Russia after both Bennett and his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yair Lapid, strongly criticised the Russians. Israel, in turn, was accused by a Kremlin spokesman of sending mercenaries to fight alongside the Ukrainian army, and the Jewish state was also accused of collaborating with the “Nazi regime in Kyiv”. Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, then added fuel to the fire and made anti-Semitic remarks about President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Jewishness. Lavrov also claimed that Jews are the biggest anti- Semites. These comments provoked great anger in Israel and sharp condemnations from Lapid and Bennett. Ultimately, Israeli fears that the crisis with Russia would limit freedom of action against Iran’s entrenchment in Syria didn’t materialise. During Independence Day on 5 May, President Vladimir Putin telephoned Bennett and apologised for Lavrov’s comments. Putin also sent a congratulatory message on the 74th Independence Day to Israeli President Isaac Herzog. With that, the crisis seemed to have come to an end. Syria Israel can thus continue its campaign against Iran in Syria and has recently launched repeated airstrikes against Iran- and Hezbollah-related targets in the war-torn country. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad now seems less confident due to the declining Russian presence and Putin’s attitude towards Israel. Assad is now seeking closer relations with Iran and, in early May, travelled to Tehran, where he met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran’s extremist President Ibrahim Raisi. Media in Iran later claimed that close relations between Damascus and Tehran had prevented “the Zionist regime’s dominance in the region”. Positive Developments Meanwhile, Israel is helping displaced persons in Syria with a new technology that converts air into water. The Israeli company Watergen has been producing, for the past two years, a device that converts moisture in the air into condensation and then into mineral-rich water. The device runs on solar energy and was purchased by the Multi-faith Alliance for Syrian Refugees. This Democratic-oriented organisation bought dozens of water harvesting devices from Watergen and distributed them in refugee camps run by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which is dominated by Kurds. Another positive development is that the Abraham Accords between Israel, two Gulf States, and Morocco remained intact during the crisis on the Temple Mount. The Arab countries didn’t choose Israel’s side during the conflict, however. In addition, Turkey has made overtures to Israel after a long period of very poor relations. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to restore relations with Israel amid the economic crisis in Turkey and Erdogan’s diminished popularity among the Turkish population. Israel is reluctant to watch Erdogan’s moves and apparently first wants to see actions against the presence of Hamas operatives in Turkey. News 4 Israel is Experiencing Turbulent Times Again Family and friends attend the funeral of Boaz Gol. Gol was killed on 5 May in a terror attack in Elad. | Photo: Flash90 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Tensions around the Temple Mount peaked during Passover and the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan when hundreds of young Muslims attacked Israeli police daily from within the Al-Aqsa mosque.

3. Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 6-7 Emergency Campaign Ukraine Continues 3 Wave of Terror Continues 8 Christians for Israel Visits Tanzania 16 After 20 Years, Sisters Make Aliyah View of the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives. | Photo: Flash90 Last month, Israel observed the 74th anniversary of its independence, gained when the State of Israel was born on 14 May 1948. This celebration is always preceded by Remembrance Day – the day Israel remembers those who have fallen in its many conflicts over the last century. Together, both events show that the independence of the Jewish people comes at a high price. At the moment, however, Israel is undergoing another massive wave of terror and violence. She is also being attacked internationally. The media and many in the international political community condemn Israel for crimes – even when there is no proof. Israel is accused of being an apartheid State that uses excessive force and kills journalists without reason. Now, more than ever, Zionism is under attack. The very existence of the Jewish State is being threatened as never before. The Bible tells us, however, that God alone is holy and sovereign. He is bringing His people home, never to be uprooted. Israel’s Independence My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow My laws and be careful to keep My decrees. They will live in the land I gave to My servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David, My servant, will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put My sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy when My sanctuary is among them forever. Ezekiel 37:24-28 June 2022 Sivan - Tamuz 5782 www.c4israel.com.au | info@c4israel.com.au AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA

5. News 3 Short News Synagogue Restoration Egypt has started the restoration of the Ben Ezra synagogue in Cairo, the oldest synagogue in not only Egypt, but also in the entire Middle East. The work is being done thoroughly. Not only is the interior given a thorough overhaul, but the roof is also insulated as well and fitted with a water-repellent layer. In 2018 the Egyptian government reserved more than 68 million euros for the restoration of Jewish heritage in the country. In 1948 between 80 and 100 thousand Jews are estimated to have lived in Egypt. In the following years, most Jews were expelled from the country. | Photo: Shutterstock Hospital for ADI Recently Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett opened ADI’s new hospital in the Negev Desert. The hospital is part of an innovative rehabilitation village, where 170 children and (young) adults with multiple disabilities get every opportunity to develop. The hospital has 108 beds. Christians for Israel has been involved with ADI (formerly ALEH) for years. During the opening, PM Bennett expressed his appreciation for ADI. “Everyone is seen as a human being here. A person who deserves respect and care.” Schindler’s Secretary Passes Away In early May, 107-year-old Mimi Reinhard passed away in Israel. Reinhard was the secretary in the office of Oscar Schindler, the German businessman who rescued 1,200 Jews from the hands of the Nazis. Mimi was born in Vienna, moved to Krakow and ended up in the concentration camp Plaszow, where she was needed to do administrative work. There she was instructed to type the list with the names of the Jews who were going to be transferred to Schindler’s ammunition and metal factory. She added her own name to the list. Only when she was 92 years old, Reinhard moved from the United States to Israel. | Photo: Flash90 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Wave of Terror Continues Yochanan Visser n Correspondent in Israel The situation in Israel remains very tense, and it does not look like it will change any time soon. Officials within the Israeli intelligence apparatus have predicted that the current wave of terror will continue throughout the year. This prediction seems to be based on a recent opinion survey by the Palestinian Policy and Survey Research (PSR) institute. That survey showed that the popularity of Fatah is again higher than that of Hamas among Palestinian residents of areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority. The most shocking finding of the survey was that as many as 73 per cent of Palestinian Arabs believe that the Koran contains a prophecy predicting the end of the State of Israel. These Palestinian Muslims believe it will happen in 2022. This is probably why Palestinian Arabs have recently started a new wave of terror attacks and why Israeli Arab Muslims have joined their brothers in the PA and Hamas controlled areas. These Israeli Arabs, as well as the Bedouin in the Negev desert, are becoming increasingly militant and regularly openly display their large amounts of weapons. The epicentre of the wave of terror against Israel now seems to have shifted from Gaza to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. Preparations for Attack Against Iran The Israeli military is preparing for a possible airstrike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Such an action seems to be getting closer by the day now that talks in Vienna on a new or revised nuclear agreement with six world powers, including the United States, have stalled. Defence Minister Benny Gantz warned of the consequences of the failure of the Vienna talks and said Iran was not far from producing a nuclear weapon. Shortly afterwards, it was leaked that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) and the IDF had begun a large-scale exercise simulating an attack on Iran and Israel's defences in preparation for a possible multi-front war. The participation of the American tanker planes in the exercise must be seen as a signal to Iran now that the nuclear talks have once again stalled. It does not mean, however, that the US Air Force will participate directly in an attack on Iran. Israel and the Ukraine War Dan Schnur n It’s not often that you see a headline that begins with the words ‘Putin apologises.’ But both American and Israeli media have reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin offered an apology to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for the anti- Semitic slurs one of his top advisers made recently regarding Hitler and Jews. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had sought to justify Moscow’s stated goal of ‘de- Nazifying’ Ukraine—which a Jewish president leads—by claiming Adolf Hitler had “Jewish blood” and that “the most ardent anti-Semites are usually Jews.” There was strong international backlash against Lavrov’s insults, but the Russian Foreign Ministry originally reinforced his comments before Bennett and Putin spoke directly. At the time this was written, the Kremlin had neither confirmed nor denied Putin’s apology, suggesting an effort on Putin’s part to avoid looking weak to his own people while avoiding a diplomatic blowup with Israel. But Putin hates backing down—to anyone, at any time. So the question is: Why would he feel it necessary to mend fences with Bennett? From the beginning of the war, Israel’s leaders have been forced to navigate an extremely difficult path to avoid antagonising Russia. While Israel’s own democratic principles (and strong relationship with the United States) naturally align the Jewish homeland with Ukraine, Bennett has avoided provoking Putin for both domestic political reasons and international security considerations. Israel’s military must coordinate its actions in Syria closely with its Russian counterpart to avoid any unintentional conflict. Combined with the sizable population of Russian émigrés in Israel—and their considerable political clout—Bennett’s best available option has been to position himself as an intermediary between Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. But as Russian atrocities became more apparent, Israel’s support for Ukraine became more assertive. Bennett’s government has directed immense amounts of humanitarian aid, including medical equipment, clothing, food and other supplies, to displaced Ukrainians. Diplomatically, Israel has moved off the sidelines as well, voting for recent United Nations condemnations of Russia after staying away from earlier resolutions. More recently, Israel’s military has taken its first steps toward engagement, sending helmets, flak jackets and other types of body armour for use by civilian and medical personnel. Putin knows that Israel is also facing growing pressure to begin sending weaponry, too, and given his own military’s underwhelming performance to date, it’s understandable why he would not want to see Israeli armaments deployed against his troops in Ukraine. Even more important are the added benefits of Israel’s considerable cyberwar expertise, as well as its sophisticated military intelligence capabilities. The large number of Israel’s Russian- and Ukrainian -speaking active- duty and reserve forces would also greatly aid training efforts. Putin has watched and listened to the fierce response of Israel’s political leaders to Lavrov’s blunder, most notably Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s statement that Lavrov’s comments had “crossed a line.” Within a day, Putin and Bennett were on the phone, ostensibly to discuss the evacuation of civilians from the Avostal steel plant in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol and for Putin to congratulate Israel for its Independence Day. But the timing of the call, and the rather tepid pushback from the Kremlin against Bennett’s announcement of a Putin apology, suggest that the Russian president knew exactly how important it was to defuse the situation. It should not be forgotten that Ukraine is far from the top of Israel’s list of international concerns. But Bennett recognises that the best way to maintain his influence in the Iranian nuclear negotiations—and to discourage too many American concessions—is to maintain as strong a relationship with the United States as possible. Stepping up Israel’s support of Ukraine is an effective and timely way to achieve that goal. Dan Schnur teaches political communications at UC Berkeley, USC and Pepperdine. He hosts the weekly webinar ‘Politics in the Time of Coronavirus’ for the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall. Rescue forces evacuate the assailant of an attack that appears to be of a terrorist nature near Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s Old City. 11 May 2022. | Photo: Flash90

8. Safe at Home This couple was recently assisted by our team in Ukraine to prepare their journey to Israel. The paperwork came through, and now they are safely in Israel. They are relieved that they can be with their daughter in Beersheba. But they have mixed feelings: their son had to remain in Ukraine because of his age. | Photo: Christians for Israel 6 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 “We are Hanging in There” Koen Carlier n Christians for Israel Ukraine The war in Ukraine has now been going on for over three months. But anyone who assumes that the situation is returning to normal, that there are fewer requests for help, or that the worst is over, is wrong. On average, we help between 150 and 200 fleeing Jews per week, bring them to safety and help them on their way to Israel. Koen Carlier, team leader in Ukraine, explains: “We pick people up by bus in eastern Ukraine and bring them to the Vinnista region. We provide them with a clean bed; they can shower, and volunteers prepare hot and nut ritious meals. It gives people who come out of the war zone such a feeling of humanity. After weeks they feel a bit human again for the first time. We don’t know exactly how people managed to get out of the occupied areas in the east. But they come, travelling from one place to the other most of the time. And in the Kiev area, people can finally flee from cities that are no longer there. We offer them time to catch their breath and help them with the journey to Israel.” How do you as a team keep up helping refugees non-stop, 24/7? “Practically speaking: preparation has helped us tremendously. There are supplies, there was a plan, and shelters were arranged. That takes away worries. Our team in Ukraine continues to help. We cooperate exceptionally well. And above all: we pray together. We see that through the war, God is bringing His people to the Promised Land. We are experiencing a bit of what we read in the psalms and prophets. We see something in Isaiah 43:19. That'’s an encouragement.” What can people do for you? “Keep praying. Keep praying and proclaim in your surroundings that God is fulfilling His promises right through all the misery. And I want to thank you: you provide financial support for this emergency campaign. This is a rich blessing because it relieves us of a great deal of stress; it gives us the space to focus all our attention on our Jewish brothers and sisters in need.” Koen with a group of refugees. | Photo: S. Soroka Why Alina Helps Refugees “Showing God & His Grace” How satisfying it is when we realise the good results after all the work we do! And God arranged everything in the best way possible! No matter how difficult things can be and how tired we all get - the most important thing is to finally see people’s happy and grateful faces and to know that they received the best care possible with lots of love. Our mission is not simply to bring people to a safer place, but to make them feel safe, loved, and cared for on their way. It is not an easy task, especially when there is a big group. Everyone has their own trauma and story, character and emotional issues, different ages and status, and habits. Some people look decent; others still wear dirty and dusty clothes... However, nothing should be an obstacle for us to show God and His grace. I am convinced that —without exception— everybody we help will never forget how they were taken care of. You cannot even imagine how many grateful words they expressed to everybody who was involved in the rescue process! There is one thing that I do not like about my work at Christians for Israel - it is the moment when I have to say ‘goodbye’ to people who became so dear to me by the end of the journey to the Kishinev shelter [the capital of Moldova]. I give each of them a big hug, knowing I won’t see them again, and my heart cries with sadness and grief for what these people ran from. At the same time, I feel joy about what they are going to experience soon! Alina from the Christians for Israel Ukraine team. Emergency Campaign Ukraine

9. 7 Emergency Campaign Ukraine June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Everything is Gone There they are, this man and woman from Mariupol. They lost everything they had. Their faces show the misery they endured. Whatever was left of their lives was packed in our plastic bags that we use for food parcel distribution. They are devastated. Helpless. Weary. They want to leave, and get out of the war. And we help, first of all with basic necessities these people had been deprived of for weeks: a bed, a meal, a shower. We surround them with love and attention and make arrangements so they will be able to leave for Israel for a new and hopeful future. Will you continue to remember all these people, our Jewish brothers and sisters, in your prayers? That they find the help, they need? And that we can help each pe rson that comes our way to make the journey to Israel? | Photo: Christians for Israel “Then I’m Not Feeling Alone Anymore” Anemone Rüger n Project Coordinator - Holocaust Survivors in Israel & Ukraine | Christians for Israel “We are operational again,” says Vera, our contact person in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernigov. “But 70 per cent of our beautiful city has been destroyed.” The medieval churches of Chernigov – the former capital of an independent principality – are considered world heritage. Vera spent several weeks in March in the basement of her apartment block, trying to organise medication for her most needy patients via the Red Cross. When Chernigov’s main bridge to the Kiev district was destroyed, Vera sent a message saying, “We are preparing for the worst.” For a long time, the population was cut off from any supplies. In early April, the siege around the city miraculously ended. Vera is able to go shopping again for her senior community members from the donations provided by Christians for Israel. “You know, it’s very difficult. Every air-raid alarm frightens me,” says Ludmila (pictured left), who lives in Chernivtsy. She turned blind many years ago and shares an apartment with her daughter. Since German Telekom started offering free calls to Ukraine, I have tried to call some of the elderly every day. “If my daughter would go with me, I would also leave,” Ludmila continues. Her granddaughter has already escaped to Germany with her 1-year-old daughter. “I miss you; I mis s your visits... Do you remember that you brought me a blanket once, knitted by a certain Frau Huber from Germany? Tell her how much it means to me now. I wrap myself in this blanket every day, and then I’m not feeling alone anymore.” Together with my colleague Alina, I have been able to bring hundreds of hand-knitted blankets, shawls and socks to Holocaust survivors and needy elderly in Ukraine’s Jewish communities over the last few years. We gave out thousands of small cards, speaking words of comfort into people’s hearts: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you.” The cards, the shawls, and the heart- shaped waffles have deposited a seed of love in the hearts of the needy. The memories of our visits are releasing hope at a time when we have hardly any opportunity to reach these dear people physically and geographically. “For the elderly, it is incredibly difficult to leave their old lives behind,” says one of the Jewish leaders on the Black Sea coast. “Many of them just only made it through the past years thanks to the loving care of their nurses and lots of medication. They don’t have the strength to pack and leave. They would rather die in their own bed than having to flee again. That’s why we try to continue supporting them through our staff who remained in the city. Thank you for helping us in this effort.” Another Jewish community actively engaged in helping the needy is located in Poltava between Kiev and Kharkov. “It took a long time, but now I was able to place another bulk order with our contract pharmacy (pictured below) for the elderly who need medical support in our community,” says Rabbi Yosef. In addition to its own needy, the Jewish community has taken in countless refugees from severely destroyed cities such as Kharkov. “Thanks to your help, we have been able to provide each family – community members and refugees alike – with a nice Passover package (pictured above right). ” “Our seniors are very strong. I almost get the impression they take this situation better than we do,” says Tanya from Belaya Tserkov, who had to abandon her home near the airbase during the air raids at the beg inning of the war. “Last night, the sirens went off again and lasted for an hour. I couldn’t sleep after that. Our city is more or less ok at the moment. But we are getting more and more refugees from the east - from Lugansk, from Mariupol. What they report is simply horrible.” Tanya and her team go out of their way to provide for the many elderly in their large area of responsibility, which also includes many outlying villages. “We realise that they need us. They depend on the aid we bring. But it’s still scary to go outside. Whenever we plan a larger tour, we try to get a police escort.” All the community’s needy continue to be cared for. Their helpers are so committed to them that they are willing to risk their lives for it. “At the same time, the Aliyah continues,” says Tanya. “We are sending everyone who is halfway mobile and ready to go to Israel to you. And those who took this big step are very happy. Thank you for everything you do for us!” “Dear sponsors – your donations continue to reach the elderly, and they are needed more than ever – materially and emotionally! So far, we have been able to continue our support programmes in all our Jewish partner communities, although under more difficult conditions. The message this conveys – that someone is thinking of them and caring for them – is invaluable for the needy at this challenging time. THANK YOU!” Emergency Campaign Ukraine Continues How can I help? Transport for a Jewish refugee Transport for a small family One bus $ 150 AUD $ 590 AUD $ 5855 AUD The war in Ukraine is ongoing. Our work to support the Jewish communities in Ukraine continues. Please continue to pray for our staff and the Jewish communities in Ukraine. Your support for our emergency campaign is still very important! Any amount is welcome! To donate, complete the coupon on page 16. AUSTRALIA

32. 14 History Kay Wilson n Israeli Tour Guide | Author | Cartoonist “Noble be man, merciful and good,” wrote the German poet Goethe. It was a sentence to be repeated well over a century later by Gerda Weissmann Klein, one of the most inspiring and outspoken Holocaust survivors who sadly passed away at the beginning of April 2022. Gerda’s telling of her horrific story throughout the years began with a detailed recorded testimony for the Spielberg Foundation. It was just one of the over 55,000 survivor testimonies Spielberg documented for posterity. She soon wrote her gripping autobiography All But My Life, which in turn became an Oscar-winning film One Survivor Remembers. Anyone who heard her testimony would indeed remember Gerda. Like every survivor, Gerda’s story is also unique, but it is extra special in that Kurt Klein, the American Jewish Soldier who liberated her at the end of the war, went on to become her husband. By the time she was 21, Gerda had spent three years in concentration camps. Her parents, brother, and her extended family had by then all been murdered. Towards the end of the war, after a 500-kilometre death march through temperatures well below zero, where even her best friend died in her arms, she was near to death and weighed a meagre 30 kilos. Coming from an educated Polish family, Gerda spoke German, as did Kurt - her husband to be. It was as an American soldier, when he entered Czechoslovakia with the USA forces, that he came across the skeletal Gerda and asked her to show him the other ‘ladies’. Leading him to a room of 150 sick and dying women, Gerda then pointed at them, quoting the German poet Goethe: ’Noble be man, merciful and good.” Kurt, who at that time did not know his parents had been murdered at Auschwitz, could hardly believe that in her dying state, she was able to recite a poem - and one of such nobility. In that very moment of her invoking the chilling call of Goethe to humanity, their future would be sealed. It took a whole year before Gerda recovered and was able to finally leave Germany for France. By then, Kurt had fulfilled his army service and was also in Paris. The two kept in touch. But despite their affection for one another, Gerda feared that Kurt’s interest in her was motivated by pity. She did not want to be a victim, and she certainly did not want to be a burden. Things were complicated even more because he thought her reluctance to accept his help was a romantic rejection. But despite it all, Kurt was love-stricken. After a lengthy exchange of conversations, they were finally married: but not before stopping at a bombed Paris synagogue. It was there among the rubble that they lit a candle for their murdered families just before their wedding ceremony. After finally settling in the United States, the couple immersed themselves in volunteer work for Jewish relief. They were married for more than 50 years and brought three children into the world, as well as eight grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Ten years before she passed away, Gerda was awarded the American Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honour. In her speech that day, she spoke of meeting Kurt and how, not knowing how to react to his kindness, she decided to pray for him instead. In her kindness and strength, Gerda was the epitome of what a human being can become, despite the horrors endured. When Goethe penned, “Noble be man, merciful and good,” he could very well have been writing with foresight about Gerda Weissmann Klein. Gerda and Goethe Gerda and Kurt on top of the Eiffel Tower after their wedding (1946). | Photo: Journey Through The Holocaust. June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Gerda Weissmann Klein received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award for the USA, from President Barak Obama, in 2011. | Photo: Official White House Photo Gerda Weissman, aged 11 in Poland. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) n “The Jewish community is an integral part of Greek identity, a fact that has been too often denied for centuries,” Greece’s Chief Rabbi Gabriel Negrin said at the exhibition’s inauguration ceremony. “This history should be passed on to future generations in order to combat ignorance and prejudice.” A new exhibition at the Jewish Museum of Greece confirms for the first time that the Jewish presence in the country dates back to the end of the fourth century BCE. The temporary exhibit showcases ancient inscriptions uncovered by the museum that prove Jewish origins in Greece go back centuries, marking “one of the oldest recorded religious and cultural settlements in Europe,” according to the museum. Stone Paths – Stories Set in Stone: Jewish Inscriptions in Greece opened in May 2022 and will remain open to the public through February 2023. It is being co-organised and co-hosted by the Epigraphic Museum in Athens. A total of 10 inscriptions are on display at the Jewish Museum and about 30 more are on display at the Epigraphic Musuem. The Jewish Museum’s president, Makis Matsas, said, “The exhibition has a very significant value because, on the one hand, it documents the existence and presence of Jews in Greece since the end of the fourth century BCE, therefore highlighting the Jewish element in Greece as one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe, but at the same time highlighting the multicultural past of our homeland, Greece.” One of the Greek inscriptions referring to Jews dates to between 300 and 250 BCE and references a freed slave from Judea, according to AFP. It was discovered at the Amphiareion of Oropos sanctuary near Athens. “The Jewish community is an integral part of Greek identity, a fact that has been too often denied for centuries,” Greece’s Chief Rabbi Gabriel N egrin told AFP at the exhibition’s inauguration ceremony. “This history should be passed on to future generations in order to combat ignorance and prejudice.” Jewish Presence in Greece Dates Back to 4th Century BCE Amphiareion of Oropos. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons

31. 13 History Short News Self-Driving Taxi In a video from Mobileye®, the company announces that it is about to introduce self-driving taxis into Israel and Germany. In the video, you see taxis driving trouble-free through Jerusalem during the night. | Photo: Flash90 3D-Printed Ear Corrects Defect Plastic surgeons at Galilee Medical Center used a 3D-printed ear prosthesis for a child born with a developmental defect. The six-year-old boy had been born with microtia, a deformity that stops the development of a baby’s ear in the womb, usually during the first trimester of pregnancy. Staff from the plastic surgery department at Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya attached the synthetic prosthesis to the child’s head and covered it with skin. Parkinson’s Pioneer Receives Israel Prize Technion Professor Emeritus Moussa Youdim was among the first to identify the genes that are changed in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease. He will receive the 2022 Israel Prize for Life Sciences ‘for his pioneering, groundbreaking, scientific achievements in neuropharmacology.’ Technion President, Professor Uri Sivan, said Youdim’s “brilliant work has brought about a dramatic change in the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and literally transformed the quality of life of Parkinson’s patients the world over.” Youdim also developed the widely used Parkinson’s drugs selegiline and rasagiline. Free Transport To encourage the Israelis to more frequently use public transport, the Israeli government has announced a drastic tariffs reform (‘Transport justice’). Israel has some eighty different types of tariffs, whereby people in one town sometimes pay more than double the amount for the same kind of transportation as people in another town. The reform is not only going to level the tariffs but also lower them drastically. Those over 75 don’t even have to pay at all anymore. | Photo: Shutterstock Bryce Turner n Christians for Israel New Zealand For many, memories of the early 1980s include nightly news articles on television bringing updates of war in Lebanon. Footage of injured troops and buildings hit by rockets still echo. Operation Peace for Galilee – later known as the First Lebanon War – began in 1982, as Israeli leaders desperately sought an end to a massive escalation in bombings, rocket attacks, and violence wreaked upon the Israeli population by terrorist organisations including the PLO, PFLP, and the PDFLP. Civil war and instability in Lebanon became the perfect background for the PLO to set up and base its operations against Israel. While the PLO fought to establish its dominance in Lebanon, members of the Warsaw Pact announced their support of the PLO – and opposition to Israel. As East Germany in particular began to strengthen its support for Arafat’s regime, many around the world felt tensions rise as something of an extension to the Cold War played out. With the financial and political support of the Warsaw Pact nations – and their military supplies – the PLO and its associated insurgents steadily increased their attacks on Israel. The might of the ‘East’ was soon to be tested as it again went up against the United States-backed Israel. Whilst not the first time prowess of East vs West military technology had been contested, the looming conflict became perhaps the most visible display. Many commentators attribute the obvious military and technical superiority of the West during the war as a key factor in the subsequent demise of the Warsaw Pact. Although the military operation began in June 1982, the roots of the inciting violence were clear much earlier. In March 1977, the Palestine National Council voted overwhelmingly to continue the armed struggle against Israel and rejected recognition of Israel, as well as Security Council Resolution 242 of 1967 as a basis for peace and negotiation. A week later Israel’s UN Ambassador Chaim Herzog addressed the UN Security Council, reminding that the PLO Charter still called for the expulsion of the bulk of the Jewish population and for the destruction of the State of Israel. Herzog reminded the Security Council delegates that “The negation of Israel’s right to exist is a principle accepted by all groupings within the PLO”, and of the PLO assertion that “the claim of a historical or spiritual tie between Jews and Palestine does not tally with historical realities” - ridiculous and unsupportable fiction that remains a favourite amongst enemies of Israel. It was the collapse of a UN- brokered ceasefire that saw Operation Peace for Galilee initiated. Palestinian terrorists had entrenched themselves in Southern Lebanon where they set about creating an informal state- within-a-state. Operating from bases established there, terrorist groups were deployed to bring death and misery in Israel and abroad. Tension along Israel’s northern border increased during 1981 as barrages of Katyusha rockets and artillery were fired at civilian targets in Israel’s northern Galilee region. On 3 June 1982, Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Argov was shot and critically wounded near his home in London. The next day Israeli jets bombed PLO ammunition depots and training bases in southern Lebanon. This was followed by a massive PLO bombardment against Israel’s northern settlements, causing extensive damage and loss of life. On 6 June 1982, the IDF launched Operation for Peace of Galilee. Effectively a war of two parts, the first was a conventional war lasting from 6 June to 23 August 1982, when Arafat’s PLO and its terrorists were expelled from Beirut. The second part, lasting the next three years, was a war against the terrorists. Whilst the ineffectiveness of the weak Lebanese government and an inability to negotiate a solid peace led to a long, drawn-out conflict, there were some spectacular moments that boosted the moral of war-fatigued Israelis, grieving the loss of thousands of soldiers and civilians. Within hours, the IAF destroyed the Syrian SAM (surface-to-air missile) system, ultimately destroying over 90 Syrian fighter aircraft with no IAF losses. The brand-new Israeli-made mini-RPV (remotely piloted vehicle) played a massive role, in a conflict that confirmed Israeli air superiority in the area. Although not achieving the lasting peace sought by Israel, Operation Peace for Galilee did result in a strip of patrolled land – a buffer or ‘trip wire’ – that allowed Israel at least some warning of impendin g attacks. 40 years after the war, echoes of terror attacks and the painful loss of sons and daughters serving in the IDF remain a constant reminder of those, literally on Israel’s doorstep, who seek the total annihilation of the Jewish nation. Operation Peace for Galilee June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 1982 Lebanon War. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Chief of Staff Eitan and Defense Minister Sharon on the roof of the IDF in Lebanon during Operation Peace of the Galilee. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons

10. 8 C4I News Rev Cornelis Kant n Executive Director | Christians for Israel International “Your teaching about Israel felt like healing.” That comment was made by one of the participants in the team which prepared our Christians for Israel conference in Tanzania. She was describing the impact of our teachings on her. In April, our team in Tanzania organised a two-day conference about Israel in the city of Mwanza in the Tanzanian Lake Zone. Pastor Mark Manumbu, team member, pastor and teacher at the Pentecostal Seminary in Mwanza, allowed us to use his church for this conference. Over 120 pastors, teachers and church members attended the conference. A teacher and representative of Mwanza’s university also attended. She was excited about our biblical and historical teachings and invited us to meet her students during our next stay in Tanzania. Jos van Westing, our speaker for African countries, taught about the history of Israel, the Holocaust and the suffering of the Jewish people over the centuries, the establishment of the State of Israel and the anti-Israel sentiment in the present-day world. Projected pictures supported his teachings. I taught about the everlasting significance of Israel in our Christian faith, in accordance with the Old and New Testament, the relationship between Christians and Jews from a Biblical perspective, and the role of Jesus as Messiah in the promised return of the Jewish people to their homeland Israel. We are always impressed by how deeply the message about Israel touches people. The impact goes much deeper than only adding knowledge. Biblical teaching about Israel and God’s incredible plan for Israel often comes across as a revelation. The woman mentioned earlier expressed her feelings by using the term ‘healing’. Becoming aware of the significance of Israel and the Jewish people in God’s redemptive plan is so inspiring and refreshing for one’s personal faith. Also, four pastors from Kenya attended the conference. One from the Nairobi area and three others from the western part of Kenya. They had contacted us recently to talk about cooperation in the future. So I first invited them to attend our conference in Tanzania in order to get to know our message. They were touched by the teachings and showed great eagerness to spread the message in Kenya as well. We had good conversations with them and gave them some guidelines regarding proper preparations for a conference. The next Sunday, the conference was finished by a church service in two different churches in Mwanza. Last year Pastor David Mbago, our team leader of Christians for Israel in Tanzania, translated the Why Israel Abridged Edition into Swahili. After a check by a translation agency, we printed it and gave it to all the attendants. Now they can reread the Bible verses at home. During our stay in Tanzania, we also visited a pastor in the neighbouring city Shinyanga who wants to organise a pastor’s conference in his city. Pastor David Mbago invested in the establishment of teams of ‘friends of Israel’ in various cities in Tanzania over the last few years. Their focus is mainly on prayer for Israel and the global work of Christians for Israel. These teams meet for a week of prayer several times a year. David also teaches about Israel during these weeks of pr ayer. In 2019 Pastor David organised a speaking tour, where we visited ten churches and schools and were able to reach well over 1000 people with our biblical message. Since the Covid pandemic, the emphasis is more on prayer. Our team in Tanzania needs our support and prayer. The women preparing the food for the conference. Christians for Israel Visits Tanzania June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 During the conference in Tanzania. The team who prepared the conference in Tanzania. | Photos: C4I Jos van Westing n Speaker | Christians for Israel International How exciting it was to be able to travel to Africa again after a two-year lockdown and visit Tanzania and Uganda. Uganda really has my heart. It was like coming home and having a family reunion! I had the opportunity to teach the Israel message for five days, approximately 5-6 hours a day, at V.O.S.O. Gilgal Church. Christians for Israel Uganda (C4I Uganda) restarted through this church under the inspiring leadership of pastors and teachers, Sarah, Asher and Victor. C4I Uganda has grown tremendously in knowledge, inspiration and important contacts. Its origins began when a local church in Kampala, with a sincere love for Israel began by praying and financially supporting Aliyah. Today it is a mature movement with nat ional broadcasting through the most viewed Christian Television Station in Uganda, Lighthouse Television Studios. On both Fridays and Saturdays, there is a programme of 1½ hours in which they share the Biblical view of God’s purpose for Israel, the Church and the nations. Unexpectedly I was invited to preach for 15 minutes during an outdoor gathering of a few hundred selected guests, including pastors and church leaders, which was broadcasted live by Lighthouse to 142,000 followers all over Uganda. Due to their growth and contacts, the Christians for Israel team in Uganda is ready to reach out to churches, Christian fraternities and engage with government officials to organise national conferences and seminars concerning prayer and action for Israel. One of the objectives is to counterattack antisemitism strategies in current events in Israel. The team does not only want to spread the Israel message in their own country but also in neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Zambia. During my visit, I had the honour to officially open a small C4I Uganda office in a newly built shopping and office centre, which will be daily manned during office hours to inform the public about the Why Israel? message. Another valuable contact of our team is Dr Julius Oyet, the Founder and Presiding Bishop of Life Line Ministries, an international ministry with headquarters in Kampala, Uganda. He is called to the apostolic and evangelistic ministry of church planting and has planted over 100 local churches in two decades. H e is described as a prolific Christian leader, highly recognised by Christian leaders around the world. Bishop Oyet invited me to speak in the Life Line Church on Sunday, as he did two years ago, and we discussed plans to develop a Why Israel? course in the non-denominational Elijah Institute, which he founded on the Life Line Ministries campus. Students will have to register and pay a small amount and receive a certificate. Bishop Oyet also stressed that he wants to partner with us concerning Aliyah. We pray that the Why Israel? message will be spread more and more in Uganda and beyond! C4I Office Opened in Kampala, Uganda Pastor Sarah with Jos van Westing. | Photo: C4I The Christians for Israel Uganda team.

13. 3 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Since 1979, the US has imposed various sanctions against Iran in response to the Iranian nuclear program, and Iranian support for Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Shi’ite militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. Further international sanctions were imposed in 2006 after Iran refused to halt its nuclear enrichment program. In 2015, the US and several European countries entered into an agreement with Iran called JCPOA, under which Iran had to limit the volume of uranium it enriches, and the quality and number of centrifuges it operates at any one time, in exchange for sanctions relief. In 2018 President Trump pulled out of the agreement, citing Iranian breach of the agreement. Iran has been working on nuclear capability for decades, and is close to achieving a nuclear bomb. This week, Defence Minister Benny Gantz stated that Iran “stands just a few weeks away from accumulating fissile material that will be sufficient for a first bomb,” as it now “holds 60 kilograms of [fissile] material enriched to 60%, produces metallic uranium at the enrichment level of 20% and prevents the IAEA from accessing its facilities.” Over recent months there have been indirect negotiations between Iran and the Biden administration. It is reported that a draft agreement for returning to the 2015 nuclear deal is almost done. The last remaining stumbling block is Iran’s demand that the Biden administration remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the US Foreign Terrorist Organizations blacklist. It seems Biden will be unwilling to do so. Whether Iran will give in and accept a deal, requiring it to limit its enrichment program in return for lifting of sanctions, is unclear. Haaretz correspondent Yossi Melman is optimistic that a deal can be reached with the Iranians because “[t]he Iranians are desperate for a deal to lift the sanctions on them. $100bn is at stake and they need it for their economy. The IRGC is also an economic empire in Iran, so they also see the utility in getting the sanctions lifted.” Enrique Mora, the European Union’s coordinator for Iran nuclear deal negotiations, recently visited Iran to help salvage the deal. True to form, the Europeans believe that an agreement with Iran—and not military action—is the only way to avert war. Israel and its (Sunni) Arab allies in the region strongly disagree. At a meeting late March, Israeli PM Bennett told Secretary of State Blinken that Iran can only be deterred from moving toward enriching uranium to the military level of 90% if it knows that the U.S. and European countries would ramp up sanctions to the level placed on Russia. Bennett also told Blinken that the nuclear deal will only be “a Band-Aid” solution for just a few years, and at the same time, it will give Iran billions of dollars it would be able to use for its regional malign activities and to arm its proxies. Deal or no-deal, Israel is vigilant in monitoring the situation in Iran, and intervenes where necessary. Last December Israel reportedly struck the Natanz nuclear plant in Iran. Israel regularly strikes Iranian-sponsored facilities in Syria. For Israel, Iran’s activities in the region present a real existential threat. Iranian militia and proxies surround Israel— Hezbollah in the north, Hamas/PIJ in the West, pro-Iranian militias in Syria, and the Houthis in the south. Their objectives are aggressive. Iran remains committed to the expansion of its revolutionary ideology, which includes destruction of the Zionist entity [Israel], and the liberation of Al- Quds [Jerusalem]. Iran is not only opposed to the existence of Israel, it sees the influence of Israel and the USA in the region as a threat to itself and the entire Islamic umma. Iran has recently warned that it sees Israeli cooperation with Bahrain as endangering its own security interests, and it will not hesitate to attack in response. Iran also claims that the Israeli presence in Kurdistan endangers its national security and hence launched missiles at a “Mossad base” in Erbil on February 13, 2022. Israel takes these threats seriously. According to Defence Minister Gantz, “the State of Israel will continue to act against any enemy that threatens it, and prevent the transfer of advanced capabilities from Iran that endanger the citizens of Israel and harm the stability of the entire region.” Israeli Defence Forces are prepared, if necessary, to strike Iranian nuclear facilities that are buried deep underground. The Israeli Air Force will have to deal with increasingly sophisticated Iranian air defenses in order to conduct such a strike, and also have to prepare for an expected retaliation against Israel by Iran and its allies throughout the region. The situation is explosive. The whole geopolitical context of this conflict has changed with the war in Ukraine, and the growing rift between Russia, China and other countries on the one hand, and the West, on the other, which itself is internally divided. Within the next few weeks we will know whether Iran will choose a diplomatic resolution, or open the door to a possible military escalation. —————————————————————— Andrew Tucker is the Director of The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation ( thinc. )—a global initiative to advance the fair and just application of international law in the middle east. For more information: www.thinc.info Something to thinc. about with our C4I strategic ministry partner Israel and Iran Andrew Tucker Director of The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation ( thinc. ) Iran remains committed to the expansion of its revolutionary ideology, which includes destruction of Israel

20. 10 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Pastoral Insights In recent years we have been and continue to be challenged by profound and often highly controversial changes affecting every area of life, such as politics and security, society and health, beliefs and values, education and morals. The prevalence and influence of rampant and frequently inappropriate social media opinions, ‘woke culture’ debates and ‘political correctness’ certainly have not helped. We will be helped however when God Himself calls us to make specific changes in life by adopting perspectives that He gives us in His Word. The following thoughts on facing such changes are drawn from the Torah portion ‘Sh’lach’ or ‘Sh’lach Lecha’, which is read on 25 June this year in synagogues throughout the world. In my teaching I will be including a number of insights from Jewish rabbis and sages that shed some interesting light on this portion of the Torah. My focus in particular is to help readers learn from and be encouraged by what I like to call “lessons for life.” A brief overview of these three chapters in Numbers—chapters 13-15—will I think be helpful. This is the familiar and tragic story of a major crisis in the desert—the mission of the spies sent by Moses to scout out the land of Canaan as a future home for the Israelite people, and events that followed their report. God instructs Moses to send twelve spies, one from each tribe, to discover what they can about Canaan. They are to report back on the quality of the land, the strength of the people who live there, and whether they live in fortified cities or out in the open. Moses also asks the spies to bring back some of the fruit of the land. After 40 days the spies return from their mission and report to all of the Israelites their findings. They report that the land is indeed flowing with milk and honey, and they display samples of the wonderful fruit growing there. They say that the people who live there are strong and their cities are fortified. But ten of them have a negative outlook, declaring that “all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature... giants.... and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” They strongly discourage the people from entering the land of Canaan. But the other two spies, Caleb and Joshua, disagree and encourage the people to enter the land, telling them that with faith in God they can overcome every obstacle. Sadly, the people side with the ten spies who give the negative report, even talk about returning to Egypt, and seem ready to stone Caleb and Joshua on the spot. God is angry at the Israelites and threatens to destroy them, but Moses intercedes for them and pleads with God to spare them. And God relents. But because of their lack of faith, He tells Moses that the Israelites will wander in the desert for 40 years and only their children, led by Joshua and Caleb, will survive and take possession of the land. Our Torah passage concludes with a few additional events and instructions, but we will note from among them only the command from God—in the final verses—that the Israelites wear tzitzit, or fringes, on the corners of their garments. There are three main issues that I want to address in this teaching. The first is that change is inevitable in life . This gives rise to the second issue, which is that change confronts us with challenges . One of the particular challenges that this story presents us with is the need for us to deal personally with the fear that so often accompanies the inevitability of change. It is then that we discover the truth that God is with us in the experience of change, and through faith in Him and His Word we may experience the exciting future that He has prepared for us. This Torah portion is perhaps the oldest spy story in history, and it begins with the wandering Israelites moving closer to the land of Israel and encamping in the wilderness of Paran, in the N-E Sinai Peninsula. It was time for them to move into the land that God had promised them, a promise reaffirmed by the Lord in His reference to “Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel.” The Israelites were now confronted with major change. Several years ago I spent a week in Switzerland, known for mountains, chocolate, banks, army knives and watches. I learned something from Christian author Dick Innes about their watch-making history: “From 1900 to 1967, the Swiss were the leading watchmakers in the world. In 1967, when digital technology was patented, the Swiss rejected it in favor of the traditional ball bearings, gears, and mainsprings they had been using to make watches for decades. “Unfortunately, however, the world was ready for this advance, and Seiko, a Japanese company, picked up the digital patent and became the leading watch manufacturer in the world almost overnight. “Fifty thousand of the 67,000 Swiss watchmakers went out of business because they refused to embrace this new technology. It was not until years later that the Swiss caught up and regained their position in the marketplace with the creation of Swatch watches.” Change is inevitable in life, and it means we must adapt! “Change is the law of life,” said John F. Kennedy, “and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” Or as someone else has put it— “Behold the turtle; he makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.” By and large, of course, the future is unknown; and it seems too risky perhaps to stick our neck out and step into the unknown—so we.... hold back. I’m reminded of the words of Jesus in Luke 5:39— “And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’” Neither Caleb nor Joshua could convince the Israelites that change was going to be OK. The people were gripped by the utterly false appeal of an imagined security back in the very land from which they had escaped, the land where they had experienced grinding persecution! “Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” At least back there we know what to expect, they were saying. It might not be all that easy, but at least we know what’s there. Amazing! But are we so very different when confronted with significant change? We find comfort in familiar ways and familiar places. We can delude ourselves, however, and comfort turns out to be our enemy: we miss God’s best. God’s people were terrified at the very thought of entering the land. Although it was clearly a land of much blessing (milk, honey, grapes), the people’s focus was on their own welfare and comfort rather than the call of God upon their lives. If you live totally for God, with the Keith Buxton Former National Director of Bridges for Peace Australia Artist’s Depiction of the Spies Returning from Canaan, Numbers 13:23-25. Lessons for Life Part 1: Facing Change, not with Fear but with Faith

7. 5 News Fiamma Nirenstein n The tragic death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed in a firefight in the Palestinian town of Jenin, has prompted worldwide demonisation of Israel that does not help the search for the truth of how Akleh died. We have seen worldwide condemnation—or rather criminalisation—of Israelis and Israeli leaders by nearly all media outlets, who have uncritically accepted the narrative of Israeli guilt and criminality proffered by the Palestinians. Yet regarding the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to conduct a joint investigation into the incident, to the point of refusing to produce the very bullet that killed Akleh, there has been worldwide silence. This reflexive and all too common criminalisation of Israel creates a false and defamatory narrative of Jewish violence and cruelty. This is nothing less than the promotion by international public opinion of the Palestinians’ campaign to resurrect their ‘cause’ after a period of near-oblivion. To further this campaign, the PA will never consent to an objective examination of the evidence relating to Akleh’s death—likely for fear of what it might find. Indeed, the Palestinians have already got what they wanted: clashes and violence in the streets of Jerusalem, which have been flooded with Palestinian flags. The Israeli reaction to the clashes during Akleh’s funeral in Jerusalem, moreover, proves the intellectual Douglas Murray’s thesis in his latest book that the West is its own worst enemy. Israel’s Public Security Minister Omer Barlev has set up a committee to investigate the conduct of Israel’s own police at the funeral, even though the P alestinians clearly intended to exploit the event in order to spark a demonstration or riot, which the police attempted to prevent even while defamatory slogans were shouted and stones thrown at them. Media coverage of this shocking behaviour was carefully censored. The brother of Akleh, for example, told those attempting to steal Akleh’s casket, “For God’s sake, let us put her in the car and finish the day.” It is not surprising that the global press refused to report this, choosing instead to portray the police response as either unprovoked or inspired by depraved cruelty. The BBC, CNN and all other media outlets with reporters at the scene painted the Israel Police in precisely the same defamatory light. This capitulation to Palestinian violence and propaganda was not limited to the media. US President Joe Biden’s Spokeswoman Jen Psaki called the images of Akleh’s funeral “very disturbing,” while the European Union said it was “deeply shocked.” No one asked how the events actually unfolded, choosing instead to criminalise and demonise the Israel Police. Nor was there any interest in the day-to-day difficulties and hazards faced by the police, who are charged with the immensely difficult task of preventing terror attacks and violent clashes in a country that is permanently at war. Yet even their leaders have abandoned them. The police said they were merely tr ying to ensure an orderly funeral. Barlev, however, appeared—along with Israel’s enemies—to suspect otherwise, even though this is his own police force. The obvious assumption in such a case, and in such a context, is that the police did not find themselves facing a funeral but a Palestinian demonstration that threatened to become a riot. They had to confront a mob of people chanting slogans of hatred and revenge. The mob threw stones at them—and stones can kill. The police were in an explosive tactical and politica l situation in which, during Ramadan and after, Israel has been plagued by multiple terror attacks and violence on the Temple Mount. They reacted in a manner that, whatever an investigation may conclude, was understandable. That an Israeli minister has forsaken his own police at a moment of violent and disproportionate international condemnation represents something dark and unusual. Certainly, Israel is a democratic state that is accountable for its behaviour. It is logical for it to publicly provide a response to such a wave of condemnation. And this to ok place. Nonetheless, such an investigation takes resources away from the Israel Police at a difficult moment, after three weeks in which 19 Israeli civilians were murdered in terror attacks. They were killed in the name of the same flag that covered the streets of Jerusalem at Akleh’s funeral. It is not even necessary to ask what would happen if an Israeli citizen carried an Israeli flag through Ramallah—they would not last long. It is perfectly legitimate for the US, EU and indeed Israel to call for a thorough investigation into the death of Akleh and the violence at her funeral. But such an investigation cannot be objective if the a priori delegitimisation and demonisation of the Israel Police and Israeli security forces in general continues. If it does, then any investigation will simply be another attempt to further the Palestinian leadership’s strategy of uprooting Israeli sovereignty and legitimacy in the international community. Journalist Fiamma Nirenstein was a member of the Italian Parliament (2008-13), where she served as vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Chamber of Deputies. She served in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and established and chaired the Committee for the Inquiry Into Anti-Semitism. A founding member of the international Friends of Israel Initiative, she has written 13 books, including ‘Israel Is Us’ (2009). Currently, she is a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Short News Joseph’s Tomb Restored Recently Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus (formerly Shechem) was destroyed by Palestinians. The damage was considerable: there was a fire, a tombstone was smashed, windows were broken, and even the water supply system was damaged. For many Jews, Joseph’s Tomb is a sacred place. Meanwhile, Israel started the repairs, a job that needed the protection of the Israeli army against the rioters. | Photo: E. Ben Kimon via Twitter Guided Tours Recently the Israeli Ministry of Tourism recently free ‘Guided tours’ through Israel for Ukrainian refugees. They are accompanied by Russian speaking guides. In this way the Ministry wants to contribute to the integration of the refugees by introducing them to their new homeland. Amongst others places, the refugees visit several nature reserves. Cable Car In the Israeli port of Haifa, a cable car was recently put into operation. It connects the train station with Haifa’s two most important universities. The ride takes nineteen minutes, and every fifteen seconds, a cabin leaves, accommodating ten people. The cable car will be the most important means of transportation for the students and teachers of the universities and will provide a solution for the daily traffic jams and shortage of parking places. | Photo: Flash90 Plan for a Jewish Quarter Rabbi Abadie in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has drafted a plan to develop a Jewish quarter in the country. The Jewish population is growing, and with that, the demand for specific Jewish amenities. “We will see more houses of prayer, schools – from daycare centres to higher education – a place for a mikveh (ritual bath), companies selling kosher food and a community c entre”, the Rabbi explains to the Jerusalem Post. “That is why we need a Jewish quarter, and I am discussing this with some developers.” According to the Rabbi, about two thousand Jews live in the UAE, of whom 500 actively practice Judaism. Hundreds gather for the funeral procession of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh in Jerusalem’s Old City. | Photo: Flash90 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Condemnation of Israel Halts Search for Truth No one asked how the events actually unfolded, choosing instead to criminalise and demonise the Israel Police.

14. 4 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Opinion Piece I have taken the liberty of quoting the title of a book written by the late Professor Robert Wistrich, and adding the word “Why?” Professor Wistrich, who was the head of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, was possibly the world’s leading expert on the history of anti-Semitism. He wrote his best-known book Antisemitism, the World’s Longest Hatred thirty years ago, in 1992. I met Robert Wistrich on two occasions. The first was when he was a guest speaker at the premiere screening in Jerusalem of the Hebrew version of one of my films The Forsaken Promise , which is an in-depth look at Britain’s conduct of the Mandate for Palestine—a story of betrayal and treachery. The second time was over lunch, again, in Jerusalem just a few days before his sudden and tragic death in Rome. On that occasion we discussed a question that I had put to him when we first met: “Have you considered the possibility that the root of anti-Semitism is in fact spiritual?” This is the main question we examine in this article. The first recorded attempt to wipe out the nation of Israel resulted in one of the most remarkable events in history as God delivered them from the armies of Egypt who sought to annihilate them on the shores of the Red Sea. The next recorded attempt at genocide of the Jewish people is written in the Book of Esther. The Nazis carried out the most recent attempt, and even today the ayatollahs of Iran continually threaten to wipe the Jewish State off the face of the earth. The Jews have undoubtedly been the most hated people-group/nation on earth, and for the longest period of time—almost three-and-a-half thousand years. Which begs another question: how come they have survived for so long, and still thrive today? We will look further at that question later. The word ‘anti-Semitism’ or ‘antisemitism’ is not necessarily the best word to describe the pathological hatred of the Jewish people. Strictly speaking the Arabs are also a Semitic people, and sometimes we are reminded of that fact. In today’s parlance ‘phobia’ is often attached to a word in order to accentuate the subject of the dislike, and for which those are vilified for so doing. “Something-phobia” is a term widely recognised in today’s Western society—so why not Judeophobia? So, for the purposes of this article I am going to use this word interchangeably with what is generally understood to be anti-Semitism. A few years ago the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) provided a definition of anti-Semitism which has been adopted by a number of governments around the world, including the Australian government.* What is often referred to as ‘anti- Israelism’ or ‘anti-Zionism’ is part of the IHRA definition, which includes the clause: Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor. Politically speaking, Zionism is exercising the right of self-determination in the historic homeland of the Jewish people—no more and no less. The BDS ( Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions ) movement is all about de-legitimising the State of Israel, as is the recent Amnesty International report which falsely accuses Israel as being an ‘Apartheid State’ and specifically uses the wording ‘colonial racist endeavour’. The report is therefore, according to the IHRA definition, anti-Semitic/ Judeophobic. That, of course, raises a question about the organisation itself. Fortunately a number of Western governments, including the Australian government, as well as prominent Israeli Arabs and even at least one Palestinian Human Rights Activist—Bassem Eid—have denounced the Amnesty International Report. Another clause in the IHRA definition says that regarding Israel: ‘Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation’ is also anti- Semitic. In this respect, therefore, why is it that the BDS movement, the UN Human Rights Council , and other UN agencies, turn a blind-eye to countries like Iran, North Korea and China, with its treatment of its Uighur population, yet they never come under condemnation? Of course, much of the Western media—the BBC, Australia’s ABC, (both government funded), CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and many others are all complicit in this. Hamas, which is a designated terrorist organisation, escapes scrutiny for firing thousands of rockets into Israel (a war crime), while Israel is vilified and condemned for defending its civilian population (which is allowed by international law). Without doubt, double standards are applied against Israel—i.e. Judeophobia. So why is Judeophobia the world’s longest hatred? What is behind the centuries of hatred, vilification, blood- libels, persecution, pogroms, theft of property, murder and even genocide? I cannot give a definitive answer, but I would like to give some clues. Undoubtedly envy, jealousy and fear play a part. One of the characteristics of Judeophobia is that it is nearly always based on falsehood and lies. But why has it persisted for these thousands of years against one particular people? There has to be more to it than what is outlined above. Could the God-given destiny of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have something to do with it? A few weeks after God delivered Israel through the Red Sea from the Egyptians, the Lord took Moses aside and gave him the Torah, which would be the moral building block for society. The Lord also declared that Israel would be “a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6) In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul, writing specifically about Israel, emphatically affirmed: “The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” It is important to remember that the first generation of the Church was virtually 100% Jewish. Paul was writing to the church in Rome, which was largely made up of Gentiles, the Jews having been expelled by Emperor Nero. If you have never done so, I suggest that you read through Romans chapters 9 to 11. Quite possibly the Apostle was addressing an emerging problem which then escalated through most of the Gentile church establishment in the centuries that followed: Judeophobia. Even though the canon of the New Testament was not finalised for several centuries, many of the church leaders from the 2nd century AD onwards actually disparaged the ancient Hebrew Scriptures—what we know as the Old Testament. Jews were branded as ‘Christ-killers’ and accused of ‘deicide’ i.e. being ‘murderers of God’—and persecuted for it. A careful study of the New Testament will reveal that there are no grounds whatsoever for such accusations. Jesus Christ Himself said: “I lay down My life that I may take it again. No-one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it again. This command I have received from My father.” (John 10:17-18) Just before Jesus was baptised, John the Baptist declared to the surrounding witnesses: “Behold, The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) As He was hanging on the cross, Jesus uttered the words: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 22:34). The fact is that Jesus went voluntarily to the cross to die for our sin. And then He rose from the dead, and awaits, at the right hand of the Father, to return to Jerusalem! It is a fact of history that the greatest persecutor of the Jewish people has been Christendom. Space doesn’t permit me to elaborate on the awful atrocities, including blood libels and mass murder, that the church establishment has perpetrated against Jews over the “Antisemitism, the Longest Hatred”—Why? Hugh Kitson Writer, Director and Producer of the Whose Land? documentary. No Hate No Fear march in New York City May 2020 in hopes of putting an end to anti-semitism. Photo by Steve Edreff / shutterstock.com

25. 15 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Biblical Commentary Through Jewish Eyes Many Christians trace the beginning of the Church to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. However, few understand the significance of the Feast of Pentecost nor are they aware of the Jewish legends concerning an earlier Pentecost occurring almost 1500 years earlier. The Divine Appointments When God revealed Himself to Moses at Mt Sinai, He gave him a calendar of seven annual feasts for the Jewish people. These divinely ordained feasts are much more than mere cultural celebrations. The Hebrew word for feast (‘moed’) can best be translated as an ‘appointed time or season’, and a careful study of each of these ‘appointments’ reveals how they prophetically and sequentially foreshadow Jesus’ 1st and 2nd Comings. As they were performed year after year, it was as if they were prophetic dress rehearsals preparing God’s people for their future fulfilment. No wonder God calls them “My feasts” (Lev. 23:1-2). Among these seven feasts, the Feast of Pentecost stands out as being the only feast that has no specific date given for it. Instead, the Israelites are commanded to literally count their way to this day from the Feast of First Fruits (Lev 23:15-16). They are to count 7 sabbaths, and then on the day after the last sabbath celebrate Pentecost. This rather unique aspect of the feast lead to it being given the name Pentecost (meaning ‘50’) in Greek and Shavuot (meaning ‘weeks’) in Hebrew. The Timeline of Acts After the ascension of Jesus in the first chapter of the book of Acts, Jesus’ disciples were commanded to wait in Jerusalem ‘for the promise of the Holy Spirit’ . The annual 50 day countdown to Pentecost was to take on new meaning this year as the disciples—as well as the entire nation—counted the days until this great outpouring. As the days drew closer, we can imagine the disciples peering out the windows of the upper room where they gathered. Outside they could see and hear Jews from all over the world gathering in the city of Jerusalem for the upcoming feast (as commanded in Deut 16:16, also see Acts 2:5). The stage was truly being set for what was about to take place. But before we go any further, we need to first examine the Jewish understanding and traditions surrounding the first Pentecost. The First Pentecost According to Jewish tradition, the very first Pentecost was when Israel received the Law of God at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-20). On that day, the Bible records how God Himself came down with the sounding of trumpets, thunder and lightning on top of the mountain. At the base of Mt. Sinai stood the increasingly terrified congregation of Israel. Before their very eyes the entire mountain literally began to shake as smoke and fire covered its peaks. Then Moses lifted his voice to speak and from the mountain the Israelites heard God Himself answer in an audible voice. What an awesome sight this would have been! Most English Bible versions translate Exodus 20:18 as the people seeing ‘the thunder and the lightning’. But the rabbis point out that in the Hebrew it literally says ‘they saw the voices and the torches’. How does one see a voice? Furthermore, the book of Deuteronomy repeatedly refers to God’s voice speaking to them at Mt. Sinai from ‘out of the fire’ (Deut. 4:15, 4:33, 5:24). Basing itself on this unusual description of God’s voice being seen in the fire, one ancient Jewish legend asserts that God’s voice actually split into multiple sparks of fire which travelled around the camp coming to each Jew individually. Furthermore, it is believed that as God spoke the commandments, they went forth in all the world’s languages at once. (Shabbat 88b, Shemot Rabbah 5:9). The Jewish traditions concerning this awe-inspiring encounter would have been familiar to Jesus’ disciples as well as their fellow first-century Jews. In an amazing parallel of that first Pentecost, the book of Acts records the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples like individual flames of fire and the disciples supernaturally praising God in many foreign languages. No wonder the Jewish onlookers were left completely stunned by what they were witnessing. Rebellion vs Revival We have seen the amazing parallels between the original Pentecost and the second Pentecost and how they both brought powerful supernatural manifestations of God. Yet, the greatest difference between the two events is found in their immediate aftermath. At Mt. Sinai, God’s people very quickly seemed to forget all that they had just seen and turned to worship a man- made idol. In the ensuing judgment, 3’000 men of Israel fell. This stands in sharp contrast to the book of Acts were Pentecost resulted in 3’000 men repenting and being baptised (Acts 2:41). What went wrong at Mt. Sinai that went right in the Upper Room of Acts? The key could well be found in the days leading up to the Feast of Pentecost. The Israelites 50-day trip from Egypt to Mt. Sinai was marred with ongoing bitter complaints against God and Moses about food and water supplies. By contrast, the disciples in the book of Acts used this same 50 day time period well by gathering daily in one accord to seek God. Perhaps the poor spiritual preparation of the ancient Israelites was why they fell at Mt Sinai, whereas the disciples by contrast were found ready for their encounter with God’s Spirit. Are you waiting well? Many Bible scholars believe the next event on God’s timetable is nothing less than the return of His Son. This is pre- figured in the next feast to be fulfilled on the calendar—the Feast of Trumpets. As we look at the world around us, we can increasingly see signs telling us that His return is very near. Are we heading the message of these signs? Are we using our time well—like the disciples—getting ready for the next major event on God’s prophetic calendar? Or are we spending our time—like the ancient Israelites— consumed with the matters of life, complaining and murmuring? Throughout his teaching ministry parables, Jesus repeated again and again the importance of being found ready at His coming—will we listen and learn the listen of the two Pentecosts? —————————————————————— Ps. Enoch Lavender is the Pastoral leader of Shalom Israel and serves as Assistant Pastor at Living Way Christian Network . The Lesson of the Two Pentecosts Enoch Lavender Pastoral leader of Shalom Israel and Assistant Pastor at Living Way Christian Network. one ancient Jewish legend asserts that God’s voice actually split into multiple sparks of fire which travelled around the camp coming to each Jew individually

15. 5 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Hugh Kitson Article continued... centuries, other than to say this: the church’s behaviour towards the Jews has seriously misrepresented the true mission of Jesus, and slandered not only His character, but the character of God Himself. When Judgement Day comes, He will hold Christians who engaged in such Judeophobic behaviour to account: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-22) Today the most prevalent source of Judeophobia comes from radical fundamentalist Islam. It is not only the Jews whom the Islamic terrorist organisations have their sights set on, but—even more so—the Christians. This is the case not only in Africa—especially in northern Nigeria—but right across the Middle East. The only safe country in the region for these Christians to reside in is Israel. Hatred for both Jews and Christians is “hard-wired” into the spirituality of fundamentalist Islam, and verses in the Qur’an and the Hadiths certainly indicate this. Of course, there are Muslims who abhor the persecution of either Christians or Jews—and some who take a bold stand. In addition we have seen a number of Muslim-majority countries make peace with Israel through the recent Abraham Accords. But the ancient mantra of exterminating ‘first the Saturday people, then the Sunday people’ is today being exercised by Islamic extremist groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko-Haram, the Taliban in Afghanistan, as well as the regime in Tehran that imprisons Christians who raise their heads above the parapet. It is also worth noting that both the Hamas and PLO Charters call for the liquidation of the Jewish state, and the murder of all Jews. In the territories controlled by both of these organisations, which are ‘Juden- rein’, Christians are persecuted and sometimes murdered. Perhaps the most disturbing rise of Judeophobia today is found in the West, and particularly on the left side of the political spectrum. We see a rise in neo- Marxism, the aim of which is to destroy the Judeo-Christian ethos that has been the bedrock of society and politics of most nations in the Western world, including Australia, for centuries. A precursor to the destruction of the Judeo-Christian heritage took place with the rise of Adolf Hitler nearly a century ago. I made a film about it in 2014/15 entitled Jacob’s Tears in which we looked at the spiritual dynamics that led to the Holocaust. Over the previous century, before the rise of the Nazis, the church in Germany had become what we would today call ‘progressive’. For the most part the Bible had been dismissed as being irrelevant, and moves of the Holy Spirit had been labelled as ‘satanic’. Moreover, Judeophobia was endemic throughout German society. So when Hitler, who was steeped in the occult, came to power he filled the spiritual vacuum and became Germany’s ‘messiah’, and won the hearts of most who professed to be Christians. Hitler used the writings of Martin Luther against the Jews as his excuse to exterminate them. And he wasn’t just out to exterminate the Jews of Europe, but also those right across the Middle East, including in the land of Israel (then Mandated Palestine) and Iraq, which had one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. He was out to achieve this aim with the help of Haj Amin Al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem—another radical Jew-hater. So, in terms of the history of the Jews, what was happening at that time? Through the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, the San Remo Resolution of 1920, and the British Mandate for Palestine (1922) the restoration of the nation of Israel in its historic homeland, as prophesied in the Bible, was in the pipeline. I would suggest that Satan, the arch-enemy of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, was absolutely determined this would not happen. So, first and foremost, this was a spiritual battle. God had promised that He would curse those who curse the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3) and consequently Nazi Germany was destroyed. Most Bible-believing Evangelical Christians believe that the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to take up the throne of David is imminent. The rebirth of Israel in its Promised Land is a vital stepping- stone to that happening. Just before the Ascension the disciples asked Jesus: “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) He didn’t refute the question as such, but simply indicated that that was not the time, and in the meantime they had a job to do. Most Evangelical Christians know the verses of Isaiah 9: 6-7 very well. “Unto us a Child is born ...” An equally important and not so obvious promise of God was given when the Angel Gabriel visited Mary to announce the birth of YESHUA (Jesus), whose name actually means salvation. The angel said to her: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1: 32-33). This promise of God has yet to be visibly fulfilled. It is also a firm repudiation of the notion that God has finished with Israel, which is so popular in much of the church establishment. The current film project I am engaged in is a series of documentaries entitled Whose Land? which has only been partially completed and released. It examines Israel’s legitimacy in international law, and particularly the right of Jewish domicile not only in their ancient capital city, Jerusalem, but in all of their historic heartland of Judea and Samaria (aka “the West Bank”). Today the nations are in uproar over the existence of the Jewish state as a powerful nation in her ancient homeland. It was the Nazi Josef Goebbels who is quoted as saying: “If a lie is repeated often enough, then the people will believe it.” This is the tactic being used against the state of Israel today: ‘Lawfare’—the deliberate distortion and misrepresentation of international law—and the rewriting of history to suit the BDS agenda. This is what Whose Land? tries to expose by simply telling the truth. Put simply, many nations in the world, including the United Nations and the European Union, are trying to disinherit the Jewish people of their land and de- legitimise their existence as a nation. But their assault is not just against the Jewish nation. Even if they are blind to it, their assault is actually against God Himself. One passage of Scripture that illustrates this fact is Psalm 2: “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and His Anointed (Hebrew: Mashiach) saying: “Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” “I will declare the decree, the LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.’” (verses 1 to 8). In the latter three verses we have first the Father speaking, then the Son replying. This hatred of Zion and hatred of Israel and the Jewish people, is also a hatred of the Godhead, and it has to be satanically inspired; but the outcome will result in the triumph of good over evil, the kingdom of Israel being restored, and the banishment of Satan from the face of the earth. Satan knows this, which is why he is so furiously trying to prevent it from happening. I would just like to conclude by looking at a question posed earlier in this article: How is it that the Jewish people have beaten all odds by surviving the longest hatred and thrive today as a small but powerful nation in the Middle East? No other people have ever managed to maintain their distinct identity in exile for more than a couple of generations. There is no doubt that one reason for this has been that the Jewish people have observed their religious traditions faithfully over the last two thousand years, regardless of wherever they have been scattered across the world. But beyond that, I would like to answer the question by highlighting a couple of verses from the Hebrew Scriptures: ‘Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the moon and stars by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (the LORD of hosts is His name): “If those ordinances depart from before Me,” says the Lord, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever.’ (Jeremiah 31: 35-36) Quite simply God is true to His promises. If ever there was proof that God exists, it is the existence of the Jewish people today, and the existence of the State of Israel. Will this onslaught of Judeophobia ever end? Again, the answer is in the Hebrew Scriptures: He (the Lord) will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 25:8) * www.holocaustremembrance.com/ resources/working-definitions-charters/ working-definition-antisemitism _______________________________________________________ To contact Hugh Kitson please email him: hugh. kitson@titledeedmedia.com Pro-Palestine, anti-Israel rally in New York City on May 2021. Photo by Wirestock Creators / shutterstock.com Perhaps the most disturbing rise of Judeophobia today is found in the West, and particularly on the left side of the political spectrum.

27. 9 Analysis Dr James Earle Patrick n On Sunday 8 May 2022, bishops of the Anglican and Catholic churches gathered in Oxford’s Christ Church Cathedral to ‘acknowledge with shame and penitence’ the antisemitism of the Synod of Oxford, 800 years ago. Held in 1222, that Synod instigated a particularly disturbing time in Christian-Jewish relations in England, with repercussions across Europe. In promulgating the decrees of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) the Synod added a range of further anti-Jewish measures for the English church. The resulting legal canons forbade social interactions between Jews and Christians, prohibited new synagogues, denied Jews access to churches, and required that they wear an identifying badge (which later developed into the Nazis’ yellow star). These prejudicial laws were followed by further anti-Jewish statutes, culminating in the mass expulsion of the Jewish community in 1290. How was the English church moved to this act of repentance? In 2019, the Anglican Church published its official document on Christian-Jewish relations, God’s Unfailing Word. At the end of its first chapter about the history of Christian antisemitism, it encourages Christian communities to take suitable opportunities to express repentance for this. I had come across the 1222 Synod when publishing two booklets in 2017 about British Christian history and the Jewish people, and realised its 800th was approaching. A Jewish historian friend encouraged me to write a paper summarising what scholars have written about the Synod, and submit this to the Anglican Church to see if it truly meant what it had said about repentance. I spent several months researching and writing the paper, finishing the footnotes after the first lockdown in 2020. Due to my role in leading Christians for Israel (UK), I had become a member of the Love Never Fails coalition of British pro-Jewish Christian ministries. They wanted to send a thank-you letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury for the 2019 document. I suggested adding a proposal about repenting for the 1222 Synod. This was agreed, and we sent it on 27 January 2021. Then Jacob Vince (Director, Christian Friends of Israel UK) told us that because he is a lay member of the Anglican General Synod, he has a right to ask formal questions. Together we wrote two questions, which he submitted for General Synod in July. In replying, Bishop Michael Ipgrave (chair of the Council of Christians and Jews) finally confirmed that our proposal had been received, and that they would be “exploring the idea of such a service” of repentance. This vague answer was buried at the end of a long list of questions, and only published online. Even so, during the weekend, an eagle- eyed reporter with the Telegraph newspaper found this small paragraph and published a major article on the Sunday about the Anglican Church repenting to the Jews. This was picked up by many other papers in the next few days. We were delighted. We then heard nothing for about six months; maybe they were hoping people would forget? Eventually Bishop Christopher Cocksworth (chair of the group who wrote the 2019 document) replied to me on 3 January, having been on sabbatical. He confirmed that plans were underway for a service in Oxford, organised by the Archdeacon of Oxford. After more emails, and much prayer by intercessors, it was decided that the service would be held in the cathedral, that it would be open to the public, and that it would be livestreamed also. I circulated the information about ticket bookings around all the LNF ministries and many other pro-Jewish groups. On the day, the Bishop of Lichfield commented to friends that he was astonished to see the cathedral so full. Over 300 had travelled from every part of the UK, even some from Ireland and Switzerland! The service featured moving contributions from the local Jewish community, and the Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave reaffirmed a commitment to continue building these longstanding friendships: “Remembering needs to lead to repenting... remembering with clarity what happened and its impact; repenting with sincerity for our turning away from the path of justice and mercy; and rebuilding in trustful partnership with one another. The last six decades have indeed begun to see a transformation in the ways in which our communities view one another, but there is still a long way to go... Trust can only be won through building friendship, through learning about one another, through treating one another with respect, through facing difficulties and disagreements openly, honestly and courteously.” After the service, over 100 Christians gathered informally for prayer, while the official ‘civic reception’ was hosting the Chief Rabbi and about 60 other dignitaries. Finally, some 25 of us met in the gardens of Christ Church to pour salt from a new pottery jar into an underground stream there, which re-joins the River Thames to flow down to London. We proclaimed, like the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 2:19-22, “This is what the Lord says: I have healed these waters, they shall no longer cause death or animosity or barrenness.” God accomplished every step of the process, in His mercy for our land. Anglican Church Repents for its Role in Expulsion of Jews Service of Repentance (Bishop Michael Ipgrave, Rabbi Jonathan Romain, Bishop Steven Croft). | Photo: Tom Pilston / Diocese of Oxford June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Isreality In this world of Google, Instagram and Twitter, it is challenging for young adults to understand the Israel- Palestine conflict. Is Israel a colonial enterprise, an apartheid state? Whose side should we be on? The online course Modern Israel and the Bible combines a solid, Biblical worldview with insights into modern politics, law and history. Eight interactive sessions help students understand key events and trends in the world today – including the return of the Jews to the land over the last two centuries. Led by German/Israeli journalist and theologian Johannes Gerloff and Australian/Dutch lawyer Andrew Tucker, a pilot programme was run recently in cooperation with Kingdom Faith Church in the UK, attended by students in England, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and New Zealand. Here is an overview: Session 1: How do we read the Bible? - compares Islamic, Jewish and Christian hermeneutical principles. Session 2: God creates differences – a close look at Biblical texts shows that God creates order out of chaos by differentiating. This includes the difference between Israel and the Gentile nations. Session 3: The people and the land - When God chose Abram, He made a covenant connecting Abram and his descendants with “a land that I will show you”. This connection is relevant for all the other nations of the world. Session 4: The heavenly and earthly Jerusalem - The Bible testifies to the resurrection of our bodies and the Heavenly Jerusalem coming down onto this earth. Session 5: Zionism - This module gives an overview of the return of the Jewish people to ‘Palestine’ and ‘Israel’ over the last 100 years. Session 6: Israel and the nations – examines the phenomenon that, since the 1970s, Israel has been the subject of condemnation and ostracization within the UN. Session 7: Israel and the Arab world - T his module explores the conflict between Israel, the Arabs and the Palestinians. Session 8: Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria - looks specifically at Jerusalem's history and current status and the ‘mountains of Israel’, also known as the ‘West Bank’. Modern Israel and the Bible is an initiative of thinc. – The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation www.thinc.info The online course is under construction. We will inform you when it is available. Watch this space! Modern Israel & the Bible - New Online Course

18. 8 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Biblical Insights from International Christian Embassy Jerusalem A Feast of Unprecedented Unity Three times a year, the Lord commanded His people to ascend to Jerusalem for the three main pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuot and Succot . The Bible refers to them as the “Feasts of the Lord,” meaning they were divinely instructed holidays which God expected His people to keep (Leviticus 23:1ff). According to Scripture, each one is a mo’ed , or “appointed time.” In a way, they can be understood as entries on a heavenly calendar when God decides to meet with His people in a special way. But of these three festivals, the Feast of Tabernacles (or Succot ) was considered the greatest. Over the centuries, Christians have celebrated the first two feasts during Easter and Pentecost. But the third feast of Succot has not been celebrated throughout most of Church history. Only during recent decades has Succot increasingly become part of the Christian holiday calendar—in no small part due to the Feast of Tabernacles sponsored for over 40 years now by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. The Message of the Feasts All three feasts were celebrations of thanksgiving for the different seasons of harvest in Israel’s calendar. During Passover, when the very first fruits were presented from the barley crop, wheat and other produce was still weeks away from being ready for harvest. It was a statement of faith to place all produce of that year under God’s blessing. Pentecost took place exactly fifty days after the “day after the Shabbat” when a sheaf of barley, the first grain crop to ripen, was offered to the LORD (Leviticus 23:15f). The spring crop of wheat had now fully ripened and was dedicated to God. “And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest...” (Exodus 34:22). It was a Feast of thanksgiving to celebrate the faithfulness of God. But other crops would still follow. Secondly, each feast commemorates a specific period in Israel’s history. Pesach remembers the deliverance from bondage in Egypt. On Shavuot, Israel recounts how God came down with fire on Mount Sinai and delivered the Ten Commandments. And during Succot, the people of Israel recall their 40 years of wandering in the Wilderness, living in temporary shelters and yet experiencing the supernatural provision of God. All three feasts have their fulfilment in the person of Jesus. Easter honours Jesus as our spotless Passover Lamb, who rose from the grave as the ‘first fruit’ from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20). Then Pentecost is celebrated as the time when the Spirit of God fell on the disciples of Jesus and resulted in an initial harvest of 3000 souls into God’s kingdom. Lastly, Succot celebrates the final and most precious harvest of the year, and today, there is no doubt we are experiencing the largest harvest of souls in Church history. In every nation, the Gospel of the Kingdom is being preached and great efforts are underway to reach the last tribes and tongues with the Good News of Jesus Christ. A further fulfilment, however, centres around the main characteristic of Succot— the tabernacle. The Booths The chief symbol of Succot for most people is the building of a booth or tabernacle ( succah in Hebrew), as commanded by God: “You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths.” (Leviticus 23:42) Every year, it is always fascinating to see Jewish families all over Israel build succahs on their porches or in their gardens. For an entire week, God commands His people to dwell in these frail tabernacles—to relive the Wilderness experience. These small huts have flimsy walls and a roof barely covered with branches. The rabbis say you need to be able to see the stars at night through the roof. In this make- shift tent, the whole family is supposed to eat their meals, study and even sleep. Recapturing the desert experience serves to remind everyone that we still live in a fragile world, and, despite our prosperity, we are still dependent on God to sustain us. Paul refers to this enduring truth that we live in earthly booths: “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven...” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2). These past two years of a global pandemic and now a brutal war in Ukraine have reminded all of us just how fragile life can be. Even Christians are shaken by these events and often wonder where is God? But Paul says that as we experience our frailty and feel “hard- pressed on every side... and perplexed,” we should not despair (2 Corinthians 4:8); this is the ordinary life of a believer in Christ, and it should not crush us but rather bring us closer to Him. Only when Messiah returns will we receive our full redemption in a new resurrected body, but until then we are still groaning (2 Corinthians 5:2), waiting like Abraham for the city whose builder and architect is God (Hebrews 11:10). One of the pilgrimage psalms sung at Succot proclaims: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) This, the Psalmist adds, releases God’s anointing and “there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forevermore.” In many ways, the Feast of Tabernacles has become a global succah for Jews and Gentiles, and the special unity we have in Yeshua becomes a catalyst for God to send a breakthrough. I pray that you can join us this year and experience the Feast outpouring for yourself! Please see the ICEJ Australian Tour advert on the next page for further details, truly an investment in eternity and a trip of a life-time! Dr. Jürgen Bühler ICEJ President Photo of a succah (booth) in the desert Photo of the grain crops at Emek Ellah Israeli Jewish family building a Succah on the eve of Succoth. Photo by ChameleonsEye | shutterstock.com

1. Please send mail-in donations to: Christians for Israel Australia PO Box 1508 Springwood QLD 4127 AUSTRALIAN EDITION EMAIL: info@c4israel.com.a u PHONE: 07 3088 6900 ABN: 79 941 819 693 Thanks f or y our financial sup port See over for credit card and other giving options My Gift 17 June 2022 LeN0622 $ ____________ MY TOTAL DONATION TO: Christians for Israel Australia Inc. Name: ___________________________________________________ Member Number: ______________________________________ Yes Ian, I’d like to give towards the Emergency Aid in Ukraine... General Aid: $__________ $75 = Food for a Week $150 = Temporary Shelter Transport: $150 = 1 Jewish Refugee $590 = Small Family $5855 = One Bus $__________ General Donation for Newspaper Printing & Postage *please don’t use staples* Y ou can take an active part in the fulfilment of Biblical prophecy! Dear Friends , I’m so thrilled to share with you how wonderfully successful your prayers and generosity have been these past few months through our ‘Emergency Aid in Ukraine’ campaign. Because of your generosity and faith-filled prayerful action, Christians for Israel and the various Aliyah projects we partner with, have brought practical comfort to the Lord’s people amidst the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict. Together, we want to continue this vital work and welcome as many displaced Ukrainian Jews into their new home in Israel —just as the Bible predicted: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I will beckon to the nations, I will lift up my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their hips.” – Isaiah 49:22 NIV Your gifts toward our ‘Emergency Aid in Ukraine’ / Aliyah proje cts will help Jews feel loved, safe and settled in the Land of promise, far f rom the conflict of Ukraine and Russia. We have heard and shared many stories of refugees from Ukraine. All these stories are different, but at the same time similar. They’re all about pain, fear, and despair. And they’re all about homecoming. The war triggered a huge wave of aliyah, but every family C4I Volunteers met had long planned the return to the Promised Land—like Nelly Zubkova from the Krivoy Rog. Nelly had been thinking about aliyah for a long time because of her son who also lives in Israel. The war forced her to make the decision within 2 hours. continued over... On April 28 Nelly met with the Christians for Israel group from the Netherlands and shared her story with them. They blessed her and said that they would pray for her husband and for all men who are defending their Motherland.

19. 9 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 ICEJ Israel Tour in Sep 2022 + NEW! online daily devotional JERUSALEM • NAZARETH • CAPERNAUM • MT CARMEL • MASADA • SEA OF GALILEE • MOUNT OF BEATITUDES • JERICHO • BETHLEHEM • GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE MOUNT OF OLIVES • DEAD SEA • WESTERN WALL • ENCOUNTERS WITH LOCALS & EXPERTS • INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS • WORSHIP EVENTS AND MOR E FEAST of TABERNACLES OFFICIAL ICEJ ISRAEL TOUR 29 SEP - 16 OCT 2022 “The ICEJ Israel Tour made the Bible come alive for me personally.” Patricia “Worshipping with Christians from 100 different nations was awe inspiring.” Kelera ENCOUNTER ISRAEL BOOK NOW ENCOUNTER ISRAEL “When I read the Bible now I visualise where things actually happened.” Sheri FOR A DETAILED ITINERARY AND TO BOOK : www.icej.org.au/Feast2022 1300 550 830 | info@olivetreetravel.com.au AUD $9,110* Per person, twin share (single supplement AUD $3,000) *Price based on minimum of 20 paying participants. Conditions apply. Subject to change. A Daily Devotional by Rev. Willem J.J. Glashouwer Get daily readings in your inbox 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? (Rev 1:3) Study God’s roadmap for the future, step-by-step. You only need a couple of minutes each day to study one or two verses of the Book of Revelation to come to a clearer understanding of its major themes and messages. Subscribe Free Today at www.beholdhecomes.life

16. 6 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Jews and Christians on the Fire-Fighting Front One of the upcoming challenges faced by Israeli Communities this summer are fires, both natural fires but also increasingly fires started by terrorists. Incendiary balloons and kites have been used by Hamas for the past few years as part of its terror campaign against Israeli citizens. These attacks are not used to target military assets, but rather are meant to inflict harm on Israeli civilians, cause property damage and destroy the surrounding ecosystem. While they may look like harmless balloons as seen at a fair, these rudimentary weapons can be just burning oil-soaked rags suspended on a cord several metres under the balloons. After five to ten minutes of flight the flames burn through the holding cord allowing the flaming rags to fall to the ground. Others are more sophisticated with explosive incendiary devices that explode on hitting the ground after being released or when the balloons gradually deflate. Accordingly, the balloons and previously kites, effectively function as long- distance Molotov cocktails that are launched at Israel from a distance. And while the Israel Defence Force are able to intercept many of them, many have nevertheless penetrated Israeli territory. Thousands of acres of bush and crops have been destroyed. Even as I write this article news has just come through, that Arab terrorists have attacked Jews in Jerusalem with firebombs and fireworks and I fear more, much more is to come. Enter Christian Zionist Timothy Wainwright, Director of Fire Support Services in Australia. Tim is an expert in both fire prevention and fire-fighting methods, and is currently in Israel with his brother Alan. This is Tim’s second self-funded trip. As well as instructing Israeli communities on methods of fire protection measures, Tim is donating specialised equipment including personal protection equipment. The importance of this project runs far deeper than putting out fires. The old adage, “actions speak louder than words” is particularly true in Jewish Christian relationships. This adage has its roots in the Scripture, “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, ” and is one of a hundred verses that declares this truth. It is our works that brings our faith to life and in the process makes Christ believable to those who do not see Christ as we do. It’s more important than we realise for the Jewish Community to see Christians standing with them “shoulder to shoulder” in word and deed. A practical and tangible way of “blessing Israel” Those immortal words from Genesis 12.3 referring to the Nation of Israel, “I will bless those that bless you....” are as true today as ever. —————————————————————— Beersheba Vision, Bridges for Peace, Christians for Israel plus significant financial support from Dr. David Adler (President of the Australian Jewish Association ) have contributed to the “Fire Support” ministry of the Wainwrights. However, much more help is needed for this important practical initiative. If you are in a position to assist Fire Support Services to purchase pieces of equipment from backpacks to a trailer mounted fire-fighting unit, or similar, we can placard this equipment with your name or organisation that shows in a concrete way to the Jewish communities, the Christian support. They are in particular need of backpack “blowers” worth $2,000 each. If you would like to contribute to “Fire Support Outreach to Israel,” in any way whatsoever, please contact Barry Rodgers, Beersheba Vision on 0428 662 528 or email admin@beershebavision.org For more information on Fire Support Services visit www.firesupport.com.au For more information on Beersheba Vision visit www.beershebavision.org Barry Rodgers OAM President of Beersheba Vision Opinion Piece from Beersheba Vision It’s more important than we realise for the Jewish Community to see Christians standing with them A group of Hamas terrorists surround by helium gas containers preparing balloons for their destructive journey. Timothy Wainwright instructs a local community on how to protect their community. There is a right way and a wrong way to put out a significant fire, Tim shows how.

24. 14 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Biblical Insights from Heartland of Judea & Samaria Abandoning Fatherless Christianity Father figures are important. They play a very unique and powerful role. A good father stabilizes, affirms, casts vision, and builds confidence. No other person could say, “See that goal, you can make it,” “You’re doing good,” or, “I’m proud of you,” and have the same impact. Fifteen times in the Old Testament and seventeen times in the New Testament, Abraham is referred to as “father.” Even Yeshua the Messiah gives him that title in the parable of the rich man and Lazurus (Luke 16), and the very first verse of the New Testament is very careful to show that Yeshua is a son of Abraham. Notice that the genealogy does not start with Adam or Noah. Eleven times in the Old Testament and five times in the New Testament Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, is referred to as “the God of Abraham .” This is amazing. God uses Abraham’s name to identify Himself! In Matthew 8 and Luke 16, Yeshua equates sitting with Abraham to being in heaven! When you think of heaven, what do you imagine? God’s throne, Yeshua, and... Abraham? Upon realizing that she had been chosen to bring the Messiah into the world, Mary burst forth into song and proclaimed that God had “Helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.” (Luke 1:54-55) When Zacharias’ mouth was opened, knowing that his son would usher in the Messiah, he proclaimed that God had remembered: “His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham .” (Luke 1:72-73) Did you catch that? The Messiah had come to earth and Mary and Zacharias immediately connected Him to Abraham! Father Abraham is still very relevant even after the Messiah arrived! Now, here is the kicker. Galatians chapter three, verses seven through nine says, “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham .” Wait, God preached the Gospel to Abraham? How could the Gospel have existed before Yeshua came into the world? I know that I need to believe in Yeshua, but do I also need to “believe Abraham”? Yeshua, Mary, Zacharias, and Paul all understood something about Abraham that was critical to our faith. Let’s take a closer look at the Gospel passage in Genesis twelve. In these verses God makes seven promises to Abraham—He will make him a great nation, He will bless him and make his name great, he would be a blessing, those who bless him will be blessed and those who curse him will be cursed, and through him all the families of the earth will be blessed. According to Paul, this is the gospel! God’s master plan of salvation for the world was to find a man that was willing to follow Him, make him into a nation, and use that nation to bring blessing to the entire earth. Abraham was that man and that is why he deserves the title of “father.” He is the father of our faith. The climax of this great vision is to see all the families of the earth blessed. It reminds me of the verse from Isaiah 11:9; “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” It is interesting that the verse leading up to that says, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain.” For thousands of years all nations outside of Israel, with very few exceptions (that didn’t last long), have cursed Israel—they have “hurt and destroyed in all God’s holy mountain.” Perhaps in order to reach the climax of God’s promises in Genesis twelve, we need to understand what leads up to the climax. Has Abraham become a great nation? Yes. Has God blessed that nation? Yes. Has Abraham’s name become great? Yes! Have the nations learned that when they bless Israel they will be blessed and when they curse Israel they will be cursed? No! Have all the families of the earth been blessed by Abraham? Yes, but not the fullness of blessing that we will see. What would happen if all nations began blessing Israel? Would they be blessed? Yes! Would we see a world revival like we have never seen before? Yes; I believe we would! Is it possible that we have been so focused on the blessings that we have received from Abraham and his descendants— salvation, the Messiah, the Bible, etc... that we have somehow missed the fact that if we stop blessing Abraham we will cut off the flow of blessing? The two words usually translated as “curse” in Genesis 12:3 are actually two different Hebrew words. The verse could be better translated as, “And I will curse him who lightly esteems you.” Have we lightly esteemed the nation of Israel and brought a curse upon ourselves? Elon Moreh is one of my favorite locations to visit in all of Israel. The view is absolutely stunning. You can see for miles and miles in all directions. To the east, you can see the mountains of Jordan. The vast Tirzah valley lays before you as you face north, stretching from east to west. To the west are Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal; to the south, Shechem and distant Jerusalem. This is the Biblical entry point to the land of Israel. The children of Israel came out of Egypt and entered here. Jacob came from Laban and re-entered here. Abram left Haran with Sarai, Lot, all their possessions, and the people they had gathered in Haran, and they went to the land of Canaan. Abram came to Shechem, to the Oak tree (Elon) of Moreh. And then, in that very spot, the same voice who spoke all creation into existence spoke to our father Abraham and said, “to your descendants, I will give this land.” (Genesis 12:7) At that moment, Abraham knew that this was it! Israel was the land and his descendants were the people that God had chosen to bring blessing to the entire earth. I believe it is time for Christians to have an Abrahamic, Elon Moreh encounter with God and understand the gospel that He preached to Abraham. It is time to highly esteem Israel. It is time to honour the Jewish People. It is time to see the whole earth filled with the knowledge of our great God! Yeshua died so that you could be adopted into Abraham’s family. Your father Abraham is waiting to embrace you in his arms! Leave fatherless Christianity behind and join Biblical Christianity, where Yeshua, the King of Israel, is your king and Abraham is your father. Once you have embraced Abraham as your father, I think he might say something like this: “Let’s keep going until all the families of the earth are blessed. We can do it together. You’re doing good and I’m proud of you.” “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6) —————————————————————— If you want to partner with Ha Yovel in this glorious work and be the Christian foreigner the prophets wrote about, please reach us at: deon@hayovel.com or www.serveisrael.com Zac Waller Executive Director of HaYovel Elon Moreh in Samaria. Photo by HaYovel.

2. Informs • Inspires • Comforts / Other Easy Ways To Donate Name on card: My Donation Today: $ Exp Date The 3 digits of the reverse of your credit card. (4 digits if using Amex) Card No Visa Mastercard Amex (Payable to Christian’s for Israel Australia Inc) Cheque/Money Order Credit Card *CVC Cardholder’s signature: Over the Phone 07 3088 6900 (during office hours) Securely Online c4israel.com.au TEL. 07 3088 6900 EMAIL info@c4israel.com.au www.c4israel.com.au Visiting address: 3398 Pacific Highway Springwood QLD 4127 P .O. Box 1508 Springwood QLD 4127 Australia ABN: 79 941 819 693 Christians for Israel Australia Inc. Bank Transfer BSB: 014-279 ACC: 405318551 REF: Member Number Here is how Nelly recalls everything that happened to her: “On February 24, the Russian army invaded the territory of Ukra ine. Cities were shelled, bombs flew, alarms sounded everywhere. This was very scary. I knew the local office of the Jewish Agency was organizing an emergency evacuation. I decided to leave Ukraine and on March 6 I joined the special shuttle to the Ukrainian- Romanian border. We crossed it on March 7. Volunteers met our group, fed and accommodated us in the shelter of a local Christian community. Two days later we arrived in Bucharest and were placed in a hotel [and soon after] put on a flight to Tel-Aviv on March 13. It is still hard to remember everything t hat I’ve gone through and harder to think about people who haven’t opportunities to flee. Anyway, I am here, and I am very grateful . As for me, this is the best place to recover and start a new li fe.” With your support, displaced Jews like Nelly can genuinely feel they’ve come home. Your donation will also give needed encouragement to those refugees still stranded in war-torn Ukraine to make aliyah, and settle in Biblical Israel. Please make your generous gift of $30, $50, $100 or your best gift towards our Ukraine Emergency Aid Campaign using the coupon below, or the back page of the Newspaper, or on our website: c4israel.com.au/donate In His Strong and Mighty Name, Ian Worby, National Leader And the Christians for Israel Australia team. P.S. Your contribution today will make a real difference in the lives of so many displaced and suffering Jewish Ukrainians. Please prayerfully consider what you can give to comfort the Lord’s people—providing them with tangible, practical aid through a new home in the Biblical Heartland of Israel. *NOTE: Donations given towards the Ukraine Emergency Aid Campaign will be collected as a pooled emergency fund. Amount options are suggestions only and reflect the current costs for particular aid relief – these amounts however are fluctuating and therefore the suggested donation amounts may alter as the situation in Ukraine continues to change. Please prayerfully consider what you can give as the Lord leads and directs you. Shalom. $150* $590* $5,855* $150* Food for a Week Temporary Shelter THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS Transport for a Small Family One bus Transport for a Jewish Refugee $75* Nelly (right) with her friend Olga in kibbutz Revivim

11. Dear Faithful readers and friends (Chavorim), Welcome to this June edition of Israel and Christians Today. I am sure you will enjoy all the many interesting and informative articles, opinion pieces and news update form our regular contributors who we have grown to trust and appreciate their unique and sometimes thought provoking insights and perspectives on what is happening in and around the world, especially in regards to Israel and the church , Christians and the Jewish people. Sadly, in many instances we continue to see the rise of antisemitism and a continued downward trend of the world moving more and more away from the traditional Judeo-Christian values that made our nation strong and resilient and the envy of the world. I say that after seeing the recent reports of a 30% increase in antisemitic incidents against Jews right here in Australia, as well as in Israel. In fact, since the new Biden administration was installed in America we have seen an escalation in anti- Israel actions and sentiment around the world. Make of that what you will but it seems that when a strong global power like America and its policies are more pro-Israel, then many otherwise anti- Israel countries remain in check against carrying out open opposition against the nation of Israel and her people. Now with Australia just having its recent change in government many are concerned as to where Australia will stand regarding Israel, given the well- known and documented track record of our new Prime Minister and the new Foreign Minister and many of the more left leaning members of this government including the Greens who have all spoken out against Israel, accusing her of being an illegitimate occupier and oppressor of the Palestinians whose land Israel has stolen. Please don’t misunderstand my comments here, I’m not suggesting that all politicians in the Labour or Greens parties are antisemitic, but many are definitely less friendly towards Israel. Time will soon tell when it comes to how our nation will vote or align our position with many of the growing number of countries standing against Israel and questioning her right to exist as a sovereign nation. So how should all of us, including Christians for Israel , respond? For one thing we believe in the power of prayer. When we, like Elijah, pray in faith to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel the Bible confirms that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16 NKJV) and in Isaiah 62:6 the Lord Himself says: ‘I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night.’ We publish a bi-monthly prayer calendar. Download the latest editions regularly and join us in prayer for Israel and the Jewish people: c4israel.org.au/prayer The other thing we can do is to ensure we are informed and not being deceived. The Bible tells us in Hosea 4:6 that “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (NKJV). One of the main aims of this newspaper is to inform readers of what is happening in Israel and around the world concerning Israel and the Church—particularity from an Australian perspective. Please continue to pray and support this ministry initiative by helping us print and distribute more copies of the free newspaper and getting it into the hands of friends, churches and civic and national leaders. If you want extra copies to give to others please contact us today: • info@c4israel.com.au • 07 3088 6900 • c4israel.com.au/signup and l et us know how many you need and where to send them. If you can please make a donation to help cover our growing costs due to paper shortages and increased Australia Post fees. Any financial support will be greatly appreciated. The other thing we can do is to take a more proactive stance when we see evidence of anti-Israel activities in the media including social media. We have been working with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry who give us a weekly list of current issues and events that we can respond to pro-actively through online engagement, writing letters to the editors of newspaper and mainstream media outlets and in our day-to-day discussions with family, friends and work and church colleagues. You can visit their website ecaj.org.au or email them at info@ecaj.org.au and ask for their weekly email list of matters that need our support and advocacy. Now that the pandemic seems to be subsiding and things slowly returning to a more normal state, we will see an increase in local events, conferences and speaking tours. Some of these are being promoted in this edition, but I also encourage you to visit our website or download our free mobile app or follow us on Facebook to keep update in between newspaper editions. I am also pleased to tell you that last week I was part of a good size group of pro-Israel Christian leaders from Australia that welcomed our new Israeli Ambassador to Australia—his Excellency Amir Maimon—via a zoom Meeting. Amir was keen to meet as many Christian leaders who stand with Israel as possible. This meeting was convened with the help of our good friend Dr Ron Weiser AM, who is the past president of the Zionist Federation of Australia and Honorary Life President of the Zionist Council of NSW . To me these kinds of regular events are nothing short of a modern-day miracle as we see more and more Christians and Jews coming together in solidarity and mutual support in these perilous and uncertain times. I sense that we are reaping the fruit of the promise found in Psalm 133 (NIV): “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” I am presently working with several other Christian pro-Israel leaders to see if we can organise a number of events to welcome the Ambassador and to build on this wonderful opportunity of friendship and solidarity to find even more ways to advance the blessings found in working together with common values and purpose. We will promote these soon so please keep an eye out for the announcements. Finally, another more practical way we can stand in solidarity and unity with our Jewish brothers and sisters is by showing them love and support through practical acts of kindness and charity. Christians for Israel has a number of humanitarian projects that you can support by giving to help feed the poor and elderly with hot meals or food parcels in Ukraine and in Israel. We also have a wonderful ‘First Home in the Homeland’ project, that gives newly arrived Jews from the Ukraine and other locations a place to stay in Israel, and learn to speak Hebrew and become assimilated into a meaningful life in Israel. And of course, we have our Aliyah programs to help fulfil Biblical prophecy as Gentiles—bringing the Jews back home to their Ancient homeland from where they have been scattered for thousands of years. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.” (Isaiah 49:22 KJV). Last month Christians for Israel Australia was able to increase its quarterly support of all these amazing projects from $70,000 to over $200,000 (including $42,000 for emergency funds for Ukrainian Jews). This was only possible because so many of you gave out of your love for God to comfort His people as we are commanded in Isaiah 40 and in Matthew 25. There is still much need and lots of opportunity to show our love for Israel and her people. You can respond using the form on the back of this newspaper or online: c4israel.com.au/donate I will leave you with this prayer and blessing from Hebrews 6:10 (NIV) “God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.” ____________________________________ Ian Worby National Leader & Regional Director for Christians for Israel Australia & Oceania. June 2022 Report From Our National Leader Comforts Informs Inspires Ian Worby C4I Australia National Leader and Regional Director for Oceania Ian Worby with his wife Mandy in front of the Sydney Harbour

33. 15 From Our Projects Part of our mission is to comfort Israel and the Jewish people through prayer and action. If you would like to support one of our projects you can complete the coupon on page 16 or make an online donation. Thank you very much for your support! Aliyah Aliyah is the Hebrew word for the return of the Jewish people to Israel. We support Aliyah mainly from Ukraine (and the former Soviet Union), but also from India and France. Furthermore, we help new immigrants (in Hebrew: olim ) to integrate into Israeli society. Hineni Soup Kitchen We help the poor of Israel, by providing them with food. We do this in partnership with the Hineni Center in Jerusalem, headed by Benjamin Philip. Your gift for the soup kitchen goes directly to the purchase of food. Holocaust Survivors We support impoverished Holocaust survivors in Israel and Ukraine through various projects which provide assistance to survivors of the Holocaust. Those survivors are elderly and will not be among us for long, and there is a growing demand for practical assistance. Christian Friends of Israeli Communities (CFOIC) You can support the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, the heart of Biblical Israel. The main purpose is to encourage the people in the Biblical Heartland and to show them that there are Christians throughout the world who support them and share the belief that the areas of Judea and Samaria are part of Israel’s inheritance. Food Parcel Campaign Ukraine We distribute food parcels amongst Jewish people in Ukraine. These parcels are handed out to Holocaust survivors, needy families, and the sick. Those food parcels are a sign of friendship that demonstrates your support for our Jewish brothers and sisters and that they are not alone. Arab Christians Life for Christians in Bethlehem is often not easy. Christians for Israel supports the First Baptist Church of Rev Naim Khoury in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The members of this church spread the gospel among Arabs and share their love and heart for Israel and the Jewish people. For country-specific or further information on our projects, go to our website, www.c4israel.org.nz Overview of our projects Anna Rosa S. n Christians for Israel Austria Established 55 years ago, the Jerusalem Foundation focuses on the social and local needs of the most vulnerable populations in the city, including the 10,000 Holocaust survivors still living in Jerusalem today. After two years of the coronavirus pandemic, they are becoming increasingly isolated, often finding it difficult to reconnect with the outside world and face psychological, physical and financial problems. This is where the Jerusalem Foundation’s Café Europa programme comes in. It was launched over a decade ago to establish a safe and supportive setting for weekly social activities of this population group. The five branches in different neighbourhoods provide their own programme for about 650 men and women, in close cooperation with the municipality and various community centres. This year, some of them were invited to participate in a special Café Europa event co-organised by the EU Delegation in Israel. At the Davidson Theater, located in the heart of Jerusalem, the two organisers worked together to mark this year’s Yom haShoa (Holocaust Remembrance Day), which is deliberately observed in Israel a week before Yom haZikaron (Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers) and Yom haAtzmaut (Independence Day). In his address, EU Ambassador to Israel Dimiter Tzantchev ‘bowed his head’ to all Holocaust survivors who “went through hell on earth and managed to build a new life in Jerusalem.” The European Union delegation to Israel paid tribute to the 6 million Jews brutally murdered by the Nazis and their local collaborators and renewed its solemn pledge: ‘Never Again’. Some visitors to Café Europa shared their moving stories with European ambassadors, diplomats and journalists present on 25 April. Among them is Jose Levkovich, who was born in Poland in 1926 and whose life changed radically at the age of 13. Separated from his father in a forced labour camp, Jose survived seven concentration camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau and Mauthausen. The rest of his family were murdered upon arrival at Belzec, making him the only surviving member of his extended family of more than 250: “So many miracles happened in order that I survived.” After six years of war, on 5 May 1945, 18-year-old Jose was liberated by the American Army from Ebensee concentration camp in Austria. After the war, he rescued 600 hidden Jewish children in communist Poland. The question of justice also preoccupies him in his subsequent capturing of Nazi war criminals and bringing them to trial. Jose became a member of the police force and testified at their trials. He was responsible for the capture, and conviction at trial, of the ‘Butcher of Plaszow,’ Amon Goeth, who had nearly killed him. Jose later lived in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, where he met his wife, Perla. They lived in Canada with their three children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren until Jose moved back to Israel later in life. Today, he devotes his time to educating young people about the Shoa in Israel and around the world. He loves God, Jewish learning, the Jewish people and humanity in general. This could be sensed through his appeal at the end of the event when he called for a comprehensive education of young Europeans regarding the Shoa so that ‘Never Again ’ does not remain just a languid shell. Rena Quint also cares about the education of youth and has shared her story not only at this event but many times with people around the world: “We survivors want to talk. It is important that we do so while we still can.” She has received numerous awards and is frequently interviewed by the media in Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and South Africa. She grew up in Brooklyn and never told her classmates that she had spent her early years in a Nazi ghetto, forced labour and concentration camps and had lost all members of her family. She survived as a child alone in Nazi-occupied Poland, thanks to a series of surrogate mothers, until they too died. “I never knew exactly who I was. Everyone was dead; no one could confirm to me that all my memories were really true. I had six different mothers. One time I was a boy, another time a girl. I was born in Poland, then in Germany.” Later, she moved to Israel, started volunteering at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and found her birth certificate and her parent’s marriage certificate. She realised that all her memories were true. She has become the main English-speaking speaker at Yad Vashem today. Rena survived the Shoa with her faith in God and love intact. She and her husband, Emanuel Quint, a lawyer and Jewish scholar, have four children and dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Rena is the prime example of the power of feeling like a survivor, not a victim. Vienna-born Lily Schechter also attended the event as a regular visitor to Café Europa: “It’s not always easy because I’m not very social, and I’m 89 years old.” Although all visitors share the same background, their experiences are not the main focus of social or cultural activities. Many visitors, such as Lily Schechter, Jose Levkovich or Rena Quint, are therefore able to connect with people who have lived through similar things. Although it is not always easy to leave the house and be social in these times, Café Europa brings together many survivors who are no longer primarily victims but who continue to live their lives in dignity even in old age. | Photos: Jerusalem Foundation A European Café Europa in Jerusalem June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Five survivors share their stories with the attendants of this special event. Jose Levkovich speaking at the Yom haShoa event.

22. 12 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 UPDATE: Emergency Aid for Ukraine Anemone Rüger Christians for Israel Coordinator for Holocaust Survivors & Elderly Sponsorship Program in Ukraine The city of Nikolayev, strategically located between Odessa and Kherson on the Black Sea in Ukraine’s south, has been targeted by Russian attacks since the beginning of the Russian invasion Feb. 24. Many have left the city for safer lands, including many of the synagogue’s volunteers and many of the caregivers employed by Hesed, the Jewish welfare organization. But the jobs quickly filled up again as unemployment is rampant. “People are somewhat getting used to the war situation,” said Mikhail from Hesed. “The alarm goes off slightly less. But there is also a lot of tension. Everyone understands that the break doesn’t mean it’s over.” “Most of the factories and businesses are closed, so people have no income,” explained Yelena, who runs the sponsorship program on behalf of the synagogue in Nikolayev. “While we help people who want to make Aliyah and go to Israel, most of our seniors are still here.” Those who need personal care continue to get supported through the local staff, which also includes many spouses who don’t want to leave as long as their husbands have to stay to defend the country. One of the fragile elderly is Alla, who is still around and doesn’t plan to go anywhere. “Just a month ago, her husband died,” said Yelena. “The authorities didn’t let anyone get close to the cemetery as the area has been under fire and is full of mines. She is blind. It’s very hard for her. She gets scared with every alarm she hears. She has a daughter in Russia, but she clings to her city of Nikolayev.” “This is my home city,” said Alla when I reached her at home. “I already bought a gravesite. I want to be buried next to my husband.” C4I team member Alina was able to visit her in early 2022 and bring food and a blanket. “ Please convey my greetings my sponsor in Australia. I am so thankful that someone cares about me.” “If you have money, you can buy food. There are enough supplies in the city now,” said Yelena. “But most people don’t have that money. We see many people turn to the synagogue for help now whom we have never met before. They became needy as a result of the war. We give out food parcels every week.” One of the biggest problems is the near- complete lack of gas and diesel in the country. “We bought medicines for people when we had the opportunity recently, but now we don’t know how to deliver it. Taxi costs have gone through the roof. Everything has become expensive.” Yet Yelena is not one who gives up easily. She has now worked out a system to support the elderly with food vouchers so they or their caregivers can buy items locally. Yefim was awakened by the sounds of war at 5 a.m. when I called the other day. “No, it’s not really getting better. They were shooting again, especially at night.” Yefim shared that the city didn’t have water for a month. “ Nikolayev is connected to the water system in Kherson where the big Dnepr River flows. Kherson has been completely occupied by Russian forces. They must have blocked the water pipes. So we were without water for a long time. Now our city authorities here in Nikolayev found a way to provide water from our smaller local river, the Southern Bug. It’s not for drinking, though. Just to wash and clean.” Yefim’s entire family lives in Nikolayev— his wife and two daughters with their families. “I even have a great- granddaughter, she is already 15!” he proudly stated. The war hit very close to home only recently. “Three weeks ago there was a big Russian attack on Nikolayev. They bombed the city administration. My granddaughter works there. She was just arriving at work in the morning when the shelling began. 38 people were killed. She was lucky, she was only injured. She is still in hospital in Odessa.” I invited Yefim for a cup of coffee in Jerusalem. Who knows—the family may wake up one morning and call C4I ’s number in the booklet delivered with the last food parcel and inform us that they want to make Aliyah to Israel. “Thank you for what you do for us,” said Yefim. “It does make each day much easier when you know that someone in the world cares about you!” _______________________________________________________ Please see the back page of this newspaper or c4israel.com.au/help-ukraine for details on how you can bring comfort to the Jewish people of Ukraine! Surviving between rockets and sky-rocketing prices: Nikolayev’s Jewish elderly continue to receive support from Christians for Israel through the Jewish community Yefim during a visit by C4I team member Anemone last year Alla, who survived WWII in hiding Nikolayev’s elderly depend on the Jewish community to help them survive Unrenovated part of Nikolayev’s historic synagogue

23. 13 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 A warm welcome awaits in Israel for the many Jews currently fleeing Ukraine. Tatyana Gershman (40), from war-torn Zaparozhe, is one of them. Through the project First Home in the Homeland , which is supported by Christians for Israel , she will soon settle in kibbutz Ein HaShofet in northern Israel to start her integration process. Valeria Zakharova works at First Home in the Homeland and was very surprised when she received a call from Tatyana recently. ‘Hello Valeria, I am currently waiting for my flight. I’ll see you in Israel.’ Valeria: ‘We had been in contact with Tatyana for a long time about her coming to Israel and our integration program, but the circumstances had put everything on hold. I called her on March 21 to find out how she was doing. At that time she was still in Ukraine, had no idea what to do and asked us for help. We were her only link to Israel. I gave her the phone number of Nataliya, who is part of the Christians for Israel team in Ukraine, and told Tatyana that she might be able to help her. And so less than ten days later she called me to tell me that she would be getting on a plane to Israel at that very moment. On March 31, Tatyana landed in Israel.’ Attention Her mind is still much in Ukraine, the country she had to leave so unexpectedly. ‘I fled the war with the help of the Christians for Israel team. I met Koen and Nataliya at the shelter in western Ukraine. They took very good care of me and I was really touched by their kindness, personal attention and commitment. By bus we went to the border with Moldova and then on to Kishenov, the capital of Moldova. During the bus ride, Koen talked to all the refugees and tried to cheer us up.’ Grateful The decision to flee was made quickly, although it was not easy to leave everything behind. Tatyana: ‘Because of the constant threat, I hardly had time to think about it properly. I felt depressed, but at the same time it was an opportunity to go to Israel. I am so incredibly grateful to the team at Christians for Israel, and I wish them all the best in the beautiful work they are doing.’ Hebrew Tatyana is now living temporarily in a hotel while waiting for all the necessary Israeli documents to be arranged. As soon as this is arranged, she will move to kibbutz Ein HaShofet and be able to start her integration process, in which learning the Hebrew language is an important priority. Currently, there are already thirty kibbutzim that assist in welcoming Jewish refugees from Ukraine through the program of First Home in the Homeland. In the meantime, they have already taken in the first 34 families. It is expected that the number will increase rapidly. SOS Ukraine: Emergency Aid Campaign Rita Quartel Christians for Israel International “I’ll see you in Israel” WAYS TO GIVE c4israel.com.au/help-ukraine 1. 2. 3. Christians for Israel, Australia BSB: 014-279 ACC: 405318551 REF: Your Name / Member No. Description: Please use ‘Ukraine Appeal’ to ensure funds are allocated correctly. Thank you. Add your custom donation amount using the donation amounts on this page as a guide. Please continue to pray for the people and situation in Ukraine as the conflict continue to unfold. While the politics behind what is happening in Ukraine may be confusing—with much fake news and conflicting reports abounding—the simple truth is there are real, innocent people suffering—including the Jewish people. If you are unsure of what to pray please follow this link to download a comprehensive prayer list: www.c4israel.com.au/articles/sos-ukraine-help-for- such-a-time-as-this/#call-to-prayer The more people seeking God at this time the greater capacity we have to see the Lord move in a glorious and mighty way. NOTE: Donations given towards the Ukraine Emergency Aid Campaign will be collected as a pooled emergency fund. Amount options are suggestions only and reflect the current costs for particular aid relief—these amounts however are fluctuating and therefore the suggested donation amounts may alter as the situation in Ukraine continues to change. Please prayerfully consider what you can give as the Lord leads and directs you. Shalom. $150 $580 $5,800 Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Use the Form on the Back Page Tatyana in front of the hotel were she stays for the time being | Photo: Jewish Agency for Israel

29. 11 Theology Kameel Majdali n Director | Teach All Nations Inc. The tragic war between Slavic brothers, the Russians and Ukrainians, is not just shifting global norms; it has caused the spotlight to focus on a fascinating end-time prophecy in Ezekiel 38-39, known as the Gog and Magog War. With a coalition of nations, Gog launches a spontaneous, unprovoked, knee-jerk invasion of Israel, who is unprepared for this war. The Jewish state would be destroyed if it were not for divine intervention. Instead, it is Gog and his allies who are destroyed. Israel takes seven months to bury the dead. The result of this harrowing event is a final ingathering of Jewish exiles, coupled with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Who is Gog? The million dollar question is: we need to identify the key player. Magog, in all probability, means ‘from the land of Gog.’ So let’s focus on Gog himself. Who is he? The normal nomination for this title is Russia. Why? Because it is a great power from the North (38:15). Russia’s long thousand-year history, which reputedly began in Kiev before gravitating towards Moscow, has incorporated an empire larger than any except the Mongols and Muslims. Its imperialism and empire seem to fit the job description. The old Soviet Union was a tailor-made villain like Gog — until it collapsed on Christmas Day 1991. Also, some Bible teachers say ‘Mesech’ equals Moscow and ‘Tubal’ Tobolsk. But is this really the case? Is Russia really ‘Gog,’ as many Bible teachers say? This author is not completely convinced. One of the key verses Ezekiel 38:15, says Gog comes from tzafone yereka (Hebrew). This phrase is crucial because it identifies from what location Gog comes from. It is translated north ‘side’ twenty-one times. Modern translations say ‘far north’ or ‘uttermost parts of the north,’ therefore implying Russia. The authorised King James Bible translates that Gog comes from the ‘north parts.’ If that is the case, it offers the possibility of other countries north of Israel fulfilling the role of Gog, like Syria or Turkey. While Russia has been an imperialistic power in the past, and some would argue Putin is reviving that tradition, it has also been a Christian nation for a thousand years. Vladimir, Prince of Kievan Rus, led his nation into Eastern Orthodoxy in the year 988 AD. The seventy-four years of atheist communist rule (1917-1991) was an aberration in Russian history; the rest of the millennium was influenced mostly by Orthodox Christianity. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) was the great British missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission. Yet his most memorable prophecy was not about China at all but Russia. Sometime in the latter nineteenth century, Taylor received the following vision: I have seen a vision. I saw in this vision a great war that encompasses the world. I saw this war recess and then start again, actually being two wars. After this, I saw much unrest and revolts that will affect many nations. I saw in some places spiritual awakenings. In Russia, I saw there will come a general all-encompassing, national spiritual awakening so great that there could never be another like it. From Russia, I saw the awakening spread to many European countries. Then I saw an all-out awakening, followed by the coming of Christ. It is clear that Taylor, who died in 1905, saw the two world wars. That’s the bad news. Yet the good news was he saw Russia as the epicentre and catalyst of a great spiritual awakening that would spread westward to Europe and herald the Lord’s return. Think about it: in Russia today, Christianity once shunned and persecuted by the godless Soviet regime, has returned to a prominent place. Not only is the Russian Orthodox Church having a renaissance, but the Baptists and Pentecostals are growing, too. Yes, there is ‘anti-missionary’ and ‘anti-sect’ legislation in recent years, and there is Orthodox opposition to other denominations. Yet there is no mistaking that Russia’s atheist days have given way to a conspicuous multi- flavoured Christian presence in Russia. While Russia is regularly associated with Gog of Ezekiel 38, some Russian Christians reject this interpretation. How could a Christian-influenced country try to destroy Israel in coalition with a few Muslim-majority nations (Libya, Iran, & Sudan)? Another consideration: could Gog be Turkey, which is also north of Israel? The key is the places names written in Scripture, like Gomer and Togarmah, are possibly in Turkey, not Russia. Likewise, Mesech and Tubal may not be Moscow and Tobolsk after all. Finally, the fact is Russia, Iran, and Turkey are currently based in Syria, and Syria is next door to Israel. Could this military arrangement, under certain conditions, trigger the Gog attack? To answer that question, remember to take note of the specific details of the prophecy. “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9); we need to follow the Lord’s simple injunction - watch, be sober, and pray (Matthew 26:41; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:6). Not only will we not be caught off guard - we will be part of the solution. Russian-Ukraine War: Is this Gog and Magog? Part 2 | Photo: Shutterstock June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Did You Know? Facts about the State of Israel “As long as deep in the heart, The soul of a Jew yearns, And towards the East An eye looks to Zion, Our hope is not yet lost, The hope of two thousand years, To be a free people in our land, The land of Zion and Jerusalem.” Ÿ The FLAG of the State of Israel is based on the design of the $ewish prayer shawl tallit, with a blue Shield of avid Magen avid. Ÿ The OFFICIAL EMBLEM of the State of Israel is the Menorah candelabrum, whose shape is said to be derived from the seven- branched moriah, a plant known since antiHuity. The olive branches on either side represent IsraelÓs yearning for peace. Ÿ Israel has NO CONSTITUTION, however, the eclaration of Establishment  , the asic &aws of the parliament the Knesset, and the Israeli citiQenship law ”ll many of the functions of a constitution. Ÿ The text of HATIKVAH, the ISRAELI NATIONAL ANTHEM, was written by the $ewish poet (aphtali HerQ Imber in . The anthem speaks of the hope of the $ewish people to live as a free and sovereign people in the &and of Israel.

17. 7 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 New Book + Subscribe Your Friend to Israel & Christians Today Sign up a friend to ‘Israel & Christians Today’ Newspaper and receive the ‘Israel: Covenants and Kingdom book’ or the ‘The Signs of the Times DVD’ FREE! * Your Full Name: ____________________________ Address: _________________________________ _________________________________________ State: ________________ P ostcode: __________ Friends Full Name: _________________________ Address: _________________________________ _________________________________________ State: ________________ P ostcode: __________ Number of Newspapers Bi-monthly: c 1 c 2 c 5 c Other: ______________________ *1 Book or DVD per person. limited offer. while stocks last. SEND DETAILS TO: Christians for Israel, Australia , PO Box 1508, Springwood, QLD, 4127 Israel: Covenants & Kingdom Book by Willem J.J. Glashouwer OR Please choose ONE of the gifts (left) to receive upon successfully signing up a new friend to ‘ Israel & Christians Today’ Newspaper. The Signs of the Times DVD (7+ Hours Teaching) by Willem J.J. Glashouwer The friend/church you nominate to receive the Israel & Christians Today Bi-monthly Newspaper will also receive a complimentary copy of the BOOK / DVD as well. “Wow! what a book, much more than a story for the family, it will have much wider implications...” – Neville Clark MC. OAM Overview Life is a journey, but not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I would travel through such a unique set of circumstances as those outlined in this book. I grew up in the fabulous fifties, with Australia coming into a new era of post war prosperity. It was a steady walk through those golden years, then suddenly the horse I was on bolted and went where I certainly had not intended. The story of my heady ride is all here including my tumultuous journey through the Exclusive Brethren sect with all its dramas, some tragic, some comical, some informative and of course some romantic, as it was here, I found my pillion passenger for the ride, a beautiful young girl called Gwenyth Williams. Although at times a rough ride, I have no regrets despite my journey including a serious sexual assault, not to mention the verbal assaults and deprivation we endured as I stood against the Exclusive Brethren hierarchy and their stultifying doctrine. Then the horizons opened up with the establishment of a Christian College in Victoria, then on to Queensland to start several enterprises including a very successful Outdoor Education Centre, then galloping on through the Middle East in the steps of the ANZAC’s, a journey that has had unexpected outcomes. Action I have seen aplenty, in the air and on the ground both here and overseas and with the tumultuous ride come the vital lessons I have learned. Although only spending a few years in the military the ANZAC legacy is intrinsically involved in all my endeavours. The spirit of the Light Horse, those ANZAC character values of courage, mateship, sacrifice and perseverance, so closely aligned to my Christian faith, have kept me in the saddle. The latter part of the book outlines my engaging interaction with Israel and the Jewish community following the Beersheba commemorations in Israel. The book ends with my reflections on the deeper issues of life which ultimately leads us to the Gates of Heaven. If you would like to get a copy of this book, it can be purchased from the author for $25 (postage included) —simply email barry@emugully.com.au Make sure you include your address. Social media and marketing adviser required for Beersheba Vision Inc. This a part time position requiring a few hours per week. For more details contact Barry Rodgers on 0428 662528 NEW!

4. June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Editorial 2 Colophon Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel Mission Our mission is to bring Biblical understanding in the Church and among the nations concerning God’s purposes for Israel and to promote comfort of Israel through prayer and action. Editorial Team Andrew Tucker International Editor-in-Chief atucker@c4israel.org Cathy Coldicutt Managing Editor newspaper@c4israel.org Marloes van Westing International Communications Manager international@c4israel.org Ian Worby, Bryce Turner, Rita Quartel, Marie-Louise Weissenböck and Marijke Terlouw Scripture references: THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. C4I Offices Christians for Israel International Leon Meijer, Chairman Rev Willem J.J. Glashouwer, President Rev Cornelis Kant, Executive Director P.O. Box 1100 | 3860 BC Nijkerk, The Netherlands | Tel: +31 33 422 0405 info@c4israel.org | www.c4israel.org The English Edition of Israel & Christians Today is published by the following English speaking branches: Christians for Israel - Australia Ian Worby, National Leader PO Box 1508, Springwood Queensland, Australia 4127 Tel: +61 (7) 3088 6900, info@c4israel.com.au www.c4israel.com.au Christians for Israel - New Zealand Bryce Turner, National Executive Director PO Box 12 006, Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand 1642 Tel: +64 9 525 7564, info@c4israel.org.nz www.c4israel.org.nz Christians for Israel - Korea Rev Paul Wonil Jung, Director Suite 3, 37 Railway Parade, Eastwood NSW, Australia 2122 Tel: +61 410 430 677 email: c4israelkorea@gmail.com www.c4israelkorea.org Christians for Israel - USA David Sudlow, Chairman PO Box 400, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA usa-info@c4israel.org www.c4israel.us DISCLAIMER - Articles printed in Israel & Christians Today expr ess the views of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Editors or that of the Board of Christians for Israel. The printing of articles or advertising in Israel & Christians Today does not necessarily imply either endorsement or agreement. ©Christians for Israel International Reproduction, or storage in a retrieval s ystem or in any other form, is prohibited without permission. Please contact the Managing Editor should you wish to syndicate or republish any articles or materials appearing in Israel & Christians Today. IJr8el iJ Fighting =or the Free;om o= $eNJ 8n; Ar89J Andrew Tucker n International Editor | Christians for Israel On 4 May, Israel celebrated Yom Hazikaron, Remembrance Day. The nation honoured its fallen before transitioning from mourning to joy as nightfall ushered in the country’s 74th Independence Day. A siren sounded at 11 am, bringing the country to a standstill for two minutes of silence in memory of the over 24,000 service members and 4,000 terror victims killed over the last century and a half. At cemeteries across the country, bereaved families, friends and others gathered to remember those lost with speeches, poems, candles, wreaths and tears. President Isaac Herzog stressed the unity of the people of Israel – Jewish and non- Jewish: “Our sons and daughters, who fell in defence of our state, fought together and fell together. They did not ask, nor did anyone ask them, who was right-wing and who was left-wing. Who was religious. Who was secular. Who was Jewish and who was not Jewish,” he said. “They fell as Israelis, defending Israel. In cemeteries, arguments fall silent. Between the headstones, not a sound. A silence that demands that we fulfil, together, their single dying wish: the resurrection of Israel. The building of Israel. United, consolidated, and responsible for each other. For we are all sisters and brothers.” IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi emphasised that Israel is still fighting for its freedom. He said the Israel Defense Forces were currently dealing with threats on several fronts and hailed the generations of soldiers who have served in the military. “The thwarting of terror continues every day, from north to south, and IDF units defend the citizens of the country on the roads and intersections of Judea and Samaria and along the borders,” he said, using the biblical name for the West Bank. He added that the IDF “goes beyond the country’s borders to strike in the air, at sea and on land, throughout the Middle East” in the cause of defending Israel. Few people outside Israel realise how much the Jewish people have sacrificed for their right to live as a nation and how vulnerable Israel is. The dilemma is highlighted by the tragic killing of Palestinian Arab journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during an Israeli military operation in Jenin. Even if Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli bullet – which has not been proven - what was the Israeli army (IDF) doing in Jenin? Jenin is a mainly Arab city in the northern part of the mountain range of Samaria. It has become a breeding ground for Islamist terrorists who sneak into Israel to carry out terror attacks killing Jews and non-Jews. When the Jewish State of Israel was proclaimed in May 1948, the Arabs could also have declared their own state. But they chose to continue the policy adopted from 1920 of using violence (i.e. killing Jews) to destroy the Jewish national home. In 1948/9, the Arabs attacked Israel, and Jordan took control of the old part of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria (which in 1950 became known as the ‘West Bank’ of Jordan). Since 1967, Palestinians have been used as a political pawn, left in refugee camps set up under a new organisation called the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). They have been given false hope of ‘ return’ to their former homes. Palestinian ‘refugee camps’ (a misnomer because the Palestinians were not truly refugees) became a hotbed of hatred and violence. When Israel (miraculously) took control of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria in June 1967 (in a defensive war), it would have been suicide to have simply handed back control of these territories to those still swearing to eliminate them the Jewish people. Instead , Israel took the strategic decision to ‘occupy’ the territories: hold control of them under a military administration but not claim sovereignty over them (excepting ‘East Jerusalem’ over which it did apply Israeli sovereignty). Since 1967, cities like Jenin have become a breeding ground for Islamist terrorists who sneak into Israel to carry out terror attacks killing Jews and non-Jews in Israel. In the 1990s, Israel and the PLO agreed to enable the Arab Palestinians to have autonomy and self-government. Jenin was one of the cities where Israel withdrew, and full control was handed over to the PA. This policy has been a dismal failure. The PA, it turns out, is just the mouthpiece of the PLO, which remains deeply committed to its original goals: the liberation of ‘Palestine’ and the destruction of Israel. What is Israel supposed to do - just ‘withdraw’ and hand over the whole of Judea and Samaria to the Palestinian Authority, as it did in Jenin? That would be suicide. As everyone knows, whoever controls the mountains of Judea and Samaria can easily destroy the cities and towns in the plains and valleys. For sure, Shireen Abu Akleh’s death is tragic. But the fact that the IDF has to root out terrorists in cities like Jenin reveals there is a much deeper problem. Prayer Points By C4I Prayer Team Israel l In recent weeks there have been several terrorist attacks in Israel. Pray that these attacks will stop. l Pray that Israel will be able to receive all the Ukrainian refugees that enter the country. Pray that it will be successful in creating sufficient housing. l “He draws up the drops of water, which distil as rain to the streams” (Job 36:27). The water level of the Sea of Galilee is very high at the moment, partly due to the large amount of rainfall this spring. Give thanks for the high levels in this body of water where the levels are often low. Israel & the Nations l “Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence” (Psalm 9:19). Pray for the protection of Israel against hatred from other nations. l In the United Kingdom, a survey was conducted among British adults about antisemitism. It showed that 24 per cent of the respondents agreed with the statement that Israel treats the Palestinians as badly as the Nazis once treated the Jews. Pray for a change in people’s thinking and for more and better education about Biblical prophecies, the Holocaust, and the history of Israel. Christians for Israel l “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a). Continue to pray for the work of Koen and Ira Carlier and the Christians for Israel team in Ukraine. Pray that we can help many more Jewish refugees on their way to Israel and pray for protection of the team. Give thanks that God has often given solutions in difficult circumstances. l Pray for your own church today, and thank God that, though sometimes with difficulty, people will indeed receive a vision for Israel. Check what you might be able to do or what difference you could make to your church in this respect. For daily Prayer Points, go to our website www.c4israel.com.au Few people outside Israel realise how much the Jewish people have sacrificed for their right to live as a nation and how vulnerable Israel is. The dilemma is highlighted by the tragic killing this week of Palestinian Arab journalist Shireen Abu Akleh... www.facebook.com/c4israelAUS

12. 2 June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Opinion Piece + Register for September 2022 Conference An Ambassador of Support for Israel and the Jewish people As an Israeli citizen for more than twenty years, and a resident of Israel’s fifth largest city, I am no stranger to the conflict between Israel and her enemies. Most countries have to defend its borders, but Israel also has to defend from within, as frequently both soldiers and citizens are attacked by Palestinian terrorists. It is so sad to see Jewish families mourn the death of their loved ones in senseless killings. Slowly, most Israeli leaders have recognised there is no partner among the ones that are now called Palestinian. I emphasize now, because it used to be Jewish individuals who were called Palestinian prior to the establishment of the modern nation of Israel. Recently, there have been several terror attacks where Palestinian gunmen have simply shot and killed whatever Jewish people they could. It is clear that the Palestinian so-called “peace movement” is really about hate. Unfortunately, when traveling throughout the world, there is an overwhelming tendency to support the creation of a Palestinian state. The news media presents a very false narrative for what is at the heart of the conflict. The problem, as the Palestinian leadership see it, is the existence of the nation of Israel and Jewish people residing in the Land promised to us by G-d. I am not surprised by this worldly perspective, but what is most discouraging is seeing a majority of Christian denominations and organisations echo the false and unscriptural position of the enemy. When I speak of the enemy, I am referring to Satan. I am reminded of one Christian leader who repeatedly states that there is no longer any right to the land for the Jewish people because they are covenant breakers. Yet, in the Prophets of the Bible, one reads how G-d will bring the Jewish people back to the Promised Land in the End Times to fulfil His plans and purposes. What Israel needs, and what you can do, is to become an Israeli ambassador. It is incumbent upon every believer to understand the prophetic revelation of the Bible. As disciples of Yeshua (Jesus), we need to be well acquainted with what the Bible reveals about both the Jewish people and the Land of Israel as it relates to the last days. Speak up at your local congregation and share what is truly happening in Israel. People need to hear a factual presentation of what is occurring. Not too long ago, a well-known model reported that the Israeli army killed a Palestinian. She neglected to include in her post on social media that this Palestinian had murdered several Jewish individuals who had no interaction with him whatsoever. You can make a difference, one person at a time. Do not underestimate what one person can do in their community. Get Biblically educated about what the Word of G-d actually says about the land and the Jewish people and take time to be informed about what the Jewish people are suffering here in Israel. —————————————————————— Dr. Baruch Korman is the senior lecturer at the Zera Avraham Institute based in Israel. The purpose of www.lovelsrael.org is to provide Biblically-based teachings with an emphasis on the Jewish context of Scripture. Dr. Baruch’s Bible Study program broadcasts on numerous television networks across the United States, Europe, Africa, and Australia. Many of his lectures are available in video, audio and written format on www. lovelsrael.org You can view his expository bible-teaching program on the Daystar Network and GodTV . Dr. Baruch holds a PhD in Jewish Studies. Dr Baruch Korman Senior lecturer at the Zera Avraham Institute based in Israel. 8

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28. 10 Theology Recommended Reading Johannes Gerloff n Theologian, Journalist, Lecturer & Author This is part five in a series of articles based on the book Rejoice, You Nations, with His People, by Johannes Gerloff (due for release in 2022). In Romans 9, the Apostle Paul refers to his own countrymen as ‘Israelites’. He says: “For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” In the last article we looked at the adoption of the Israelites as ‘sons’ of the Father. What does it mean that the people of Israel have ‘the divine glory’? ‘Doxa’ in the New Testament designates the ‘external appearance’, ‘splendor’ or ‘aura’ of an object or a person. The Hebrew synonym ‘kavod’ is related to ‘kaved’ (heavy) and indicates the ‘weight’ of a personality. Genesis 13:2, for example, tells us that Abram was ‘heavy’ (kaved), or ‘weighty’ – King James translates ‘very rich’. ‘Doxa’ also means ‘excellence’, ‘renown’, ‘honour’ or ‘glory’. Paul, however, speaking of this (unique, distinct) glory, was thinking of the glory of the Lord. Israel encountered this visible, illuminating appearance of the presence of the invisible God on Mount Sinai as a consuming fire (Exodus 24:16-17). While the cloud rested on the tent of meeting, it filled the tabernacle in the desert (Exodus 40:34-35). There, in the Holy of Holies, dwelt the presence of the Lord. Therefore, the High Priest Aaron could not “come at any time into the Most Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat, which is on the ark, so that he may not die” (Leviticus 16:2; compare 1 Kings 8:10-11). At the dedication of the temple, “when Solomon had finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices. The glory of the Lord filled the house. The priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 7:1-2). The ‘glory of the Lord’ is the primary theme of the book of Ezekiel. In the beginning, the prophet observes the glory of the Lord leaving the temple in an easterly direction, over the Mount of Olives (Ezekiel 10; 11:22-24). It leaves together with the Jewish people into the Babylonian captivity. Only after the prophet foresaw the restoration of the people, the land, and the temple, did he see the return of the glory of the Lord to the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 43:1-5). This ‘glory of the Lord shone around’ the shepherds living out in the fields of Bethlehem when the angel brought them ‘good news of overwhelming joy’ (Luke 2:9). John, the visionary, saw ‘the H oly City, the new Jerusalem’ as ‘the tabernacle of God with men’, in which ‘he dwells with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God’ (Revelation 21:2-3). The outstanding characteristic of this city is that it shines with the glory of God (Revelation 21:10-11). This city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light (Revelation 21,23). The Hebrew root that runs through all these texts is the root ‘shakhan’. It means ‘to settle down’, ‘to rest’ and ‘to dwell’. From this root, the rabbinical teachers coined the term ‘shekhinah’ to describe the glorious presence of God. The word ‘shekhinah’ does not occur in the Old Testament. The ‘shekhinah’ is a theme that runs through the whole of Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome. In Romans 1:23 the Apostle laments that men have “exchanged the ‘shekhinah’ of the incorruptible God for an image made like mortal man”. That is why they all, without exception, fall short of the ‘shekhinah’. In Romans 5:1-2 he states: “Therefore being justified by faith, we... rejoice in hope of the [future!] ‘shekhinah’ ”. In Romans 6:4 it is the ‘shekhinah’ of the Father, by which Messiah was raised from the dead. Through this ‘shekhinah’, we walk in newness of life. Now, it is precisely this glory of the living God, which we as Gentile Christians hope to attain by faith in the future. According to Paul’s own words, this ‘shekhinah’ is already part of the riches of Israel - God dwells among those who are Israelites! The Prince and the Prophet This book tells the beautiful story of the friendship between Anglican priest William Hechler (1845-1931) and the founder of the modern Zionism movement, Theodor Herzl (1860-1904). God used these two remarkable men - a Bible-believing Gentile and a secular Jew – to bring about the restoration of the Jewish people to the land as He had promised and foretold in the Old Testament. Hechler was a German/British Anglican who believed fervently in the prophecies about the restoration of the Jewish people. Herzl was a Jewish Hungarian/Austrian lawyer and journalist who attended the trial of Alfred Dreyfus in Paris in the late 1890s and realised the dangers of anti- Semitism facing the Jewish people in Europe. He founded the modern Zionist movement, which led to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Having earlier been tutor to the children of Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden, Hechler later became Chaplain to the British Embassy in Vienna. Following the pogroms in western Russia in 1881-1882, Hechler travelled to what is today Ukraine, where he met Leon Pinsker, author of Autoemancipation, a foundational work of early Zionism. Pinsker argued that the Jews needed their own homeland, but he didn’t specify where. Hechler earnestly pleaded with him that the only fitting place for a restored Israel was Palestine, based on Biblical prophecy. Hechler visited Herzl in Vienna just weeks after Herzl’s Der Judenstaat was published in 1896. He introduced Herzl to the Grand Duke, who agreed to open the door for him, the Kaiser Willem II. This bid finally came to fruition in Istanbul in October 1898. Ten days later, in Palestine, Herzl stood hat in hand to greet the Kaiser, who was mounted on horseback. The two men and their advisors met yet a third t ime in Jerusalem five days later (2 Nov. 1898) for proper talks, albeit ones that mysteriously failed. In 1897, Hechler wrote: îs a hristian, # believe in the $ewish (ational Movement called ‘4ionism’ because, accordin> to the ible, Pes, accordin> to the ancient "ebrew prophets themselves, a $ewish State must once a>ain arise in *alestine. nd, as it seems to me, Aud>in> bP the si>ns o= the times, the $ews will a>ain soon occupP their own beloved home in their ancient God >iven atherland. MaP theP soon respond to the call.í Fifty years later, the Jewish State of Israel was born. Claude Duvernoy, .he *rince and .he *rophet (1966) Published by Glorious Chur ch Fellowship, 2003 ISBN 10: 9659057229 ISBN 13: 9789659057221 See also: Dr James Patrick, A History of Christian Zionism in Britain Available from CFI: https://www.cfi.org.uk/a- history-of-christian-zionism The ìIJr8eliteJ’ "8Me !o;’J iMine !lory Panoramic view of the Solomon’s temple remains and Al-Aqsa Mosque minaret in Jerusalem. | Photo: Shutterstock June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Two orthodox Jewish men praying at the Western Wall. | Photo: Shutterstock

30. Signs of Faith By Kees de Vreugd Kiddush Cup In this series, ‘Signs of Faith’, objects that express Jewish faith are explained and discussed. On Friday evening at the beginning of the meal and on Shabbat morning, ‘kiddush’ is made: a blessing is pronounced over a cup of wine. This also happens on the evening and morning of feast days. Kiddush means sanctification, in accordance with the commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day, that you sanctify it” (Exodus 20:8). The day is therefore set apart from the other days. A cup of wine is poured - preferably so that it overflows a little. The person making the kiddush takes the cup in his hand and recites Genesis 1:31b-2:3, the text that speaks of the first Shabbat of creation. The words “It had been evening, and it had been morning” are said softly, the rest, from ‘the sixth day’ onwards, aloud. Then he pronounces the blessing over the wine: “Blessed art Thou, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.” The wording of this blessing is very old. In the time of the Second Temple, it was already established and in general use (Matthew 26:29 and the parallel texts in the other Gospels). The blessing over the wine is followed by thanksgiving to God, who sanctifies Israel with His commandments and has given the Sabbath a reminder of His creative work and a memorial of the exodus fro m Egypt. Finally, God is praised ‘who sanctifies the Sabbath ’. They then drink the wine. Incidentally, kiddush can also be made with bread. Then two loaves are taken, remembering the double portion of manna in the desert. But wine (or grape juice) is preferred. To honour the mitzvah (the commandment) to sanctify the Shabbat, a beautiful cup is used, of course, usually made of silver. In fact, in Hebrew, it is called kos shel beracha, cup of blessing, because it is also used at other special occasions, such as the havdalah (closing of the Shabbat ), circumcision and engagement and marriage ceremonies. One often sees kiddush sets with one large and several small cups so that everyone can drink from their own cup, while the host makes the kiddush over the large cup. 12 Biblical Reflection Kees de Vreugd n Theologian | Christians for Israel International & Editor | Israel & the Church The outpouring of the Holy Spirit did not occur just somehow or somewhere. The Spirit came “like the blowing of a violent wind from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting”. This house was in Jerusalem. And it happened “when the day of Pentecost was fulfilled”, as it literally reads. This is one of the days for which Jews from all corners of the earth go up to Jerusalem. It is Jerusalem where, according to Luke, salvation history takes place. Jesus went there to fulfil His departure (Luke 9:31), literally, His ‘exodus’. And there, the disciples received the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses “in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. Jerusalem is the heart and the centre. The Day of Pentecost And there were the disciples, gathered together on the fiftieth day. Seven weeks are counted, starting from Pesach (Passover). On the second day of the feast of unleavened bread, a sheaf of the first harvested grain – in Israel, this is barley (John 6:9) – was brought to the priest as a thanksgiving offering. This sheaf is called omer in Hebrew. From then on, the days must be counted, “seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord” (Lev. 23:15). This is the day of the first fruits, the feast of weeks (Numbers 28:26 and Deuteronomy 16:9-12). The commandment in Deuteronomy adds a remarkable aspect: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees.” In other words, Pentecost is still Passover, too. In Deuteronomy, the last day of the feast of the unleavened bread is called in Hebrew a Atzeret, meaning either assembly or f inal day. And it seems as if this final day covers seven weeks. Thus, Shavuot becomes seven weeks of Pesach, and on Pentecost, seven weeks are fulfilled. Gift of the Torah It is not entirely clear from the historical sources whether Shavuot was already celebrated as feast of the giving of the Torah in the time of the New Testament. However, a reference to this aspect of Shavuot may be found already in the Book of Jubilees (2nd BC) . Interestingly, the Greek wording of Acts 2:1 would also suggest that the disciples were together at the dawning of the new day. In other words, they had spent the night together – for what other reason would that be than praying and contemplating the teachings of Jesus? It is still a Jewish custom today to study Torah together during the night of Shavuot. When I lived in Jerusalem, I experienced the joy and the excitement that radiated from the faces of the Torah students when they arrived at the Western Wall, at dawn, after this night of study, to say the morning prayers. Even in Christian tradition, the connection between the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of the Torah has been noticed. Nobody less than the church-father Augustine shows in a letter to Januarius that the revelation on Mount Sinai fell on the feast of weeks: “We learn, that after the Jews observed the first Passover with the slaying of the lamb as appointed, fifty days intervened between that day and the day on which upon Mount Sinai there was given to Moses the Law written with the finger of God; and this finger of God is in the Gospels most plainly declared to signify the Holy Spirit: for where one evangelist quotes our Lord’s words thus, “I with the finger of God cast out devils” (Luke 11:20), another quotes them thus, “I cast out devils by the Spirit of God” (Matthew 12:28). In other words, there is a strong connection between the Torah and the Spirit. “We know, says Paul, that the Law is spiritual.” The House Apparently, the apostles were gathered in a house (Acts 2:2). Which house would provide room for 120 people (Acts 1:15)? Could it be that they were together in a room inside the temple complex? In Hebrew, the temple is often referred to as the ‘house of the sanctuary’. Furthermore, “Every day, they continued to meet in the temple” (Acts 2:46). And where else would they have been noticed by so many people at the same time? Or where else could they have been able to baptise so many people at once? If anywhere, then it was the temple complex that provided enough ritual baths for this purpose. Torah and Spirit On the third day, the Lord descended on Mount Sinai in fire. This was the fiftieth day after Passover. The gift of the Spirit is closely connected to the gift of the Torah. The disciples experienced the gift of the Spirit as the renewal of God’s covenant with Israel. They never disposed themselves of Jewish tradition or Jewish identity. Their preaching of the Gospel bears witness to and confirms God’s covenant with Israel. The Fulfilment of the Day of Pentecost and the Gift of the Holy Spirit Israelis seen at a celebration for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot in kibbutz Sarid, in Emek Yizrael. | Photo: Flash90 | Photo: Shutterstock June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 Shabbat eve table with challah bread and Kiddush wine cup. | Photo: Shutterstock

34. YES, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION TOWARDS... C4I MINISTRY 1 TEACHING RESOURCES DONATION PRICE inc GST See our full range at: c4israel.com.au/store QUANTITY SUB TOTAL $ _______ SUB TOTAL DONATION $___________ MY TOTAL $____________ $ ___________ $ ___________ My donation for general admin costs (inc print & post) Thinc. (countering anti Israel “lawfare” ) $30-$50 $_______ ____________ Israel and Christians Today Paper (free or by donation) ____________ ____________ $________ The End Times Through Jewish Eyes (DVD) by Ps Enoch Lavender Why Israel? $15 (BOOK) $30 (DVD) $35 (DVD + Study Guide) $5 (Study Guide) $5 (Facilitators Guide) by Willem Glashouwer $36 each ____________ Behold He Comes (BOOK: 800 pages) by Willem Glashouwer Living A Life In Victory (BOOK) by Willem Glashouwer $20 each ____________ $20 each ____________ NEW! Jewish Christians in the Netherlands During the Holocaust $15 each Until... (BOOK) by Willem Glashouwer $25 each ____________ Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 6-7 Emergency Campaign Ukraine Continues 3 Wave of Terror Continues 8 Christians for Israel Visits Tanzania 16 After 20 Years, Sisters Make Aliyah View of the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives. | Photo: Flash90 Last month, Israel observed the 74th anniversary of its independence, gained when the State of Israel was born on 14 May 1948. This celebration is always preceded by Remembrance Day – the day Israel remembers those who have fallen in its many conflicts over the last century. Together, both events show that the independence of the Jewish people comes at a high price. At the moment, however, Israel is undergoing another massive wave of terror and violence. She is also being attacked internationally. The media and many in the international political community condemn Israel for crimes – even when there is no proof. Israel is accused of being an apartheid State that uses excessive force and kills journalists without reason. Now, more than ever, Zionism is under attack. The very existence of the Jewish State is being threatened as never before. The Bible tells us, however, that God alone is holy and sovereign. He is bringing His people home, never to be uprooted. Israel’s Independence My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow My laws and be careful to keep My decrees. They will live in the land I gave to My servant J acob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David, My servant, will be their prince forever. I will make a covenan t of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put My sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be wi th them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy when My sanctuary is among them forever. Ezekiel 37:24-28 June 2022 Sivan - Tamuz 5782 www.c4israel.com.au | info@c4israel.com.au AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 6-7 Emergency Campaign Ukraine Continues 3 Wave of Terror Continues 8 Christians for Israel Visits Tanzania 16 After 20 Years, Sisters Make Aliyah View of the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives. | Photo: Flash90 Last month, Israel observed the 74th anniversary of its independence, gained when the State of Israel was born on 14 May 1948. This celebration is always preceded by Remembrance Day – the day Israel remembers those who have fallen in its many conflicts over the last century. Together, both events show that the independence of the Jewish people comes at a high price. At the moment, however, Israel is undergoing another massive wave of terror and violence. She is also being attacked internationally. The media and many in the international political community condemn Israel for crimes – even when there is no proof. Israel is accused of being an apartheid State that uses excessive force and kills journalists without reason. Now, more than ever, Zionism is under attack. The very existence of the Jewish State is being threatened as never before. The Bible tells us, however, that God alone is holy and sovereign. He is bringing His people home, never to be uprooted. Israel’s Independence My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow My laws and be careful to keep My decrees. They will live in the land I gave to My servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David, My servant, will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put My sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy when My sanctuary is among them forever. Ezekiel 37:24-28 June 2022 Sivan - Tamuz 5782 www.c4israel.com.au | info@c4israel.com.au AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA Understanding Israel and world events from a Biblical perspective Israel & Christians Today is the premier publication of Christians for Israel 6-7 Emergency Campaign Ukraine Continues 3 Wave of Terror Continues 8 Christians for Israel Visits Tanzania 16 After 20 Years, Sisters Make Aliyah View of the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives. | Photo: Flash90 Last month, Israel observed the 74th anniversary of its independence, gained when the State of Israel was born on 14 May 1948. This celebration is always preceded by Remembrance Day – the day Israel remembers those who have fallen in its many conflicts over the last century. Together, both events show that the independence of the Jewish people comes at a high price. At the moment, however, Israel is undergoing another massive wave of terror and violence. She is also being attacked internationally. The media and many in the international political community condemn Israel for crimes – even when there is no proof. Israel is accused of being an apartheid State that uses excessive force and kills journalists without reason. Now, more than ever, Zionism is under attack. The very existence of the Jewish State is being threatened as never before. The Bible tells us, however, that God alone is holy and sovereign. He is bringing His people home, never to be uprooted. Israel’s Independence My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow My laws and be careful to keep My decrees. They will live in the land I gave to My servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David, My servant, will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put My sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy when My sanctuary is among them forever. Ezekiel 37:24-28 June 2022 Sivan - Tamuz 5782 www.c4israel.com.au | info@c4israel.com.au AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA Please post cheque or money order to: Christians for Israel Australia Inc (don’t use staples) INTERNET BANKING DETAILS: BSB: ANZ BANK— 014-279 Account No: 405318551 Ref: Your name & donation purpose. Please confirm by emailing info@c4israel.com.au MY DETAILS NAME: __________________________________________ IF YOU DON’T KNOW OR HAVE YOUR MEMBER ID PLEASE INCLUDE: Address: ______________________________________________ Phone: ________________________________________________ Email: ________________________________________________ Christians for Israel Australia ABN: 79 941 819 693 ICT0622 4 3 SOCIAL WELFARE PROJECTS $ ___________ $ ___________ Hineni soup kitchen Jerusalem ($10 per cooked meal) SOS Ukraine: Emergency Aid Appeal (see pg 13 for more details) $ ___________ Holocaust Survivor Comfort Ukraine ($50 or best gift) $ ___________ Meals on Wheels Ukraine ($10 per cooked meal) $ ___________ $ ___________ Help Ethiopian Jews make Aliyah ($875 per person) First Home in the Homeland in Israel ($350 pp) $ ___________ $ ___________ Food Parcels Ukraine ($15 per parcel for 1 month/pp) ADI (for children with disabilities) $30 or your best gift $ ___________ CFOIC (Judea and Samaria) Heartland ($30 or your best gift) 2 ALIYAH—BRING THE JEWS HOME $350 One Person from Ukraine* $6250 One Busload from Ukraine (25 persons)* $1460 Bnei Menashe—Asian exiles (1 person) $1250 One Family from Ukraine (5 persons)* *NOTE: Certificates for individuals and families from Ukraine only. Office Phone Number: 07 3088 6900 MEMBER ID (IF KNOWN) : C4IA + while stocks last PLEASE COMPLETE FORM & RETURN TO: Christians for Israel Australia, PO Box 1508, Springwood, QLD 4127 or you can donate securely online c4israel.com.au/donate 16 From Our Projects June 2022 | Israel & Christians Today Sivan - Tamuz 5782 5he +eXish AHenDZ for Israel n About 20 years ago, Workanesh (45) and Ataklit (40) parted from their parents, brothers and sisters. While their parents, brothers and sisters fulfilled their dreams of making Aliyah to Israel, the two sisters remained in Ethiopia with their husbands and small children. Despite the sadness of parting and being without their mother for the first time in their lives, they were thrilled for their family and prayed too they would soon follow. But as the years passed, their day for Aliyah never came. The sisters struggled not to fall into sadness and despair. They held on to faith and one another, praying that they would be reunited with their parents and family in Israel. The sisters never parted; when one lost hope, the other would remain strong. Without their mother by their side, they gave birth, raised their children and went through happy, as well as harsh and sad, times on their own. Their mother in Israel also shed many tears for the grandchildren she had never met. The sisters left their villages and went to Gondar to live with the Jewish community and to apply for Aliyah. Their life became that of a refugee in their own country. Their husbands struggled to get work, being told that because they were from the Jewish community they were regarded as outsiders who would only stay temporarily. Why should someone hire them? They work in daily jobs, often more than 12 hours a day, for about 15 US dollars for the entire day of work. A few weeks ago, Ataklit finally received the message she had been waiting for nearly 20 years: she, her husband and their six children (23, 21, 19, 17, 15 and 13) are approved to make Aliyah! She was overjoyed but, at the same time, was deeply concerned. Can it be that her prayer has been answered but not that of her sister? Workenesh put on a happy face for her sister, but she cried herself to sleep at night. After two days that felt like an eternity, she too received the message she longed for: she, her husband and their nine children (24, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10 and 5) are all approved for Aliyah! Their family in Israel are waiting for them excitedly. Their mother, counting the days until she can embrace her daughters and grandchildren. The children now have a new dream – after they make Aliyah, they wish to join the IDF, to defend their homeland and then go on to higher education. When asked how they have so much hope after such a long wait? They reply that now that this long-awaited dream and prayer have been fulfilled, they believe their future dreams and prayers are also just a matter of hard work, faith and time. The family is expected to arrive in Israel on 1 June. Please help the Ethiopian Jews who are eligible to make Aliyah and reunite them with their families! To donate, complete the coupon below. After 20 Years, Sisters Make Aliyah Workanesh and her family. | Photos: The Jewish Agency for Israel