~ Thursday 15th April 2010 ~
Compiled by David Soakell Tel: 01323 410810
E-mail david@cfi.org.uk Website: www.cfi.org.uk

The Word: For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance. The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. (Psalm 33:4-15)

Pointers for prayer: Everyone has an opinion, however, is everyone's opinion valid ~ especially in terms of Israel? The world's media, Politicians, Arabs, Jews, Christians... Who should we listen to? And more importantly, who should Israel be listening to regarding issues to do with their own land and life? 1 Samuel 3:9 states, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.' As both Israel and the Church listens to conflicting opinions regarding the land of Israel, may we be in the only true place to hear the correct voice ~ that of listening to God regarding His plans and purposes for His people Israel. Pray that both Israel and the Church will hear the voice of God clearly directing us, so that both His will and blessing will be upon us.

Praise God that He is always true to His Word (Isaiah 46:3-4), that He will never forsake Israel. Pray for encouragement, strength and perseverance for the Israeli people in the face of constant physical and spiritual opposition. And please pray for encouragement, strength and perseverance also for all those who uphold the nation of Israel and for those who are obediently following their calling to stand with Israel today.

Please pray for reconciliation: The ongoing conflict in the Land has done terrible damage to the relationships of Jew and Arab, especially amongst the younger generation. Pray that ordinary Jewish and Arab people, whether living in Israel proper or what the world terms as the "Territories", will have a desire for reconciliation and to live side by side in peace and harmony. Pray for those groups and ministries seeking to break down barriers, especially among the youth.

The suffering children of Gaza

I read a quote this week that stated, “Peace will only come to the Middle East when Esau learns to serve the Jewish people that have been entrusted with the very words of God”. These are strong words, but are they accurate? A better quote is from Golda Meir. She once stated, “We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us”. Golda Meir was of course the Iron Lady of Israeli politics, years before the epithet was coined for former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. David Ben Gurion once described Golda Meir as "the only man in the Cabinet." She was of course in many ways a formidable woman. In appearance Golda Meir was tall and austere, with the stresses of a hard life reflected in her face; in personality, she was honest, straightforward and single-minded. In the eyes of the world, she personified the Israeli spirit. Oh how we need another Golda Meir. But what did she mean when she stated, “We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us"?

Last month, UK's Channel 4's Dispatches programme put out a story on what they called Extraordinary Children - documentary series about children in extreme circumstances. The Dispatches programme generally covers issues about British society, politics, health, international current affairs and the environment. This time however, they concentrated on painting a horrific picture of life as a child in Gaza and showed "just how nasty those Israeli's really are". Needless to say, this produced a lot of ill-tempered comments from angry people wanting to stop "the tyrant nation of Israel" in its conquest of "eliminating all Palestinian children" from the Land of Milk and Honey and beyond. Some such comments that were left on the Channel 4 website stated, "It is very sad that this child (like other children) has seen so much death, hatred and fear. What will happen with this generation? This is terrible. What will happen with these people? The mother doesn't want to push her son to die, but they have to defend their homeland. When [will] peace come? There is no justice. What would we do if we were living in this situation?"

Another viewer stated, "Watching this program brought a tear to my eye for the first time in my life. I think it's absolutely disgusting how the Israeli's are getting away with all the death and destruction they are causing in Gaza. Gaza is the key to peace in the Middle East and far beyond. What I just can’t seem to understand is how the United States can allow this genocide to continue??? The United States is the most powerful country in the world and as such has an obligation to step in and protect the weak. Unless they do something about Israel in the near future, they will find a whole new generation of Palestine's children will grow up to be resistance fighters and this cycle of blood for blood will never end. MR OBAMA - PLEASE HELP THE KIDS OF GAZA!! STOP ISRAEL!!"

I must confess that I was shocked to read that this programme had caused the last viewer to shed a tear "for the first time in [his] life". I've shed bucket loads of tears over the Jewish nation for more than 25 years... For those who are interested in viewing this rather one-sided programme, and reading further comments, you can do so by clicking on line here: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/articles/children-of-gaza-... Naturally, no one considers why these things took place, or how the Israeli's have put up with inhumane suffering from the Arab Palestinians. But as practising Christians, how should we view this, and what should be our response?

Well first of all, I believe we need to look at the bigger picture and not only learn the facts, but make sure other people know the facts too. For example, in total contrast to the Israeli educational system, which even in these terrible times of terror and murder continues to teach Israeli children the importance of tolerance and humanity, the Palestinian educational system preaches hatred and presents suicide bombers as the ideal role model, urging Palestinian children to go out and murder Jews. Palestinian Authority textbooks ask rhetorical questions such as, “Is it not clear why we must continue to fight and kill Jews and drive them off our land? We must carry out Jihad until our entire land is liberated.” On Palestinian television broadcasts, little boys and girls can be seen passionately proclaiming, “I can see my fall, but I march on resolutely to my death.” Young girls call out, “I see my death and I am running toward it – it is a hero’s death,” and when she finishes, her teacher applauds her and says “Bravo, bravo!” Groups of young children are shown on Palestinian television marching in rows, led by their teacher, chanting, “We are the suicide squad!” Naturally, it goes without saying that this indoctrination runs completely counter to Palestinian commitments under the Oslo Agreements signed with Israel in 1993. In that agreement, a special emphasis was placed on fostering peaceful relations between Israel and the Palestinians, and on ending Palestinian incitement against Israel in schools, the media and religious centres... however none of that agreement has been adhered to by those who lead the Palestinian Authority.

Sadly, incitement against Israel in the Palestinian media continues stronger than ever. The official educational system of the PA continues to poison the minds and souls of its students, teaching them to vehemently despise anything Israeli or Jewish. Additionally, the mosques in the Palestinian Authority serve as lecture halls of hatred and indoctrination for the shahids, or "martyrs". These young men and women aged between 16-24 are filled with religious fanaticism, armed with explosive belts wrapped around their bodies and sent to blow themselves up, taking as many Israeli civilians as possible – men, women and children – with them in the process. The extremist preachers in the mosques brain wash these youth kids to blindly believe that they will receive their reward for this act in the next world. One of the most horrific sights I've witnessed is that of Palestinian families expressing their joy and satisfaction, often handing out sweets and celebrating, when they learn their children have become “suicide martyrs.” As a father of a teenage son, I cannot even begin to understand the mindset of these Palestinian parents. The other problem appears that very few Palestinian families are willing to disassociate themselves from this chilling phenomenon. Now obviously it should be noted that not all Palestinian families behave this way, nor do I want to exaggerate the problem of making Arab families to look like some evil satanic monsters. However, it needs mentioning that the families of the suicide bombers are generously rewarded by various extremist Islamic organisations and countries for their children’s actions. If you want to check out my sources, the following information is well documented and can be viewed in full on the following websites and their publications: www.imra.org.il,www.pmw.org.il, www.edume.org.il , http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mf15.html

The biggest problem of course is, as Christians, how do we respond? Recently, I read some interesting thoughts from Johannes Gerloff (http://www.israelnetz.com/) after he had been to the "Christ at the Checkpoint" conference in Bethlehem in March 2010. Key speakers at the conference included Tony Campolo, Stephen Sizer, Brother Andrew, Jonathan Kuttab and Gary Burge among others. Speaking on the conference, Johannes Gerloff stated that it was challenging to everybody who believes that the restoration of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel is a fulfilment of biblical prophecy and, hence, supports the existence of the Jewish State of Israel. One of his questions was, "Where are the blind spots in our perspective?" After all, even as people who believe we are called to stand with Israel, we do have our "blind spots". Some other questions he asks include: "Are we as sworn into our point of view and resistant to any good advice? Does our interest in God’s plan with Israel darken the universal perspective of God’s intentions? Do we see and emphasize and support properly, that God’s election of Abraham and his seed from the very outset was intended as a blessing to all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:3) – including those “families” that call themselves today “Palestinian” or “Arab”? Are we being carried away by nationalistic or even racist motives? – which are sin, and this should be beyond any discussion! Do we indeed promote a message of hatred and incitement or a message of love, compassion and reconciliation?" (The quotes were reprinted with permission. If anyone would like to receive the whole analysis of the conference "Christ at the Checkpoint" you can order it from Johannes Gerloff at gerloff@kep.de ).

These questions are certainly thought provoking. However, I do firmly believe that our ministry within Christian Friends of Israel is very balanced. Naturally, we support the Jewish people, and a Jewish homeland, but from the UK, we also support Love Without Borders, outreach ministry to Palestinian refugees (Click here to find out more), and Shevet Achim, opening the doors of Israeli hospitals to the Arab's dying children (Click here to find out more).

Ultimately we know God is a God of love. When we consider that this God of love exists by His Spirit in us then we must understand that that love must infuse our lives and emanate out. That limitless love must at some stage, gradually begin to manifest through our limited love and out to others. We cannot be born again of the Spirit of God and not produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We must also come to a place of not only living by the Spirit but also keeping in step with Him. Galatians 5:25 implies that sometimes although led to love we choose to get out of step with the Holy Spirit’s leading and walk in the limited capacity of our own love.

As Christians we need to come to a place of surrender and allow our devotion to the God of Israel to be a priority in our lives in order that Godliness, Christ-likeness and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is channelled into, through, and out of our lives. This is why I often state that these News Reports are not written to stir up hatred or ill feelings against the Arab people. If that is all I succeed in doing, then I have failed. To deal correctly with these difficult issues, we must always examine our own heart and let compassion be our motive. The information here is solely that we might be equipped to understand today's situations in Israel better. This is paramount. CFI is after all, a Christian organisation... without love, we are nothing more than a "clanging bell" (1 Corinthians 13)." Yet in the midst of that, we also need to stand firm on the Biblical mandate that God is the One who has, and is working through the nation of Israel, and we must stand firm in our calling to the Jewish people. Let Truth be seen, let Truth be told, but let love be evident to all as well.

Commemorating the Shoah

The official events commemorating the Shoah or Holocaust – the systematic slaughter of the Jews in Europe in the course of the Second World War – began at Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Memorial Centre in Jerusalem) on Sunday. Then, as it does every year on the 27th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, Israel came to a standstill at 10 AM on Monday morning as air raid sirens blared across the country commemorating the massacre of six million Jews in the Nazi Holocaust. Back in England, Israeli coach Avram Grant's celebrations after steering Portsmouth into the FA Cup final were tinged with sadness as he too prepared to make an emotional pilgrimage to honour family members who died in the Holocaust.

Portsmouth football club, who are debt-ridden, won a remarkable 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. However this coincided with the start of Holocaust Memorial Day in Grant's native Israel and throughout the semi final the former Israel National Coach, Grant, wore a black armband. However football pales into insignificance when compared to the horrors of the Holocaust and however traumatic the Portsmouth fans may feel their season has been with the club nearly going out of business, it's all put into perspective for Avram Grant by his family's history.

When Grant travelled on Monday to the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau for the annual March of the Living, he will have been remembering family members who froze or starved to death in a Russian forest after fleeing Poland in 1941. Unlike two years ago, this time Grant didn't travel with his father. Meir Granat died in October shortly after urging his son to return to management at Portsmouth. Granat was the only family member to survive Siberia and had to bury his parents and siblings — some of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. "My father suffered a lot but he was most optimistic guy I ever met in my life," Grant said. "He said don't live in the past, live in future. My father was always happy, never hated people, even when they did wrong."

In Israel, memorial ceremonies were held at several locations, as the nation's leadership took time away from their duties to pay their respects to those who perished, those who survived and the thousands of Gentiles who risked and often lost their own lives to save those of Jews targeted by the Nazi regime. Meanwhile, a prominent Israeli-British historian warned that the slogan "Never Again" is fading, and that there is a very real possibility for a repeat of the Holocaust. In his new book "A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad," Hebrew University Professor Robert Wistrich explains that the politics and social attitudes that gave rise to and allowed the Nazi Holocaust to occur are still very much with us. In particular, Wistrich notes that Islam has much more openly conducted a religious war against the Jews in recent years, while Europe and the West have reacted with general indifference to that fact. Wistrich stated in an interview with Ha'aretz, "We are in an era once again where the Jews are facing genocidal threats as a people... We have not been in that situation for quite a while. And maybe this is the first time since the Holocaust that Jews feel that this is palpable."

Yom Ha'atzmaut Israel 62

Finally this week, Israel's Independence Day in 2010 falls this year on Monday 19th of April. But what a year it has been for Stacey Solomon. Having suddenly been thrust on the world’s stage through the Television programme X factor, she will now be singing at Israel's Independence Day celebrations on 19th of April. Stacey Solomon will appear in the Yom Ha’atzmaut with the Zionist Federation in London. Stacey’s performance is in addition to Achinoam Nini at this year’s Israel 62 celebrations. Achinoam Nini is one of Israel’s most famous singers. Having stunned the world at the 2009 Eurovision song contest by representing Israel, Achinoam Nini is joining the Jewish community of London for the celebrations.

As mentioned, Stacey Solomon first came into the public eye when she appeared on the first show of X Factor Live Auditions shocking everyone with an angelic rendition of Louis Armstrong’s What A Wonderful World. “I’m rarely surprised, but I have to be completely honest with you, that performance took me by surprise. I think you are really, really good.” stated the show’s host Simon Cowell. You can see Stacey’s rendition of ‘What a Wonderful World’ here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tBBb9aDr_w.

David Soakell

Sources: Unless otherwise stated: Personal sources throughout Israel along with The Jerusalem Post, BBC News, Arutz-7 News, Israeli Embassy London, Independent Media Review and Analysis & Israel National Radio

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