~ Thursday 29th April 2010 ~

Compiled by David Soakell Tel: 01323 410810

E-mail david@cfi.org.uk Website: www.cfi.org.uk

The Word: Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth… I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you… (Isaiah 46:3-10)

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD! Awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old… So the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 51:9-11)

With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm... His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 136:12)

Pointers for prayer: As we prayed last week, may we once again stand in the position of Samuel. I Samuel 3:9 states, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.' As both Israel and the Church need to hear the voice of God, 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.

Once again the BBC has been accused of biased reporting on life in Israel. Please pray for fair and accurate reporting from every media outlet.

Please pray for strength and wisdom to the leaders in Israel, especially Prime Minister Netanyahu to deal with the threat from Hamas & Hezbollah.

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. Pray too for the family of Gilad Shalit. Let us not forget about him. May he be brought home swiftly, safely and in good health by God’s "strong hand and outstretched arm" (Psalm 136:12). And keep praying for reconciliation. 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.

The BBC still biased against Israel According to a report which is published today (Wednesday) by Honest Reporting (http://www.honestreporting.co.uk/), the BBC’s coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for the first three months of 2010 has been "steeped with an anti-Israel bias". Over the past few years, we have often reported the poor coverage from the British media, and especially the BBC in these News Reports. The problem of course is, do the BBC and other media groups actually listen to the criticism that they are frequently getting? Well, more on that shortly.

In the detailed analysis of BBC News, Honest Reporting shows among its findings that its daily coverage focuses on Israeli action, which it deems as “undermining the peace process,” while Palestinian actions that violate peace agreements are either ignored or downplayed. The 31-page report uses 57 articles from the BBC from January until March 2010. It accuses the BBC of leading with the Palestinian perspective or quoting “partisan, agenda-driven” Israeli organizations critical of Israel. The report also accuses the BBC of presenting historical issues without context, i.e. referring to Jerusalem as occupied territory with no reference to its 3,000-year Jewish history. Inaccurate terms are often used, out of a fear of passing judgment: examples include referring to Hamas as “militants” or “fighters” or Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s coalition government as “right-wing.”

Many of you reading this report, or indeed, reading the full Honest Reporting article, will of course not be surprised in the least by this news, however the managing editor of Honest Reporting (HR) does make some startling statements. At one point Simon Plosker, HR’s managing editor states, “While some British media outlets such as The Guardian contribute to the demonisation of Israel by way of sheer Israel bashing, the BBC’s reporting, while more subtle, is just as dangerous to Israel.” During the first three months of this year, the HR report states that the BBC published 27 articles which dealt with "Jewish settlements" in Jerusalem; 12 on difficulties for Palestinians as a result of Israeli measures; nine on Israeli military operations and three describing acts of vandalism allegedly perpetrated by Israelis against Palestinians. Yet during the same period the BBC only published one article on Palestinian glorification of terror; one detailing corruption in the Palestinian Authority and none on Palestinian weapons smuggling into Gaza. The report, which has been sent to the BBC’s director general, head of news and Middle East reporter Jeremy Bowen, makes a number of recommendations, including a call to the BBC to use a full spectrum of Israeli voices and official sources.

Generally, after reading or hearing what the British Media are saying regarding the Israeli/Palestinian problems, most people are left with the belief that Israel are doing their utmost to make the Arab Palestinians suffer, and that the Jewish nation is determined for anything but peace with the Arab world. Sadly, this biased reporting is also having a big impact on how many within the Church view Israel. Recently, even one of my readers wrote to me stating, "I don't think I need your News Reports anymore. Some of the things that Israel are doing are inexcusable and remind me of the early stages of Nazi rule in Germany. Ghettoes and lebensraum spring to mind when I think of modern Israel... I do not want to hear about how it's okay when Israel does it because they are God's own people anymore..." My answer was to ask the person to pray and seek the Lord over this difficult issue.

I also reminded the person what I had written last week, that 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 stated that the 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 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.

So having said all that.... are Honest Reporting right in their criticism of the BBC? Am I right in stating that the British Media's biased reporting is having a big impact on how many within the Church view Israel? Or are we the biased ones... have we got it wrong? Well, at the end of the day, providing you have truly sought the Lord, examined your own heart and have allowed His love to be your motive, it is then up to you to use your wisdom and judgement on these issues. Now I'm not stating that every thing that Israel does is right and that they are above any criticism... they make mistakes as any nation does. Is there racism in Israel? Sadly, yes. But is there racism in Britain? Of course there is, it is there in most countries. However, Israel often try their utmost to bless those who live in their land. After suffering the Holocaust, then the wars of 1948, 1967, 1973, two intifadas and two Lebanese wars... don't you think Israel want peace? Of course they do... why do you think they gave Gaza away? And look what happened when they did that... years of suffering from rockets being fired into Israel from Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

And on top of all this, let's briefly look at the news regarding this one issue which has been released only today... Eight Palestinian Authority factions meeting in Syria have rejected peace talks with Israel based on the “two-state solution.” Among the factions were Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The groups called on the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the umbrella group that created the PA, to immediately stop talks with Israel. The PA has agreed to indirect talks with Israel, via United States mediators. The eight factions slammed US negotiators, and accused special U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell of seeking to buy time for Israel to implement its own plans. While the PA is currently run by Fatah, which supports negotiations, Hamas swept the PA parliamentary elections in 2006, threw members of Fatah off roof top buildings and continues to enjoy significant support in Judea and Samaria as well as Gaza. Fatah won only 45 out of 132 seats in the 2006 elections. Hamas has called to postpone new PA elections due to the Hamas-Fatah split, which has left Hamas in charge of Gaza and Fatah in control of Judea and Samaria.

And so... if we are correct, and you want to complain about the BBC, why not write to them. However, don't expect an easy task. According to the BBC Complaints website, the process for making a formal complaint is designed to be straightforward to use and to enable you to address your concerns properly. But is this true? Well, again, not according to Honest Reporting. Every time they put out a call to action, they receive huge amounts of e-mails from confused readers who couldn't figure out how to make their complaint to the BBC. So, back in 2008, HR posted an Idiot's Guide to Navigating BBC Complaints on Backspin, their daily blog. It's one of the most-viewed entries in the blog's six and a half year history. According to HR, unlike other news services, the BBC makes complaints so complex. And having made your complaint, you may be satisfied to receive a response within 10 working days as the BBC aims for. From our experience, however, most complainants are certainly not happy with the excuses meted out by BBC employees desperate to avoid taking responsibility for biased coverage that sometimes even breaches the BBC's own guidelines on impartiality.

Hundreds of thousands call for Schalit release Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier who was abducted on 25 June 2006 by Palestinian terrorists in a cross-border raid still appears a long way off in getting his freedom. He was abducted through the Kerem Shalom crossing (in Israel), and has been held as a hostage in Gaza by the Hamas terrorist group since. When Gilad was 11 years old he wrote a book that was an allegory for peace between the Jews and Palestinians. Shalit was captured and taken from his family when he was 19. He's been in captivity for almost four years now. To my knowledge, Hamas has not let the Redcross or any other organisation visit and treat Gilad ~ which is against international law, as well as depriving Israel of the information of his whereabouts.

This week, one thousand and forty two days after Gilad Schalit was captured, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in protest, wearing white and calling for the release of Schalit. The concept was initiated by a private citizen, Ilan Spector of Beersheba, who started a Facebook group promoting the idea. One rally, held on the Rishon Lezion college campus, was attended by captured soldier’s father Noam Schalit. He called the 'Day in White' "the solidarity that began with one man's keyboard in Beersheba which has swept the nation." Noam Schalit stated, “I am sure that Gilad would be grateful to see this large crowd who gathered here today, and in many other places throughout the country. He would be humbled to see this concrete support and solidarity."

Meanwhile, speaking to Israel's Channel 2 on Monday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he had asked Hamas to transfer the captured soldier to the West Bank and let him hammer out a deal, but to no avail. "I have told Hamas a hundred times, 'Give Schalit to me and I'll get a deal that will satisfy everybody.'" In a rather sickening move, Hamas released an animated film on Sunday depicting Noam Schalit, the father of Gilad, wandering the streets of Tel Aviv with a photograph of his son for years as successive Israeli governments make empty promises about securing his release, only to finally receive the body of his dead son at the conclusion of the short film. Hamas announced that they hope the film will pressure the Israeli government to cave in to their demands for the release of over 1,000 Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails in exchange for Schalit.

“It’s regrettable that the leaders of Hamas time and again choose to employ psychological warfare – for the umpteenth time – against the Schalit family and the State of Israel,” Noam Schalit responded. He also refuted the Hamas message that the Israeli government was responsible for his son’s continued captivity, instead placing the blame squarely on Hamas. Israeli officials also noted that the “cynical” video also appeared two days after Israel allowed the young daughter of a top Hamas official in Gaza to be flown to Jordan for a life-saving operation. Let us not forget about him. May he be brought home swiftly, safely and in good health by God’s "strong hand and outstretched arm" (Psalm 136:12).

Hezbollah's huge stockpile According to sources, Syria is continuing to help Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah stockpile “far more rockets and missiles than most governments in the world”. These were the words of U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday at a joint press conference with visiting Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. Without specifically mentioning the Scud missile, which Hezbollah reportedly is adding to its arsenal with Syria’s and Iran’s help, Secretary Gates stated, "Syria and Iran are providing Hezbollah with rockets and missiles of ever-increasing capability… and this is obviously destabilizing for the whole region.” His comments came at the same time that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has tried to assure Lebanon that Israel has no intention of attacking Hezbollah. The Hezbollah forces have blended in with the Lebanese army to the level that Prime Minister Netanyahu said it is hard to distinguish between the two. Israeli President Shimon Peres on Tuesday accused Syria of supplying Scud missiles to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah while publicly talking peace. "Syria claims it wants peace while at the same time it delivers Scuds to Hezbollah whose only goal is to threaten the state of Israel," Peres told public radio. According to Arab media and specialised think-tanks, Syria has been sending some of its arsenal of Scud missiles to Lebanon, an allegation denied by Damascus. Israel's Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilnai declined to go into details of the alleged Scud shipments but said that "Hezbollah's firing capacity has significantly improved." Israel accuses both Syria and Iran of supplying arms to the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah, whose deadly attack on an army patrol just inside Israel triggered a devastating war in the summer of 2006.

Israeli cardiology ~ one of the best in the world One of the humanitarian works Christian Friends of Israel supports is Shevet Achim, fronted by Jonathan Miles. Medical facilities in Israel are among the world's finest, yet only a few miles away Arab children are dying for lack of care. This is particularly true for the hundreds born each year with congenital heart defects. Open-heart surgery can give most of these dying children a normal life, yet it is unavailable or inaccessible in many Arab areas. Israeli doctors and hospitals are willing to rescue these children, and in most cases bear a majority of the expense themselves. The role of Shevet Achim is to find the children, transport them to Israel, and provide financial support as needed.

This past week, one of the latest reports by Jonathan Miles really had a big impact on me. Jonathan writes, "Today was a day of hope and fear for five-year-old Ahmed's mother and his doctors--the last attempt to save a valve in his heart before saddling him with an artificial valve and all of its complications for the rest of his days. Going into surgery, doctors estimated only a 10% chance of successfully repairing the valve. A full contingent of Shevet women were there alongside to pray and encourage Ahmed's mother... We each took our turn embracing Ahmed's mother as Ahmed was just beginning to wake. The atmosphere was exceptionally peaceful and calm. As Ahmed awoke his little smile widened with the entrance of each visitor... The calmness and peace of a Divine Presence was never more evident. The best news of the day was that the leaking valve was repaired, rather than replaced with an artificial valve and its attendant lifelong complications. PRAISE GOD!!!!! A repair of his own valve is by far the number one choice. It will grow with him as he grows. Thank You Lord for your goodness, mercy and loving kindness!"

As I was pondering on the recent news from Shevet Achim, more news filtered in from Israel. According to sources, the European Society of Cardiology found that Israel’s hospitalised heart attack patients have a lower death rate than in 29 European countries and that balloon angioplasty, an operation to open clogged coronary arteries, is faster for Israeli patients than in all 30 countries except Germany. The scientific paper published in the esteemed European Heart Journal also included other good news for Israelis. The 22 catheterisation centres in Israel perform 2,726 catheterisations per million residents, which is twice the US rate; and only 4.2 percent of patients died following heart attacks in Israeli hospitals, compared to 11.9% in Finland and 13.5% in Italy. Heart Society President Prof. Gad Keren and Secretary-General Prof. Doron Zager expressed pride in Israel’s rankings, concluding that it reflects upon years of research and hard work by cardiology departments around the country, as well as the health system’s correct investment in catheterisation laboratories.

In many ways, this can only be seen as the hand of God at work in this tiny nation of Israel. It has to be seen as a miracle that Israeli cardiology is now one of the best in the world. Why, you may ask? Well... remember only 65 years ago, Jews were being murdered in the millions in gas chambers throughout Europe. Only 62 years ago, as the nation of Israel declared its independence, seven Arab countries declared war on Israel.
Remember, Israel at the time had no IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) or Air Force. Today Israel is a beautiful country; Israel has a powerful Army, a strong Air Force and Navy. They have a thriving high tech industry. Intel, Microsoft, and IBM have all developed their businesses there. And, as I mentioned above, Israel's doctors have won important prizes in the medical development field. No matter what condemnation comes from the world, Israel are still here. Maybe the rest of the world hasn't caught on, but Israel are an eternal nation.

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