~ Thursday 15th July 2010 ~

Compiled by David Soakell Tel: 01642 469663 E-mail david@cfi.org.uk Website: www.cfi.org.uk

Please note: Due to being on a one week retreat, there will be no report next week. The next one will be out on 29th July 2010

The Word: The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, O LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea-- the LORD on high is mighty. Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O LORD. (Psalm 93)
The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground. (Psalm 147:2-6)

• Pointers for prayer: As we look at the current circumstances within Israel, let us remain watchful and constant in our prayers, and continue to pray that the LORD God would place His Wall of Fire around the Nation and people of Israel. (For I,' says the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.' " Zech 2:5)

• As you read through this Report, please continue to lift the Jewish nation before the LORD God. Pray that the whole Nation, from the Politicians, through the IDF, to every woman and son, would look to the Lord their God to renew their vision. May the nation of Israel turn to the LORD God of Israel to wait upon Him and seek His face. (Isaiah 40:31)

The only key In the above Psalm the writer states, “The ocean is roaring LORD! The sea is pounding hard. Its mighty waves are majestic, but you are more majestic and you rule over all.” Psalm 93:3-4. In our fight against the enemy's schemes, we must always remember Who is really in control and Who is sovereign! If God is not sovereign, the house will be full of chaos. I need to remember this when I watch the way Israel is portrayed by the media. Tempers can flare at the slightest provocation. Sometimes, reason is justified, but how easy for bitterness to surface, and the anger of the moment may only be “the tip of the iceberg.” I remember Lance Lambert once stated, "I believe that divinely lead and empowered intercession is the only key to this dark situation. We need to know how to hide in Christ; to have the whole armour of God... and stand within His revealed purpose..." We do indeed need to know how to hide in Messiah... and that is why I'm taking next week off to flee from the battle, and hide in His shelter for a few days.

I was supposed to go on a one weeks Retreat some time ago, but due to my fall and breaking my hand I had to postpone it due to me being unable to drive, however I'm now able to go and have my "spiritual batteries" recharged. And so, I will be arriving on the retreat next Monday,19th July. As I started to think about this, it caused me to remember that if God is not sovereign, the war Israel constantly faces would not have a framework. All events going on in the World would be "chance events", wrought by chance, propagated by chance, and the enemy would probably have their day by chance. But God’s sovereignty makes us understand that there’s an end to all of this, since He has been in control from the beginning of time. He holds the universe in His hands. While we may think about the probability of war and even Armageddon, God has long ago thought about delivering man from all that the evil of this world can possibly do. But sometimes it's hard holding on. Over these past few weeks, we have seen quite a few battles, but I have to say, compared to what Israel go through, out fight is small. Yet the battle here is still a real one... and if nothing else, one can often feel frustrated, downcast, and weary. As the enemy presses in, may we be in a place where we can pray for each other; for those who stand with Israel, and the people of Israel themselves, that they will not fear but put their trust in God! "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish." (Isaiah 41:10-11)

Gaza-bound Libyan boat given deadline Attempts to gain access to Gaza from the sea continue as another ship this week attempted to break through Israel’s blockade. Israel gave the Gaza-bound Libyan boat a deadline of midnight on Tuesday to change course or face interception. "Israeli authorities have given us until midnight tonight to change course and head to the port of El-Arish [Egypt]; otherwise they are threatening to intercept the boat with their navy," said Mashallah Zwei, one of the organisers of the sailing aimed at challenging Israel’s sovereignty over the coast off of Hamas-controlled Gaza. Reports have identified Zwei as a member of the Qaddafi Foundation, an alleged charity. He said by satellite phone that the request would be "studied before a response is given." The foundation said that the Israeli Navy is “shadowing” its vessel, named the Almathea, which should have reached Gaza by Wednesday morning.

Leaders on board the ship earlier had said they would head for Egypt if confronted by the Navy, which was trapped into a violent clash on 31st May with terrorists aboard a ship sponsored by the Turkish-based IHH origination. It since has been revealed to be a charity front for terrorist-linked activities and support. A Greek businessman involved with the ship told an Arabic language newspaper, "If this is the only option put forward by the Israeli authorities, we will choose to sail to the port of el-Arish [Egypt] and transfer the assistance by ground to Gaza.” He invited the Navy to board the ship and see that it is carrying humanitarian aid and is not transporting weapons to Gaza (this is the fear that Israel have, as many weapons are being smuggled into Gaza for the Hamas terrorist group. One of those on board is reported to be Syrian President Bashar Assad son of eccentric Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi.

It was also reported that Israel has expressed its willingness to deliver the aid to the Gaza Strip without having to take over the ship. A Libyan official said talks had been held through third party elements. However, according to sources, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said on Wednesday that the ship has resumed movement, apparently in the direction of El-Arish Port in Egypt, in accordance with Tuesday reports that the ship's captain announced it would dock there. Nonetheless, the IDF stressed that it would continue to shadow the ship's course to ensure that it does not divert to Gaza.

Forged British passports hypocrisy It's not too long ago that the British government, aided by a huge coverage and over-reaction by the British media, were "outraged" over a case of alleged forged British passports used in the assassination of a Hamas terrorist in Dubai. Well, according to a report from Barry Shaw in Israel, there has been another case, which for some reason, hasn't brought the same outrage. Barry Shaw, writing on his internet blog states, "It made headline news for days in all the major broadsheets. It was headline news on Britain's main TV channels. The British Foreign Office made a big stink about it and expelled an diplomat from the Israeli Embassy. The Israeli ambassador was called for a dressing down at the Foreign Office. British-Israeli relationships hit a low point. Now the FBI has admitted that some of the Russians caught spying in America entered the States on forged British passports!"

Quite rightly Barry Shaw asks, "Where is the outrage from Whitehall? Where are the screaming headline in the leading British papers? Why hasn't the BBC and Sky news channel gone crazy with this disclosure? Instead - total silence!!! Why? Why the dressing down if the alleged perpetrator is Israel, and a cover up if the criminals are the Russian Government? Why the double standards? David Milliband may no longer be the Foreign Minister in Britain, but surely William Hague must follow his predecessor ? After all, his leader, David Cameron, then head of the Conservative opposition, demanded that the Government disclose what it knew about the falsified documents. Surely he must observe the same standards today, even if they are applied against the Russians?"

David Milliband caused a huge "stink" against the 'intolerable misuse of British passports' calling it 'an outrage!', so Barry Shaw writes, "Surely the same epithet applies when used by Russian spies? A senior Foreign Office staff claimed that Israel had acted 'against British interests'. What was Russia doing? With all the attention that was drawn against alleged Israeli involvement, including the public punishment of a diplomatic eviction from Britain, it is staggering that the identical crime, carried out by the Russians, does not register a jot of newsprint, or a mention on prime time TV. What conclusions can be drawn from this? Only one. There is a standard of culpability for Israel - and a different expectation for the rest of the world. Even the crime of forging British passports can be overlooked. If perpetrated by Russians, the British Government turn their gaze away. No need to call in the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) as they did with Israel. If perpetrated by Israel, throw the book at them. So it has been over every issue from Israel's security to fighting terrorism to human rights. Britain, it seems, wishes to lead the world in double standards." To read more reports from Barry Shaw, log on to his blog here: http://israeltheviewfromhere.blogspot.com/

Palestinian Zionist Organization You may remember some time ago, I featured an article on the Palestinian Arab from Judea-Samaria, who formed a Palestinian Zionist Organization. Due to last weeks leading article, I thought it appropriate to give this group further coverage. As I mentioned last week, Zion is a term that most often refers to Israel's capital City ~ Jerusalem and by extension, the Biblical land of Israel. The word is found in texts dating back almost three millennia. The word can also be used when referring to the specific mountain in Jerusalem ~ Mount Zion. Throughout the past 25 years, I have heard many things connected to the term ‘Zion’ and 'Zionist', however I was shocked when I discovered a group on Facebook that termed the word Nazism and Zionism together. To all those who wrote in and commented on this, thank you. However, again, as I mentioned above, we need to be so careful how we respond, and why.

To the Jewish people, Jerusalem is the key issue to the very reason they are back in the land of Israel. The importance of Jerusalem to the Jewish people cannot be brushed aside, simple because America has a "new approach" by the President regarding Israel. And that is why more than 10,000 Israeli Jews gathered at the foot of Jerusalem's Temple Mount on Monday night to remind their own government and the international community that the biblical holy site belongs to them. Israel National News reported that those who gathered recited a "pledge of allegiance " to a Jewish Temple Mount where one day a House to the God of Israel will again stand. Speakers at the event decried the fact that today pretty much everyone except Jews are allowed to ascend the Temple Mount freely. Muslim authorities currently control the Temple Mount, and foreign non-Jewish visitors are allowed to ascend the plateau with little or no trouble. But Jewish visitors are regularly turned away by police if there is any fear of a violent Muslim reaction to their presence.

Jews and Christians both are forbidden to pray atop the Temple Mount or to carry Bibles into the compound. Numerous times, Muslim authorities at the site have chased down and driven off Jews and Christians spotted saying silent prayers. However, the protests of both Jews and Christians often go unheard. And that is why I believe when Arabs learn the truth, and start proclaiming it, we need to support and cover these people in much prayer. One such man, Elias Issa, a Palestinian Arab from Judea-Samaria, has formed a Palestinian Zionist Organization. He considers the Palestinian Authority "terrorist", and urges the world to shun it and support the Jewish people. His website advises that most Palestinian Arabs do not believe in peace but in eradicating the Jewish influence or presence from Israel, itself. According to this Palestinian Arab, a new Palestinian state therefore would be a terrorist state. He states that most of the world does not realize this.

The organisation cites a number of Palestinian Arabs who have come to the same conclusion. The website objects to the abuse of Palestinian Arab children in encouraging them to become terrorists; They conform the statement of the World Zionist Organisation which was defined by the First Zionist Congress in Basel; The Palestinian Zionist Organisation (PZO) agrees, confirms and declares that "The aim of Zionism is to create for the Jewish people a home in Eretz Israel secured by public law", and the PZO is an organisation which supports the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people.

Elias Issa states, "The Palestinian Zionist Organisation is: Against the lying and deceitful activities of the terroristic Palestinian Government led by Hamas and Fatah; Against the lies that the Palestinians show the world media so the world ALWAYS blames Israel; Against the 'Land for Peace' policy forced by the USA and the UN. The only thing that Israel receives in return for land are rockets send by Hamas and Fatah. 'Land for Peace' is one big Palestinian lie; Against a Palestinian State. This Palestinian State will become the most terroristic state in the world! Official Hamas documents show that they will only use every 'new inch of land' to destroy the nation of Israel. Politics do not change the hearts of people; Against the Palestinian child abuse by Hamas and Fatah who turn children into suicide bombers; Against the division of Jerusalem. The Palestinians will only use their part of Jerusalem to terrorize the Jewish part of Jerusalem. The Palestinian Zionist Organization is: For exposing the truth to the world media concerning the Middle East conflict; For a Jewish nation that deserves all the land that was promised to them as described in the Tanakh, so that includes parts of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon; For building the third Temple on the Temple Mount; For 'Aliyah', so we call upon all the Jewish people to come back home to their Promised Land; For the right that Israel has to defend themselves against all the terroristic nations/networks who seek to destroy them, and FOR PEACE, but how can Israel make peace with people who don't want peace....???" To view the website and learn more about this group go to: http://www.palestinianzionistorganization.com/

Lawsuits & Scud missiles On the fourth anniversary of the start of the second Lebanese-Israeli War, ninety-one American, Israeli and Canadian victims of Hezbollah rocket attacks filed an unprecedented lawsuit against the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television network. The suit, Kaplan et al. v. Al Jazeera (Case No.10 CV 5298), which was filed in federal court in Manhattan, seeks $1.2 billion in compensatory damages plus punitive damages. The plaintiffs, whose family members were killed or who were themselves injured by rockets fired at Israel by Hezbollah between 12th July and 14th August 2006, allege that Al-Jazeera intentionally reported live coverage of the locations of the missile strikes inside of Israel in violation of military censorship regulations, in order to enable Hezbollah to aim the missiles more accurately. Al-Jazeera camera crews in Israel during the war were repeatedly detained by the Israeli police for broadcasting real-time information regarding the location of missile strikes, which Hezbollah utilized to more accurately aim their missiles at civilian population centres.

Al-Jazeera has often been accused as having an extreme anti-American and anti-Israel political agenda. In 2002, Professor Khalid al Dakheel of King Saud University stated that: "Al-Jazeera is the mouthpiece of the Arabs. Their coverage is anti-Israelis. Their coverage is anti-Americans." In 2006, Lt. Col. Todd Vician, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defence stated: "Anyone, even an American living in the Middle East watching a network like Al Jazeera day after day after day, would begin to believe that America was bad just based on the biased, one-sided coverage." And according to Amira Oron of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, during the 2006 war in Lebanon, "Al-Jazeera was no different from Hezbollah's own station Al-Manar . It's an Arab station and its intent is to promote the Arab cause." Whether the lawsuit will be successful remains to be seen, however imagine what it would be like if every Israeli filed a lawsuit against the rocket attacks on civilians in Israel. And image the rejoicing it they won! However nothing will ever replace the pain and suffering to families who have lost loved ones in these attacks.

Things could of course be a lot worse, and indeed if reports are correct, could get a whole lot worse. According to Hezbollah's group leader, the terrorist group can strike infrastructure deep inside Israel if a new war breaks out, the group's leader said, but refused to confirm whether or not the militants have long-range Scud missiles. The missiles have been at the centre of Mideast tensions for some time, which have a greater range and can carry a much bigger warhead than the rockets Hezbollah fired at Israel in the past. Syria has denied the allegations, as has Lebanon. Hezbollah indicated that the details of the group's weaponry are a secret. "We don't speak through the media about the rockets we have or their details... Do we have what is more or less sophisticated than a Scud missile -- these are details I don't want to speak about... If a war breaks out ... we said we will attack their (Israeli) infrastructure. We are able to fulfil these promises."

"Methodist Friends of Israel" update Following what I wrote in last week's News Report regarding the Methodist Church being on a collision course with Jewish community leaders after accepting a document at their conference, which is accused of being bias against Israel, I felt an update was needed regarding the newly formed "Methodist Friends of Israel". Each of the 11 resolutions in the document titled “Justice for Palestine and Israel,” were passed two weeks ago, despite the report being accused of “historical distortions and bias” by Jon Benhamin, the chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. As a way of practical support, Pam Smith has now formed the "Methodist Friends of Israel" as she knows there are many Methodists, ministerial and lay, who feel exactly as she does. If anyone would like to be a part of this then please contact Pam Smith at barry@monmanse.freeserve.co.uk

There is also a new website being launched very soon by Methodist Friends of Israel, and a facebook page is being set up. Do pray for all this action that the Lord would honour this work and cause many to support this. Further details will be released when I have then to hand.

David Soakell

Sources: Unless otherwise stated: Personal sources throughout Israel along with the Jerusalem Post, Arutz-7 News & Israel Radio