PLEASE SEE OUR
SPECIAL NOTE OF APPRECIATION,
BELOW.
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Israel Report Volume I, Number 11a
FOCUS ON EGYPT
August 18, 2013
"'For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,'
says the Lord your Redeemer.'"
(Exodus 33:14)
A Note of Thanks
Dear Friends,
On Thursday evening, we issued a Special Alert with prayer requests for the nation of Egypt, now in turmoil. When we issued that alert, reports were that
638 lives had been lost, and another almost 4,000 injured.
We know you all engaged in earnest prayer IMMEDIATELY (as we tracked our figures here) along with millions of other believers around the world on behalf of the nation of Egypt.
The next day (Friday) was supposed to have been a "day of rage" among Morsi's supporters, who had threatened to leave their mosques after noon prayer and go on a rampage across the nation, leaving devastation in its wake.
Instead, at the end of the day, the number killed fell from 630 to 176!
Although our own heartcry is that this number be reduced to zero, nevertheless, these statistics
are a testimony to the true power of prayer.
Thank you for taking the time this weekend to read and to pray over both sections of our Israel Report. Your prayers are making a world of difference out there, and together, we are changing history for Him!
In His Wonderful Name, amen.
Sara C. Ballenger, Founder and President
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
chpp@patriot.net
(Zechariah 4:6) - "This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.'"
Photo of Excavation of King David's Palace, in Judea
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Headlines: News from Egypt
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Headlines: News from Egypt
- UNDERSTANDING THE SITUATION IN EGYPT
- EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS SPEAK ABOUT THEIR SITUATION
- EGYPT CONSIDERS OUTLAWING MOSLEM BROTHERHOOD
- HUNDREDS KILLED BY EGYPTIAN TROOPS
- EGYPT CLOSER TO CIVIL WAR AS ISLAMISTS TAKE TO STREETS
- EGYPT'S CHURCHES AFLAME AS BROTHERHOOD TARGETS CHRISTIANS
- "INCOHERENT" OBAMA POLICY ON EGYPT UNDER FIRE
- THE PENTAGON HAS LOST ITS LEVERAGE WITH EGYPT. NOW WHAT?
- MOSLEM BROTHERHOOD CLAIMS THEY HAVE GOODS ON OBAMA
- ISRAEL KEEPS A WARY EYE ON TURMOIL IN EGYPT
- PUTIN CALLS FOR WORLD TO UNITE TO END CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION
- SAUDI KING CALLS ON ARABS TO STAND WITH EGYPT
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1. UNDERSTANDING THE SITUATION IN EGYPT:
SAT-7 Brings Firsthand Clarity
Some Muslims who rushed to help preserve churches and Christian properties were urged by Christians to return home. "Buildings can be rebuilt, but you are priceless, so stay safe," they reportedly said. "Buildings are not the Church. The Body of Christ is the Church, and we are firmly intact."
(Easton, MD)-In the wake of a bloody government crackdown on Egyptian protestors that left hundreds dead and thousands injured, SAT-7 Christian satellite television broadcasts from Egypt are bringing a firsthand view of the unethical practices of the Morsi presidency and its sham of "democracy," with insights and understanding not currently reported by mainstream Western media.
Amid the ongoing destruction of churches by supporters of ousted president Morsi, Egyptian Christian leaders are responding with reconciliation and forgiveness, stressing that the church is not mere buildings, but rather "the Body of Christ" composed of people and their faith in him.
SAT-7 has been covering the political situation since the anti- and pro-Morsi protests began at the end of June, helping viewers better understand and engage with the situation from a Biblical faith perspective through its current affairs programming, broadcast live from Egypt.
In his June 2012 election, Morsi received only 13 million votes from the Egyptian population of 83 million, according to Terence Ascott, CEO and founder of SAT-7 International (www.sat7usa.org) in a recent commentary.
Taking wide-sweeping power without censure, he filled key government positions with former Muslim Brotherhood leaders, some of whom had previous convictions for violence or incitement to violence, and rushed through a pro-Islamic constitution despite protests and boycotts from liberals, moderate Muslims and Christians, said Ascott. Morsi refused to call for new elections, as he had previously agreed to do after a new constitution had been adopted.
Into this political scenario, with a failing economy and crumbling infrastructure, while as many as 30 million people protested during Morsi's first anniversary, the army responded and removed him from office, said Ascott. Following an ensuing six weeks of pro-Morsi occupation of public squares, demanding his reinstatement, blocking all traffic and promising retribution against the army, police, liberals and specifically Coptic Christians, deadly violence broke out August 14 as the army moved in to disburse them.
"The Muslim Brotherhood has been very effective with the Western media, portraying themselves as 'victims' and the army as a coup," said Ascott. "This is not the version of the truth that resonates with the vast majority of Egyptians."
Scores of business, homes, police stations, hospitals and other public buildings have been destroyed by Morsi supporters. At least 40 churches, a monastery, three religious societies, three key Bible Society bookshops, three Christian schools and an orphanage have been burned or otherwise destroyed.
Some Muslims who rushed to help preserve churches and Christian properties were urged by Christians to return home. "Buildings can be rebuilt, but you are priceless, so stay safe," they reportedly said. "Buildings are not the Church. The Body of Christ is the Church, and we are firmly intact."
General Sisi, commander-in-chief of Egyptian armed forces and Minister of Defense, subsequently announced the army will pay for renovating all the damaged churches.
SAT-7's staff in Cairo has worked from home, and all are reported safe. According to Garas, they plan to broadcast their current affairs program "Bridges" as usual on Saturday, to cover the attacks on churches and the decision of Christian leaders to refuse outside protection, showing that the Church is standing for freedom over force.
"It seems we are experiencing a pruning process of the living body of Egypt," said Garas." It hurts, but it is important. We are sure we will see the fruit of freedom, and we trust the Creator who is in control." Read more.
Prayers are requested for Egypt, the largest country in the Arab world with the largest Christian community in the Middle East:
- For current violence to end soon
- For the re-establishment of effective rule of law and order for the benefit of all citizens
- For effective protection of church and other property against attacks by extremists
- For Egypt to be governed for the benefit of all its citizens, with people of different persuasions able to live alongside one another peaceably
- For Egyptian Christians to have opportunity to play an increasingly prominent and effective role in addressing the needs of all Egyptians and helping to bring healing and reconciliation in the country
[Reported by: Breaking Christian News]
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2. EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS SPEAK ABOUT THEIR SITUATION
Dearest Sara,
We just received this email last night from our missionaries to the Middle East, they work with the missions pastor at Dr. Sameh Maurice's church, Kasr El Dobara, in Cairo, Egypt, and across the Middle East. . . Our missionary is passing this up-to-the-minute information along first-hand from the missions pastor in Cairo.
Christians across Egypt have been relentlessly persevering in fasting and prayer for several years now, sometimes in prayer meetings of over 70,000 Christians at once (we have the videos)! The spiritual battle continues to rage as many Christians, schools, churches, and Christian's homes are bombed, burned, and Believers in Jesus are shot, wounded, and killed by the muslim extremists. Please pass this letter along to prompt as much prayer and support as possible. . .
Terry & Barbi
Heart for the World, Inc.
Prayer update from the missions pastor
at Kasr El Dobara Church, Cairo, Egypt
August 16, 2013
Dear prayer partners,
Thank you for your continuous prayers for Egypt. They are greatly needed.
Today the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies of fanatic Islamic groups have reiterated their promise to burn Egypt. Their demonstrations were heavily armed with Kalashnikov rifles by which they were attacking police stations and even shooting people in their homes.
Videos on youtube will show you this as well as five cars loaded with weapons taken in the middle of the protests. What is especially alarming and noteworthy is their flaunting of the famous Al Qaeda black flag towards the end of the video clip!
The real face of terrorism is being unveiled. One could blatantly say it is a war on terrorism, or rather, it is a war against terrorism within Egypt and towards Egyptian Christians more specifically.
This explains why demonstrators put an Al Qaeda flag on a church in Sohag after burning it.
Assaults and attacks on Christians and their churches continued in different parts all over Egypt today (Friday, August 16th). The estimated number of churches destroyed since the eruption of violence has reached around 82 churches.
While I'm writing this email to you, we are receiving news and messages from our friends in Malawi, a city in El Menia province in Southern Egypt with a huge Christian population, that after they burned the Catholic church and 3 Christian schools, they moved to the Evangelical church and actually burned it. They are continuing to attack, burning and looting Christian homes.
Please keep praying for the situation here. Please DO circulate this email to all your friends for prayer AND to raise support from media and decision makers.
Missions pastor, Kasr El Dobara Church, Cairo, Egypt
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3. EGYPT CONSIDERS OUTLAWING MOSLEM BROTHERHOOD
Egyptian authorities are considering disbanding the Muslim Brotherhood group, a government spokesman said Saturday, once again outlawing a group that held the pinnacle of government power just more than a month earlier.
The announcement comes after security forces broke up two sit-in protests this week by those calling for the reinstatement of President Mohammed Morsi, a Brotherhood leader deposed in a July 3 coup. The clashes killed more than 600 people that day and sparked protests and violence that killed 176 people Friday alone.
Cabinet spokesman Sherif Shawki said that Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, who leads the military-backed government, assigned the Ministry of Social Solidarity to study the legal possibilities of dissolving the group. He didn't elaborate.
The Muslim Brotherhood group, founded in 1928, came to power a year ago when its Morsi was elected in the country's first free presidential elections. The election came after the overthrow of autocrat Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising in 2011. (AP)
- Offer praise for this bold move on behalf of the government of Egypt. It is wisdom to silence the voice of the Moslem Brotherhood in the halls of Egypt's government in Cairo, for they govern only by ways of lawlessness. Praise the Lord!
- "From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be silenced." (Proverbs 10:31)
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4. HUNDREDS KILLED BY EGYPTIAN TROOPS
CAIRO: The crackdown started around 7:30 am with snipers shooting at TV equipment on the rooftop of the Raba'a Al Adawiya mosque. Many of the protestors on the roof ran into the mosque to take cover from the shooting.
A few minutes later, helicopters hovered in the air and soldiers began shooting tear gas at the middle followed by tear gas at the square's crowd. This reporter also heard dozens of automatic rifle shots and personally saw at least 45 bodies. . .
The spokesman for Cairo's health ministry said at least 95 people had been killed in the protests, which quickly spread to other parts of Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood put the death toll in the hundreds. A spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon issued a statement saying he regretted the use of violence to break up the pro-Morsi protests.
"The Secretary-General regrets that Egyptian authorities chose instead to use force to respond to the ongoing demonstrations," Ban's spokesperson said. "While recognizing that political clocks do not run backwards, the Secretary-General also believes firmly that violence and incitement from any side are not the answers to the challenges Egypt faces," the statement said.
Egypt declared a month-long state of emergency and ordered the stock exchange and banks not to open tomorrow.
Source: (By Sherif Elhelwa, The Media Line, August 14, 2013)
- Pray that the violence in Egypt does not spill over into Israel. Pray for divine protection over the Christians caught in the violence and for God to speak to the leaders directing the violence.
- "Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence." (Psalm 27:11-12)
[Reported by: Bridges for Peace]
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5. EGYPT CLOSER TO CIVIL WAR AS DEATH TOLL RISES AND ISLAMISTS TAKE TO STREETS
Supporters of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood stormed and torched government buildings in Cairo on Thursday, while families tried to identify hundreds of mutilated bodies piled in a Cairo mosque a day after they were shot dead by the security forces. At least 638 people were killed and close to 4,000 wounded in the worst day of civil violence in the modern history of the most populous Arab state. Brotherhood supporters claim the death toll is far higher, with hundreds of bodies yet uncounted by the authorities, whose troops and police crushed protests seeking the return of deposed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
In defiance of appeals for restraint, Egypt's Interior Ministry warned protesters that police officers were authorized to use lethal force to protect themselves. The ministry also promised to punish any "terrorist actions and sabotage" after at least two government buildings were burned early Thursday. Muslim Brotherhood supporters additionally attacked a dozen police stations around the country on Wednesday, killing more than 40 police officers. US President Obama said Thursday that the US "deplores" and "strongly condemns" the bloodshed in Egypt. It has urged all citizens residing there to leave the country immediately. Governments across Europe have criticized the violence and issued strong warnings against travel to Egypt. (Ynet/Ha'aretz)
- "I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; everyone will fight against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor, city against city and kingdom against kingdom." (Isaiah 19:2)
[Reported by: Jerusalem News Network]
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6. EGYPT'S CHURCHES AFLAME AS BROTHERHOOD TARGETS CHRISTIANS
Egypt's Coptic Christian minority has become a target for Muslim Brotherhood supporters across the country in the wake of the military's decision to clear supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi from their Cairo sit-ins. Immediately after security forces cleared encampments in two of the city's squares, Islamists began attacking Christian churches.
Approximately 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood supporters set fire to two churches south of Cairo. Angry mobs also targeted churches, monasteries and other church properties in Alexandria, Suez and a number of other cities in Upper Egypt. A total of seven Catholic Churches and fifteen Coptic Orthodox and Protestant churches have reportedly been torched by pro-Morsi mobs, including several ancient ones.
Brotherhood supporters also wreaked havoc on Coptic Christian businesses and property throughout the country. Coptic priests and laymen have been killed and churches have been burned or scrawled with anti-Christian graffiti. Brotherhood supporters blame the Copts for toppling former President Morsi because Coptic Pope Tawadros II backed the military's July 3 move to oust him. (IPT News/Arutz-7)
> > > See also: Reported List of Churches and Christian Institutions Attacked in Egypt Since Wednesday Will Astonish You
Go here.
- Where is the US President, the Secretary of State, the UN and the European Union in the face of the escalating hostility shown to Christians in Egypt by the Muslim Brotherhood? Much prayer is needed for the millions-strong believing remnant across Egypt. May there be protection, courage and comfort for those who are suffering the loss of homes, businesses and loved ones at the hands of Islamists - simply because they are Christians.
- "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:19)
[Reported by: Jerusalem News Network]
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7. "INCOHERENT" OBAMA POLICY ON EGYPT UNDER FIRE AS VIOLENCE SPREADS
As Egypt descends into chaos, President Obama is facing increasing criticism that an "incoherent" policy toward the country -- much like U.S. policy toward Syria -- is putting U.S. money and influence on the line without a clear end-game.
Obama administration claims to be staying neutral in the violent confrontation between the military-backed government and Muslim Brotherhood supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi. . . "America cannot determine the future of Egypt," Obama said Thursday, in brief remarks from Martha's Vineyard, where he's vacationing, as he appealed for calm and condemned the violence.
Yet the administration is sending mixed signals. While the president directly spoke out against the military-backed government on Thursday -- and canceled upcoming joint military exercises -- the U.S. has refused to label Morsi's ouster a coup. That means, under U.S. law, the administration can continue to send $1.5 billion in annual aid to the Egyptian government.
. . . John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under the George W. Bush administration, called the current policy "completely incoherent. You can't have your press secretary say ... that this is up for Egyptians to answer, and then try and get in the middle of it," Bolton said. (Fox News) Read more.
- Obama has been a strong supporter of the Moslem Brotherhood (MB) in every Islamic nation, and Egypt is no exception. Now, he is facing the consequences of his own, heavy-handed actions: imposing his will on that of the citizens of Egypt, the vast majority of whom want to rid themselves of Morsi and his MB party.
Lift up our president and ask our Lord to touch his heart, so that his own policy and that of our nation would not be "incoherent" but solidly "coherent" -- solidly supporting the rights of a free people to govern themselves. Pray!
- "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes." (Proverbs 21:1)
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8. THE PENTAGON HAS LOST ITS LEVERAGE WITH EGYPT. NOW WHAT?
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has been on the phone with his Egyptian counterpart, Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Sissi, almost every day since the July 3 military ouster of President Mohamed Morsi. And every day he has urged the Egyptian defense minister to find a peaceful resolution to the political turmoil. He's called al-Sissi at least 15 times since the military booted Morsi from power, a Pentagon official told Defense One.
By all accounts, al-Sissi had agreed. Just last week, Hagel hung up the phone with Cairo and was reassured that the Egyptian military wanted a peaceful transition. "Minister Al-Sisi underscored his commitment to peaceful resolution of the ongoing protests, and thanked Secretary Hagel for U.S. support," the Pentagon said, in a description of the Aug. 5 phone call.
After yesterday's bloody crackdown in the streets of Egypt that left more than 500 dead, including women and children, and scores more injured, it's clear that Hagel's pleas have gone unheard or ignored. With world leaders, including President Barack Obama, decrying the massacre, and ice bags and desk fans futilely cooling the overflowing bodies in Cairo's morgues, Hagel called al-Sissi again on Thursday. According to a Pentagon statement, Hagel "reiterated that the United States remains ready to work with all parties to help achieve a peaceful, inclusive way forward. The Department of Defense will continue to maintain a military relationship with Egypt," Hagel said, "but I made it clear that the violence and inadequate steps towards reconciliation are putting important elements of our longstanding defense cooperation at risk." (Defense One) Read more.
- Yes, what now, indeed? Once again, it appears as if our intelligence agencies either did not see this revolution coming, or if they did -- they worked to "filter" the ground reports to meet their own set agenda for Egypt. History has now proven them wrong. Pray not only for Mr. Obama as the U.S. seeks to reposition its foreign policy vis-a-vis the new government in place, but be in prayer, too, for all of his own military and intelligence advisers. Pray that they will set a course of action for Egypt that will enable its citizens to be free to determine their own future, free of anyone else's agenda for them. Pray!
- "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority . . ." (I Timothy 2:1)
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9. MOSLEM BROTHERHOOD CLAIMS THEY HAVE GOODS ON OBAMA
Son of jailed leader says evidence could put U.S. president in prison
The son of a jailed Muslim Brotherhood leader in Egypt is claiming his father has evidence that will land President Obama in prison. The claim came as the Obama administration, with the assistance of Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and the open involvement of the No. 2 man at the U.S. State Department, made a concerted effort to see Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Egypt released.
In an interview with the News Agency Anatolia in Turkey, Saad Al-Shater, the son of imprisoned Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat Al -Shater, said his father "had in his hand" evidence that will put Obama in prison. In a thinly veiled threat, Saad Al-Shater said a U.S. delegation was sent to Cairo by Obama to press for the release of the imprisoned Muslim Brotherhood leaders, including his father to prevent the release of explosive information.
Arabic - speaking former PLO member Walid Shoebat has translated the report by the Turkish News Agency Anatolia as follows:
(Read the full report here.)
Reported by WorldNetDaily.
- Wouldn't it be ironic if members of the Moslem Brotherhood became whistleblowers against the actions of this administration in Egypt? The Lord's ways are amazing and past finding out. Pray in the spirit over this report by WorldNetDaily. If proven true, these hidden facts could, indeed, have an explosive impact upon our own nation.
- "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8,9)
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10. ISRAEL KEEPS A WARY EYE ON TURMOIL IN EGYPT
Before the violence this week in Cairo, the Israeli government was quietly pleased with the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi and the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, which has always been hostile to Israel. But now the mass killings have left Israel in the uncomfortable position of being a spectator to the crisis unfolding in Egypt, though one with a huge stake in the outcome. "I think that the whole world should support Sisi," Ehud Barak, a former prime minister and defense minister of Israel, said on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" last weekend. He was referring to Egypt's military commander, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, who ousted Mr. Morsi, an Islamist, last month.
After this week's bloodshed, as the military cleared the Muslim Brotherhood protest encampments in the Egyptian capital, there were no such expressions of support, official or otherwise, for General Sisi. Israeli officials have not commented publicly on Egypt's internal affairs, either before or after this week's brutal events, a policy that speaks to both the fragility and the necessity of Israel's relations with its strategically important neighbor.
"Anything we say will be held against us," said an Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of what he described as the "volatility" of the diplomatic situation. "If we condemn the violence we will be accused of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood," he said, referring to rumors already circulating to that effect. "And if we say we don't condemn it, then it looks like Israel is in cahoots with the Egyptian Army." He added: "That does not mean that we don't have our own opinion and interests."
Israel's main interest, according to officials and experts here, is a stable Egypt that can preserve the country's 1979 peace treaty and restore order along the border in the Sinai Peninsula, where Islamic militant groups are battling Egyptian forces and increasingly threatening Israel. . . Israel views the Egyptian military as the only force that can stabilize the deeply fractured country, and the Israel-Egypt peace treaty is predicated on the $1.5 billion a year in American military and economic aid to Egypt, the bulk of which goes to the Egyptian armed forces.
Before the military's assault on the camps in Cairo began on Wednesday, the same Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity about Israel's interests said that Israel was telling its "friends" in the United States Congress, the White House and any other relevant body that it was in nobody's interest to cut aid to Egypt, a step that he said would weaken the Egyptian Army and undercut efforts to stabilize the situation. After the assault, the same official was reluctant to discuss those efforts and if they would continue. (New York Times) Read more.
- Obviously, the situation in Egypt remains fluid and rather unpredictable. With our dear ally, Israel, at Egypt's doorstep, lift up the Israeli authorities in prayer, that they might be able to "catch the wind" of what is happening, and adjust their own policy accordingly. We pray that this new government in Egypt will be a true friend of Israel. In Jesus' name, amen.
- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." (Psalm 32:8)
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11. RUSSIAN LEADER CALLS FOR WORLD TO UNITE TO END CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION
Vladimir Putin has urged the world's political leaders to stop the violent persecutions against Christians that have erupted in many Middle Eastern countries. Speaking at a meeting with Orthodox Christian leaders in Moscow last week, the Russian President said he noted "with alarm" that "in many of the world's regions, especially in the Middle East and in North Africa inter-confessional tensions are mounting, and the rights of religious minorities are infringed, including Christians and Orthodox Christians."
"This pressing problem should be a subject of close attention for the entire international community," Putin said. "It is especially important today to make efforts to prevent intercultural and interreligious conflicts, which are fraught with the most serious upheavals."
Putin praised the growth of cooperation between the Orthodox Churches and the Russian state, saying, "We act as genuine partners and colleagues to solve the most pressing domestic and international tasks, to implement joint initiatives for the benefit of our country and people." (LifeSiteNews)
- Lord God, we are grateful to hear this pronouncement from the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and we would like to take this at face value. But Lord, as we think of the character and the background of this man, a former KGB operative, we need to think twice about his agenda. We pray for revelation of motives and agendas, even as we, too, ask for the persecution of Christians around the world to end. We ask for wisdom as we pray, in Your Name, amen.
- "Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right." (Proverbs 20:11)
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12. SAUDI KING CALLS ON ARABS TO STAND WITH EGYPT
Sends a strong message of support for the country's military leadership
Saudi King Abdullah called on Arabs to stand together against "attempts to destabilize" Egypt, in a strong message of support for the country's military leadership read out on Saudi television on Friday.
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its people and government stood and stands by today with its brothers in Egypt against terrorism," he said. "I call on the honest men of Egypt and the Arab and Muslim nations . . . to stand as one man and with one heart in the face of attempts to destabilize a country that is at the forefront of Arab and Muslim history," he added.
Saudi Arabia was a close ally of former president Hosni Mubarak and has historically had a difficult relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood. It pledged $5 billion in aid to Egypt after Mohammed Mursi of the Brotherhood was ousted from the presidency last month. (Reuters) Read more.
- Praise God -- we are finding friends in very strange places these days! It is well known that, ever since the Shah of Iran was deposed by the ayatollahs in 1978, the House of Saud has lived in fear of the same thing happening to them. It is perhaps for this reason that King Abdullah has now taken this strong position against the radical Moslem Brotherhood, and has encouraged all other Arabs to do the same.
Whatever the reason for this decree, we once again praise the Name of our God for moving upon the heart of this king in this manner. Thank You, Lord! Amen! - "All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations." (Psalm 22:27,28)
The Israel Report
Volume I, Number 11b
"For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the Lord your Redeemer.'"
(Exodus 33:14)
Photo of Excavation of King David's Palace, in Judea
Headlines: News from Israel
1. ISRAEL KEEPS TO SIDELINES AS MIDEAST DETERIORATES
Violence in both Beirut and Cairo
At the wake of violent days both in Beirut and Cairo, Israel maintains its reserved stance on the unrest at its borders. "Hezbollah has been hurt, but Israel will continue in its non-involvement policy and will not take sides, also in regards to Cairo," a senior defense establishment official clarified on Thursday [August 15, 2013]. "We've no interest to be perceived as supporters of either side."
Against the backdrop of Hezbollah's relative successes in the Syrian civil war as a supporter of Bashar Assad, the hit the Shiite group suffered in its own base-the Dahiyeh quarter in Beirut- came as a necessary backlash in the eyes of some in the Israeli defense echelon. "Nasrallah significantly intervened in the Syrian war and is no longer perceived as 'Lebanon's protector,' but as Assad's man, and now he is paying the price," said the same official.
Meanwhile, violence in Egypt has dropped on Thursday and the curfew has been limited-but top Muslim Brotherhood officials vowed that the movement will not desist and urged its followers to take back to the streets in protest after Friday's prayer. "We'll protest across the country and shed the blood of any police and army officer in the streets," a member of the Brotherhood's political arm promised. "We stay on the sideline as far as Cairo goes-this is an internal Egyptian matter," said an Israeli source.
"Our interest is focused on the Sinai Peninsula, where global jihad operatives are. What's happening in Egypt is troubling, but it's internal. The fact they're occupied with their own internal affairs so far had no effect on the war conducted in Sinai." He added that Israel was considering all the possible scenarios, including another regime shift. "No one knows what's going to happen. It's impossible to analyze."
Civil wars, political instability and economic hardship-these are the main factors for terror on the Israeli borders. All these factors are currently in motion in the countries that went through the Arab Spring, as well as in Lebanon. (Bridges for Peace) Read more. http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/news/article/israel-keeps-to-sidelines-as-mideast-deteriorates/
- As Israel witnesses the turmoil on two of its borders, lift up P.M Netanyahu and his advisors, that they will be granted "wisdom from above" as they lead their nation through the challenging days ahead.
- "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (James 1:5)
2. CAR BOMB NEAR HEZBOLLAH STRONGHOLD IN BEIRUT KILLS 22
At least 22 people were killed and more than 212 were injured Thursday when a car bomb went off near a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut. While a Sunni Islamist group claimed responsibility for the bombing, Hezbollah said it bore the markings of a Zionist attack. A witness said at least five nearby buildings were damaged and many cars in the area were destroyed. A Sunni Islamist group calling itself the Brigades of Aisha claimed responsibility for the explosion, saying it targeted Hezbollah. "This is the second time we have decided the place of the battle and its timing. And you will see more, God willing," said a masked man, flanked by two others brandishing rifles, in a video statement addressed to Nasrallah.
Sectarian tensions have been high in Lebanon following the intervention of Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah in support of Assad against a two-year revolt led by Syria's Sunni Muslim majority. Hezbollah also fought a month-long war with Israel in 2006. Hezbollah chiefs insist the blast "has Zionist fingerprints all over it and serves Israel's interests." Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday and warned of Hezbollah's operations against Israel near the northern border. "Hezbollah is Iran's main weapon against Israel. This is an organization which is a state within a state," Yaalon told Ban, and presented him with a map of populated localities in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah uses apartments to hide weapons, launch missiles at Israel and as fighting positions in a possible conflict in the future. (J.Post/Ynet)
- Pray that the violence in Lebanon not spill over into the borders of Israel. Lift up a wall of protection in prayer over the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Amen.
- "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him." (Psalm 28:7)
3. 26 PALESTINIAN PRISONERS RELEASED FROM ISRAELI JAILS
After weeks of cabinet discussions, protests and High Court petitions, 26 Palestinian prisoners were released Tuesday [August 13] night as part of an Israeli gesture to the Palestinian Authority [PA] in the wake of resuming peace talks.
Two convoys left the Ayalon Prison Tuesday night en route to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank [Judea and Samaria]. The first convoy, carrying 15 prisoners, reached the Erez checkpoint and shortly after 1 am was allowed to cross into Gaza. The second, carrying 11 prisoners, initially arrived at the Ofer Prison and from there headed to Ramallah after passing through the Beitunia checkpoint.
The prisoners were transported in vans with tinted windows to avoid the semblance of a victorious release.
Activists protesting the release tried to block the convoy's way but were soon removed from the area. Meanwhile, a Color Red siren sounded in Sderot and the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council. A rocket landed in an open area.
Several hundred Palestinians welcomed the prisoners at the Beitunia checkpoint.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed a crowd of 1,000 people at the Mukataa [PA administrative center] in Ramallah. "We welcome our brothers who have left the darkness of prison into the light of freedom and tell them they are the first but there are other brothers who too will leave soon. We shall not rest until they are all with us." The prisoners first visited the grave of Yasser Arafat.
Tuesday's release is the first of four phases which will see some 100 prisoners freed as negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians progress. (Ynet News) Read more. [Reported by: Bridges for Peace]
- Pray that Israel will look to God for direction and answers. Pray that the prisoners who have been released will not be a future threat to Israel.
- "He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him. In the LORD all the descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory.' (Isaiah 45:24-25)
TERRORISTS WHO MURDERED SENIORS WITH AXES TO BE RELEASED
17 terrorists who were convicted of murdering Israelis, including three who murdered senior citizens using axes, are among the 26 terrorists that Israel set free Tuesday night. Among the released prisoners is Salah Ahmad Mughdad, the murderer of Holocaust-survivor Israel Tenenbaum who was found dead on June 14, 1993, at the hotel in Netanya where he had been working as a night watchman. Also released is Barbakh Rajab Madhat who murdered 61-year-old Moshe Beker on January 21 1994, when he arrived at his orchard and was ambushed by three terrorists, who had slept on site and waited for him. They attacked him, stabbed him to death with a pair of pruning shears, and fled.
Another terrorist to be released is Abdel Yusef, who murdered Ian Sean Feinberg on April 18, 1983. Feinberg, who served for several years as a lawyer in Gaza, had worked with commercial companies from Gaza and was attacked during a business meeting in Gaza City. Terrorists burst into the room and announced they had come to kill the Jew. They then proceeded to murder Feinberg using a gun and an axe. The terrorist released by Israel's government include additional prisoners who have carried out attacks on Israelis with knives, guns and axes. The release of 26 terrorists is part of a gesture to the Palestinian Authority, in order to get it to resume peace talks with Israel. (INN) [Reported by Jerusalem News Network]
- Pray for the families of those who were victims of these grisly terrorist attacks. They and many others in Israel are experiencing inconsolable grief and rage that those who murdered their love ones should go free - as a gesture of peace . . .
- "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." (Isaiah 40:1)
4. PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DENIES JEWISH RIGHT TO WESTERN WALL
The Presidential Guard of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas this week claimed the Western Wall as an Arab and Islamic site. The Western Wall is a relic of the retaining wall of the Jewish Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It was destroyed by Rome in 70CE. For nearly 2,000 years Jews were prevented from worshiping on the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site, and instead prayed at that wall, which has since become a holy site at which millions of Jews pray each year.
Ongoing restrictions on Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount mean the Wall is still the primary place of Jewish worship in Jerusalem. "Al Buraq" is the name given to the Western Wall by Arab rejectionists, who deny the Jewish connection to Jerusalem. They claim the wall has nothing to do with the Jewish Temples, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Instead, they assert it is the place where Muhammad tethered his mythical winged horse Buraq hundreds of years later, when according to Islamic legends it transported him from Mecca to Jerusalem and back - despite the fact that Jerusalem is never mentioned in the Quran. (J.Post) [Reported by Jerusalem News Network]
PA PLANS TO BUILD HOUSING IN JERUSALEM'S WESTERN WALL PLAZA
A documentary broadcast twice on PA TV declared that the PA plans to destroy the Western Wall Plaza, Judaism's holiest place of prayer, and build residential homes there instead. The PA documentary stated that Jews praying at the Western Wall were "sin and filth." The PA rejects the fact that the Western Wall is a Jewish holy site and claims it as an exclusively Islamic holy site. Palestinian Media Watch, an NGO which monitors incitement, antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda on Palestinian Arab TV, noted that this is only one of the latest examples of PA denial of the Jewish people's claim to Jerusalem and the Land of Israel, as a way of rejecting the State of Israel's very legitimacy and right to exist. (PMW) [Reported by Jerusalem News Network]
- Despite the fact that Mohammed made his mythical trip to Jerusalem more than 600 years ago and despite the fact that the the Jews have worshipped there for over three thousand years, the Moslems prefer to believe the lie. Pray for the sanctity of the Western Wall to be honored. This is another deception of Islam. Pray for the salvation of those who are trapped in this deception.
- "In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: 'THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'" (Jer. 33:16)
5. IRON DOME INTERCEPTS EILAT-BOUND ROCKET
The Iron Dome defense system, deployed last month in Eilat, intercepted a rocket aimed at an inhabited area in the region on early morning Tuesday [August 13]. Magen David Adom reported two persons were treated for anxiety attacks.
Shortly before 1 am a siren was heard in Israel's southernmost city and residents reported they heard echoes of two explosions in the area. The Israel Defense Forces [IDF] and the police are canvassing the area and so far no further landing sites were found.
. . . This is not the first time that Eilat suffered rocket fire this summer. About a month ago a rocket was fired from Sinai into Israeli territory, and five days later the IDF found the landing site in an open terrain near Eilat. Last April two rockets were fired at the city, causing no injury or damage. That was the first time a siren was heard in the city. (YnetNews) Read more.
- Pray for calm for the people of Eilat. Pray that the dome of protection holds over the town and that it successfully deters any attacks on southern Israel.
- "The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence." (2 Samuel 22:3)
6. MK: JAILED PA MURDERERS MAKE $3,400 A MONTH
Deputy Foreign Minister Ze'ev Elkin had harsh comments Sunday for the government he is a part of, over the decision to release terrorist murderers. "I am angry at the approach that says releasing terrorists brings peace nearer, and building a kindergarten prevents peace," he said - in a reference to international criticism of Jewish construction in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. "If the Palestinian Authority asks for the release of murderers as the first step that says something about their priorities."
Elkin noted that the highest salary paid by the PA is to terrorist murderers in Israeli jails. The salary of a terrorist prisoner is $2,850 to $3,400, monthly." What is even worse, Elkin added, is the more serious a terrorist's crime was, the higher his salary. "There is a very problematic educational message here," he said dryly. If someone offered that the United States free Al Qaeda terrorists in exchange for conducting contacts with elements in Afghanistan the offer would immediately be scrapped, but "when the international community, in its hypocrisy, adopts the Palestinian approach, this is a very big problem." (Arutz-7).
- Pray for the government of Israel that is being strong-armed once again by the US and other nations into making torturous concessions to those, who remain at heart, their brutal foes.
- "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59:19)
Headlines in the Region
1. 42 HEZBOLLAH, IRAN COMBATANTS KILLED IN DAMASCUS
Syrian rebels are claiming they carried out a strike in Damascus where many Hezbollah and Iranian combatants were concentrated. According to a report in Al-Arabiya, 42 men were killed in what the rebels described as a "quality operation."
Last month, Iranian President Hassan Rohani said that Syria will "overcome the current crisis" and sent a letter to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, saying Iran backs the "steadfast nation" of Lebanon.
A week earlier, Hezbollah officials held meetings with Revolutionary Guard officials in Iran to explain their predicament in the wake of heavy losses incurred in the Syrian civil war. Hezbollah is also under pressure in Lebanon to cease its involvement in the Syria crisis.
The London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat further reported that Shiites in Lebanon, mainly those residing in the Baalbek area, have met with Muhammad Yazbek, a member of Hezbollah's Shura Council, and asked that the terror group stop sending their children to Syria.
The parents told Yazbek their children fought against Israel in the Second Lebanon War and in previous wars to answer the call to resist the "Israeli occupation," but said they could not remain silent while Hezbollah fights the Syrian people under the excuse of protecting the Assad regime.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to treat wounded Syrians hurt in the battles. A Syrian citizen who sustained serious injuries was taken to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed on Sunday [August 11] where he underwent surgery. To date, the hospital has treated 57 Syrians hurt in the civil war.
Saturday saw more than 30 people, mostly civilians, killed in Syrian army air raids in the rebel-held cities of Homs and Raqa. Human rights groups reported that 20 people were killed in another airstrike in Latakia several hours earlier.
Source: (By Roi Kais, Ynetnews, August 11, 2013) Read more.
- Thank God that Israel is willing to care for the wounded from Syria. Pray that the self-destruction of Syria will not end with Iran becoming a more powerful and threatening nation.
- "A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:17-20)
[Reported by: Bridges for Peace]
2. HAMAS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION PATCHES UP TIES WITH HEZBOLLAH, IRAN
In an attempt to return to the fold of Iranian patronage, the Gaza-based terror group Hamas has been holding meetings with representatives of its Lebanon-based, Tehran-sponsored counterpart Hezbollah. According to reports, two representatives from Hamas met with Hezbollah members recently at the Iranian embassy in Beirut. The meeting focused on increasing Iranian support for Hamas. According to a Hamas source in Gaza, there have been other meetings, all of which stressed that Hamas is a strategic partner to Iran. Relations between Hamas and Iran soured over Syria's civil war. Whereas Tehran and Hezbollah back the Assad regime, Hamas' Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh openly called for support of the rebels. As the civil war in Syria has deepened, most of the country's half-million Palestinians have championed the rebels. In June, Hamas scolded Hezbollah for fighting alongside the Syrian Army against the rebels and told the organization to go back to fighting Israel. "We demand of Hezbollah to withdraw its forces from Syria and called on it to leave its weapons directed only at the Zionist enemy," read a statement by Hamas. (Times of Israel)
[Reported by Jerusalem News Network]
Hamas Moving Closer to Iran
The Islamist Hamas movement has sharply criticized the Palestinian Authority for resuming peace talks with Israel, saying that President Mahmoud Abbas is giving in to American pressure. The criticism comes as Hamas moves toward a rapprochement with Iran, despite differences over Syria.
Hamas, which controls the densely populated Gaza Strip, and Fatah, in charge of the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], have been trying to hold "reconciliation talks" for several years to find a way to hold long-overdue Palestinian elections. The two factions signed an agreement in March 2011 that has yet to be completed or implemented to any degree at all. The "reconciliation talks" were supposed to resume the same day that the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations got under way, but were cancelled over the differences of opinion between the two rival camps.
"Reconciliation wasn't on the horizon anyhow," Ghassan Khatib, a former Palestinian spokesman and current professor at Bir Zeit University told The Media Line. "The effect on both sides will depend on the future of the talks. If they will show progress, this will empower Fatah and weaken Hamas. If they fail, it will help Hamas and weaken Fatah."
Khatib said that he, like many Palestinians, is not optimistic that the negotiations will produce a breakthrough. The Israelis and Palestinians remain far apart on many issues, including final borders, Jewish "settlements" and the so-called "right of return" for Palestinians who left what is now Israel in 1948.
"I'm not optimistic the talks will lead to anything," Khatib said. "The Americans want them, and the parties cannot afford to say no to the Americans. But the Americans can't afford to make them productive," he said, hinting the US must pressure Israel to make more concessions. (The Media Line) Read more.
- Pray that the violence and turmoil of neighboring Middle East countries does not affect the situation in Gaza any more than it already has. Pray that the people in Gaza will begin to desire true peace instead of violence.
- "Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without cause. For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against the quiet ones in the land." (Psalm 35:19-20)
[Reported by: Bridges for Peace]
3. EXPERT: ISRAEL ATTACK ON IRAN IMMINENT
'There are about 1,100 hard targets that have to be taken out'
Middle East expert Dr. Mike Evans says the Iranian nuclear program is still hanging over the region and the world as well. Evans said covert Israeli activity caused quite a bit of delay in Iran. Despite that, he said Iran is a "screwdriver away from going nuclear." As a result, he said Israel will soon be forced to take pre-emptive action.
"Israel's going to do it. Israel will be the U.S. proxy. They're going to have to do the attack. What Israel's hoping for is the United States will give them backup for retaliatory targets. There are about 1,100 hard targets that have to be taken out," said Evans, who believes the U.S. will provide that support. But he's convinced the Israeli attack is only a matter of time.
"Everything is on for the attack. It's going to happen. Something very significant has to happen to stop it," he said. "It's definitely on the calendar." (WorldNetDaily) Read more.
- Pray for Israel as they prepare for an "imminent" attack on Iran, according to this report.
- "There is . . . a time for war, and a time for peace. . ." (Ecclesiastes 3:8)
4. U.S. CONGRESSMAN: WITHOUT STRONGER SANCTIONS, IRAN WILL GO NUCLEAR
Should Congress push ahead with new sanctions that could bring the Iranian economy to near-ruin in order to stop the country's nuclear program? Many in Washington are answering 'no' to that question, according to an op-ed by Representative Eliot Engel and Senator Mark Kirk in the Wall Street Journal.
They argue that the tough sanctions enacted by Congress over the past several years have already helped bring about a change of leadership in Iran-replacing a hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with Hasan Rouhani in June's election. They argue that Mr. Rouhani is a moderate who is eager to enter genuine negotiations with the West about the country's nuclear program. Given this shift, they say, now is the time for the United States to offer Iran an olive branch. The way to show our good faith is to avoid imposing tougher economic sanctions. (Reported by the Embassy of Israel) Read more.
- Lift up our members of Congress, and ask that they will hear the wisdom in the voices of Representative Eliot Engel and Senator Mark Kirk. It is indeed sad that innocent civilians end up suffering in times of war, but the world cannot sit back and allow Iran to "go nuclear."
Offer a prayer that Congress will find the courage to do the right thing, and to impose harsh sanctions upon the nation of Iran, until it yields and abandons its nuclear path.
- (For Iran) "I said, 'This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!'" (Job 38:11)
This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
SON OF DAVID
(Ben Dah-veed)
"As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him,
calling out, 'Have mercy on us, Son of David!'" (Matthew 9:27)
Thank You, Father, for the mysteries of Your bloodline. It is a blessing to know the Son of David. May I be worthy to be called Your child; I thank You that it is not through my merit, but only through the Blood of Yeshua. Thank You for this royal inheritance. Amen.
"Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore." (Psalm 113:2)
(Source: THE NAME- HaShem: Daily Devotional Worship by Dr. Barri Cae Mallin)
Available on Amazon.com by going here.
"For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the Lord your Redeemer.'"
(Exodus 33:14)
Photo of Excavation of King David's Palace, in Judea
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Headlines: News from Israel
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Headlines: News from Israel
- ISRAEL KEEPS TO SIDELINES AS MIDEAST DETERIORATES
- CAR BOMB NEAR HEZBOLLAH STRONGHOLD IN BEIRUT KILLS 22
- 26 PALESTINIAN PRISONERS RELEASED FROM ISRAELI JAILS
- PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DENIES JEWISH RIGHT TO WESTERN WALL
- IRON DOME INTERCEPTS EILAT-BOUND ROCKET
- MK: JAILED PA MURDERERS MAKE $3,400 A MONTH
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1. ISRAEL KEEPS TO SIDELINES AS MIDEAST DETERIORATES
Violence in both Beirut and Cairo
At the wake of violent days both in Beirut and Cairo, Israel maintains its reserved stance on the unrest at its borders. "Hezbollah has been hurt, but Israel will continue in its non-involvement policy and will not take sides, also in regards to Cairo," a senior defense establishment official clarified on Thursday [August 15, 2013]. "We've no interest to be perceived as supporters of either side."
Against the backdrop of Hezbollah's relative successes in the Syrian civil war as a supporter of Bashar Assad, the hit the Shiite group suffered in its own base-the Dahiyeh quarter in Beirut- came as a necessary backlash in the eyes of some in the Israeli defense echelon. "Nasrallah significantly intervened in the Syrian war and is no longer perceived as 'Lebanon's protector,' but as Assad's man, and now he is paying the price," said the same official.
Meanwhile, violence in Egypt has dropped on Thursday and the curfew has been limited-but top Muslim Brotherhood officials vowed that the movement will not desist and urged its followers to take back to the streets in protest after Friday's prayer. "We'll protest across the country and shed the blood of any police and army officer in the streets," a member of the Brotherhood's political arm promised. "We stay on the sideline as far as Cairo goes-this is an internal Egyptian matter," said an Israeli source.
"Our interest is focused on the Sinai Peninsula, where global jihad operatives are. What's happening in Egypt is troubling, but it's internal. The fact they're occupied with their own internal affairs so far had no effect on the war conducted in Sinai." He added that Israel was considering all the possible scenarios, including another regime shift. "No one knows what's going to happen. It's impossible to analyze."
Civil wars, political instability and economic hardship-these are the main factors for terror on the Israeli borders. All these factors are currently in motion in the countries that went through the Arab Spring, as well as in Lebanon. (Bridges for Peace) Read more. http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/news/article/israel-keeps-to-sidelines-as-mideast-deteriorates/
- As Israel witnesses the turmoil on two of its borders, lift up P.M Netanyahu and his advisors, that they will be granted "wisdom from above" as they lead their nation through the challenging days ahead.
- "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (James 1:5)
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2. CAR BOMB NEAR HEZBOLLAH STRONGHOLD IN BEIRUT KILLS 22
At least 22 people were killed and more than 212 were injured Thursday when a car bomb went off near a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut. While a Sunni Islamist group claimed responsibility for the bombing, Hezbollah said it bore the markings of a Zionist attack. A witness said at least five nearby buildings were damaged and many cars in the area were destroyed. A Sunni Islamist group calling itself the Brigades of Aisha claimed responsibility for the explosion, saying it targeted Hezbollah. "This is the second time we have decided the place of the battle and its timing. And you will see more, God willing," said a masked man, flanked by two others brandishing rifles, in a video statement addressed to Nasrallah.
Sectarian tensions have been high in Lebanon following the intervention of Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah in support of Assad against a two-year revolt led by Syria's Sunni Muslim majority. Hezbollah also fought a month-long war with Israel in 2006. Hezbollah chiefs insist the blast "has Zionist fingerprints all over it and serves Israel's interests." Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday and warned of Hezbollah's operations against Israel near the northern border. "Hezbollah is Iran's main weapon against Israel. This is an organization which is a state within a state," Yaalon told Ban, and presented him with a map of populated localities in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah uses apartments to hide weapons, launch missiles at Israel and as fighting positions in a possible conflict in the future. (J.Post/Ynet)
- Pray that the violence in Lebanon not spill over into the borders of Israel. Lift up a wall of protection in prayer over the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Amen.
- "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him." (Psalm 28:7)
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3. 26 PALESTINIAN PRISONERS RELEASED FROM ISRAELI JAILS
After weeks of cabinet discussions, protests and High Court petitions, 26 Palestinian prisoners were released Tuesday [August 13] night as part of an Israeli gesture to the Palestinian Authority [PA] in the wake of resuming peace talks.
Two convoys left the Ayalon Prison Tuesday night en route to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank [Judea and Samaria]. The first convoy, carrying 15 prisoners, reached the Erez checkpoint and shortly after 1 am was allowed to cross into Gaza. The second, carrying 11 prisoners, initially arrived at the Ofer Prison and from there headed to Ramallah after passing through the Beitunia checkpoint.
The prisoners were transported in vans with tinted windows to avoid the semblance of a victorious release.
Activists protesting the release tried to block the convoy's way but were soon removed from the area. Meanwhile, a Color Red siren sounded in Sderot and the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council. A rocket landed in an open area.
Several hundred Palestinians welcomed the prisoners at the Beitunia checkpoint.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed a crowd of 1,000 people at the Mukataa [PA administrative center] in Ramallah. "We welcome our brothers who have left the darkness of prison into the light of freedom and tell them they are the first but there are other brothers who too will leave soon. We shall not rest until they are all with us." The prisoners first visited the grave of Yasser Arafat.
Tuesday's release is the first of four phases which will see some 100 prisoners freed as negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians progress. (Ynet News) Read more. [Reported by: Bridges for Peace]
- Pray that Israel will look to God for direction and answers. Pray that the prisoners who have been released will not be a future threat to Israel.
- "He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him. In the LORD all the descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory.' (Isaiah 45:24-25)
TERRORISTS WHO MURDERED SENIORS WITH AXES TO BE RELEASED
17 terrorists who were convicted of murdering Israelis, including three who murdered senior citizens using axes, are among the 26 terrorists that Israel set free Tuesday night. Among the released prisoners is Salah Ahmad Mughdad, the murderer of Holocaust-survivor Israel Tenenbaum who was found dead on June 14, 1993, at the hotel in Netanya where he had been working as a night watchman. Also released is Barbakh Rajab Madhat who murdered 61-year-old Moshe Beker on January 21 1994, when he arrived at his orchard and was ambushed by three terrorists, who had slept on site and waited for him. They attacked him, stabbed him to death with a pair of pruning shears, and fled.
Another terrorist to be released is Abdel Yusef, who murdered Ian Sean Feinberg on April 18, 1983. Feinberg, who served for several years as a lawyer in Gaza, had worked with commercial companies from Gaza and was attacked during a business meeting in Gaza City. Terrorists burst into the room and announced they had come to kill the Jew. They then proceeded to murder Feinberg using a gun and an axe. The terrorist released by Israel's government include additional prisoners who have carried out attacks on Israelis with knives, guns and axes. The release of 26 terrorists is part of a gesture to the Palestinian Authority, in order to get it to resume peace talks with Israel. (INN) [Reported by Jerusalem News Network]
- Pray for the families of those who were victims of these grisly terrorist attacks. They and many others in Israel are experiencing inconsolable grief and rage that those who murdered their love ones should go free - as a gesture of peace . . .
- "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." (Isaiah 40:1)
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4. PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DENIES JEWISH RIGHT TO WESTERN WALL
The Presidential Guard of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas this week claimed the Western Wall as an Arab and Islamic site. The Western Wall is a relic of the retaining wall of the Jewish Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It was destroyed by Rome in 70CE. For nearly 2,000 years Jews were prevented from worshiping on the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site, and instead prayed at that wall, which has since become a holy site at which millions of Jews pray each year.
Ongoing restrictions on Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount mean the Wall is still the primary place of Jewish worship in Jerusalem. "Al Buraq" is the name given to the Western Wall by Arab rejectionists, who deny the Jewish connection to Jerusalem. They claim the wall has nothing to do with the Jewish Temples, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Instead, they assert it is the place where Muhammad tethered his mythical winged horse Buraq hundreds of years later, when according to Islamic legends it transported him from Mecca to Jerusalem and back - despite the fact that Jerusalem is never mentioned in the Quran. (J.Post) [Reported by Jerusalem News Network]
PA PLANS TO BUILD HOUSING IN JERUSALEM'S WESTERN WALL PLAZA
A documentary broadcast twice on PA TV declared that the PA plans to destroy the Western Wall Plaza, Judaism's holiest place of prayer, and build residential homes there instead. The PA documentary stated that Jews praying at the Western Wall were "sin and filth." The PA rejects the fact that the Western Wall is a Jewish holy site and claims it as an exclusively Islamic holy site. Palestinian Media Watch, an NGO which monitors incitement, antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda on Palestinian Arab TV, noted that this is only one of the latest examples of PA denial of the Jewish people's claim to Jerusalem and the Land of Israel, as a way of rejecting the State of Israel's very legitimacy and right to exist. (PMW) [Reported by Jerusalem News Network]
- Despite the fact that Mohammed made his mythical trip to Jerusalem more than 600 years ago and despite the fact that the the Jews have worshipped there for over three thousand years, the Moslems prefer to believe the lie. Pray for the sanctity of the Western Wall to be honored. This is another deception of Islam. Pray for the salvation of those who are trapped in this deception.
- "In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: 'THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'" (Jer. 33:16)
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5. IRON DOME INTERCEPTS EILAT-BOUND ROCKET
The Iron Dome defense system, deployed last month in Eilat, intercepted a rocket aimed at an inhabited area in the region on early morning Tuesday [August 13]. Magen David Adom reported two persons were treated for anxiety attacks.
Shortly before 1 am a siren was heard in Israel's southernmost city and residents reported they heard echoes of two explosions in the area. The Israel Defense Forces [IDF] and the police are canvassing the area and so far no further landing sites were found.
. . . This is not the first time that Eilat suffered rocket fire this summer. About a month ago a rocket was fired from Sinai into Israeli territory, and five days later the IDF found the landing site in an open terrain near Eilat. Last April two rockets were fired at the city, causing no injury or damage. That was the first time a siren was heard in the city. (YnetNews) Read more.
- Pray for calm for the people of Eilat. Pray that the dome of protection holds over the town and that it successfully deters any attacks on southern Israel.
- "The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence." (2 Samuel 22:3)
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6. MK: JAILED PA MURDERERS MAKE $3,400 A MONTH
Deputy Foreign Minister Ze'ev Elkin had harsh comments Sunday for the government he is a part of, over the decision to release terrorist murderers. "I am angry at the approach that says releasing terrorists brings peace nearer, and building a kindergarten prevents peace," he said - in a reference to international criticism of Jewish construction in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. "If the Palestinian Authority asks for the release of murderers as the first step that says something about their priorities."
Elkin noted that the highest salary paid by the PA is to terrorist murderers in Israeli jails. The salary of a terrorist prisoner is $2,850 to $3,400, monthly." What is even worse, Elkin added, is the more serious a terrorist's crime was, the higher his salary. "There is a very problematic educational message here," he said dryly. If someone offered that the United States free Al Qaeda terrorists in exchange for conducting contacts with elements in Afghanistan the offer would immediately be scrapped, but "when the international community, in its hypocrisy, adopts the Palestinian approach, this is a very big problem." (Arutz-7).
- Pray for the government of Israel that is being strong-armed once again by the US and other nations into making torturous concessions to those, who remain at heart, their brutal foes.
- "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59:19)
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Headlines in the Region
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Headlines in the Region
- 42 HEZBOLLAH, IRAN COMBATANTS KILLED IN DAMASCUS
- HAMAS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION PATCHES UP TIES WITH HEZBOLLAH, IRAN
- EXPERT: ISRAEL ATTACK ON IRAN IMMINENT
- U.S. CONGRESSMAN: WITHOUT STRONGER SANCTIONS, IRAN WILL GO NUCLEAR
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1. 42 HEZBOLLAH, IRAN COMBATANTS KILLED IN DAMASCUS
Syrian rebels are claiming they carried out a strike in Damascus where many Hezbollah and Iranian combatants were concentrated. According to a report in Al-Arabiya, 42 men were killed in what the rebels described as a "quality operation."
Last month, Iranian President Hassan Rohani said that Syria will "overcome the current crisis" and sent a letter to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, saying Iran backs the "steadfast nation" of Lebanon.
A week earlier, Hezbollah officials held meetings with Revolutionary Guard officials in Iran to explain their predicament in the wake of heavy losses incurred in the Syrian civil war. Hezbollah is also under pressure in Lebanon to cease its involvement in the Syria crisis.
The London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat further reported that Shiites in Lebanon, mainly those residing in the Baalbek area, have met with Muhammad Yazbek, a member of Hezbollah's Shura Council, and asked that the terror group stop sending their children to Syria.
The parents told Yazbek their children fought against Israel in the Second Lebanon War and in previous wars to answer the call to resist the "Israeli occupation," but said they could not remain silent while Hezbollah fights the Syrian people under the excuse of protecting the Assad regime.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to treat wounded Syrians hurt in the battles. A Syrian citizen who sustained serious injuries was taken to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed on Sunday [August 11] where he underwent surgery. To date, the hospital has treated 57 Syrians hurt in the civil war.
Saturday saw more than 30 people, mostly civilians, killed in Syrian army air raids in the rebel-held cities of Homs and Raqa. Human rights groups reported that 20 people were killed in another airstrike in Latakia several hours earlier.
Source: (By Roi Kais, Ynetnews, August 11, 2013) Read more.
- Thank God that Israel is willing to care for the wounded from Syria. Pray that the self-destruction of Syria will not end with Iran becoming a more powerful and threatening nation.
- "A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:17-20)
[Reported by: Bridges for Peace]
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2. HAMAS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION PATCHES UP TIES WITH HEZBOLLAH, IRAN
In an attempt to return to the fold of Iranian patronage, the Gaza-based terror group Hamas has been holding meetings with representatives of its Lebanon-based, Tehran-sponsored counterpart Hezbollah. According to reports, two representatives from Hamas met with Hezbollah members recently at the Iranian embassy in Beirut. The meeting focused on increasing Iranian support for Hamas. According to a Hamas source in Gaza, there have been other meetings, all of which stressed that Hamas is a strategic partner to Iran. Relations between Hamas and Iran soured over Syria's civil war. Whereas Tehran and Hezbollah back the Assad regime, Hamas' Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh openly called for support of the rebels. As the civil war in Syria has deepened, most of the country's half-million Palestinians have championed the rebels. In June, Hamas scolded Hezbollah for fighting alongside the Syrian Army against the rebels and told the organization to go back to fighting Israel. "We demand of Hezbollah to withdraw its forces from Syria and called on it to leave its weapons directed only at the Zionist enemy," read a statement by Hamas. (Times of Israel)
[Reported by Jerusalem News Network]
Hamas Moving Closer to Iran
The Islamist Hamas movement has sharply criticized the Palestinian Authority for resuming peace talks with Israel, saying that President Mahmoud Abbas is giving in to American pressure. The criticism comes as Hamas moves toward a rapprochement with Iran, despite differences over Syria.
Hamas, which controls the densely populated Gaza Strip, and Fatah, in charge of the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], have been trying to hold "reconciliation talks" for several years to find a way to hold long-overdue Palestinian elections. The two factions signed an agreement in March 2011 that has yet to be completed or implemented to any degree at all. The "reconciliation talks" were supposed to resume the same day that the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations got under way, but were cancelled over the differences of opinion between the two rival camps.
"Reconciliation wasn't on the horizon anyhow," Ghassan Khatib, a former Palestinian spokesman and current professor at Bir Zeit University told The Media Line. "The effect on both sides will depend on the future of the talks. If they will show progress, this will empower Fatah and weaken Hamas. If they fail, it will help Hamas and weaken Fatah."
Khatib said that he, like many Palestinians, is not optimistic that the negotiations will produce a breakthrough. The Israelis and Palestinians remain far apart on many issues, including final borders, Jewish "settlements" and the so-called "right of return" for Palestinians who left what is now Israel in 1948.
"I'm not optimistic the talks will lead to anything," Khatib said. "The Americans want them, and the parties cannot afford to say no to the Americans. But the Americans can't afford to make them productive," he said, hinting the US must pressure Israel to make more concessions. (The Media Line) Read more.
- Pray that the violence and turmoil of neighboring Middle East countries does not affect the situation in Gaza any more than it already has. Pray that the people in Gaza will begin to desire true peace instead of violence.
- "Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without cause. For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against the quiet ones in the land." (Psalm 35:19-20)
[Reported by: Bridges for Peace]
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3. EXPERT: ISRAEL ATTACK ON IRAN IMMINENT
'There are about 1,100 hard targets that have to be taken out'
Middle East expert Dr. Mike Evans says the Iranian nuclear program is still hanging over the region and the world as well. Evans said covert Israeli activity caused quite a bit of delay in Iran. Despite that, he said Iran is a "screwdriver away from going nuclear." As a result, he said Israel will soon be forced to take pre-emptive action.
"Israel's going to do it. Israel will be the U.S. proxy. They're going to have to do the attack. What Israel's hoping for is the United States will give them backup for retaliatory targets. There are about 1,100 hard targets that have to be taken out," said Evans, who believes the U.S. will provide that support. But he's convinced the Israeli attack is only a matter of time.
"Everything is on for the attack. It's going to happen. Something very significant has to happen to stop it," he said. "It's definitely on the calendar." (WorldNetDaily) Read more.
- Pray for Israel as they prepare for an "imminent" attack on Iran, according to this report.
- "There is . . . a time for war, and a time for peace. . ." (Ecclesiastes 3:8)
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4. U.S. CONGRESSMAN: WITHOUT STRONGER SANCTIONS, IRAN WILL GO NUCLEAR
Should Congress push ahead with new sanctions that could bring the Iranian economy to near-ruin in order to stop the country's nuclear program? Many in Washington are answering 'no' to that question, according to an op-ed by Representative Eliot Engel and Senator Mark Kirk in the Wall Street Journal.
They argue that the tough sanctions enacted by Congress over the past several years have already helped bring about a change of leadership in Iran-replacing a hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with Hasan Rouhani in June's election. They argue that Mr. Rouhani is a moderate who is eager to enter genuine negotiations with the West about the country's nuclear program. Given this shift, they say, now is the time for the United States to offer Iran an olive branch. The way to show our good faith is to avoid imposing tougher economic sanctions. (Reported by the Embassy of Israel) Read more.
- Lift up our members of Congress, and ask that they will hear the wisdom in the voices of Representative Eliot Engel and Senator Mark Kirk. It is indeed sad that innocent civilians end up suffering in times of war, but the world cannot sit back and allow Iran to "go nuclear."
Offer a prayer that Congress will find the courage to do the right thing, and to impose harsh sanctions upon the nation of Iran, until it yields and abandons its nuclear path.
- (For Iran) "I said, 'This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!'" (Job 38:11)
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This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
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This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
SON OF DAVID
(Ben Dah-veed)
Thank You, Father, for the mysteries of Your bloodline. It is a blessing to know the Son of David. May I be worthy to be called Your child; I thank You that it is not through my merit, but only through the Blood of Yeshua. Thank You for this royal inheritance. Amen.
"Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore." (Psalm 113:2)
(Source: THE NAME- HaShem: Daily Devotional Worship by Dr. Barri Cae Mallin)
Available on Amazon.com by going here.
