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** 9 January 2025
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Israel’s efforts to defeat Hamas and other extremist groups in Gaza has endured for more than a year and the end is not yet in sight. Three Israeli soldiers were killed and three were wounded while fighting Wednesday in the northern Gaza Strip.

These radical Islamist groups continue to hold about 100 hostages, in gross violation of law and morality. And yet the international community has thus far refused to demand their release.

President-elect Trump is the first to make this a key issue, warning that "all hell will break loose in the Middle East" if the captives are not released before he takes office on 20 January. “If they’re not back by the time I take office, the Middle East will face chaos like never before. It won’t be good for Hamas or anyone else,” said Trump.

It is bizarre that the United Nations has failed to ensure the hostages’ release. Instead of condemning Hamas for gross war crimes, or those committed by Assad and Erdogan’s Turkey in Syria, the UN has continued its decades-long condemnation of Israel as the aggressor.

In fact, UN resolutions passed in recent months demand an unconditional end to Israel’s military and civilian presence in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
"It is bizarre that the United Nations has failed to ensure the hostages release."
These resolutions ignore developments in Syria, including the collapse of the Assad regime, the recalibration of Iran’s regional influence, and Turkey’s increasing role as a key player in the post-Assad landscape. These changes have further reshaped the geopolitical environment, underscoring the interconnectedness of regional dynamics.

As long as the Iranian revolutionary regime and its terror network remain active, alongside the emergence of other jihadist threats such as “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS) in the post-Assad Syrian landscape, Israel’s control over the territories acquired in June 1967 remains crucial. Turkey’s reported support for HTS, including its strategic use of the group to exert influence in northern Syria, complicates the regional security landscape.

While HTS has attempted to rebrand itself as a more moderate actor, its jihadist ideology and potential alignment with anti-Israel objectives present a latent threat to Israeli security. These territories serve as a defensive buffer to counter the growing influence of jihadist groups and to mitigate the risks of regional destabilization.

Additionally, the absence of robust Palestinian institutions capable of governing effectively further underscores the necessity of Israel’s continued presence to ensure its survival and to uphold regional and global security.

Let us pray for the hostages still being held captive in the tunnels in Gaza. We pray for their families and loved ones. We pray for the negotiations currently underway concerning the hostages, and especially for the leaders of the United States and Israel as they make important decisions in the coming days.

Trump envoy heads to Doha as hostage talks intensify

JNS: The president-elect repeated his stark warning that "all hell will break loose in the Middle East" if the captives are not released before he takes office.
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Gaza terrorists likely have ‘a few hundred’ rockets left

JNS: While Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have permanently lost most of their arsenals and production facilities, the threat of sporadic rocket fire is likely to remain for some time, expert tells JNS.
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Golani Druze view of Jewish state changing after Assad’s fall, Israeli Druze leader says

JNS: “The people of Majdal Shams were scared to normalize or become citizens of Israel because of the Assad regime,” Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif told JNS. “Now the situation is different.”
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Pope Francis Violates Catholic Teaching by Bearing False Witness Against Israel

Alan Dershowitz: Pope Francis has joined the chorus of blood libelers who have accused Israel of genocide, writing: "According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide." This indictment is totally false as a matter of fact, law and morality. The Vatican knows what genocide is. It perfected this crime against humanity during the Crusades, the Inquisition and the priest-inspired pogroms that led to the Holocaust.
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'God had called us to serve the Jewish people'



"The current war in Ukraine has lasted longer than World War II.” This is what people say in Ukraine. While it may seem surprising to some, much of Eastern Ukraine was liberated by the Red Army by the end of 1943. Today, in 2024, the war but also our work in Ukraine continues. We deliver food parcels, provide Meals on Wheels, and assist those making Aliyah to Israel. But it is more than just basic needs; the social connection is essential. For most Jewish people in Ukraine, there is no one left to turn to, and people need our support. Anemone Rüger (C4I’s Project Coordinator in Ukraine) shares her experiences visiting people in Ukraine with the team, providing help and bringing comfort. She also shares about our new project in Moldova, which was recently started.

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Boaz and Naomi | The Book of RUTH with Johannes Gerloff #55



Boaz and Naomi do not meet even once in the entire book of Ruth. Boaz seems to completely ignore Elimelech's widow, apart from a brief remark at the beginning of chapter 4. Is that a hint for us?


** SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:
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** Psalm 27
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The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

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Israel & Christians Today
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The goal of Israel & Christians Today is to help Christians to take God’s Word seriously, and study current events in the world in the context of the Bible.

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Our mission is to bring Biblical understanding in the Church and among the nations concerning God’s purposes for Israel and to promote comfort of Israel through prayer and action.

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