GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 85

God Has Israel’s Back

Using Cars As Weapons

In an unusual method of attacking, terrorists have used cars to hurt Jews as we read in a report from i24news.tv:

An Israeli man was injured in a car attack near the Al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron.

The attack occurred near a guard post outside the camp, and the terrorist was neutralized by reservist soldiers who were on site.

“Security forces are deployed and are reinforcing roads in the region,” said the IDF spokesperson

We also get more on this disturbing trend from an article from The Times Of Israel:

An Israeli soldier was seriously wounded in a car-ramming attack at an army position in the southern West Bank, the military and medics said Saturday.

The Israel Defense Forces said the attack took place near the al-Fawwar refugee camp south of Hebron, not far from the site of a car-ramming attack Friday in which five soldiers were wounded.

It said troops “neutralized” the assailant in the attack, and later confirmed that a reservist of the 7018th Battalion was seriously wounded in the attack.

He was taken to Soroka Medical Center for further treatment.

And here is more on the Friday attack:

In Friday’s attack, near Adorayim Junction, one soldier was listed in serious condition, while the other four were light-to-moderately hurt, according to the IDF. All five were taken to hospitals in Israel for treatment.

Troops operating in the area shot and killed the assailant, identified as Amr Abd al-Fattah Abu Hussein by the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry.

There was also a stabbing where two people were injured earlier this week.

Netanyahu Will Not Resign

At a press conference, the Prime Minister was asked if he would leave office voluntarily and his answer was very firm as we read in an article from The Times Of Israel:

In answer to another question, Netanyahu says, as he has done often since the Hamas onslaught of October 7, that he will not resign: “The only thing I’m going to resign from is Hamas. That’s what I’m dealing with.”

He says the full investigation of the failures surrounding October 7 will take place only “at the end of the fighting,” although some lessons have “already been learned.”

Natanyahu broached this topic quite a few years ago:

He is reminded that 10 years ago, in an interview on the Eretz Nehederet satirical show, he said he would want to be judged historically for his contribution to the security of Israel, and is asked if that is still the case.

“History will judge,” he says, stressing that he works to “ensure Israel is strong economically, strong militarily, strong diplomatically.”

“In the years I’ve led Israel, it got much stronger,” he says, citing the fact that “we can manage a multi-front campaign” that will soon have lasted 90 days.

Chances Of Another Hostage Deal Improve

Netanyahu Was also asked about a reported hostage deal in the works at the same press conference and he said this:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is asked about reports of possible progress toward a new agreement for the release of hostages.

“Hamas has issued all kinds of ultimatums that we’ve not accepted,” he says at his press conference, noting that if a viable deal is possible, “it will be carried out.”

Right now, he adds carefully, “We see a possibility, maybe, for movement.” But he also stresses: “I don’t want to raise exaggerated expectations.”

Just what the ultimatums are wasn’t given, but we know in past negotiations Hamas asked for the fighting to stop before they would even think about releasing hostages as well as wanting all terrorists in prison to be released, neither of which Israel will do and Hamas knows that. The idea is to hurt Israel anyway they can and making them look unreasonable publicly is part of that plan. For its part, Netanyahu isn’t taking the bait.

Israelis Buying Guns Since October 7th

In another report from The Times Of Israel, Israelis are purchasing guns at a high rate:

Unprecedented numbers of Israelis want to arm themselves. A record 274,279 Israelis have filed for a handgun license between October 7 and December 25. And that number continues to grow at a pace of 500 to 600 per day on average.

For the sake of comparison, in all of 2022 — a record year before the present rise — 42,170 Israelis requested a handgun license.

One Rabbi is getting ready now:

Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz is one of two dozen Israelis who arrive at the Jerusalem Shooting Range on Yanai Street on a recent Sunday morning to undergo the requisite training needed to receive a handgun.

“I don’t have a sense of urgency,” says Leibowitz. “But as a rabbi of a community, I do have a sense of responsibility because I know that what happened on October 7 could happen again.”

The rabbi of the Va’ani Tefilah community in Jerusalem’s Nahlaot neighborhood adds, “Honestly, I am less scared now than at first and that might not be logical, but more a subjective psychological feeling since a few Sabbaths have gone by without event.

Nevertheless, he knows that the military has its hands full with the war if another October 7th attack happens and he wants to be prepared:

“But we saw the power of the surprise attack and the surprise attack can come at any time. If another front opens up, if we have terror flare up nationwide, the security forces are going to be spread thin,” he says.

Leibowitz is not alone in his desire to arm himself.

They weren’t ready on that fateful day, but aren’t being unprepared again:

Citizens, either unarmed or far outmatched by the Kalashnikov and RPG-toting terrorists, waited for hours in bomb shelters or in hiding for military forces to arrive. Police and IDF officers and soldiers who arrived independently and in an unorganized way demonstrated tremendous bravery but were ultimately outnumbered and outgunned.

Now, tens of thousands of Israelis like Leibowitz — fearing October 7 could be repeated by Palestinians in the West Bank or mixed towns such as Jerusalem, Jaffa and Acre — are arming themselves in an attempt to claim a modicum of control over their security.

The Best Protection Is Prayer

Unfortunately, Israel is a pretty secular and irreligious country now. One messianic Jew, Dan Sered isn’t relying just on the IDF as we read in his article in Christianity Today:

It’s ironic—or maybe providential—that this great unity has come during the most divided period in Israel’s history. Before the attack, and for the previous 10 months, the nation was fragmented over a controversial judicial reform, causing major protests. Some said that the country is on the brink of civil war.

These are undoubtedly challenging times, and the loss of our beloved sons and daughters to the cruelty of terrorism has left many people grappling with questions and yearning for hope and comfort. The IDF has a long track record of success, and the United States has shown strong support for Israel. Trying to draw hope from these things is tempting—but honestly, I know it is futile and temporary. As Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (NKJV).

Sered adds that he needs to be reminded consistently where his trust must lie:

I need to be reminded daily—sometimes at every moment of the day—that my trust must be firmly rooted in the Lord. Only when I look up to him, only when I draw strength from his Word and sit in his presence in prayer, do I feel grounded. Only then am I reminded of the eternal hope that I have in Messiah Yeshua. He is our present and future hope.

Sered knows God has Israel’s back now:

The October 7 attack will be remembered as one the most severe attacks on Israeli soil ever. We are praying day and night for the God of Israel to arise and save our people. The God of Israel is alive. He holds his daughter Zion in the palm of his hand. He has parted the sea, torn down walls, and stopped the sun for her. He will not abandon us today.