IN THIS ROUNDUP
Israel’s Upcoming Elections and the Race for the Knesset
Israel’s next election is beginning to take shape, with the political landscape coming into sharper focus. In recent days, political parties submitted their candidate lists for the upcoming Knesset elections. The Knesset is Israel’s national parliament, where 120 elected members debate and pass the laws that govern the country. The lists are now being reviewed by the Central Elections Committee chaired by Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg.
The leading contenders are running under different political parties, reflecting a range of views and visions for Israel’s future. Gadi Eisenkot is running with the Yashar! party, while Naftali Bennett is running with the Beyachad party. Itamar Ben-Gvir is running for the Otzma Yehudit party, while Bezalel Smotrich represents the Religious Zionist party. The newest entrant is Ofer Winter who is running under the Amcha Israel banner after announcing his candidacy just two weeks ago.
In Israeli elections, parties are identified on the ballot not only by name but also by a combination of Hebrew letters. These letter combinations give voters a quick visual way to identify each party among the many choices similar to the colors, logos, or symbols used by political movements in the United States and other countries. Over time, some of these Hebrew letter combinations have become recognizable political brands in their own right.
One noteworthy example in this upcoming election is bet (ב), a single Hebrew letter with a long history in Israel’s religious-Zionist political scene. Both Bennett’s and Ben-Gvir’s movements are seeking to use the bet as their ballot symbol, but Israeli election rules allow it to be assigned to only one party. The Central Elections Committee will therefore have to settle the issue. Meanwhile, other political parties are awaiting approval of their requested ballot symbols as the election takes shape.
Please pray the next few weeks for the candidates as they campaign, and for the Israeli public to prayerfully and wisely choose those who will serve in the Knesset as well as elect the person who will serve as Israel’s next Prime Minister.
Israeli Tech Platform Plays Key Role in Disaster Management
At the intersection of workplace productivity and artificial intelligence, Monday.com has built a platform designed to help businesses run more efficiently. Headquartered in Tel Aviv and New York City, the Israeli technology company serves more than 250,000 customers around the world.
In 2021, the philanthropic foundation of Monday.com established its Emergency Response Team which deploys personnel to disaster zones where they use the company’s organizational platform to help first responders work more efficiently amid the chaos of earthquakes, hurricanes andb other disasters.
“When we arrive in the field, we try to understand what’s going on, how the organization is responding to the disaster, and what are their pain points,” said Myriam Kuperman, head of Monday.com’s Emergency Response Team. “Usually these organizations know best which challenges they have.”
In the chaotic aftermath of the recent earthquakes in Venezuela, Monday.com’s Emergency Response Team helped bring order to the relief effort. Working alongside the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations, the foundation provided remote support from Israel while also sending personnel into Venezuela, even working from a Jewish complex in Caracas. The team helped the Red Cross create a centralized hub to manage information about the earthquake and recovery efforts, supporting a response that provided thousands of people with medical care and clean water and mobilized more than 1,500 volunteers.
Before the hub was established, critical information was often shared manually through pen and paper, email, or WhatsApp. “Tools like Monday.com can really help [the organizations] not only have everything in one place but allow them to arrive quicker to the field and to better understand what these communities need,” Kuperman explained.
Please pray for the development of more efficient platforms for communication and disaster management logistics that save lives and effectively serve those affected, regardless of language or culture.
Israel’s Population Climbs to 10.305 Million Ahead of the Jewish New Year
Israel’s population is one of growth, movement, and change. Over the past year, the country has added 124,000 people, a growth rate of 1.2 percent from the previous year. Today, Israel’s population stands at 10.305 million people with 78.3 percent classified as Jewish (or other) and 21.7 percent Arab.
Behind that growth are some striking demographic trends. There were 182,000 babies born this past year while 50,000 people have passed away. Compared with other countries, Israel has a high fertility rate with 2.88 children per woman, whereas the average is 1.41. Life expectancy is also high with men living to an average of 81.4 years and women to an average of 85.9 years.
But population growth tells only part of the story. Another number is moving in the opposite direction: emigration. Since 2023, a total of 268,930 Israelis have left the country. To put that number in perspective, only 83,219 Israelis left the country between the years of 2013–2015.
At the same time, Israel continues to attract new immigrants. A separate report from Israel’s Aliyah and Integration Ministry, released this past summer, points to another notable trend: more than 22,500 new immigrants moved to Israel in 2025. Despite the country’s ongoing security challenges, immigration from several Western nations continued to grow, showing that Israel remains a destination for Jewish people looking to start new chapters in their lives.
Israel’s role in global Jewish life is significant. The country is now home to nearly half of the world’s Jewish population. As of January 1, 2026, an estimated 15.9 million Jews lived worldwide, with approximately 46 percent, or more than 7 million people, living in Israel.
Please pray the growth, prosperity, peace, and security of the nation of Israel, and for God’s continued blessing and protection over its people.
Celebrating Rosh Hashanah at our Tel Aviv Ministry Centre
The Jewish High Holidays are upon us, and a few days ago, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, was celebrated. It is a joyous time to reflect on the year that has passed while looking ahead to the year to come, often symbolized by the beloved tradition of dripping apples into honey, offering a taste of sweetness for the upcoming new year.
Our staff at the Ramat Gan Ministry Center welcomed the community to a festive meal in celebration of Rosh Hashanah. There were over 60 people of all ages gathered to share in the joy of the holiday together.
The diversity of those who attended was truly incredible, ranging from members of our Ramat Gan Ministry Center to first time guests; from international students to locals without family nearby; and from the young to the young at heart. There were also those who are still exploring faith, new believers, and believers who have been walking with the Lord for many years. It was a beautiful picture of people from many different backgrounds coming together to celebrate the Jewish new year as one community.
There is nothing like the feeling of family that comes from sitting around a table, surrounded by old friends and new, as we welcomed Rosh Hashanah together. The message shared that evening focused on the shofar and its significance throughout Scripture. The shofar was used to gather the people, to sound an alarm in times of danger or war, and to announce moments of celebration.
The sound of the shofar at Rosh Hashanah also invites us to look ahead, to anticipate what is still to come, and to remember the promised coming of the Messiah. Zachariah 9:9–14, and especially verse 14, points us toward the coming Savior.
The staff at the Ramat Gan Ministry Center looks forward to the year ahead with eagerness, committed to continuing to serve the Lord and others. This special evening was a wonderful reminder of that calling and of the joy we share in serving together.
Please pray for all who attended, that their hearts would be ready to love and serve the Lord as they begin this new year. Please pray for their growth and faith in Him! Please pray for those who heard the Gospel for the first time, that their hearts would be open to the truth and that they would understand the wonderful gift of salvation offered through Jesus, the Messiah!
Go Deeper
Explore topics like the Jewish history, the biblical feasts and festivals, the biblical basis for Jewish evangelism, the role of Israel in God’s redemptive plan, and more.
First day of school. (Photo: Unsplash/Note Thanun)