Iran Threatens Retaliation against Israel

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Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei in Tehran, threatened a strike against Israel and the United States in reprisal for Israel’s swift and precise retaliatory strike on October 26 on military bases and weapon manufacturing plants. The United States warned Iran through Swiss intermediaries against launching another attack, saying, “We won’t be able to hold Israel back, and we won’t be able to make sure that the next attack will be as calibrated and targeted as the previous one.”

Israel’s security establishment is presuming that Iran will not or cannot launch directly but will instead use its Shiite militia proxies in Iraq and Yemen. As the Middle East is edging toward a wider regional war because of the conflict with Hamas and the ground operation against Hezbollah, the United States seeks to avoid escalation. Recently, B-52 bombers landed in Israel, while the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier arrived in the Arabian Sea. US Major General Pat Ryder said that more destroyers, fighter squadrons, tankers, and B-52 long range bombers would be coming to the region to convince Iran and its terror allies not to escalate the precarious situation. As well, United States troops are trained to run the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in Israel, a major form of aerial defense.

Please pray no attack from Iran or her proxies comes to fruition.

Hezbollah’s Arsenal Significantly Reduced.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant recently said, “The achievements of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] in Lebanon are extremely impressive. We have eliminated the chain of command and control of Hezbollah, and I estimate the missile and rocket capability they have left is at 20%.” Prior to October 7, 2023, the rocket capability stood at around 50,000, which means they have 10,000 in their arsenal now. Other weapons, such as mortars (with shorter range than rockets), have likely been reduced by 50 percent. Prior to October 7, 2023, the IDF estimates that Hezbollah had 150,000 rockets and mortars, ready to wreck carnage on Israel. Israeli divisions working in southern Lebanon have worked tirelessly to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure so that northern residents of Israel can return home after being displaced for more than a year.

Please pray for continued success to dismantle Hezbollah so that citizens can return safely to their homes.

Israel’s Academic Year Opens

Every year after the Jewish high holidays, universities and colleges throughout Israel commence the school’s academic year. Last year, one in five students missed some or all of their studies while they served as reserve soldiers, amounting to around 70,000 students. Experts expect similar numbers this year as well. Universities are trying their best to lessen the impact on reserve soldiers so they can finish their degrees.

Research has shown that most reserve soldiers are studying law, engineering, or medicine. This year, enrollment in fields like psychology, social work, physical therapy, and occupational therapy have drastically increased. At the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, enrollment is still high despite the war. Technion President Professor Uri Sivan said, “We’ll likely open the new academic year under the threat of rocket fire. The Technion is probably the only university in the world directly protected by technologies developed by its alumni—the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow . . . ”

Please pray for students to be able to focus on their studies and to catch up if they have missed some of their studies while serving in the armed forces.

Psalms of Hope Project Gains Traction as Israelis Seek Comfort during War

Our staff in Israel started an online project a few weeks ago offering the book of Psalms to Israelis in modern Hebrew. Biblical Hebrew is often hard to read, even by native Israelis, and we see the difference as people resonate with the biblical text in modern Hebrew. Since its launch, the Psalms of Hope project has received hundreds of downloads. We pray it mends hurt hearts, gives joy to those who are feeling down, and gives wisdom to those who are seeking direction. We can tell from the comment section on the website that many secular Israelis are flocking specifically to the book of Psalms during these tough weeks, especially since the ground operation in Lebanon against the terrorist organization Hezbollah started.

People are scared, hurt, and worried. As Israelis download the Psalms in the privacy of their lives, we pray they read it while they ride the train, wait in a doctor’s office, sit in a park, etc. We have had a few chats, emails, and interactions in the comments section with people. This project is making a difference, as people turn to the Lord in times of hardship. In closing, in the hours and days following Iran’s attacking Israel with 180 ballistic missiles last month, we saw requests for this Psalms download skyrocket.

Praise God! Please pray more Israelis read the Scriptures, ask questions, and turn to the Lord—the Giver or life and joy.

Iran Threatens Retaliation against Israel

Hezbollah’s Arsenal Significantly Reduced.

Israel’s Academic Year Opens

Psalms of Hope Project Gains Traction as Israelis Seek Comfort during War

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