At Ben Gurion Airport, Unit 747 is made up of intelligence and detective officers that work undercover to identify and intercept the smuggling of drugs, weapons, protected wildlife, and other items restricted from entry into Israel. The unit works closely with customs officials, airport authority, and police units. Suspected criminals are sometimes identified as they depart their country of origin; detectives are prepared for their arrival and follow their suspect to landing, customs checks, and baggage claim.
The teams of thirty men and women work closely, mainly in the arrivals hall. They scan passengers for behavioral indications, body language, and erratic or nervous behavior. These suspicious signs help to find a needle in a haystack. The unit’s commander, Superintendent Amit Barzilai explained, “Every innocent looking passenger could be a courier bringing in drugs, weapons, or something else. But I know how to focus my vision among the hundreds around me at any given moment in the arrivals hall,” he said. “Someone smuggling something illegal, like drugs, will struggle to control their body language and will project suspicious movements.” Sometimes, he added, detectives deliberately create a provocation. “Suddenly, a uniformed officer will stand along the path from the plane to the baggage carousel, or join the crowd around the conveyor belt. Someone who knows they’re smuggling something illegal that carries a prison sentence will instinctively show tension and discomfort. That’s the moment we spot them and stay on their tail.”
Please pray for this unit that creates a shield at Ben Gurion airport from illegal drugs and weapons entering the country and harming the population.
To mark the birthday of Eliezer Ben Yehuda (1858–1922), who orchestrated the revival of modern Hebrew from an ancient language, Israel celebrates Hebrew Language Day. This year, the word “habaita” won the vote for “Word of the Year”. The word means “homecoming” or “homeward,” and it symbolizes the final return of all hostages as well as all the deceased Israelis who remained in Gaza at the hands of Hamas. Presently, only one body still remains in Gaza: Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili.
The word also encapsulates the return of thousands of residents in border towns near Gaza and the border with Lebanon who were evacuated during the war. Now their homes, communities, and businesses need to be rebuilt and reestablished.
In second place was “artificial intelligence” while “hope” took third place. Other options were “conscription”, “investigation”, “trauma”, “normalization”, “Rising Lion” (the name of the twelve-day war with Iran), “rehabilitation”, and “returnees”. All these words summarize the past year for Israelis.
In 2024, the word of the year was “hatufim”, meaning hostages. Other options were “reserve duty”, “together”, and “approved for publication” (a familiar term used for when media can publish the death of a solider). In 2023, Hebrew Language Day did not issue a word of the year as a result of the surprise attack from Hamas.
Please pray that Israel heals from so much trauma and that future words will reflect feelings of peace, security, and health.
Israel has raised serious concerns about the recently formed Gaza Board of Peace (BoP) because Qatar and Turkey have been welcomed to participate. They are not known friends of Israel, and their involvement contradicts Israeli security policy. Israel claims it was not notified or given input in the decisions of who would participate in securing the fragile peace between Hamas and Israel. Israeli members of Knesset from across the political spectrum have slammed the announcement of the composition of the BoP, and PM Netanyahu has asked Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to discuss it with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. When confronted by N12 news channel, US officials said, “We did not tell Netanyahu in advance about the composition of the executive committee. He did not expect there to be representatives from Turkey and Qatar, but Gaza is now our show, not his show. . . . If he [Netanyahu] wants the Trump administration to deal with Gaza, we will do it our way.”
Please pray for diplomacy and strategic thinking toward the peace now governed by the Board of Peace. Please pray for Israel’s safety and security.
During recent storms, one of our workers in Jerusalem lost power in his home. Efforts did not see the return of electricity, so he called an electrician. Three ultra-orthodox young men came to fix the power, and while in the home they saw books about the New Testament, books about Jesus, and a New Testament. They were surprised and eagerly began to engage our worker in a conversation, which he happily reciprocated. The young ultra-orthodox electricians stayed much longer than necessary to fix the power and to talk about Jesus. What a surprise when you seek for the power to return to your home but instead talk about the One who gives light and salvation to the world! As the young men left, they exchanged phone numbers to continue the dialogue. One of the ultra-orthodox men has already called to request a meeting to discuss more!
Please pray there would be further dialogue about Jesus, and if not, that the words shared in our worker’s home would sink deep in their minds and hearts and yield much fruit!
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N Cooke2022-02-17 14:55:552022-02-17 15:08:25Reaching the Hard-to-Reach
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