In an intriguing development, October 7 and Israel’s subsequent war with Hamas has sparked a spiritual and ideological transformation among Israelis ages 25 and under, as reported in a new survey from the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI).
For Jewish Israelis aged 25 and under, a full 33% noted they have increased religious observance since the war began, and a full 51% of formerly “traditional, somewhat religious” young Jews now say they have intensified their spiritual practices. Frequent prayer has seen the sharpest rise, with 38% of Jewish youth praying often, followed by reading the Bible at 26%, attending synagogue at 14%, and lighting Shabbat candles at 14%. As a whole, 35% of young Israeli Jews say their belief in God has been strengthened during the war.
For young Israeli Arabs with a Christian or Muslim background, 37% said their faith in God has grown during the war. Only one group of young Israelis said their faith in God had weakened: the self-professed seculars.
Whether or not this cultural shift will be temporary or lasting remains to be seen, but we praise the Lord that this study reveals what we are noticing in our personal ministry—more Israelis are entering spiritual reflection and open to integrating faith with life. Thank the Lord for more openness, and pray for divine appointments, boldness, discernment, and fruitfulness as we continue to minister and reach out to people around us!
Israel’s Army Radio recently reported that the Hamas terror network built a specialized intelligence unit in 2018 located underground beneath central Gaza’s refugee camps, with 2,500 operatives who created tens of thousands of fake social media accounts to spy on hundreds of thousands of IDF soldiers and infiltrate messaging groups. The intelligence unit pieced together this data—including social media posts, videos, and photos—to ultimately create a detailed database of movements, precise maps of IDF bases, full-scale models of military equipment, and virtual reality simulators used to train IDF soldiers. They gathered intelligence reports, information on troop movements, and location sites for every Iron Dome battery. They even obtained top-secret instructions how to operate and disable the most advanced armored vehicle in the IDF’s arsenal—the Merkava Mark 4 tank.
One document found in the underground Hamas intelligence site detailed the exact layout of Israel’s Nahal Oz base—everything from bomb shelters to barracks, surveillance cameras to communication antennas, and generator rooms to the war room itself. Their information showed where commanders slept, how effective the shelters would be against a rocket barrage, who the soldiers were with weapons, and which weapons. No wonder Hamas’ attack on Nahal Oz, located a mere half mile from the Gaza border, was logistically one of the terror group’s most successful attacks in the October 7 onslaught.
An officer quoted on Army Radio said the IDF knew Hamas had some training models, but “we never imagined how accurate they were.”
Thank the Lord for exposing the intelligence capability of Hamas. Pray that they will not be underestimated in the future, neither by Israel nor any other government or military, and that they will never be able to gather such information ever again. Pray for wisdom for everyone in the IDF, Shin Bet, and other anti-terror intelligence services.
Israeli authorities recently revealed that Mossad had successfully collaborated in a series of joint operations with European intelligence and law enforcement agencies to expose and dismantle a major Hamas terror network operating across Europe. Hamas operatives were arrested and multiple weapons caches were seized, which had been ready to use “on command” for terror attacks on European soil. One of the weapons caches belonged to Muhammad Naim, the son of Basem Naim, a senior Hamas political bureau member and close associate of one of the top Hamas leaders in Gaza, Khalil al-Haya.
The network, described by Israeli officials as the “Hamas Octopus,” had been working in Germany, Austria, and other European countries to establish operational cells and weapons stockpiles for attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets within Europe.
Mossad reported that this case proves a widening international recognition of Hamas’s global operational ambitions beyond countries such as Turkey and Qatar and reflects the growing resolve among European governments to counter Hamas’ broadening reach. Israeli intelligence agencies have documented a surge of Hamas operations over the past two years to build their terror infrastructure abroad, including in western countries, mirroring the methods of Iran and its proxy terror networks.
According to Mossad, their efforts to disrupt terror plots are ongoing in many nations around the world, with dozens of additional operations actively being monitored or thwarted.
Pray for Hamas operatives and weapons in countries around the world to be found and their plans foiled. Pray for the safety of Israelis, Jewish people, and other innocent civilians globally, and for Mossad’s ongoing efforts to help other nations dismantle and prevent terrorism.
On Saturday night, Holocaust survivor and October 7 survivor Ruth Haran-Herzman—a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri—passed away at the age of 90. Ruth, born in Romania, had to flee for her life with her family as “a child, barely seven, so I will remember until my last day the Holocaust through the eyes of a little girl. . . . I will forever remember the terror, the hunger during our flight, the bombings of the advancing Nazis.”
On the morning of the October 7 massacre, armed Hamas terrorists knocked on Ruth’s door, but miraculously did not enter her home. “I stayed in my hiding place trembling with fear for 15 very long hours. Only at night did our soldiers rescue me and take me to a safe place. I saw bodies around. It was horrific. I was again a witness to death, burnt homes, the murder of innocents. For me this flooded back painful memories of the Holocaust. When babies are murdered in their beds, when they harm women or rape them, kill them cruelly, satanically, innocents—that is a Holocaust.”
Ruth’s son Avshalom was murdered, and seven other family members were kidnapped then later released—including her eight‑year‑old great‑grandson Neve and three‑year‑old Yahal.
This reminds us once again of the extreme urgency of our flourishing outreach to Holocaust survivors in Israel—including a number of them who also survived October 7. They are all elderly, many live alone, and they all need a caring friend, a prayer partner, and good news that can change their eternity. We host dozens of these dear souls every week, and hundreds of them several times a year for special events, retreats, Bible studies, music concerts, dinners, and more. Many tell us they have been touched deeply by our prayers and ministry, and several dozen have come to faith over the years. It is our great desire to reach each one with the love of Jesus and the gospel message of Messiah before they step off the face of this earth. Time is short!
Thank the Lord for our existing ministry to Holocaust survivors in Israel—and pray with us for it to be more fruitful than ever. Pray for us to reach them with Jesus’ love and for them to personally know the One who can heal every hurt, wipe away every tear, and forgive every sin. May they find the peace they have needed all these years. Thank you!
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N Cooke2022-02-17 14:55:552022-02-17 15:08:25Reaching the Hard-to-Reach