Israel Prayer Journal #27

The last month has been full of activity in Israel.  The first two weeks held the festival of Passover which commemorates Israel’s exodus out of Egypt more than three thousand years ago.  This is one of the holidays that most Jews observe to some degree, even if they are largely traditional or bordering on secular.  Passover itself is celebrated with a festive meal in the family home where the entire evening is organized and planned according to a specific, traditional ceremony.  Passages from Exodus are read, songs are sung, children ask questions, and the importance of the Exodus event is explained through a written text.  The Exodus is very important to the Jewish people, because it was in this event that God made a distinction between His people the Jews and the Egyptians, and He brought Israel out of the house of slavery to be a free people in the Promised Land.  Jews today commemorate this event to remind themselves that God freed them from slavery during Passover.  As absolutely wonderful as this festival is, it is sad that the Jews have yet to realize the Greater Passover that came some centuries after the Exodus.  For it was at Passover time that Jesus of Nazareth hung on a cross to set mankind eternally free from their slavery to sin and death.  But the Jews have not yet recognized what Passover is really all about…  One year ago during Passover I had the privilege of leading a Messianic Passover Seder service at my church in Washington.  So the holiday season brought back many happy memories for me of that wonderful time at church where I exposed the people for the first time to the Passover traditions of the Jews, though with a focus on Jesus the Messiah.  Immediately following Passover were 8 days where the Jews are not permitted to eat leavened bread.  Instead, they eat matzah (similar to a saltine cracker).  This untasty bread is a powerful reminder of the time in Egypt they had before God set them free.
 
Shortly after Passover came the holidays of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day), Memorial Day (for the fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism), and Independence Day (when Israel declared its independence in May 1948).  The latter day did not fall on May 14 this year, because its commemoration follows the Jewish lunar calendar, not the standard solar calendar of the West.  The first two days are sobering days, while Independence Day (which takes place the day after Memorial Day) is a day of jubilant and excessive celebration.  Each day is marked with a one- or two-minute siren that goes off across the entire country.  During the siren’s sounding, the entire Jewish nation comes to a standstill, including traffic on the streets and highways.  For a nation so divided in its opinions, even among Jews, it is something fascinating that they can all agree to pause together during the same time.  Perhaps obviously, most Arabs/Palestinians in Israel do not celebrate these three days for apparent reasons.

I was on Jaffa Street for Yom HaShoah, and I took a short video.  It’s not great quality, but it does show Jewish passersby coming to a standstill during the siren.  You will notice, though, a few people who continue to walk by.  These are people who for ideological reasons do not commemorate this day, many Palestinians, for instance.  I was on Herodion for the second Memorial Day siren.  It was fascinating to be in the West Bank (near Bethlehem)—in Palestinian territory—and hear the siren coming from the nearby Jewish settlements.  The Palestinian areas kept right on working, but the group I was with came to a stop, at least.  One sad thing about Memorial Day was that a stage collapsed during the setup of the official government ceremonies, and a young female soldier was killed.  That made the day particularly sad.

Not too much else significant has been happening in Israel lately.  There was a powerful sand storm on May 1.  I have two photos to show you had much it reduced visibility.  The sand blowing off the deserts to the East made my eyes water and filled my mouth with dirt.  It was certainly something!  The days continue to get warmer and longer here.

Before the sandstorm. Mountains of Jordan visible in distant hazy background

During the sandstorm; nothing visible after a few miles

Personal Update Photos:

Tel Shechem in the middle of modern day Nablus, as seen from Mt. Gerizim

"Solomon's Pools" -- huge reservoirs built by Herod the Great near Bethlehem

Israel Prayer Journal #24

Friends,

I am embarrassed by how long it has been since my last update.  I have been really negligent.  In the coming months I think I will have more time, so I really do intend to put more effort into this journal and share more things that I have learned with you to help you enjoy this experience that I have been able to take part in. 

First, let me just do a quick catch up of some highlights in my life the last few weeks.  My autumn semester finally finished!  Well, sort of.  Classes officially finished, at least.  I had my exams this week.  Hebrew was on Sunday and Israeli Politics & Society was yesterday.  I think I did quite well in both, though I am still waiting for my grades.  The Hebrew exam was to finish the Bet (#2) level and move to the Gimel (#3) level.  I wrote what I thought was an excellent essay (in Hebrew) on the dangers of television in the home.  I enjoyed the exam.  It’s nice to be finished with classes.  I will have February off from classes, though I have to write two final papers for two classes during this time, so that will keep me somewhat busy.  In March I have two other things to prepare for as well: a sermon/lecture/message to college students at the extension campus of my alma matter college with whom I first visited Israel and a two-day guiding tour of the Galilee with a family from the US.  I need to prepare for each of these things also during this month.  So, it will be a busy month, but an enjoyable one.  I also hope to start sightseeing more than I have the past few months, provided the weather cooperates.  There has been a little rain lately, and temperatures are definitely cooler, but it’s not too bad. 

Yesterday, to celebrate the end of exams, I went with two friends to Ramallah, the “capital” of Palestinian West Bank.  It was a really nice experience.  This was the fourth time I have visited there this trip.  It really is an amazing place.  I have never been there during a “regular” afternoon/evening, so it was great to see the city so bustling with people and culture.  Shops were open, people were running around living their lives.  The center of Ramallah is very metropolized, so there are modern malls, modern stores, restaurants, and most everything you would expect from a modern, developing city.  This is where the seat of government of the Palestinian Authority sits, so there are lots of police forces that keep crime down, so it is the major destination for foreigners who want to experience Palestinian culture.  Everything is so cheap there!  There were tons of stores selling knockoff Nike shoes for $25, and food is very inexpensive.  The three of us had a really nice time walking around, eating mini-pizzas (cooked on pita bread), and having a milkshake in Stars & Bucks, the Palestinian coffee rip-off of Starbucks.  There weren’t a lot of other white faces around, but it was just a good experience, especially since the two American girls I was with had never been into the West Bank before.  It was good for them to see both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict, at least as much as they could from this vibrant metropolis.  I intend to return again soon to see more culture and buy some cheap shoes. 

Not too much else has happened in my life lately, except one major thing that I’ll share with you personally through email.  You can please pray that I’ll use this next month well in getting the work I have to do finished.  Classes will resume in early March. 

In the news lately, not too many crazy things have happened.  There has been an increase in news media chatter lately about striking Iran, so that is a little concerning.  I don’t know what will happen, but I think it will be a MAJOR thing when it does.  Please pray for wisdom for the leaders and for protection for the Israeli people.  This world needs shalom!  One noteworthy thing is the following article, wherein Prime Minister Netanyahu gave a speech in which he said, “In such a region, the only thing that ensures our existence, security and prosperity is our strength.”  To some degree he is right, but it made me sad to read this.  Israel is trusting in their own strength to protect themselves.  Is this not the exact same problem we read that Israel struggled with in Bible times?  How many times did God have to teach Israel to rely on HIM for protection, not themselves?  Think of the story of Gideon, Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 20), and Hezekiah (2 Kgs 18-19).  Is Israel acting any differently today than it did all those years ago?  I fear not.  They are boasting in their own strength, rather than relying on God.  Unfortunately, someday God will have to teach them the lesson of trusting in Him alone again by making them lose.  I fear for that day, because I know how awful it will be…  Please pray for Israel’s peace…

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD! (Isaiah 31:1)

Israel Prayer Journal #23

Shalom Friends!

I wish you a Happy New Year, or, as they say in Israel, Happy Sylvester!  (The Sylvester name comes from a 4th century pope who is remembered in Catholic tradition on December 31, and the memory of this celebration accompanied European Jews when they came to Israel.  See here for more information.) 

It’s been an eventful few weeks.  As I wrote last time, I had a wonderful Christmas.  Now we’re winding down our fall semester which ends the first week of February.  That means I have some major exams coming up soon.  The entire grade in two of my classes are dependent on this one exam in each class.  Interestingly, if you fail the exam the first time, you can actually retake it about a month later.  I have the month of February off from school, but I will be busy during it, as I have two papers to write—both part of the fall semester that ends in January (weird, huh!).  Classes are still going amazingly well, and I am learning a ton.  I’m falling a little behind in Hebrew due to vocabulary, but even that is still going well.  Every day is such a joy to be here.  January has definitely started off winter.  Up until now, we’ve rarely had rain and it’s been relatively mild temperatures.  Since Christmas, though, it has steadily gotten colder and wetter.  It’s definitely not as cold or wet as the last few years I spent in Washington, so I can’t complain too much.  The rain does tend to keep everyone indoors, so it can be convenient to go shopping or around the Old City when it’s a little rainy. 

For the last three weeks a former college professor and friend of mine has been in the country leading a tour group from a seminary in southern California.  I’ve gotten to spend a bit of time with him and his group, and it was such a privilege.  He is an incredible, smart, godly man, and I have learned so much from him over the years.  We had a lot of fun around Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Samaria.  His group was quite amazing too.  There was something so refreshing about being around a group of young, godly Christians for a change.  I had forgotten how wonderful Christian fellowship like that is.  I was really encouraged by them.  I’ll share a little more about this group in the near future...

Many interesting thing have been happening in the news lately.  Of course Iran and the US seem to be in a standoff over the important oil passageway of the Strait of Hormuz.  An Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated last week.  Within Israel, the last few weeks have been full of tense domestic issues.  Some illegal settlements in the West Bank were demolished, and there has been much uproar about that.  Some of the more “radical” activists have been charged with monitoring the IDF’s movements to try and thwart their dismantling of illegal settlements.  Two Knesset members have also been allegedly linked to providing information to the activists.  Another Knesset member was just suspended for a month for throwing a glass of water at one of her parliament colleagues during an argument.  Interestingly, several months ago I saw this same woman in person arguing very passionately with a group of liberal activists, so I can vouch for her temper.  A prominent Christian leader in Jaffa who tried to build bridges with Muslims and Christians was murdered.  

If you didn’t already know it, Israel is the most openly accepting country in the Middle East for gay people.  Tel Aviv was just named by one survey as the preferred travel destination in the world for gays.  You can make you own judgments about this.  One other interesting article dealt with Christians in the Gaza Strip.  Usually we associate the Gaza Strip with Hamas terrorists and Muslims, but let’s not forget that we have brothers and sisters there too.  Remember to pray for them when you pray for Israel. 

I apologize for not being better about sharing things I’m learning in classes.  I honestly don’t know where my time goes, but I’ll try to be better about it in the future.  You would definitely profit from some of the interesting things I’ve learned.  Let me share one quick item.  I was watching Israeli TV last night, and an advertisement came on for a cable provider and a tablet computer.  You probably won’t understand what they’re saying, but the gist of it is that a few Israelis dressed as Muslim women “secretly” cross into Iran where they meet a Mossad agent, then they accidentally blow up Iran’s nuclear reactor.  It’s meant to be funny, but it struck me as interesting for a few reasons: 1) Israelis cope with the constant threat of fear and terrorism and death by resorting to making fun of it; and 2) Israelis, as portrayed in this ad, seem awfully arrogant that they can easily defeat the Iranians.  Iran poses an enormous danger to Israel, and their possession of nuclear weapons spells a real, existential threat to the Jewish people, since the leaders of Iran frequently talk about destroying all Israelis.  I was just astonished at how lightheartedly the makers of this ad portrayed the situation.  I don’t know that I approve of being so flippant over such a real, pressing issue.  But, I guess I’m not Israeli.  I was also surprised to see advertisers use such current events in their advertising.  Secondly, an attack on Iran is an enormous risk to Israel.  The complexity of such an attack simply cannot be imagined by you or me.  I really fear for Israel in event of an attack.  I also have real problems with Israel’s attitude about its military.  They put far too much trust in their army.  If the Old Testament has taught us one thing, it’s that God wants Israel to depend on Him for their safety, not trust in themselves.  Do I need to remind you of Ai, Gideon, Jericho, Jehoshaphat, and Sennacherib?  I pray that Israel’s arrogance doesn’t soon lead to God needing to teach them a lesson about trusting in Him…

Israel Prayer Journal #21

Shalom Friends,

I honestly cannot believe how quickly the time is going by.  In just a few days it will be Christmas.  It is such an enormous privilege to be here in this precious Land at this time of the year.  I haven’t really gotten the Christmas “feeling” here as I would if I were in the States.  There are no Christmas carols playing on the radio, no Christmas trees in windows, no houses decorated with lights, no snow, and no mad holiday-shopper traffic in the streets.  In fact, it doesn’t even really feel too much like winter.  Because so many of the trees here are evergreens, I have seen very few trees change their colors and lose their leaves.  It certainly has gotten colder, but most days are blue skies and pleasant.  Yet time marches on.  Besides the mild weather, one other funny thing is that locally-grown strawberries are currently available in the markets!  Because the southern desert and Jordan Valley are so low and warm, many crops can grow there almost year round.  So, I’ve been enjoying strawberries.  Speaking of which, I am always amazed at how low fresh produce prices are here.  I can consistently buy fresh, locally-grown avocadoes and nearly any other vegetable or fruit I need for less than $0.25 each! 

God continues to surprise me with His Providence.  In the past few weeks I have discovered quite a few other believers in my classes who I didn’t know were believers beforehand.  If you remember, early on I commented on how few believers I knew here and how I thought few people in my classes would be interesting.  As is typical of God, He proved me wrong (again, you were right, Lorrie!).  It has been really neat to get to know some of these believers.  If you can believe it, I discovered that I actually had an outside connection with one of these believers.  She had gone on one of my college professor’s Israel trips with a southern California seminary, so she knew not only my professor and friend, Todd, but she also knew another student on that trip, a dear friend of mine from college, Kyle!  Kyle had told her about me studying here also and told her to look me up.  So, it turns out that the world is incredibly small after all!  One other new friend told me that her dad is interested in starting an extension program here in Israel from the college where he works.  That would be so neat.  That’s how I got started here, after all!

God’s Providence in timing has also been quite amazing lately.  A few different times He has orchestrated things amazingly so that I had a chance to support friends who had a need of spiritual encouragement at that very moment.  It never ceases to amaze me how large the fields of harvest are here.

I’m not yet entirely sure what all I’ll be doing for Christmas.  This Saturday I’m attending a concert in the Old City.  I’ve been looking forward to hearing the music at this particular 100-year-old church for quite some time, so that will be exciting.  I do hope to make it to Bethlehem during some point in the next week also.  After all, what would Christmas in the “Holy Land” be without a trip to Bethlehem?!  I’ll be enjoying a Christmas/Hanukkah party with friends on Christmas Eve, and I hope to do other things with friends on Christmas Day as well. 

I’d like to get out and experience Hanukkah a little, too.  Hanukkah starts the 20th.  Hanukkah, called the Feast of Dedication, is a Jewish holiday that celebrates a miracle when, after the evil king Antiochus Epiphanes set up an idol in the Temple during the Inter-Testament times, Jewish leaders from the Maccabee family drove him out and cleansed and rededicated the Temple.  However, they only had enough oil for the menorah of the Temple to last one day.  Providentially, though, it lasted eight days.  Thus, Hanukkah lasts for eight days and remembers God’s providence in helping the people of Israel cleanse the Temple and break free from an evil despot.

In the past few weeks I’ve enjoyed a classical Arabic music concert performed by some extremely talented young people; a few classical mini-concerts by guests and music teachers at the Music Department of our university; and lectures by both the German and US ambassadors to Israel.  The German ambassador was much warmer and friendlier than the US ambassador.  The US ambassador also arrived with a Secret Service escort, whereas the German was alone.  The US ambassador basically had nothing of substance to say, but it was interesting getting a chance to see him. 

In the news lately a few interesting things have happened.  The ramp leading up to the Temple Mount has been deemed a safety hazard.  The authorities are still debating whether to close the Temple Mount to build a new ramp or to continue using the ramp with minor improvements for safety.  It has been quite an issue: Muslims are claiming the Jews are trying to harm their holy place; the Jews are complaining that they might not have access to the Mount if the ramp is closed.  Also, a few letters ago I mentioned a former Hamas man who became a believer and turned into an Israel spy.  He made the news again recently, as the PLO is subpoenaing his records about his spying activities for Israel.  If you think of it, please continue to pray for him: for wisdom and protection for him and for the salvation of his family.  And don’t forget to read Son of Hamas.  Also, stats were released recently saying that in 2010 there were 19,531 legal abortions performed in Israel.  So sad…

In preparation for any upcoming potential emergencies (Iran, eg) the authorities in Israel have been systematically conducing drills and tests of their emergency preparedness.  Last week they tested the emergency, city-wide siren in Jerusalem.  I found out about it ahead of time and was prepared with my camera to record it.  You can watch my clip of a few minutes in Jerusalem.  It was a little sobering to realize that if I heard that ominous noise again, it would probably indicate something very bad was happening to this tiny country.  May God protect the people here.

I also mentioned a while ago about my trip to Samaria where I helped a group of believers harvest grapes for Jewish farmers.  One of the founders of that ministry has released a music video ahead of a US tour to raise support for Israel. 

Many friends and family members have sent me Christmas cards.  I was completely taken by surprise by that, and I want to thank all those who were so thoughtful.  That was such a delightful surprise to receive warm thoughts from friends and family back home.  Thank you!

I am very pleased to announce that I have updated the layout of my website about Israel.  Please feel free to peruse it and learn more about this amazing country.

Lastly, I took a Hebrew midterm exam this week.  I got an A, though it wasn’t as good as I would have liked.  It was quite a difficult test, but it was encouraging to see my progress.  This week I was able to purchase stamps at the post office, entirely in Hebrew.  That was encouraging.  It’s also been nice to become familiar with some of the workers at stores I frequent by using basic Hebrew.  The doorman at the local grocery store now recognizes me and greets me warmly.  The meat store clerk recognizes me and starts preparing my usual order before I even order.  And the maintenance man at the dorms always greets me warmly.  It’s nice to be able to build basic relationships with people through kindness.

Israel Prayer Journal #20

On Friday I joined about 20 graduate students on a school-sponsored trip up to Kibbutz Yagur outside of Haifa in the north.  This kibbutz is the home of our Israeli counselor.  She led us around her home kibbutz to help us gain an idea about what kibbutz life is all about.  The kibbutz was founded in 1922, several decades before the state of Israel was established.  It remains a kibbutz today, where everyone has the majority of their property (including cars, homes, fields, and salaries) in common in a socialist system.  Our guide took us to the Beit Yelidim—the place where, until a few decades ago—all the kids from age 16.5 to 18 lived together, alone, outside of their parents’ homes.  Then she took us to the “nursing home” where the kibbutz’s elderly people live.  There we met an older man who had been the captain of a ship that brought Holocaust survivors to Israel after World War 2.  We visited the kindergarten and saw the kibbutz’s next cute generation.  And lastly, we visited the place where the kibbutz had illegally stored weapons in preparation for the war of independence.  The British actually found the weapons cache and confiscated all of them in 1946.  For that reason, it is quite a historic kibbutz.  It is also Israel’s second largest kibbutz, having 1,400 members.  It was quite a fun trip, and I now feel like I know a lot more about kibbutz life.

This week was a little stressful as I dealt with Israeli bureaucracy.  Let me give you an example of how wonderful the bureaucracy is here.  If you remember, previously I have mentioned that non-Israelis haven’t been able to get a student bus pass.  I was working with officials from the student union to fight for our right to get the discounted pass, and the plan finally succeeded this week, though it was an enormous hassle.  After an entire month of fighting, I visited the bus officials this past Wednesday.  They said to show up at noon to get the pass, so I was early.  At 11:45, they informed us that they’d be ready for us at 2pm, so please come back.  I had a few errands to run, so I ran them in the meanwhile, having to take 2 busses in the process—both of which I had to pay for out of my pocket.  Remember, I was intending to purchase a bus pass from them, but since I had not yet got it, I was still having to pay for each bus ride on top of what I was about to pay them for unlimited rides…  So I showed up at 2, and after about an hour of the officials trying to help me, we realized that I couldn’t pay for it there.  So, I had to take a ridiculously crowded bus (again, out of pocket) to the central bus station to pay for the pass.  I waited in four different lines for 45 minutes just for the privilege of paying for the pass.  Few spoke good English, so that made things more complicated.  One lady essentially threw me out of her office!  Anyway, I finally got it paid for, and the next day returned to school to meet the first officials, where, after a small problem, officially gave me my bus pass at last!  It only took one month, five hours of waiting in lines, 1,374 shekels, seven trips to see bus officials, and the entire student union fighting the bus company for me to get the pass.  But now, I have it, and I was very thankful for that this week!  The first day I had it, I used it three times!  Anyway, I hope to never complain about US bureaucracy again!

Classes are going well.  I’m really enjoying the subject matters of each of my classes.  Lately I’ve been learning about the average terrorist “profile,” about the cleavages between the different social groups within Israel, about what makes French people have the worldview they have, and the political history of Israel in the late 40’s and early 50’s.  I intend in the near future to make my class notes available online to you, if you are interested, and I also hope to write a few interesting things I’ve been learning to share with you soon.  I’ve made a few new friends lately from my classes [you were right, Lorrie! J], including two other believers.

 

Not too many really significant things have been going on in the news lately.  The Palestinian Authority and Hamas are trying really hard to work on a Palestinian unity government again, to unite the West Bank and Gaza.  The Israeli government has been trying to make new laws lately that infringe on democracy (see, eg, this opinion piece)—limiting funding to NGO’s, making libel easier to sue for, relocating large parts of Israel’s Bedouin population, and making marriage only permissible through an orthodox rabbi.  Jordan’s king visited the West Bank for the first time in many years this week as a sign of support for Palestinian statehood and a return to peace negotiations.  Talk about Iran has waned in the media, though the possibility of an Israeli strike is still very real.  The next batch of 550 prisoners to be released in exchange for the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, will take place in the next 2-3 weeks.  And Syria and Egypt are still in major turmoil which threatens the region.  One last thing, there was an interesting article some months back about the persecution of Christians in the Middle East that is worth a read. 

You may also be interested in watching several cool video clips from Israel: amazing footage from across Israel to be made into an IMAX movie (see below).  Footage from around Jerusalem.  Footage from Tel Aviv on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when no cars drive on the roads.

Jerusalem | Filmed in Imax 3D from JerusalemTheMovie on Vimeo.

Israel Prayer Journal #19

Well, classes are off and running!  I guess I was naïve, but I wasn’t prepared for how significant the changes would be around the university once classes began.  I have studied at the university for two months now, during the summer, with a one month break.  During that time it was mostly foreign students coming to study Hebrew in ulpan.  The campus was pretty quiet, though the buildings us foreigners were in were pretty busy.

 

Now that the academic year in Israel has started, though, things have shifted into overdrive.  I only have classes four days a week (three day weekend!!), but I chanced to go to the university this past Sunday, the opening day of classes.  It was literally a madhouse.  I was shocked.  Dozens of organizations had set up booths on the sidewalks and in the buildings trying to get the students to join this, support that, buy this, or sign up for that.  I was accosted by several young people who spoke Hebrew at a dizzying speed.  I was forced to say “No thank you” in Hebrew and virtually run away each time.  I had no idea what any of them were saying or wanting me to do.  I felt a little stupid and out of place.  Here I am at a Hebrew-speaking university, and I barely speak a child’s Hebrew.  It was a bit intimidating to enter that crazy, Hebrew-speaking, carnival-like atmosphere and understand virtually nothing that was going on.  There were also literally thousands of Israeli students spread out all over campus.  All my usual quiet places (lookouts over the city or study corners) from the past few months were swarming with loud, busy people.  There were at least triple the number of busses running, causing all kinds of traffic jams.  I was thankful that I was walking to school then.  In short, it was scary chaos, and I virtually ran to the International School to get to some English-speakers.

Classes themselves got off to a decent start.  I have five classes including Hebrew that meet four days a week, though most of my classes fall only on Tuesday.  My professors all seem quite knowledgeable, and the subject matter seems pretty interesting.  All but two of my teachers could certainly use some work on their student-relating skills, but I think it will be okay.  I am slightly concerned over my sociology and economics classes since I have no background in these subjects, but I suppose I’ll be able to get by without understanding every technical term they use.  Three things have struck me with cultural shock as I began classes: 1) the casualness of the teachers [each of them wore jeans, and two wore t-shirts; no ties or jackets]; 2) my grade in each of the classes is dependent on ONE paper or ONE exam with NO other requirements [that puts a lot of pressure on that one assignment for me!!!]; and 3) my one paper in one of my classes is due one month AFTER the course ends (!).  Weird! 

One somewhat disappointing thing about my classes is that I didn’t really see many students that I can foresee myself becoming super good friends with.  Not that there’s anything wrong with the students in my classes.  They just seemed so different from me that I don’t see much potential for deep friendship.  So, you might pray for me in that regard: that I can find and make some more friends.  In an unrelated note, just as an interesting statistical fact: girls outnumber guys in my classes by a ratio of some 4 to 1.  That was surprising to me.  I don’t know why this major is so popular with women.  Oh, and by the way, several times this week I’ve been able to say hi to my Palestinian friend I met in the cemetery a few weeks ago.  Please pray for his eyes to be opened.

Today I observed something about how the past three months have changed me.  It is kind of a sad observation.  Today a few Israelis did very small acts of kindness toward me, and I realized later that these acts took me completely by surprise.  I realized that I have come to not expect kindness from Israelis (Jews & Arabs) in general.  I have come to 1) look out for myself; 2) expect to be occasionally taken-advantage-of; and 3) be ignored.  I was very sad when I realized that I had developed this attitude.  This is not to say that all Israelis are rude or constantly take advantage of others.  That certainly is not the case.  But, obviously, this attitude within me came from somewhere.  I think that Jerusalemites in general fit this stereotype much more than Israelis living outside Jerusalem, and, of course, there are many friendly and kind Israelis who don’t fit this stereotype at all.  It made me purpose to try and go out of my way more and be kinder to others, because kindness is noticed here since it is so rarely demonstrated to others.  LATER EDIT: Ever since I wrote this paragraph, I have constantly been wondering if it is too harsh, or maybe if I was overreacting or over-analyzing.  I guess that maybe I see Israeli merchants, bureaucrats, or employees more along these lines, rather than the general populace, though, to some degree, the general populace seems to fit this stereotype somewhat.  I don't know.  If I'm overstating the situation, please forgive me.  And, as I stated, there are certainly exceptions.  For example, yesterday I met a young lady at a bus stop.  She is just about to finish her military career.  Her English was excellent, and she was quite friendly, so we had a pleasant conversation.  Thus, there are many exceptions to my general stereotype.

One of those acts of kindness shown to me today was actually an answer to prayer.  Last week I went to go buy a discounted student bus pass.  After spending much of the day traveling, waiting in line, and filling out paperwork, I was informed that non-Israelis could not get this pass.  I was greatly disappointed, as this particular pass saves about 50% versus the non-discounted pass.  I called my counselor at school, and she profusely apologized to me for the way that the bus company and the government were unjustly treating us foreign students.  She assured me that she and the student union at the university were fighting on our behalf to get us the right to be treated equally with Israeli students.  I should add that this is not the only way we foreign students are taken advantage of here.  The internet rates we pay are 30% higher than the internet rates other Israeli customers pay from the same company.  Our rent and tuition that we foreigners pay is higher than what the Israeli students pay.  And on and on the list goes.  I’m not necessarily complaining, but I’m also not sure it’s right to do things this way.

At any rate, I got a call today from my counselor.  She informed me that she believes the student union at the university has made their point to the government and the bus company, and hopefully next week we non-Israelis will be able to buy the bus pass.  Then she asked me a favor: if I would go with a student union representative early this coming week to be the first non-Israeli student to apply for a student pass as a test case.  If I am successful, then all non-Israeli students can get a similar pass.  And if I’m not successful, then they will go back to fighting.  That is quite an honor to bestow on me.  At any rate, I was incredibly thankful not only for the honor, but, more importantly, thankful that I will hopefully be able to get the discount.  I had been thinking all last week about how much more the non-discounted pass would cost, and whether or not I should spend all that money to get it.  I was considering walking to school in the cold and rain to save money, but now God seems to be providing the answer to my prayer about it.  I am thankful!

One last personal note: this past Sunday night I went to a concert.  I had been wanting to see “The Idan Raichel Project” perform for about three or four years.  I almost had a chance to see them in Seattle last summer (maybe the year before), but it would have been too expensive to come up to Seattle just for the concert.  But I finally had an opportunity to see them here in Israel this week.  It was quite exciting.  They are an Israeli group, and they incorporate music styles and languages in their songs from many different Israeli sources: Spanish, African, Arabic, and Hebrew.  The concert itself was good, though I was unprepared for the hour-long advertising by the concert’s sponsor before the concert started, and for the unruly crowd.  The crowd was mostly very young foreigners.  They were quite rowdy—flooding the aisles, dancing around everywhere, standing on top of their seats making it difficult to see.  We were in the 7th row, which was awesome, but it was a little difficult to enjoy the concert with the crazy crowd.

In the news recently, Palestine has been accepted as a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  This may help bolster their UN-statehood bid, which might be voted-on on November 11.  The US has cut off UNESCO funding, and the Israelis have accelerated their settlement-building and frozen Palestinian Authority funding in response.  Also, interestingly, the Israeli government is planning ten new towns in the Negev area, near Arad.  Thought you might enjoy learning about that.  How fun it would be to design a new city!  There has been A LOT of talk lately in the news about Israel attacking Iran soon.  I don’t know what of it to believe.  My friend was recently in the Negev very late at night and saw several Israeli fighter jets doing maneuvers at ridiculously low altitudes (literally just meters above the Dead Sea and above their car).  With the US withdrawing troops from Iraq by year’s end, this could close a potential flight-path for Israeli fighters.  This timeline may play into it as well.  The UN’s nuclear agency is expected to release a report about Iran’s nuclear weapons aspirations later this month.  Prime Minister Netanyahu has been speaking a lot about Iran lately, including at the Knesset earlier this week.  And the US recently and very publicly foiled an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador on US soil.  In my opinion, things are really heating up.  A strike on Iran has the potential to be disastrous for Israel—war from neighboring states, terrorism, missiles from Hezbollah/Hamas, and condemnation by the international community.  And who knows if a strike will even stop Iran?  Please pray for wisdom for the government leaders and protection for all Israeli people. 

By the way, if major problems do develop for Israel in the event of a military operation against Iran, please don’t worry about me.  I believe that I am where God wants me to be, and, if worst comes to worst, I am prepared to meet God, no matter where I am or when it happens.  My sins are forgiven, and I am at peace with Him.  Rather, please pray for those who aren’t prepared to meet God and whose lives will be endangered by this situation.  I know that’s a lot to ask of you who care about me, but we have to trust God’s perfect plan.  He knows what He is doing, so we must submit ourselves to Him.  That's what I am endeavoring to do.

Lastly, I recently finished reading a book that I highly recommend to you all.  You can read my review here.  It is a VERY interesting book if you are interested in Israeli matters.  If you read nothing more from my review, read the "Current Events" section...

Thanks for all your prayers and support!  It means so much to me.

Israel Prayer Journal #18

Much time has passed since my last personal update.  I have been involved in a dizzying amount of activities over the last few weeks of my “vacation” in between studies.  It’s hard to believe it, but I will be starting my semester on October 30.  I am excited for it, yet I am also not looking forward to the workload.  I have certainly gotten use to being somewhat lazy, having my own schedule, and going out exploring whenever I want.  If you think of it, your prayers for me to adjust quickly to the new schedule would be appreciated.

It would be too difficult to share with you all the things I have done in the past few weeks, so I’ll just summarize and share a few highlights.  Maybe in the future as I have more time, I’ll try to write more detailed posts about some of the cooler things I did.  One of my regular hangouts is a bookstore in East Jerusalem.  It is one my favorite places in the city because the food, atmosphere, and books are just splendid.  More importantly, though, the people who work there (Palestinians) have befriended me.  One of the men, I think he’s in his thirties, was educated in Britain, and is quite fun and friendly.  He has taken me and some other friends around to some different sites in his spare time.  It has been a joy to become friends with him.  So, I’ve spent many days there in the past few weeks.  I’ve also been working on personal projects including revamping my website design and building a Hebrew vocabulary flash-card system.

Israeli mountains along Lebanese border

On the 9th, my photographer friend and I traveled for the day up to the Galilee.  We drove quite a ways right along the Lebanese border (I mean RIGHT along the border), including climbing some hills where we had to turn around when we ran into military bases.  We photographed Montfort, an ancient hideout for the Knights Templar during the Crusades.  We drove on some very small roads through the less-traveled part of the Galilee.  We “discovered” a tiny nature park with an interesting cave.  There we met an Arab family who lived not too far away and had stopped to pick some wild fruit.  They invited us to dinner, though we had to decline due to time restraints.  It would have been fascinating to join them, though.  We stopped in Nazareth for dinner at a REALLY nice restaurant, then drove through the Jezreel Valley home.  It was fun to watch the sun set over the valley where the campaign of Armageddon will one day begin, and to see Nazareth on the hills, Mounts Tabor and Gilboa in the valley, and Megiddo guarding the pass.

 

Grave of Theodore Herzl

Being as this is my last “free” week, I had it planned full of activities.  Sunday I traveled to the west end of Jerusalem and visited the Mount Herzl military cemetery.  This is where some of Israel’s dignitaries are buried, including Yitzhak Rabin and Golda Meir.  It is located on a beautiful forested hill beside Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum.  This is also where Theodore Herzl, the father of modern Zionism, is buried.  I was astonished at how long it took for me to get there on the light rail train—a good 40 or more minutes from my start on the eastern edge of the city.  I was in a part of Jerusalem that I had not spent any significant time in, so it was fascinating for me to see a whole other part of Jerusalem.  I had no idea that Jerusalem was so large!

Earlier in the day I was photographing in a World War I British military cemetery, and as I left, I ran into the caretaker of the property.  He was a nice, older Arab man from a nearby Arab village.  We got to talking, and he invited me for tea.  We sat and talked for at least 30 minutes.  He showed me around the caretaker’s office, including photos from the 41 years he had worked there.  He was an incredibly pleasant man, and it was a joy to meet him.  I now have a new Palestinian friend. 

Monday morning I went on a tour of the Jerusalem Municipality complex.  I have wanted to do this for many years, and I finally had a chance to do it.  I and a German lady were the only visitors, so we had a splendid private tour.  The buildings of the complex are quite interesting and full of history.  We also got to visit the Jerusalem City Council chamber and sit in the chairs of the Council members.  Then we went onto their balcony to see the incredible view of the city in all directions.  Wow!  That’s all I can say.  It was spectacular!  The German tourist invited me to coffee afterwards, and we had a nice chat about Israel, Jerusalem, and politics. 

King Hussein's Unfinished Palace

While I was visiting a mall in northeastern Jerusalem earlier this week, I just happened to look up and saw a familiar sight.  It was a place that I had seen photos of for years, but never actually seen with my own eyes—Gibeah of Saul!  This is where King Saul had his capital in the book of Samuel.  What marks this place distinctively is an unfinished building on top of the hill—the palace of King Hussein of Jordan.  Prior to 1967 when Jordan controlled the West Bank, King Hussein began building himself a palace on King Saul’s ancient capital.  When the Israelis captured the territory in the 67 war, they left the palace in its current unfinished state of construction.  Thus it sits as a monument of sorts to the Israeli war.  At any rate, I had no idea how close it was or that I could see if from this neighborhood in Jerusalem, so I was so thrilled to “discover” it!  On Friday my roommate and I went to find how to get to the site.  With the help of Google maps and Google Earth, I figured out how to reach the summit.  It was so exciting for me to reach the top of the hill of Gibeah since I had wanted to visit this site for four years.  I spent over an hour there photographing it and enjoying the incredible 360-degree view.  I could look north into Ramallah and south into downtown Jerusalem. 

What was also quite spectacular was the Biblical story associated with it.  When God rejected Saul from being king of Israel after his sin, Saul and Samuel, formerly good friends, parted company.  They each went home and never saw each other again for many years until Samuel’s death.  What was particularly cool, though, was being able to see Samuel’s home area (Nebi Samwil area) from the top of Saul’s home (Gibeah).  The two guys lived just three miles away from each other, and they could see each other’s home cities from their own home, yet they never saw each other again because of Saul’s sin.  It was sad to see that…

On Tuesday I joined my Palestinian friend from the bookshop and spent the day at the University of Birzeit, the most “famous” Palestinian university in the West Bank.  They were putting on a conference there about Palestinian statehood issues.  Topics included discussion about a constitution, the economy, and how to become recognized as an independent state.  I had a very good time and learned much.  It was so fun to see Palestinians students going from class to class and hanging out at their college.  As interesting as the conference was, I enjoyed the time with my friend even more.  He taught me a lot from his Palestinian perspective as we drove there and back.  He told me why Palestinians don’t like the Jewish settlements and the wall and so forth.  It was fascinating for me to learn firsthand about Palestinian issues from a Palestinian while in “Palestine.” 

Grapes from vineyard on Mt. Gerizim

On Wednesday I learned from the opposite perspective.  I joined my photographer friend once again and we went to Mount Gerizim just south of Nablus.  This mountain is where the majority of the remaining Samaritans live.  It was also on this mountain that Joshua read the Blessings and Cursings from the Law when the Israelites entered the Promised Land.  My friend and I joined a really unique Christian ministry called Hayovel.  This ministry brings people from all over the world to help Jewish settlers in the West Bank harvest their grape crop.  Currently the ministry has 200 people who have volunteered from the US and Canada to come here and work.  Most of the people are young people, largely in their young teens, and many of them are homeschooled.  Many of them are Messianic.  They go from vineyard to vineyard in the West Bank and volunteer to harvest the Jewish grapes for wine-making.  I spent over 3 hours with about 20 young people cutting grapes from their vines.  It was quite a fascinating experience.  I had no idea how grapes were harvested before.  It was nice being around other believers who are actually trying to make a difference in Israel.  They cited two really neat Scriptures for their work: Isaiah 61:5 (“foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers”) and Jeremiah 31:5 (“Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria”).  The latter passage is particularly amazing because it was a prophecy BEFORE the Babylonian Captivity that Israel would return to its land.  The people who work for this ministry believe they are fulfilling these two prophecies.  Whether these prophecies are for this time or for the future, I don’t know, but, regardless, it was quite an interesting experience…

View from e. Ithamar of Mts. Gerizim & Ebal and Nablus

After we finished harvesting 5 tons of grapes (about 20 of us in 4 hours!), my friend and I went to the village of Ithamar.  This is the town near Nablus where the Fogel family was murdered in their home at night by Arab extremist terrorists earlier this year.  It was sad to drive through this extremely small community and think about the atrocity that occurred just a few months ago.  What a tragedy…  There were some really amazing views of the hills of Samaria, the desert of Samaria, and the Jordan Valley from here.  Supposedly, on a clear day, one can see the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea from this viewpoint.  Well, it wasn’t a clear day, so I didn’t see any of them.

Thursday night I went to a film screening sponsored by the bookshop I frequent.  There were several hundred people that came.  It was quite a success.  The interesting thing about it, though, were the “celebrities” that I got to see: the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem (almost like the pope) and the former Mufti of Jerusalem (the highest Muslim authority in Jerusalem).  That was quite exciting!  J

In the news lately, Gilad Shalit did return home last Tuesday.  Over four hundred Palestinian prisoners were released for him, but it was a great day of celebration for Israel.  It was sad for me to see the celebrations and hear the incessant celebratory fireworks coming from the Palestinian areas of Jerusalem.  I respect the fact that their family members came home, but I don’t believe in celebrating any murderer or criminal.  The Social Justice protest movement in Israel is set to put on a demonstration and strike this weekend.  This will be the first time they’ve been active since early September. 

Anyway, as you can see, I have been silent in my postings, but very active in my doings.  Thanks for your support and prayers.  You mean a great deal to me.  Your prayers for me as I deal with issues relating to two friends would be appreciated.  And, as always, please pray that I can be a good witness of God’s love to all the people here in Israel.

IPJ #17 Gilad Shalit

Background

On June 25, 2006, three years after Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip, Hamas terrorists crossed from the Gaza Strip into Israel and abducted an IDF soldier named Gilad Shalit.  The Israeli military immediately responded by launching a campaign to find where they had taken Gilad in Gaza.  The campaign was a failure, and Gilad disappeared.  Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit (his promotion from Corporal to Sergeant came after his abduction) was 19-years-old at the time of his abduction.  He has been held captive ever since—1,935 days. 

For the last five years, Hamas terrorists have held his existence over the head of the Israeli governments that have come and past.  They have demanded the release of some 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in exchange for Gilad.  Israel continued to look for Gilad through intelligence sources, but his whereabouts remained absolutely secret, and, undoubtedly, booby-trapped.  Israel has been rather active in assassinating particular terrorists who had direct involvement with the abduction, but they never could find any leads to his whereabouts.  It is rumored that only the smallest handful of individuals in Hamas actually knows where he is located. 

Gilad’s parents have been the models of devoted parents throughout this affair.  After their son’s kidnapping, they vowed to never return home until their son was brought safely back to their arms.  They have lived out this promise.  They have spent the past five years living in a tent outside the Prime Minister of Israel’s home—constantly reminding the leader of the government that their son is still missing.  They have held protest rallies, spoken to government officials around the world, and done grassroots campaigns to bring Gilad home.  Gilad’s sister has also served in the Israeli army since her brother’s abduction, and Gilad has one other brother as well. 

A few different times during the past few years, the Hamas terrorists holding him hostage have released photos, letters, or videotapes of Gilad to show that he still lives and to taunt the Israelis who want him home.  Over the last two years, though, no proof of his continued existence has been offered.  Hamas has denied treatment of him by Red Cross officials for fear that the Israelis would learn his location.  Yet his family still holds out hope. 

Gilad Shalit has become one of the most well known people in Israel.  The Israeli public has latched on to him in an amazing way.  He has become the son of every family in Israel.  He has become the brother of every Israeli.  For the past few years, at Mrs. Shalit’s request, Israelis and foreigners, including myself two times, have left an empty seat at their Passover Seder tables for him, as a reminder that not everyone is home yet.  At the Shalit protest tent outside the Prime Minister’s house, there is a large poster of dozens of Israelis dressed up just like Gilad is dressed in one of the pictures his captors released of him, showing their solidarity with him, their exiled kinsman.  Stickers and banners with his photo and the caption “Gilad Still Lives” are on nearly every corner here in Israel.  Despite their differences, Israelis are a remarkably close-knit people.  In some instances, they really see themselves as one giant family.  So, to have one of their own family members locked in the prison of terrorists is an enormous tragedy that every Israeli feels.

Deal

Yesterday, the 1,935th day of his captivity, 13 days after I visited the protest tent where his family spent Rosh Hashanah, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced that the Israeli government had reached an agreement with Hamas to release Gilad Shalit.  Reportedly, the Israeli government gave into nearly every demand that Hamas required for his release.  1,027 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails will be released in exchange for Gilad in two stages, the first one within the week.  It is a historic day in Israel—both a jubilant day and a sad day. 

Not everyone is excited about this deal, and for good reason.  Everyone wants Gilad home, but many feel that the price being paid is too great.  Israel has agreed to Hamas’ demands that nearly 1,000 Palestinian prisoners be released in exchange for Gilad.  This includes every single female Palestinian prisoner (27 of them), every single Palestinian minor prisoner, some of Hamas’ worst terrorists, and many “ordinary” bad guys.  Not every one of these prisoners is equally bad.  Almost all of these prisoners are in prison on some kind of terrorism charges, though some, perhaps, are lesser-offenders.  However, some of the prisoners being released are REALLY bad guys.  280 of these prisoners are currently serving life-sentences for their crimes. 

Some of the worst offenders had previously been declared by past Israeli governments as persons never-to-be-considered-to-be-released.  Now the Israel government has authorized their release in exchange for Gilad.  Some of the prisoners who may be released include the following: Hassan Salameh was responsible for the deaths of 46 Israelis in three bus bombings in Jerusalem and Ashkelon, as well as orchestrating the killing of Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich.  Ahmad Barghouti killed 12 Israelis in shooting attacks on Jaffa Street and police officers at checkpoints.  Abbas al-Sayed killed 30 Israelis on Passover Eve in a hotel in Netanya.  A female who bombed a Sbarro in downtown Jerusalem is also on the list.  There is some uncertainty whether or not the following terrorist will be released or not:  Abdullah Barghouti, a master bomb-builder, is responsible for the murders of 66 Israelis in cafes, the Hebrew University, busses in Tel Aviv, and Zion Square.  He was given 67 life sentences—the longest prison term ever given in Israel.  Supposedly these last three will NOT be released, though they were originally part of Hamas’ demands:  Marwan Barghouti gave orders to have 5 Israelis killed in Maale Adummim, Tel Aviv, Givat Zeev, and Jerusalem.  Ahmed Saadat ordered a former Israeli government minister assassinated.  Ibrahim Hamed was responsible for the murder of 90 Israelis in Jerusalem cafes, the Hebrew University, Zion Square, and the West Bank. 

As you can tell, the prisoners to be exchanged for Gilad are not good people.  Some of them are very evil.  Not only is Israel exchanging 1,027 prisoners (many of them terrorists) in exchange for Gilad Shalit, but Israel is also trading the lives of so many Israelis killed by these people, as well as the justice done for the family members of these terrorist victims.  Thus, you can see why many people here are not pleased with the deal.  Furthermore, to where will the prisoners be released?  Back to the West Bank or Gaza where they can begin their terrorist plans anew?  450 prisoners will be released with a week, and 96 of them will be taken to the West Bank, 14 to East Jerusalem, 203 deported to Gaza, 131 returned to Gaza, and 40 deported out of Israel and the Territories. 

Reaction

I am unbelievably thankful that Gilad Shalit will be returning home to his family.  I have been thinking of him and praying for him for several years now.  This is one of the greatest moments for Israel in the past decade or two.  However, I am deeply saddened by the cost that is being required.  I also fear for the consequences of this deal.  Many people are outraged that one life is worth 1,027 other lives.  I don’t know if it’s helpful or not to think in those terms.  How many lives is one life worth, anyway?  There’s no math for that. 

In my opinion, this may be the most difficult dilemma that has faced any government since Truman had to decide whether or not to drop the Bomb.  On the one hand, one of your citizens is being held hostage by enemies for five years.  On the other hand, releasing so many evil, skilled murders of your citizens seems like such a high price to pay.  I don’t know if even Solomon in all his wisdom could have come up with a solution for this situation.  Five years is such a long time to wait for an answer.  What is Israel supposed to do?  Is it worth all the heartache and pain of seeing murders go free in order to see a helpless kinsman return home after five years?  Obviously, the Israeli government has decided that it is. 

Today I found myself debating myself on what is the “right” answer to this situation.  I don’t know that there is a “right” answer.  No option was a good one.  Do you let justice go undone for those who have already died by these terrorists’ hands, or do you allow your soldier to die an old man in the prison of his kidnappers?  I also found myself debating the ethics of somehow “hurting” the prisoners being released—either secretly injecting them with tracking chips or with a deadly disease to make sure that they’d either be caught again or that they’d die someday.  Is that right?  Or in this complicated situation must we just turn over these 1,000 criminals’ fates to God and trust that He will judge them for what they have done. 

Most importantly, though, I hope that Israel has learned their lesson from previous prisoner swaps.  That is, before you release all these prisoners, make absolutely sure that Gilad is still alive.  There have been no proofs of his life for two years now.  That is suspicious to me.  I pray that he is still alive and that he’ll be home safely with his family very soon.  As one news source pointed out, it is rather interesting that Gilad will be released during the holiday of Sukkot which commemorates when the Israelites lived as exiles and foreigners in their 40 years of wandering. 

Consequences

So, what are some of the consequences of this prisoner swap that will, God-willing, bring Gilad Shalit back home?  Here’s what I—the non-expert—think:

1.  It will heal one family’s five-year-long hell.  It won’t, of course, undo all the pain that has been caused, but it will bring some level of healing that will be tremendously helpful to the Shalit family.  It will also bring healing to a nation that has mourned the captivity of one of its sons for five years. 

2.  It will encourage every one of Israel’s soldiers that Israel does not abandon its own.  Though it took five years to get this young man back, Israel will do what is necessary, though it is painful, to bring its soldiers back.  I think this will boost the morale of Israel’s armed forces.

3.  It will make the Netanyahu government more powerful.  Since he took office in 2008, Prime Minister Netanyahu has faced some problems.  He has a very strong opposition force within the government that opposes much of what he does.  Lately he has come under tremendous pressure over the cost-of-living protests within Israel and over the Palestinian’s statehood bid in the UN.  People don’t have an overly high opinion of him here.  The freedom of Gilad, though, will give Prime Minister Netanyahu an enormous bump.  This may be his legacy, depending on what happens at the UN.  This is a good thing.  I just hope that political motives weren’t responsible for the decision to free these prisoners in exchange for Gilad…

4.  It will make Hamas stronger.  Israel, who historically has refused to negotiate with terrorists or conduct business with Hamas—which is identified as a terrorist organization, not a government—has given in to the vast majority of Hamas’ demands.  Fatah, the “ruling party” in the West Bank played no role in this historic agreement.  Hamas gets all the spotlight.  Hamas now is recognized as a major player to be reckoned with in the political world.  Hamas also will be seen as the liberator of “heroes,” women, and minors from Israel’s prisons.  The Arab world will revel in this, and Hamas gets all the “glory” for the achievement.  Hamas will only get stronger and stronger from now on.  I have to wonder if this is why Hamas agreed to the swap after five years of extortion.  They were being left out of the spotlight as Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party led the Palestinian statehood charge.  Perhaps this is Hamas’ way of getting back into the limelight… 

5.  It will confirm to Hamas that this is the way to operate.  Kidnappings, violence, and extortion work, if you wait long enough.  That will be Hamas’ game plan.  Hamas had nothing to lose by hanging on to Gilad for five years, or even indefinitely.  Israel, however, had much to lose by its slowness in bringing back this soldier.  Political pressure from Israel’s people forced the government to do something in a relatively timely manner.  Hamas has no such time restrictions.  There is no one applying any real pressure on them to give up Gilad.  So, now they know for a fact that they can get away their crimes if they wait long enough.  They also now know that Israel recognizes them as a real player, and that Israel will negotiate with them after enough time.  They also know that there are no real consequences for their terrorist activities.  They can do all the damage they want, then just set another kidnapping and extortion plan into motion to release their terrorists from Israeli prisons after enough time.  Hamas now knows that their strategy works. 

6.  It will lead to more hard feelings between Jews and Palestinians.  I think that as Gilad Shalit’s story makes its way into the media that it will further enrage Jewish sentiments against his Palestinian captors.  I don’t see this as helping the Israel-Palestinian peace process at all.  It may lower the estimation of a Palestinian's life's worth in Israeli lives.  If 1,000 Palestinian lives are worth 1 Jewish life, perhaps this will make Israelis think even less of Palestinians...  

7.  It may lead to an increase in terrorism and violence in Israel.  Hamas has seen that their strategy works.  Perhaps they will now be more willing to use it more often.  Perhaps the prisoners who are released will go home and begin planning more terrorist attacks.  Their time in prison may have hardened their resolve to destroy Israel even more.  Perhaps the released prisoners will go home and inspire other impressionable people to engage in terrorism like these new “model” Palestinians.  Perhaps there will be more kidnappings so that terrorists can try and force their agenda on the Israeli government. 

Conclusion

I am so thankful that Gilad Shalit will be, God-willing, going home to his family.  I am concerned for the precedent that this sets for the Israeli government.  I am concerned about the ramifications of this decision for the future.  I don’t know if there really was another alternative, though.  After five years, something needed to be done, and, finally, something has been done.  I pray that God would comfort the families of those who were killed by the prisoners being released.  I pray that God would bring justice.  I pray that He would righteously judge those who have committed horrible crimes and will now go free.  I pray that those who are freed would go home to live honorable lives and not re-enter lives of crime and terrorism.  I pray that Gilad is returned safely.  I pray that the state of Israel can heal after this national tragedy is brought to an end.  I pray that the majority of the Palestinian people do not welcome these prisoners home like saints.  I pray that they would realize that violence is not the answer.  I have been trying to learn more from the Palestinian perspective.  I can see from their view that these prisoners were “freedom-fighters” in their eyes, yet I pray that they realize that the way to achieve freedom is not through bloodshed and hatred.  And, lastly, I pray that Messiah would return soon to bring true peace and justice to this earth.  May God soon bring peace to Israel.  And may Gilad Shalit soon be in his parents’ arms once again.

UPDATE 10/16: Timeline of Gilad Shalit's captivity | Official list of prisoners to be released in first phase
UPDATE 10/17: Descriptions of some of the prisoners being released in exchange for Gilad Shalit | Official list of prisoners being released, including their details and where they will be sent
ADDITIONAL UPDATES: Prime Minister Netanyahu's letter to families of victims whose killers will be released | 4 court cases against Shalit deal rejected by Supreme Court | JPost's Prison Swap in pictures | A moving article about Israel's "insanity" and courage to exchange prisoners for Gilad | The events as they happened on the day Gilad was released | Gilad's first interview with Egyptian TV | Palestinian celebration over the prisoners' release | PM Netanyahu's remarks after Gilad's release | A rabbi's remarks about Gilad the last time he was almost released | Video of Gilad's arrival to Israel | 

Israel Prayer Journal #16-Yom Kippur

Let me share about my experiences during Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  Yom Kippur is the most holy day in the Jewish calendar.  It took place this past Friday evening through Saturday evening.  It marks the one day of the year during the Old Testament period when the high priest of Israel would enter the Most Holy Place of the Temple to offer the blood of a sacrifice before God’s presence.  You can read about it in Leviticus 16.  On Yom Kippur, even most secular Israeli Jews will attend synagogue, though this might be the only time they attend synagogue all year.  According to Judaism, it is on Yom Kippur that God seals a person’s fate for the new year.  That is why the ten days preceding Yom Kippur are days of repentance, so that each Jew can repent of their sins and try to “persuade” God to give them a good fate this year.  The day is spent in the synagogue with five prayer services.  Jews are supposed to refrain from five things on this day: eating and drinking (one is supposed to fast for 25 hours), wearing leather shoes, bathing or washing, anointing oneself with perfume, and sexual relations.  Also, one is strictly forbidden from driving or engaging in other Sabbath-prohibited activities, such as cooking, turning on lights, walking beyond a prescribed distance, and so forth. 

Friday afternoon (hours before Yom Kippur started), my friend, Ben, and I walked from the student village to the Old City (2 miles; 40 minutes) to see what was going on down there.  We stopped in an Arab bookstore and had lunch in East Jerusalem along the way.  Then we traveled through Damascus Gate down al-Wad Street to the Western Wall (Kotel) Plaza.  I was shocked to discover virtually no Jews there.  I figured that most of them would be at synagogue or home making preparations, but I didn’t expect to find so few people there.  We sat down at the Western Wall for a while, then decided to head back after it became apparent that nothing “interesting” would be happening anytime soon. 

So, we started walking the 2 miles/40 minutes back to the student village.  Along the way, we discovered something fascinating: the police were driving around and setting up barricades along all the roads leading into the major highway that connects the Mount Scopus area with downtown Jerusalem!  I knew that no one was “supposed” to drive on Yom Kippur, but I had also read that it wasn’t technically against Israeli law to do so.  However, here before my very eyes I was witnessing the Israeli police “enforcing” this religious custom on the entire population (Jews, Arabs, and foreigners) of Jerusalem.  It gave me some interesting things to think about in the discussion of separation between “church” (religion) and state. 

When we got back to the student village, I went out again on foot to examine the surrounding neighborhoods to see what other interesting things were going on for the holiday.  I came across a nearby synagogue and discovered it completely packed with people.  Tons of people were there celebrating the holiday, including some fellow students I recognized.  Also of interest, I discovered that with the roads blocked off and no traffic around, all the small children were out in the middle of the roads playing on bikes, riding down the hills in the middle of the streets.  It was amusing.

My Friend, Ben, in the middle of the highway!

I had barely returned to my dorm when my friend, Ben, called again.  “Austen, I’m bored…  Want to go back to the Old City with me?” was his question.  We had already walked 4 miles and 80 minutes to and from the Old City today, but, hey, why not do it again?  So we headed out again.  It was only 6:45pm, but it was already quite dark out due to the time change this past week.  On our way downtown this time, we walked down the middle of Highway 60—the main road that connects the Mount Scopus area with downtown Jerusalem!  Since there was no traffic, it was quite an adventure.  We took photos of each other standing in the middle of intersections.  To make a long story short, we ended up walking to the Damascus Gate area, then all the way up Jaffa Street to the Central Bus Station, then walked across the big “David’s Harp” Bridge (both on the pedestrian path and on the Light Rail Train tracks) (by the way, the bridge was built by the same guy and in a similar style to the Sundial Bridge in Northern California), then all the way back to our student village.  We had to stop several times along the way and rest for a few minutes, because this trip (not counting the 4 miles we walked earlier) was a whopping 9.4 miles roundtrip!!!  We both were dog tired when we got back!  I think that’s the furthest I’ve ever walked in a day (although I’ve never kept track of how far we walked in a day during my tours of Israel J), and my legs were dead.  It was a LONG way, but it was such a memorable experience—walking that far, in the middle of normally-busy roads, on Yom Kippur. 

It was interesting to see that, for the most part, only tourists were out walking during the evening.  There were several Orthodox Jews walking around after synagogue services, but Jerusalem felt quite abandoned.  The only traffic on the road was an occasional ambulance or police car doing patrols.  What a weird thing to see in a city of nearly 780,000 people!  Security was noticeable.  Every 5 minutes a police vehicle would drive down the street.  We also saw a troop of about 20 young, fully armed Israeli police officers, equipped with helmets, automatic rifles, and batons walking in formation down the highway past the main Arab neighborhoods early in the evening.  And Israel’s borders (including West Bank crossings) and airspace were all closed for the duration of Yom Kippur.  I can understand Israel’s concern.  Conditions in the region are volatile; things are not business-as-usual because of the uniqueness of the holiday; the population’s guard is down because of the solemnity of the holiday; and, most importantly, it was on precisely this holy day in 1973 when several of Israel’s neighbors surprise attacked and nearly defeated Israel during the Yom Kippur War.  Israel has never forgotten that tragedy. 

On Saturday (the actual day of Yom Kippur) my friend Ben and I walked back to the Old City despite our tired legs from the previous day’s walk.  We, again, walked the entire way down the middle of the main highway.  It seemed like no one quite cared what we did today, so my friend and I walked through the “closed” underground car tunnel that connects the Jaffa Gate with Damascus Gate areas.  We weren’t the only ones enjoying the lack of traffic.  A few kids were riding skateboards and bikes through the tunnel as well.  There were also some women pushing strollers up the middle of the street.  We visited the Western Wall and discovered that quite a few people had actually spent the night down there, some with blankets and pillows, even.  We bought some cheap food from the open Arab places, and I helped a middle-aged Arab man who dropped a sack of pomegranates in the road pick up his runaway fruit.  He was laughing about it and thanked me profusely in Arabic for my help. 

Two interesting events of Saturday that I witnessed were related.  A secular Jewish man was walking down the road past a group of very young Orthodox Jewish children.  The man clearly was not observing the holiday (or the Sabbath, for that matter) in the same manner as these children’s parents were.  As he passed, one Orthodox boy threw something that shattered on the ground immediately behind him.  I can’t be sure if the kid threw it at him purposefully or if it was just a coincidence.  The man wheeled around and began yelling at them in Hebrew.  Many kids ran away and a few older kids ran to the children’s aid when they heard the shouting.  I didn’t catch much of the conversation.  If I understood correctly, though, at one point I thought though I heard the man yell, “Am I an Arab?!”  If it was intentional on the boy’s part, then this again highlights the rift between secular and religious Jews in Israel.  The secular man clearly thought that although their religious practices were different, he should be more respected by these children and not accosted as though he were a non-Jew.  I was sad to see the children treat him this way, and I was also sad to hear the man’s question.  No one—Jew or Arab—should be treated badly just because they have a different ethnicity or practice than someone else.

The second incident happened on our way back.  A man (tourist, I suspect) began taking pictures of a group of ultra-Orthodox Jewish teenage boys sitting outside their synagogue.  They began yelling at him, “Shabbos! Shabbos!” [=Shabbat].  (You’re not supposed to take pictures on Shabbat.)  He continued taking photos provocatively.  A secular Jewish passerby defended the man by yelling at the youths.  About six of the youths eventually crossed the street to argue with the photographer as he continued to take their photos despite their disapproval.  A verbal argument ensued.  The photographer was very insensitive and rude about the whole ordeal.  He could have been more respectful and refrained from upsetting them.  Instead, he photographed them for a third time as they walked away from him.  It was interesting to see how both the religious and the secular view the Sabbath.  This was a demonstration in miniature of the animosity here between the Orthodox and the secular.

Lastly, let me just mention that I did attend the kapparot ritual on Thursday night.  This is the ritual I discussed in my last update where religious Jews take a chicken, say a blessing on it as they hold it above their heads, symbolically transfer their sins to it, then have it slaughtered as a “sacrifice.”  One of my female Jewish friends and I went downtown looking for the place where it is performed.  We wandered around without success for a while, so I finally stopped and in a mixture of Hebrew and English asked an ultra-Orthodox man sitting near the Mahane Yehudah Shuk entrance who had a sign that read something about kapparot.  He directed us down the street.  There we discovered the “Kapparot Market.”  The ritual works pretty much the way I described it in my last update.  Let me just say that it is a better object lesson on paper than in real life.  I was actually rather disturbed by it, both by the unpleasantness of watching an animal die (I realize the original intent of the sacrifices was to be a powerful reminder of how vile sin is—so vile that it takes the death of something to atone for it; but, still…) and by the rather irreverent, factory-style operation of the ritual.  The business-oriented attitude of the workers, disturbing sounds, frenzy, disgusting smell, casual treatment of the animals, general shady-ness of the locale, and lack of more specific devotion to God really turned me off from the entire thing. 

I appreciate the symbolism of the ritual, but I am not a proponent of it now that I’ve seen it.  It really made me thankful that Jesus the Messiah brought an end to the sacrificial system by offering the Final and Perfect Sacrifice for sin.  It also made me realize how much we fallen human beings corrupt God’s original intentions.  God originally intended the sacrifices to be done in a way to bridge the gap between sinful man and holy God.  But people ruined the practice of it.  Looking through history I realized how much God must have disdained the irreverent, disingenuous sacrifices that people offered as they externally sought to “obey” God’s commandments while their heart was not in it (see Isaiah 1:11-17).  I’m not saying that those who did the kapparot ritual on Thursday were disingenuous.  I’m sure there were Jews there that night who were genuinely worshiping God as best as they knew how through the kapparot ritual.  I’m just saying that I felt that the overall atmosphere in which it was performed may have been the kind of thing that led Jesus to overturn the tables in the Temple (Mark 11:15-17) when He saw how poorly and business-like the people were treating worship of God.  Maybe I’m just too much of an outsider to pass judgment.  I just didn’t care for it too much…

Despite that fact, please join me in praying that God would soon bring peace to Israel.  May the Jewish and Arab peoples soon come to find that atonement with God is already possible through Jesus the Messiah.