1: BIBI’S GOVERNMENT IS IN CRISIS AND MAY BE DISSOLVED FOR NEW ELECTIONS:
The cabinet is in turmoil of two major issues: the Jewish State, nationality bill, which identifies Israel as a nation state for the Jewish people and the 2015 budget which must be passed before March 1st. The Jewish State bill does not call for a new, racially exclusive identification for Israel. It confirms what has been established for 67 years. At a time when the world is saying that Israel has no right to exist, that it is built upon stolen Arab Moslem land, and that Jerusalem does not belong to the Jews, this clarification is vital. The Palestinian Authority has openly said that their state will be free of Jews when it is formed. The world doesn’t decry that as racist, but when Israel confirms what the UN established in November of 1947 (i.e. that Israel is a homeland for the Jewish people), it is condemned as racist. The opposition of this nationality bill arising from coalition members is based upon their fear that Israel is staking ground to make it more difficult to surrender territory to the Palestinians, and thus will inspire further international condemnation and isolation of Israel. Well hallelujah! Israel clearly needs to stake its ground and take a stand for her identity and inheritance from YHVH! However, what we are likely seeing here is that the Obama administration has declared that Bibi must go (that he is the blockage to accomplishing the goals of the West for the region), so that a left-wing government can replace him.
The end goal is to form the Palestinian state according to the demands of the Palestinian leadership, the UN, the EU, the Arab Leagues, etc. They want to take Israel out of the equation entirely. Washington has courted Livni, Lapid, and even Labor leader Herzog with promises of support and blessing if they help bring a leadership change in the government of Israel. They have been fed threats about what will happen to Israel if they stay the present course. Therefore, this non-issue of identity has been blow up into a critical game changer for Bibi’s government.
The issue of the 2015 Budget, which must be passed before March 1st. Finance Minister, Lapid, has decided that he will not support a budget that does not raise taxes, and that will not provide more social justice services to the middle and lower class, at the expense of the defense budget. He wants to make young, first-time homebuyers free from the value added tax, which Bibi strongly resists. The problem is that, by law, if a budget cannot be signed by the deadline date the government is automatically dissolved to new elections. Tying up the budget is a way to bring down the government. At a time when Israel is facing the most severe and widespread threats against it security (survival), it is ludicrous to cut the military budget to support home buying, etc. The citizens, who would find themselves in the process of being annihilated, won’t be concerned about their purchasing power or social benefits.
The manifestation of these two areas of crisis is that members of the coalition are openly, publically, criticizing and demonizing Bibi for being an ineffective politician, rather than being a dedicated, wise, leader for the nation. While Bibi’s popularity is being affected in the polls by this condemnation, polls also show that in new elections, he would likely be re-elected.
- Pray for this manipulation of the Israeli government coalition (by the internationals, and by the local humanists and Arabists) would stop.
- Pray for sanity and truth to reign over this government
- Pray for the Israeli people to not be duped by this strategy of manipulation and power grabbing.
- Pray for unity to be restored and for proper priority to be established.
- Pray for Bibi to remain in power as long as the Lord calls him to be there.
- If new elections will clean out the chaff in the present government, pray that Bibi will call for the elections to come soon.
- Pray that Bibi will not make unholy deals with the religious parties, in order to keep power. Pray that Shas will not get back into control of the Dept. of Interior if a new government does form.
- Pray that YHVH will clap His hands and bring this government and the Knesset into HIS ORDER.
- Pray that Israel will definitely and wisely declare WHO SHE IS through a version of this nationality bill.
- Pray that when the Jewish identity is clarified, that it will include ALL Jews as part of this nation … especially the Jewish believers in Yeshua.
- The major players in this coalition conflict are: Finance Minister Yair Lapid, who heads the second-largest party Yesh Atid … Justice Minister Tzipi Livni of the Hatnua party, Economy Minister Naftali Bennett of Bayit Yehudi, and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, of Yisrael Beiteinu. Pray for them by name.
2: IRAN
Last week we learned that the P5+1 nations failed to come to an agreement with Iran. Praise YHVH that no deal is better than a bad deal. The new deadline for an agreement is the end of June of 2015. Dangerously, the sanctions that were lifted, to bring Iran to the table, are still lifted. Also, the centrifuges continue to spin during this time; allowing Iran to complete its nuclear bomb. Iran is laughing as it merrily goes on its way as a nuclear threshold nation. They could have a bomb in as little as three months time. Israel needs to know whether and when and how to make a pre-emptive attack.
- Praise YHVH that no deal was signed that would certify Iran as an acceptable nuclear power.
- Pray that the Lord would keep His hand upon the Iranian leadership, military and nuclear technology in these coming months.
- Pray that YVH would alert Israel about any coming attack, and reveal the nuclear secrets that Iran has been hiding.
- If Israel is to make a pre-emptive strike militarily, pray for the Lord to call it, to orchestrate it, and to prosper it with success.
- Pray that every pilot, and every IDF member, would return safely from such a strike.
- Pray that YHVH would give Israel wise and witty strategies to take apart this threat without military intervention. (i.e. computer viruses, underground vibrations to disrupt the centrifuges, etc.)
- If Israel needs to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities or military bases, pray that YHVH would blind the nations to the plans, and shut the mouths of protest that are among the western nations.
- Pray for the believers in Iran to bless Israel and thereby garner YHVH’s blessing for their nation. Pray that many intercessors will arise in their midst, to thrown down this wicked, Islamic regime.
3: HAMAS AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY GAME PLAYING
Abbas has declared that Hamas is totally responsible for the rebuilding of Gaza. However, the billions of dollars, which have been donated by the nations for the rebuilding of Gaza, have been entrusted into the PA’s hands. Not good! The PA loves to receive the money, but won’t part with it. Someone in the international community should be very upset. Hamas should be attacking the PA for it. Meanwhile, Hamas, has said that the unity government has ended, because of the cooperation by the PA with the western powers, while at the same time Abbas is charging Hamas of having secret meetings with Israel; leaving the PA out of the loop. Abbas is saying that he will not negotiate on any of their land claims, making any peace negotiations virtually impossible. We have a “good cop-bad cop” scenario playing out between these two wicked entities of Hamas and the PA.
You may remember that the PA was going to take its demand for a State to the UN Security Council at the end of November. Since Abbas couldn’t convince the required number of nations (9) to make that move successful, it has been delayed. Even with the announced delay, Abbas has demanded that Israel respond immediately to his mandate that negotiations commence now, establishing the Palestinian State at the pre-1967 borders. If Israel doesn’t agree and comply, Abbas will go to the Security Council now anyway. He is also threatening to join additional international organizations and treaties, including the International Criminal Court, to force Israel to comply. Not surprisingly, the Arab League has come on board with the PA demands; saying that it will use its power to force the formation of a Palestinian State according to the PA specifications. As only Abbas can express it, he said:
“Israel does not know where its borders are and is refusing to define them. We will present an Arab plan to the Security Council calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state.” Watch for this to become increasingly messy, and for increasing violence to arise in Jerusalem. Abbas has said (as has the Arab League, Hamas, etc) that he will never acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. Where do we go from here except to war? It’s a good time to call in the Divine forces of YHVH.
- Decree and declare that Israel knows where her borders are! She will not define them according to the word of YHVH in Scripture.
- Continue to curse this Palestinian State agenda with failure.
- Pray that someone of sound mind and of good conscience in the nations, will stand up and say that peace is IMPOSSIBLE with someone, who is not willing to allow the fellow peace partner to exist.
- Pray that Hamas will begin to physically fight Fatah, and that Israel will stand back and let them battle it out.
- Pray that the Israeli leadership will totally abandon all affiliation and accommodation of the PA (Abbas), no longer pretending that it is a true peace partner.
- Pray that YHVH would orchestrate this mess for His purposes.
- This situation will eventually blow into a full regional war. Pray that the Lord will time it perfectly, and that He will be in the midst of the battle on behalf of Israel.
- This whole Palestinian State issue is revealing the true contents of the hearts, which are boiling in the midst of the nations. The contents are pure hatred for the Jews and Israel, a longing for their destruction. Judge them or turn the hearts, Lord!
- Pray that the Israeli government will take an immovable stand against the Palestinian demands, and declare its position in no uncertain terms … all in the exact moment of YHVH’s timing. NO PEACE! NO NEGOTIATIONS! NO LAND GIVEN AWAY! DEAL WITH IT!
- Pray that Israel will stand with YHVH as she stands alone against all the nations.
- Pray that the Jewish people will unite against this false peace, and hold to their inheritance at all costs.
- Pray for YHVH to send more shots across the bow of the nations; warning them to change course, lest they be destroyed (Joel 3). Pray for prophetic voice to arise in the nations to speak warnings to the kings and government leaders.
- Pray for the institutional church to get the revelation about Israel and the Jews … even more importantly, pray that the true Body of Messiah would embrace this truth, and announce it to the world.
A NOTE OF PRAISE: The David’s Sling Air Defense System is ready for deployment in the next round of battle. David’s Sling can intercept short-range to medium-range rockets and missiles (including Hezbollah’s Katyusha rockets). The range of coverage for this new system is three times that of the Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system. Praise YHVH for this new system, and pray that it will prosper mightily against our enemies. Pray that it will not be given to our allies, lest it end up in the hands of our enemies (as have so many of Israel’s technological advances in weaponry)
4: TURKEY AND EDOGAN:
The leader of Turkey continues to be powerfully anti-Semitic and profoundly egotistical, traits, which are gaining him great approval with the conservative Turkish voters. Erdogan endorsed the premise that it was Moslems not Columbus, who discovered the Americas, as well as the Science Minister’s claim that it was Moslems, who first discovered that the world was a sphere. Where any educated person would challenge these outrageous, religiously motivated, claims, most of the Turks lack the education or the interest in questioning them. What the majority of the Turkish voters admire is a leader, who can successfully grapple with the western powers and emerge victorious in their eyes. They want someone, who declares that Islam is the dominating, most credible power in the whole world , especially one, which will condemn Israel and the West. We need to keep an eye on Erdogan and on Turkey. Isaiah 19 tells us that there will be a huge battle between Turkey and Egypt. At present, the leaders of those two nations are definitely at odds with each other. The Turkish leader has aspirations for the Islamic Caliphate to be established in Istanbul. So why are the Turks allowing ISIS (a group that wants the Caliphate to be seated in Iraq) to slaughter the Kurds? The Turkish leader is using ISIS to kill off the Kurds, so that their demand for an independent Kurdish state, apart from Turkey, will be destroyed. Turkey is supporting terror groups against Israel, so we need to keep our intercession tuned in to the developments in that nation.
- Pray the YHVH will keep His hand upon Turkey and upon Erdogan.
- Pray for Israel to stay alert and to be inflexible to Turkish demands against her.
- Pray for the Lord to cut off the prosperity of those in Turkey, who are aligning themselves with the demise of Israel.
- Pray for YHVH to aid the Kurds in their battle against ISIS, and to prepare them for battle against the Turks if necessary.
- Pray for strengthening of the ties between Israel and the Kurds.
- Pray for Egypt to cry out to YHVH in the set time of war with Turkey.
- Pray for the Turkish believers to come into revival, as well as for a Kurdish revival.
- Pray for the Turkish citizens to reject the ploys, lies, and egotistical power plays being thrust upon them by Erdogan.
- Pray for truth-tellers and wise, influential, prophetic voices to arise in Turkey.
5: WE HAVE A NEW IDF CHIEF OF STAFF
It was announced yesterday that the new, 21st, IDF Chief of Staff will be Major-General Gadi Eisenkot. General Eisenkot is a member of the Golani Brigades, a brave and powerful fighting force in the IDF. As a young officer in the Lebanon War of 1982, he led Israeli troops all the way to Beirut. By reputation and by proven evidence, this new IDF leader is very experienced, very cool-headed, very wise, very determined, very calculating, very modest, and very able to assume this demanding position. He garners cooperation and respect in his leadership. It is very likely, that Eisenkot will be at the helm as we deal with Iran, Hamas, Hizbullah, ISIS, Palestinian Intifada. Gen. Benny Gantz has done a terrific job in the post. We need to thank YHVH for leading him in the defense of this nation, especially during Operation Protective Edge.
- Praise YHVH for the gift that Benny Gantz has been to Israel during his term as Chief of Staff.
- Pray YHVH blessings of wisdom, discernment, protection, courage, strength, and all provision upon Gen. Eisenkot as he shoulders this great responsibility.
- Pray that Israel will be ready for all attacks, and that in each one, Gen. Eisenkot will consult with YHVH before making any moves.
6: TERROR THREATS and ISRAEL’S RESPONSE, AND INCREASING VIOLENCE FROM ARAB YOUTHS:
The rain may have caused acts of terror and rioting in Jerusalem to be slowed last week, but the underground movement of Islamic hatred’s hot lava continues to flow, emerging upon the surface with little warning. Arab children as young as 8 years old have been throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails, and fireworks at IDF soldiers. Children have given up on school attendance and studying to fulfill “the higher calling of killing the Jews and taking back the land.” Hear what some of them have said:
“We are ready to die as martyrs, we have nothing to lose,”.
“Our heads aren’t in studies at all, we are always planning what to do against the police.”
“All the students at school aren’t functioning in studies. “Me and my friends every day plan what to do during the day against the police. We’ve thrown Molotov cocktails, fireworks and rocks. I’m proud of these acts.”
“Today the only thing I think about is throwing rocks at police.”
“Today I didn’t go to school because I want to continue our struggle as a response to the murder of the martyr Ibrahim al-Akari,”
A bill has been brought forward from members of the Likud party to bring consequences to the Arabs, who are committing acts of terror and destruction against the Jewish State and against her people. It consists of 8 points. Israeli Arabs caught engaging or cooperating with terror will automatically lose their citizenship … or Palestinian Authority residence, in the case of Palestinians. After completing their prison terms, terrorists will be deported from Israel. Those killed during their attempt to conduct a terror attack will not receive a funeral. The body of terrorists will not be transferred to their families, and will be buried in an unknown location, without ceremony and without future access for their families. Terrorists’ houses will be destroyed within 24-hours of the attack. Masked stone throwers and those inciting for terror and violence participating in illegal protests in which firebombs or fireworks were thrown will be arrested and held in remand until the completion of legal procedures against them. The same measures will be taken against those, who waved an ‘enemy flag’ during the protests, including the Palestinian flag. Anyone convicted at the end of their remand will lose their social welfare benefits and driving license for a 10 -year period. Families of terrorists will lose their citizenship and will be deported to Gaza should they express support for their relative’s deed. Support, according to the bill, can be expressed through public or social media. The bill also includes a clause that would close businesses and printing presses that print posters that support terror or terrorists.
Additionally, a business can request information from the police about their employees; to see if they have been involved in any security related offenses at any time. The employer will have the right to fire a potentially dangerous employee without further consideration.
These are wise and logical consequences for those, who commit acts of terror, and for those, who incite and bless this wickedness. They must lose the benefits that citizenship or residency in Israel offers to the people. It makes no sense to reward or to ignore these despicable acts. Considering that the Moslems must have a proper Islamic burial in order to go to paradise and get their 72 perpetual virgins, no longer returning bodies for funerals should be a great deterrent against this violence. Arab parents receive financial allotments (stipends) from the government for each of their children. If Arab children are caught (at any age) participating in violence against Israelis or against Israeli forces, the parents need to have their allotments cancelled. Why should Israel support the rearing of young terrorists by parents, who hate Israel? Enough is enough!
- Pray that YHVH would deal with this generational demonization of the Arab’s, who hate Israel.
- Pray for mercy, that they children would not have to be destroyed by YHVH’s hand. Change their hearts, Lord!
- Pray that YHVH would judge these parents and spiritual or political leaders, who teach children to love bloodshed and to enact violence against Israel.
- Pray to restore the innocence of childhood and to deliver the Arabs from this horrific agenda of involving their children in their priority/actions of violence/hatred against Israel.
- Praise YHVH that the Israeli government is finally establishing some consequences for this wickedness.
- Pray that YHVH would shut the mouths of the Left and of the nations that are calling these measures “collective punishment” and abuse of children.
- Pray that the true Islamic abuse of children would be exposed, seen, and acknowledged. Pray that the Human Rights Commission of the UN would take a look at this vile reality involving Palestinian children.
- Pray for the Israeli security forces and government to have great wisdom in heading off and in dealing with this Arab violence and terror.