BY ISRAEL TODAY—
There is mounting concern that the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN on September 20 could spark a massive Palestinian assault on Israel’s borders.
Depending on how far Israeli soldiers are forced to go in defending themselves and the borders, the situation could quickly deteriorate into open warfare.
To prepare young Israeli soldiers for what could be the most intense fighting most of them have ever experienced, some army officials are turning to the Bible.
In an interview posted to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) website, Lt.-Col. Yitzchak Ben-Yosef, rabbi of the Ground Forces Command, suggested that unlike during the height of the fighting during the recent “Oslo War,” the IDF will be prepared with enough Bibles for all soldiers.
“As Rabbi for Judea and Samaria I remember that we were often short of copies,” said Ben-Yosef, as he recalled having to bring Bibles in under fire as Israeli reservists battled terrorists during Operation Defense Shield.
Religious commanders in the Israeli army insist that the biblical history of their nation provides the most powerful motivation for young Israeli soldiers to fight bravely. While secular voices often protest, the fact remains that the most courageous heroics are typically carried out by Bible-believing Israeli soldiers.
