Israel Update for September 2005

The most difficult moment for many Orthodox Jews came when footage was shown of a Hamas religious leader saying Muslim prayers in the abandoned Netzarim synagogue, dedicating it to Islam and Allah. This was followed by looting of the building before portions were set on fire. Meanwhile the commander of the Hamas Izzaddin Kassam terrorist brigades, Muhammad Deif, released a video calling for the Palestinian jihad war to continue until Israel is no more: "We tell the Zionists who have desecrated our soil that all Palestine will become a hell for them. Today you have left Gaza in shame and you are continuing to occupy Palestine..I pray that Allah will assist us in liberating Al Quds (Jerusalem), the West Bank.Haifa.Nazareth.Ashkelon and the rest of Palestine."

As the video was being posted on a Hamas web site, a Palestinian homicide bomber blew himself up near the entrance to the Beersheva central bus station, wounding scores of people. The late August attack could have been much worse if two brave security guards had not intercepted the terrorist as he attempted to enter the crowded station. The terrorist had earlier been spotted by an alert bus driver near the station as he tried to board the driver's vehicle, which was bound for the city's Soroka Hospital. The driver signaled the security guards who gave chase and intercepted the young terrorist.

Both guards were severely wounded when the Hamas bomber pulled a cord on his suicide belt, setting off a powerful blast just outside the bus station. Israeli officials commended the two victims for their heroic interception. An Arab Beduin guard lost an eye and suffered serious burns in the explosion, while his Russian immigrant partner was severely disfigured. The Muslim terrorist was believed to be intent on committing mass slaughter in the large Negev hospital, despite the fact that it has long served many Gaza Strip Palestinians as well as local Israelis.

STORMY WEATHER

Israel was among many nations that offered immediate aid to the United States in the wake of the devastating Hurricane Katrina. In fact, officials in Jerusalem were among the first to launch preparations to rush disaster teams to the affected Gulf coast. However, the offer was rebuffed by American leaders who were apparently concerned that the presence of Israeli military disaster experts might offend international Muslim sensibilities-an exact copy of what occurred early this year when Israel attempted to assist tsunami-stricken Sri Lanka.

Dozens of Israeli Orthodox religious leaders delivered sermons or gave media interviews during September noting the many similarities between the latest US catastrophe and the unilateral Israeli withdrawal process; particularly forced civilian evacuations, complete destruction of many homes and businesses, and the sudden displacement of citizens forced into temporary shelters. They opined that Katrina's wrath-which struck Florida just two days after the final uprootings were completed in northern Samaria, and five days before the huge storm devastated the Gulf coast-was a form of Divine judgment upon America for its central role in pushing forward the harrowing withdrawal process.

Some rabbis later noted that September's follow-up Hurricane Rita caused the shutdown of George Bush international airport in Houston-named after the current President's father, who presided over the seminal Mideast peace conference that jumpstarted Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in 1991.

Others noticed that it caused serious flood damage in portions of Texas and Arkansas, where the last three US leaders, who all prodded their Israeli counterparts to accept the potentially suicidal "land for peace" process, hail from. Rita struck just days after the current Commander in Chief, speaking at UN headquarters, reiterated US calls for more Jewish evacuations, followed by the rapid establishment of a Palestinian state
next to tiny Israel.

It is impossible to say for certain that Israel's Sovereign Lord was sending a glaring message by allowing the twin hurricanes to strike and seriously wound the world's currently reigning superpower in her oil energy heartland. Still, it surely behooves all world leaders, whatever their personal religious beliefs, to be aware that the Hebrew Bible foretells that God will "enter into judgment" with all nations at the end of time who
have played a role in "dividing up My land" (Joel 3:2).