GNITN – Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 39
Solid Support For Israel

Huge Pro-Israel Rally In DC

The planned pro-Israel rally in Washington, DC showed politicians in the crowd and in the city and really the rest of the country that Americans are solidly behind Israel, in spite of all the pro-Hamas protestors getting so much air time on social and legacy media outlets. Depending on who you talk to, the attendance was robust with close to 300,000 in the crowd with another 250,000 watching online and on C-SPAN. Speakers ranged from newly elected Speaker of The House, Mike Johnson who got the crowd amped up when he called talk of a ceasefire as “outrageous” which had them chanting “no ceasefire.” It was an interesting mix of liberals and conservatives, Arabs and Israelis, religious and irreligious, Jewish and Muslim, Hollywood celebrities and regular people all united to support the only democracy in the Middle East. We see in some quotes from an article from The Times Of Israel (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-november-14-2023/?utm_source=article_hpsidebar&utm_medium=desktop_site&utm_campaign=liveblog_entry#liveblog-entry-3153885) how diverse the rally was:

In a fiery speech, Columbia University student Noa Fay describes how over 100 professors have advocated for the destruction of Israel on her campus.

“I am a Black, Native American Jewish American woman and I will not be silenced…. I will continue to shout,” says Fay.

“We are the Jews of the Diaspora, this is how we fight. We fight loudly and we fight peacefully. We are far from helpless, we are far from hopeless,” says Fay.

Evangelical Pastor Gives Strong Speech

In another seminal moment during the rally, Pastor John Hagee spoke of no middle ground in the war:

Christians United For Israel’s Pastor John Hagee spurs the pro-Israel crowd in DC to chant “Jerusalem, Israel, you are not alone.”

He affirms the need for Israel to decide the contours of the war and to not cave in to international pressure.

“You, the leaders of Israel, and you alone, should determine how this war is going to be conducted and concluded,” Hagee says. “You decide — no one else.”

“Choose Israel or Hamas,” Hagee continues. “There is no middle ground in this conflict. You’re either for the Jewish people or you’re not.”

“Israel has always proved that it has the strength to wage war against its enemies,” says Hagee.

He says that “if a line has to be drawn, then draw that line around both Christians and Jews. We are one!”

“We must all stand united with one voice and boldly declare over and over, ‘Israel, you are not alone,’” says Hagee.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish people,” says Hagee, until the 240 hostages are returned and safely home.

“Israel you are not alone today, tomorrow and forever. God bless the Jewish state,” says Hagee.

Israel Appears To Be Ready To Take Over Hospital

News reports are coming out saying that the IDF is getting ready to take over the A Shifa hospital. Perhaps not coincidentally, these reports came shortly after US intelligence confirmed that the hospital is built over the Hamas underground headquarters. The IDF also initiated the transfer of incubators for babies that need them, as well. We read more on this development in an article from i24news.tv (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1699939189-liveblog-israel-offers-medical-supplies-to-gaza-hospitals-amid-hamas-attacks-from-facilities) :

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have initiated the transfer of incubators for newborns from an Israeli hospital to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, according to an official statement released early Tuesday morning.

The IDF's action is part of an ongoing effort to provide critical assistance to Al-Shifa Hospital. The IDF spokesperson emphasized the importance of distinguishing between civilians and Hamas terrorists in their operations.

“The IDF remains committed to upholding its moral and professional responsibilities to distinguish between civilians and Hamas terrorists,” stated the IDF spokesperson. “The IDF is willing to work with any reliable mediating party to ensure the transfer of the incubators.”

Ready To Fight On All Fronts

We get more on the military side of this from an article from CBN.com (see https://www2.cbn.com/news/israel/israel-advances-against-hamas-wars-week-6-they-hear-tanks-above-tunnels) :

"Hamas is under huge pressure. This pressure right now is increasing, they hear the tanks above the tunnels, they hear the bulldozers taking down the houses, and they know very well that they will get to them,” said Gallant.

Gallant also warned Hezbollah, emphasizing the rising tensions in northern Israel after 21 people were wounded in the Iranian proxy's attacks a day before.

“The citizens of Lebanon must know that if (Hassan) Nasrallah makes a mistake, the fate of Beirut could be like the fate of Gaza," Gallant cautioned.

Inside Gaza, fighting grew more fierce. At the same time, the IDF said it's in talks with the heads of the hospitals there.

“We opened designated routes from the hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip southbound. We are speaking with the hospital's management teams and are offering assistance to safely transport the sick and the wounded. Civilians of the northern Gaza Strip continue to answer the IDF calls and are moving southwards, despite Hamas doing everything in its power to make them stay,” explained IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.

Why Israel Matters

In an article by Matt Staver, founder, and chairman of Liberty Counsel we learn why it matters to support Israel:

My heart breaks over the shocking carnage Hamas carried out in Israel. At the time of this writing, at least 1,200 people in Israel, including more than 30 Americans, have been slaughtered by Hamas terrorists. As the war in Israel continues to escalate, it is disturbing to see anti-Israel protests and a rise of antisemitism around the globe, especially while innocent civilians, including children, the elderly, and the disabled, were mercilessly slaughtered by the Islamic jihadists of Hamas.

Now more than ever, it is important to understand why Israel matters and why it is the center of global discussion…

Why does Israel matter? Is this small piece of real estate that important? Is the obvious antisemitism really about land, or is it much more? Why such hatred against the Jews — not just in Israel but also around the world?

Why have the Jewish people been targeted for extinction for thousands of years? Why have they survived against the forces of the world's superpowers? What race or ethnicity has survived and been reborn in the same land as their ancestors, speaking and writing the same language, practicing the same faith, and celebrating the same religious ceremonies? The short answer is only one — the Jewish people in the land of Israel.

So Much Blessings From Jews

Staver continues to point out how much good comes from the Jews:

But why is there such hatred against the Jews? After all, in much of our daily life, we benefit from the many inventions made in Israel — not the least of which is computer and cell phone technology. Of the 965 individual recipients of the Nobel Prize, 214 have been Jews or people with at least one Jewish parent, representing 22% of all recipients.

From technology to science, to medicine, to agriculture, and much more, people around the world benefit every day from the ingenuity of the Jewish people. The list of top inventions from Israel is truly astonishing.

But the blessings are much more than that, as Staver rightly notes as he brings in Scriptures, verses I constantly quote:

God promises throughout Scripture to bless those who bless Abraham's offspring (Genesis 12:3). Surrounded by nations that seek its destruction, Israel is also the only true democracy and beacon of freedom in the Middle East where Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze are free to practice their faith. Israel is our greatest ally in the Middle East… The past, present, and future come together in the Holy Land. God promised Abraham, "In your seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). As the Israeli people are defending their security and freedom to live in a land that's rightfully theirs, we should stand with them and against their enemies who brutally slaughtered innocent civilians. There are 22 Arab nations in the world, but only one Jewish state. Reborn right after the Holocaust, the Jewish state of Israel should provide a safe place for Jews.

Standing for Israel's right to exist is essential on many fronts. The foundation of Western civilization originates in Israel.

Supporting Israel is important. And I once again say, Amen!