GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 113

Not Learning From The Past

New Nazis

In a televised speech to the nation, Prime Minister Netanyahu called out South Africa for siding with Hamas in a provocative way as we see in a report from i24news.tv:

In an address to the nation on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu charged that South Africa took Israel to the Hague "at the behest of the new Nazis" of Hamas. The leader condemned the fact the "ludicrous" accusation got a hearing at the International Court of Justice…The world hasn't learned anything from the Holocaust.

Netanyahu held aloft an Arabic copy of Mein Kampf, the notorious autobiography by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, as he condemned the indoctrination of Palestinians to the genocidal hatred of the Jews that erupted on October 7, the worst antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust.

Netanyahu attempted to be the only one to publicly respond as we read in an article from The Times Of Israel:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders members of his cabinet to refrain from responding to the International Court of Justice’s provisional ruling in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.

According to national broadcaster Kan, Netanyahu, via National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, instructed government ministers to hold off on any public statements before the release of an official government position on the matter.

That didn’t stop some in the government from talking:

Despite Netanyahu’s order, Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, both members of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, condemned the court on Friday.

Ben Gvir, whose rhetoric regarding the Palestinians was raised by South Africa to bolster its genocide claims against Israel, dismissed the court as “antisemitic,” declaring that its decision proves that the “court does not seek justice, but rather the persecution of Jewish people.”

“Never Again,” Wasserlauf tweeted in English, alongside an Israeli flag emoji.

I think to say never again is a good thing to say. But it is a harder thing to ensure.

World Community Turns On UNRWA

After news of 12 members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) being fired for helping Hamas on October 7th, countries are stopping their financial support of the agency as we read in this article from The Times Of Israel:

Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Finland became the latest countries on Saturday to pause funding for the UN refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA), after the body said Friday that it had sacked “several” employees accused by Israel of involvement in Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

The United States, Australia and Canada had already paused funding to the aid agency, a critical source of support for people in Gaza, after the allegations by Israel. The agency said on Friday it had opened an investigation into several employees and severed ties with those people.

Israel, for its part added this:

Encouraging more donor suspensions, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Saturday UNRWA should be replaced once fighting in the enclave dies down and accused the agency of ties to Islamist terrorists in Gaza.

“In Gaza’s rebuilding, UNRWA must be replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development,” he added on X, formerly Twitter.

Israel provided information in the investigation:

A senior Israeli official told the Axios news site that the Shin Bet and the Israel Defense Forces had provided information that pointed to the active participation of UNRWA staffers along with the use of the agency’s vehicles and facilities in the October 7 onslaught.

“This was strong and corroborated intelligence,” the official told Axios. “A lot of the intelligence is a result of interrogations of militants who were arrested during the October 7 attack.”

Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant summed things up this way:

“Major changes need to take place so that international efforts, funds and humanitarian initiatives don’t fuel Hamas terrorism and the murder of Israelis,” Gallant tweeted. “Terrorism under the guise of humanitarian work is a disgrace to the UN and the principles it claims to represent.”

They’re Ready

Bracing for a possible war with Hezbollah, the IDF is training intensely as we see in a report from i24news.tv:

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) engaged in rigorous training in the northern reserve paratrooper brigade to boost readiness along the northern border.

The exercises, part of ongoing efforts to enhance operational preparedness, involved the Northern Parachute Brigade (226), a crucial unit within the 'Hempetz' (146) formation.

Soldiers faced challenging winter conditions, including rain and fog, as they practiced tactics for in densely populated areas. The training covered various units, from smaller squads to larger battalion teams, integrating different forces like tanks, infantry, engineering, and artillery.

Such preparations could pay off greatly if a war would be needed in the northern area:

Over the past few months, the National Land Training Center has organized more than 100 days of training, emphasizing the importance of maintaining readiness in the unpredictable northern terrain.

Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret.) Yehuda, Deputy Commander of the 226th Brigade, highlighted the commitment of the soldiers, saying, "Despite the winter weather challenges, after 113 days of defending the northern border, we conducted a series of exercises to strengthen brigade readiness."

How prepared are they? Here is how Yehuda responded:

Yehuda commended the spirit of the soldiers, stating, "The commanders and fighters are dedicated, professional, and ready for any task. After this week, I can confidently say - we are ready."

From what I know of Bible prophecy and the Psalm 83 war, they’ll need to be ready.

Prayer Keys

We end this lesson with some more prayer keys:

  • Lord, thank You for the example of the Red Sea that You do rescue Your people – but often it is at the very last moment (Psa. 124:6-8; 1 Cor. 10:11).
  • Regardless of the situation, ultimately You always triumph gloriously (Ex. 15:1, 18).
  • Lord Yeshua, we trust in You for You have already overcome the world (John 16:33).
  • As Israel is facing a tsunami of international condemnation, God we plead with You to be that wall of fire around Your people now (Zech. 2:4-5).
  • Quench the spirit of anarchy which is trying to raise its head inside Israel again (Prov. 6:16-19).
  • Lord Yeshua, wake up believers to understand their spiritual responsibility to stand in the gap for their nation's relationship with Israel today – and to cry out for mercy (Jer. 27:18a; Ezek. 22:30-31).
  • Since this is most definitely a "just" war and You are a just God (Deut. 32:4; Isa. 45:21), arise and aid Israel in order to permanently scatter Your enemies (Ex. 15:3; Num. 10:35; Psa. 68:1; 83:1-4).
  • Lord, judge all nations and international organizations who have not called on Hamas to surrender and release all the hostages but continually make unjust demands on Israel (Psa. 9:19-20; 80:8).
  • With the IDF's recent change of tactics, download Your strategy and tactics to them to make this next phase actually quicken Hamas' total demise (Isa. 14:29-32; 41:10-13).
  • Defend IDF soldiers physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, and provide for their needs to be able to fight as Your "weapons of war" (Psa. 18:1-19, 27-40; Jer. 51:20).
  • Continuously safeguard them from friendly fire and other types of accidents (Psa. 4:8; 91:4).
  • God, in mercy, set free all remaining living hostages miraculously (Isa. 49:24-26; Jer. 31:11).
  • King of kings, enable Israel to nullify all terrorists and terror groups who are in Your land today, and to do the same with any that might be created tomorrow (Ex. 15:16; Num. 33:52-53; Zech. 9:8).
  • For both Israel and Lebanon's sake – destroy Hizbullah totally (Psa. 5:6, 10; 9:5).
  • And constantly pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psa. 122:6).