NASRALLAH VOWS: HEZBOLLAH WILL DEFEAT SYRIAN REBELS!
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Hezbollah chief issues televised address, vows to take ‘responsibility and consequences’ of continued involvement in Syria.

The head of Lebanon’s Hezbollah vowed this week his terrorist group would oust Sunni rebels from a region on the border with Syria, but declined to say when the assault might happen.

In a televised address, the Shia Islamist group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah said rebel forces in the mountainous border area posed an unacceptable threat to Lebanon’s security.

“This issue needs radical treatment. We are talking about a real aggression that exists and is present,” Nasrallah said of the rebels in the Qalamoun area.

“The (Lebanese) state is not able to address this issue… so we will proceed with the necessary treatment and assume the responsibility and consequences.”

The Qalamoun region straddles the Syria-Lebanon border and was a stronghold of rebel forces until a major operation by Syrian regime troops backed by Hezbollah fighters last year.

While most of the region was recaptured, opposition fighters – including Sunni jihadists – remain entrenched in the mountainous area that runs directly along the border, which is porous and ill-defined.

From there, jihadists have launched attacks inside Lebanon, including in August 2014, when fighters from Al Qaeda’s Syria affiliate Al Nusra Front and the Islamic State group briefly overran the eastern Lebanese town of Arsal.

A truce ended the attack, but the groups took several dozen Lebanese security forces with them as hostages when they withdrew from the town into the surrounding mountains.

They have since executed four of them, and Al Nusra on this past week released a video showing some of the remaining 25 hostages warning they would pay the price of any operation in Qalamoun.

Speculation has been rife about a spring attack in Qalamoun by Hezbollah, which has bolstered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebels in battles throughout the country.

On Monday, Islamist rebels led by Al Nusra launched a preemptive attack against Hezbollah positions in the region, and a source close to the Al Qaeda affiliate said “the battle in the region has begun”.

But Nasrallah declined to say when Hezbollah would launch any major operation in the area.

“There are preparations, and people are seeing that and speculating about it,” he said.

“But we haven’t announced anything official… and even when we start, we will not issue a statement,” he added.

“When we begin, the operation will speak for itself.”

Hezbollah has been a key force multiplier for Assad as he has battled an uprising that began with anti-government protests in March 2011 and spiraled into a bloody civil war after a regime crackdown.

Last Thursday, Nasrallah reaffirmed his group’s full commitment to defending the Assad regime, telling a senior Lebanese politician that “President Assad and his government cannot fall as it would also mean the fall of Hezbollah and the axis of resistance”

But the group’s involvement has worsened existing sectarian tensions in fragile Lebanon, which fought a civil war between 1975 and 1990.

The country’s Shia population largely backs Hezbollah and the Syrian regime, while Lebanon’s Sunnis have broadly supported the Sunni-led uprising against Assad.

Earlier Tuesday, former prime minister Saad Hariri, who heads Lebanon’s anti-Hezbollah bloc, warned against any operation in Qalamoun, suggesting it could threaten the country’s security and the lives of the security forces being held hostage.

Syria’s conflict has regularly spilled into Lebanon in the form of battles along the border and bombings against Hezbollah strongholds, and the country is hosting more than 1.1 million Syrian refugees.

ISRAEL ALLOWS 700 TRUCKLOADS OF GOODS INTO GAZA
by Elad Benari (Arutz Sheva News)

Israeli authorities on Thursday opened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, allowing 700 truckloads of goods to enter the region, the Ma’an news agency reported.

The head of the Commission for the Coordination of Goods into Gaza, Raed Fattouh, told the news agency that among the goods entering Gaza were construction materials for internationally-funded projects, fuel, and materials to improve the strip’s infrastructure, particularly roads.

Thursday’s entrance of diesel, building materials, aid, and supplies through the Kerem Shalom crossing came after a series of closures due to Israeli national holidays, noted the report.

The crossing is scheduled to be closed again Friday and Saturday for the weekend.

Gaza’s Hamas terrorist rulers continuously claim that Israel is imposing a “siege” on Gaza, despite the fact that Israel continues to transfer humanitarian aid, goods and construction materials into the region. Israel has continued to do so as terrorists from the region fire rockets at southern Israel.

The transfer of goods into Gaza came just hours after the UN’s new envoy to the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, blamed Israel’s “blockade” of Gaza for the slow pace of the region’s reconstruction following Operation Protective Edge last summer.

“I strongly believe that it will hurt the cause of the Palestinian people if division, if the lack of unity, is not addressed as soon as possible,” Mladenov told reporters in Gaza City.

“I hope that the United Nations will be able to support the efforts to strengthen this unity,” he added.

Hamas has already threatened another war if Gaza is not “rehabilitated” from the war against Israel, which it itself both started and used civilian areas as a base for conflict.

IRAN HELPING HOUTHIS SINCE 2009
UN Report: Iran Helping Houthis Since 2009
By Ben Ariel (Arutz Sheva News)

Iran has been shipping weapons to Yemen’s Houthi rebels since at least 2009, according to a confidential UN report seen by AFP, which reported about it on Friday.

The report indicates that Tehran’s support for the rebels dates back to the early years of the Shiite militia’s insurgency.

The report, by a panel of experts, was presented to the Security Council’s Iran sanctions committee last week as the United Nations seeks to broker an end to the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen and a return to peace talks.

The panel of experts reported on the findings of an investigation into the 2013 seizure by Yemeni authorities of an Iranian ship, the Jihan, that was carrying weapons.

The information collected by the experts “suggests that the Jihan case follows a pattern of arms shipments to Yemen by sea that can be traced back to at least 2009,” said the report seen by AFP.

One instance saw an Iranian fishing vessel attempt to secretly ship hundreds of anti-tank and anti-helicopter rockets to the rebels.

“The analysis further suggests that the Islamic Republic of Iran was the origin of these shipments and that the intended recipients were the Houthis in Yemen or possibly in some cases further recipients in neighboring countries,” the report says, according to the news agency.

“Current military Iranian support to Houthis in Yemen is consistent with patterns of arms transfers going back to more than five years to date,” it adds.

It is believed that Iran is planning to use the Houthi rebels to take over Yemen and seize the key strategic port of Aden, which controls the entrance to the Red Sea and ultimately to the Israeli resort city of Eilat.

Iran, however, denies accusations that it is meddling in Yemen and instead accuses Saudi Arabia of carrying out a military “aggression” against the troubled country after it launched an air campaign on March 26.

The Saudi-led coalition is seeking to restore the authority of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who was forced to flee Yemen in late March when the Houthis began marching on Aden, before capturing central parts of the city.

The experts’ report details six other incidents involving Iranian ships, five of which are said to have been carrying weapons bound for Yemen, according to AFP.

In one of the cases, the panel said it had received conflicting information about whether there were weapons on board the vessel.

In an incident dating back to April 2009, the crew of an unnamed Iranian vessel loaded crates of weapons onto Yemeni boats in international waters which were then delivered in batches and taken to a farm in Yemen for use by the Houthis.

And an Iranian fishing vessel was seized by Yemeni authorities in February 2011 carrying 900 Iranian-made anti-tank and anti-helicopter rockets intended for the rebels, the report said.

Iran is prohibited from selling weapons under a UN resolution adopted in 2007 that also instructs all countries to take action to prevent any arms flow from Iran.

HOW JEWISH CIVILIZATION FOUGHT AND WON ITS SURVIVAL!
By Gedalyah Reback (Arutz Sheva News)

In a three-part interview with Dr. Shalom Salomon Wald, Arutz Sheva will explore his research of Jewish civilization. His recently published book, ‘Rise and Decline of Civilizations: Lessons for the Jewish People’ covers dozens of major topics in Jewish history and current affairs. Our interview attempts to focus on only a fraction of them.

In the first installment of the interview, we focus on the subject of how the Jewish people survived the plight of major existential threats. The following installments will focus on Israel’s modern ‘Golden Age’, and finally the issue of Jewish demography.

Shalom Salomon Wald was born in Italy but moved to Switzerland ahead of World War II. He can recall the aerial battles that took place just across the border from Basel. He worked with the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) for 38 years, primarily in science and technology policy where he eventually became the Head of the OECD/DSTI Biotechnology Unit.

“I was always interested in history. I did study history in Basel but didn’t graduate in it. It’s a part of my life and I was affected by the Shoah,” Wald tells Arutz Sheva. “I remember the B-17s flying over Basel at the border to bomb Germany.”

Recently, Wald completed a five-years-long work in the study of the rise and fall of nations with a special focus on the future of Israel. The book, Rise and Decline of Civilizations: Lessons for the Jewish People, was supported by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI).

“It took me really just four or five years but a lot of the material in this book I learned before. I read Thucydides in Greek in grammar school. This was a book in the making for 60 years. I was working and writing on the drafts for five years. I don’t think any think tank in history has paid someone for five years a salary just for one book. It is a bit unusual because some people write a book once every year.”

Wald is extremely appreciative of the opportunity to actually write the book, which he felt was a subject begging for attention. One of the conclusions he drew from his research is that more often than otherwise, society makes itself vulnerable to collapse. Does Jewish history also reflect that idea?

“I drew this conclusion from world history. Looking at Jewish history I found it is largely true, but not entirely. We cannot forget that if Hitler had conquered the whole world then we would not be speaking here together today. We’d be all dead. If the Spanish Empire had conquered everything, there would be no Jews left – maybe some but not many.

A civilization cannot remain stagnant, implies Wald. It has to be able to deal with what comes at it and wherever it might venture.

“It is mostly true that if a civilization is widespread geographically, adaptable and flexible it survives. If it dies, it dies by suicide. This was certainly true of the Roman Empire. This idea permeates historians’ work in things such as ‘The Rise and the Fall of the Roman Empire’ which is still probably the most important book of history ever written, and Thucydides about the Peloponnesian War which is often quoted in reference to the conflict between the US and China.”

In the latter scenario he references is the so-called Thucydides Trap, where an established power is alarmed by the rise of another power, creating an inevitable confrontation. Analysts go back and forth arguing the merits of applying the theory to the two countries in the modern era.

Might Jewish civilization have faced more external threats in its history simply because it has been around so long that such threats might have been inevitable? Wald thinks this is a tough gauge to judge by.

“There are short civilizations that faced dangers and were distinguished. There is still discussion why the Easter Island civilization (in the Pacific) was wiped out. It only existed for 300 or 400 years.”

What seems to be more critical in his mind is Jewish civilization’s geographic spread. Despite the trauma that causes the Diasporas in the first place, those who survived the persecution of Assyria, Babylon and Rome did not recentralize in one specific location. Jews spread throughout the Persian Empire when it conquered the Babylonians. Jews were already spread out in the Mediterranean prior to the series of wars with Rome. Did being spread out really help?

“Definitely, but this is a delicate issue,” says Wald. “It is an obvious truth that if an enemy destroyed one branch of your people, he couldn’t destroy everyone.”

This is not to say he is critical of the concept of Zionism by any means. The State of Israel has asserted itself as the steady center of Jewish life and a major identity marker for those perhaps somewhat less attached to other Jewish aspects of their lives.

“It’s the theory of not putting all your eggs in one basket. You need to qualify this conclusion today because of the importance of the chief basket, Israel. Losing it could have dramatic effects on the rest of the Jewish people. For instance, I know many American Jews would not want to see it this way but I don’t believe American Judaism would survive easily. I see a lot of fragilities in American Judaism.”

A similar scenario unfortunately occurred after the Jewish-Roman wars starting with the Great Revolt that eventually led to the destruction of the Second Temple. Next came the not-so-often-mentioned Kitos War. Finally, the Bar Kokhba revolt challenged Rome a third time, only to result in devastation. But Hadrian’s march of blood and tears went northeast, toward modern Iraq. At the time, the region was ruled by the Parthian Empire centered in Iran.

“If Hadrian had vanquished the Parthian Empire – which he tried and failed – it would have been very difficult for Judaism to survive. The elaboration of the Talmud Bavli [Babylonian Talmud] was an absolute precondition for Jewish survival. There were some clashes with the Parthians but Hadrian understood he couldn’t win.”

Thanks to a centuries-long relationship between Jews and Persians, the Persian Empire – in whatever form it had – was far more often than not a friend to the remnant of the Jewish people. Defeating Hadrian was certainly as critical if not more so than Cyrus the Great’s overthrow of the Babylonians as mentioned in the Bible.

“They defended us by the way. The Persians from the time of Cyrus until the end of the Babylonian Empire defended and protected the Jews for over 800 years. There’s an entry in the Talmud Bavli where the question is raised, ‘Where can Jews sell iron to non-Jews?” Jews must do nothing to promote murder, says Wald, who clarifies they were discussing the worrisome notion this material would be used as weapons, especially against fellow Jews. “Rav Ashi says ‘we sell iron to the Persians who defend us.’”

This is also emblematic of another major phenomenon on Jewish history, which has been an unintended result of being a historically smaller people – alignment with superpowers. Today, the major partner for Israel is the United States. Over time in the intervening centuries between King Solomon’s death and the destruction of the First Temple, alliances shifted for the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah.

“Certainly it is. All small countries and small peoples tried to have a big protector,” says Wald. “All savvy Jewish leaders tried to get the help of some large power.”

Superpowers’ relations are not the only things that define Jewish civilization by any means. In Part II, Wald will cover the topic of what he perceives as Israel’s modern-day, under-appreciated Golden Age, including comparing it to its massive output of linguistic achievements and culture.

NEPAL: ISRAELI FIELD HOSPITAL TREATS “MIRACLE” SURVIVOR – by Ari Soffer (Arutz Sheva News)

International effort: US, Nepalese teams rescue 11-year-old girl, 15-year-old boy who miraculously survived for days under the rubble.

Rescuers in Nepal have rescued two children trapped under rubble for five days, as the country continues to struggle to deal with the desperate aftermath of Saturday’s devastating earthquake.

More than 5,500 people are known to have died in the 7.8 magnitude quake and its aftershocks, with the death toll expected to keep rising as more bodies are dug out from under the ruins of countless buildings leveled by the disaster.

But on Thursday at least exhausted relief workers revealed hope amid the tragedy, after an 11-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy were discovered alive against the odds.

The first incident occurred just before midnight Tuesday, when a young girl was rescued by Nepalese soldiers in Bhaktapur Dattatreya Square, located in the Kathmandu Valley.

Photos circulating online of the moments following the rescue show the visibly relieved girl in the arms of a soldier – covered in dust and exhausted, but looking otherwise remarkably healthy after spending days under the rubble.

The second rescue occurred in the capital city of Kathmandu itself, and underlined the international character of the relief operation. American and Nepalese rescue workers worked for hours to free the trapped boy, who later identified himself as 15-year-old Pemba Lama, and transferred him to an Israeli field hospital for treatment.

According to BBC journalist Yogita Limaye, Lama told rescuers he had survived by drinking water dripping off of wet clothes, and eating two bottles of clarified butter, or “ghee”, which were within reach.

She said he too was in surprisingly good health considering his ordeal, emerging fully conscious and conversing with doctors after some 120 hours trapped in the rubble.

A US Agency for International Development official told the Associated Press the boy had been trapped between two collapsed floors of the building he was in when the quake struck, but that fortunately for him the collapsed floors were not “too far down”.

Miracle: The two children survived despite being trapped for days

Meanwhile, desperate scenes are continuing to play out throughout the country, as many Nepalese accuse their government of failing them during the crisis.

With many tens of thousands injured, homeless, or both, some areas have still not received any food or medical aid since the earthquake struck.

Yesterday Israel advised all its citizens not involved in rescue efforts to leave the country, after angry locals clashed with riot police and seized some aid they said was not being distributed fairly.

According to the UN, some eight million people have been effected by the disaster, including at least 11,000 injured and 70,000 homes completely destroyed.

The UN is appealing to international donors for $415 million it says is necessary to provide vital emergency relief over the next three months alone.

Do You Know the Most Dangerous Prayer? (Writer’s Opinion)
Open for All
Thursday, 23 April 2015 17:40
MORE AND MORE JEWS FINDING JESUS IN ISRAEL FEATURED
Written by Mark Ellis
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Banners tell onlookers that Jeshua's name means salvation
Banners tell onlookers that Jeshua’s name means salvation
JEWS IN ISRAEL COMING TO FAITH IN INCREASING NUMBERS!
By Mark Ellis and Michael Ashcraft. Special to ASSIST

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANS — April 23, 2015) — The First Wave of Jews coming to Jesus hit in the 1970s in America. The Second Wave were Russian Jews in the 1990s. And now – in what some observers call a Third Wave – Jews in Israel are coming to faith in increasing numbers.

“I have never seen the breakthrough like we’re seeing now,” said Tuvya Zaretsky, chairman of the board for the Israel branch of Jews for Jesus. “We’re seeing a steady stream of Israelis who are coming to Jesus from all walks of life, though usually among the young. There seems to be a greater openness to spiritual input. We’re thinking it’s a Third Wave of in-gathering.”

In the 1990s, there were about 3,000 Messianic Jews in Israel; today there are as many as 20,000 (still less than 1% of the population), said Simon Stout, executive assistant of Jews for Jesus in Tel Aviv. Also, one source estimates 150 congregations of like-minded believers in Israel. Of Israel’s 84 cities and towns, 81 have at least one messianic Bible study.

Messianism in Israel “It’s been a very unusual turning in Israel,” said Zaretsky, who’s been traveling to Israel since 1971. “The community of believers there has solidified. They’ve found their voice. There’s less antagonism. The situation is changing.”

When Jews for Jesus launched its Israel branch in 2000, its banners were torn down and workers beaten up by ultra-orthodox Jews who associated Christianity with the Holocaust. Now, Jews for Jesus has a staff of 31 and the world political situation has sparked greater interest in Jesus, Zaretsky said.

After World War II’s Holocaust killed 6 million Jews, Israel was created by decree of the United Nations as a safe place for Jews. But now many Israelis feel more imperiled than ever. Iran, which is feared to be close to producing nuclear weapons, is constantly threatening Israel’s destruction. On the streets of Israel, terrorism is a constant.

BUSH BASHES OBAMA: NAÏVE ON IRAN, LOSING TO ISIS by Ari Yashar (Arutz Sheva News)

In meeting with Jewish supporters, former President slams Obama for global ‘retreat,’ not knowing how to ‘kill ’em’ in war on terror.

Former US President George W. Bush leveled rare words of sharp public criticism against his successor, President Barack Obama, accusing him of being naive regarding Iran’s nuclear intentions and of losing the war against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists.

Bush’s statements were made in a closed-door meeting on Saturday night at a Republican Jewish Coalition session at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, which was attended by hotel owner Sheldon Adelson, said to be a key supporter of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

One of the attendants transcribed parts of Bush’s comments, which were published by Bloomberg View.

In his statements, Bush slammed Obama for being on “retreat” in terms of American policy worldwide, and for misreading the Islamic regime of Iran by pushing for a nuclear deal that would remove sanctions while leaving them with all their nuclear facilities and allow them to continue enriching uranium.
Bush said of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, “he’s smooth. And you’ve got to ask yourself, is there a new policy or did they just change the spokesman?”

The former President also criticized Obama’s “snap back” plan threatening to return sanctions if Iran is found to be violating the deal as implausible, given that detection will be difficult – particularly given Iranian insistence not to allow inspection of its nuclear sites.

“You think the Middle East is chaotic now? Imagine what it looks like for our grandchildren. That’s how Americans should view the deal,” Bush remarked of the nuclear deal being formed with Iran ahead of a June 30 deadline.
“You gotta kill ’em”

Turning his attention to ISIS, Bush said the group is merely a continuation of the Al Qaeda terrorist organization he led the fight against during his Presidency.

He noted that Al Qaeda terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who confessed to the brutal beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, was captured while he led America and was imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay.

“Just remember the guy who slit Danny Pearl’s throat is in Gitmo, and now they’re doing it on TV,” he said of the way ISIS is beheading victims with relative impunity under Obama’s watch.

Bush added that Obama lacked a plan of action in fulfilling his stated mission to “degrade and destroy” ISIS.”In order to be an effective President…when you say something you have to mean it,” Bush said. “You gotta kill ’em.”

The ex-President then spoke about several other subjects, starting with Russian President Vladimir Putin who he noted is rich, divorced, and loves power. He said Putin’s popularity in Russia is due to his media control, saying “hell, I’d be popular, too, if I owned NBC News.”

Bush’s brother Jeb, a former Florida governor, is in the Republican race for President. The former President acknowledged his family ties may harm Jeb given that Americans don’t like dynasties.
He urged Republican candidates to have the “courage” to tackle foreign policy and not get stuck on isolationist home front issues.

As for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, Bush said she would either have to oppose or support Obama’s policies. If she defends them she’s admitting failure, Bush said, but if she opposes them it would be tantamount to blaming Obama

WE MUST LOVE GOD, OUR FELLOW, AND OUR LAND
by Professor Gerald Aranoff (Arutz Sheva News)

We read in this week’s parsha in Israel: You shall not steal; you shall not deal deceitfully or falsely with one another. You shall not swear falsely by My name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord. You shall not defraud your fellow. You shall not commit robbery. The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning. You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God: I am the Lord. You shall not render an unfair decision: do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich; judge your kinsman fairly. Do not deal basely with your countrymen. Do not profit by the blood of your fellow: I am the Lord. You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman but incur no guilt because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:11-18).

The world-famous positive command Love your fellow as yourself is here among many negative commands: you shall not …, Do not….

Do not deal basely with your countrymen. Rashi says this refers to bad-mouthing.

Talmud Tractate: Kethuboth 46a: “?Whence is the warning against bringing up an evil name [upon one’s wife] deduced? R. Eleazar replied: Do not deal basely with your countrymen (Leviticus 19:16).”

Talmud Tractate, Eiruvin 54b, cites Proverbs 5:19 to tell us how much we must love Torah. The Talmud compares love of Torah to the love a man might have for a woman.

Eiruvin 54b: “R. Samuel b. Nahmani expounded: With reference to the Scriptural text: A loving doe, a graceful mountain goat. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be infatuated with love of her always (Proverbs 5:19). Why were the words of the Torah compared to a doe? To tell you that as the doe has a narrow womb and is loved by its mate at all times as at the first hour of their meeting, so it is with the words of the Torah They are loved by those who study them at all times as at the hour when they first made their acquaintance. a graceful mountain goat? Because the Torah bestows grace upon those who study it. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times? Why were the words of the Torah compared to a breast? As with a breast, however often the child sucks [lit. feels searches] it so often does he find milk in it, so it is with the words of the Torah. As often a man studies them so often does he find relish in them. Be infatuated with love of her always? As was the case with R. Eleazar b. Pedath, for instance. It was said of K. Eleazar that he sat and studied Torah in the lower market of Sepphoris while his linen cloak lay in the upper market of the town [R. Eleazar presumably left his cloak with his wares in the upper market while, absorbed in his studies, he went down to the lower one oblivious of both his cloak and his wares.]. [It was taught] R. Isaac b. Eleazar related: A man once came to take it and found a venomous serpent in it [Providential protection of the property of the just].”

God’s wonderful blessing is for man to have a strong everlasting physical attraction to his mate. King Solomon in Proverbs 5 wisely advises a man to be satisfied with his wife and never look elsewhere:

Drink water from your own cistern, Running water from your own well. Your springs will gush forth In streams in the public squares. They will be yours alone, Others having no part with you. Let your fountain be blessed; Find joy in the wife of your youth—A loving doe, a graceful mountain goat…Why be infatuated, my son, with a forbidden woman? Why clasp the bosom of an alien woman? (Proverbs 5:15-20)

Reading King Solomon’s advice in a plain reading, a man should acquire a wife (Drink water from your own cistern…) and love her and always be attracted to her (Be infatuated with love of her always).

A blessed and fortunate man loves his wife. Men and women have many pursuits: to acquire a home, to have children, and to provide for the family and others. It’s a blessing when we have deep attraction and joy in all our pursuits.

We can compare love of Torah—to love a man might have for a woman or to love of a fine country. We must love keeping the Torah – You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Deuteronomy 6:5) and we must love our fellow man.

Israel is our home. We have deep attraction and joy in our home, Israel.

Love of the land of Israel is much like love of Torah and love a man for a woman.

We must not bad-mouth Israel as did the wicked spies. Rashi says on Numbers 13:2: “Why is the section on the spies place after the section on Miriam because she was stricken on matters that she spoke on her brother, and these wicked saw and did not take reproof.”

We must not speak evil of God. Proverbs 18:7-8: “The fool’s speech is his ruin; His words are a trap for him. The words of a querulous man are bruising; They penetrate one’s inmost parts.”

The Malbim says here: “His outer, superficial talk (lips in verse 6) against Divine providence (verse 5) prepares a snare for his soul, in which he is trapped by his serious, thoughtful talk (mouth). Then comes calamity, involving Divine physical punishment as well. The querulous man complains that the Almighty created him for a miserable life, evil being more prevalent than good, would that he had never been born. The Almighty (says he) has abandoned him to a chance fate. His words are like blows, as though Hashem were always striking him down. The truth is, however, that the clouts and blows are all within, from his own perverse vision of things. He forever broods and fumes. Imagining that others have everything he lacks and all Heaven’s favors to him seem evil. God made man upright and whole, but he distorts his life with his perceptions.”

We must not do as the foolish and wicked man who speaks evil of his wife, his neighbor, his country and his Creator. The fool and the wicked speak ???? ???. We must be as the wise and be grateful and joyful to God for His abundant blessings He gave us, life here in the Land of Israel. We must love our family, neighbors, country and God.

BIDEN: WE’LL DELIVER NEW F-35s TO ISRAEL IN 2015 by Elad Benari (Arutz Sheva News)

Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday the United States would deliver new F-35 fighter jets to Israel next year, saying the move would help the Jewish state maintain its military edge in the Middle East.

The comments by Biden, quoted by Reuters, were made at a celebration in honor of Israel’s 67th Independence Day at the Israeli Embassy in Washington.

The Vice President described the aircraft as “our finest, making Israel the only country in the Middle East to have this fifth-generation aircraft.”

Vowing the United States would make sure Israel maintained its “qualitative edge,” Biden told the audience, “Next year, we will deliver to Israel the F-35.”

Israel originally signed an agreement in 2010 to purchase the F-35 stealth fighter jets from the United States for $2.75 billion.

In October, the Ministry of Defense announced that Israel will acquire a new squadron of F-35 jets and would receive 19 such aircraft.

At Thursday’s event, Biden also admitted that it was no secret that the Obama Administration has had differences with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government, but added that the differences were natural and would not affect relations.

“It’s only natural for two democracies like ours,” Biden said, according to The Associated Press (AP). “We’re like family. We have a lot to say to one another. Sometimes we drive each other crazy, but we love each other — and we protect each other.”

Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to Washington and one of Netanyahu’s top advisers, also acknowledged that the U.S. and Israel have sometimes had deep disagreements on critical matters. He added, however, that the region’s immense security challenges would inevitable pull the two democracies together.

“We have weathered all those disagreements to grow closer and closer, decade after decade,” Dermer said, according to AP.

HAPPY 67TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL!

Hope for Today Ministries celebrates and rejoices on this 67th Anniversary of the Nation of Israel!

We believe that in 1948, God’s Word and promises were fulfilled as the Nation of Israel was restored!

The greatest need among Christians is to study your Bibles carefully and realize that the 2566 usages of the word “ISRAEL” carries with it a responsibility to understand our Jewish roots and that Bible Prophecy centers on the prophecies and promises of an unconditional, everlasting covenant of the LORD GOD of Israel – ISRAEL WILL NEVER CEASE TO BE A NATION BEFORE GOD FOREVER!