If there is one thing that has dominated the press over the past few weeks, it is
anti-Semitism. Satan is going after Gods chosen people in an unprecedented way. The
UK Parliament is full of it, the US Congress has been majorly thrown into it, the
UN is continually obsessed with it and on the whole, the Church ignores it. Praise
be to God that His people are still the apple of His eye
For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against
the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of
his eye (Zech 2:8)
Israel - Torah scrolls were thrown onto the floor and prayer books were destroyed
when vandals broke into a synagogue in Jerusalem. The vandals cut into the side of
the ark and removed the holy scrolls, and threw acid on them on the floor. The outrage
happened at the Beit Knesset Siach Yisrael - a shul of the city's French community
in the Kiryat Yovel suburb.
Two other synagogues were also attacked in the resort of Netanya.
A new synagogue known as the Macdonald Shul had the words 'Hail Satan' scrawled upon
it and another synagogue had a hosepipe forced through a window which flooded the
building.
Interior Minister Arye Deri said the vandalism was "reminiscent of the antisemitic
pogroms carried out in the Nazi era".
UK - There have been a record number of reported antisemitic incidents across the
UK - for the third consecutive year according to figures released by the CST (Community
Security Trust) for 2018. It is likely that these figures were partly caused by reactions
to political events in the UK and overseas, involving the Labour Party and violence
on the border of Israel and Gaza.
The report stated that there had been 1652 antisemitic incidents in 2018.
The General Secretary of the Labour Party, Jennie Formby caused uproar after telling
MP’s and peers that it was impossible to fully 'eradicate' antisemitism from the
party.
She stated that "anyone who thinks that they can completely eradicate something -
then they are being dishonest". She spoke after a motion demanded the Labour leadership
disclose how many outstanding cases of antisemitism need to be investigated and how
many members were awaiting training on Jew-hatred.
Labour MP’s unanimously voted to condemn their own party's handling of its antisemitism
crisis. In a joint statement, Jewish Leadership Council chairman Jonathan Goldstein
and Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl said "We welcome the decision of
the Parliamentary Labour Party to set a deadline to hold Jeremy Corbyn to account
over antisemitism "......his lack of leadership has been extremely disappointing"
USA - Attacks on the Jewish community in Brooklyn have also been on the rise, and
following two attacks in Crown Heights 30 volunteers have been recruited to patrol
the area from 5pm to 12.30am daily in order to observe and report.
Rabbi Yaacov Behrman stated that 10 people had been violently attacked in the last
60 days alone.
Germany - Berlin has become Europe's capital of antisemitism. It appears to have
taken the number one spot that belonged to Malmo, Sweden, which still suffers from
major antisemitism.
The Research and Information Centre report stated in the first half of 2018, 527
antisemitic incidents were recorded in the German capital. It included 18 attacks,
21 intentional acts of vandalism and 18 threats. Police sources told the German newspaper
Tagesspiegel that the rise in antisemitism was connected to the increased number
of migrants from the Middle East living in the city.
Belgium - A float in a Belgian street carnival has been slammed as 'typical antisemitic
caricatures from 1939'.
The float - in a street celebration in the city of Aaist featured giant puppets of
Orthodox Jews and a rat atop money bags. "It was shocking" said Dutch Chief Rabbi
Binyomin Jacobs in his condemnation.
This is not the first time this has happened, in 2013, a different group designed
a float for the same carnival resembling a Nazi railway wagon used to transport Jews
to death camps, the designers, a group known as FTP then marched beside it dressed
as Nazi SS officers and Charedi Jews. A poster on the wagon showed Flemish politicians
dressed as Nazis and holding canisters labelled as containing Zyklon B, the poison
used by the Nazis to exterminate Jews during the Holocaust.
I could go on....but
Now, some good news....
Brazil - Within hours of arriving in Brazil, a huge team of Israelis were recovering
bodies from the mud following the mining-dam collapse. 130 IDF soldiers, and 70 reservists
flew from Tel Aviv to Brazil following the disaster that killed at least 60 people
and left hundreds missing. Once again Israel leads the world in its humanitarian
efforts.
USA - Florida's state cabinet has recognised Jerusalem as Israel's "Eternal and undivided
capital". The move places it one step beyond the Trump administration's stance on
Israel, which recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital but has not spoken of whether
it supports a united or divided Jerusalem.
Russia - Russia is committed to the "very strong security" of Israel, Moscow's deputy
foreign minister Sergei Ryablov told CNN. He also added in an interview that Russia
and Iran are not allies in Syria. And he said that any accusations that President
Trump has colluded with Russia are "out of touch with reality".
Israel - Israel has officially joined the space race with its launch of its space
craft "Beresheet" (Genesis) from Cape Canaveral. It is due to land on the surface
of the moon in mid-April. PM Benjamin Netanyahu said "Despite its smaller land mass
and population compared to the other nations, Israel is a giant in initiative and
huge in achievements".
The robotic lander is the size of a washing machine. Hidden among the instruments
is a coin-like artefact, which holds a sort of Jewish time capsule. The laser-etched
coin contains the entire text of the Old Testament plus a collection of Jewish art
and music. Israel will become one of only four nations to have made a controlled
landing on the moon surface, the others are America, Russia and China. The space
craft has already taken a 'selfie' picture of itself with the Israeli flag and the
earth in the background.
Pray for the IDF and IAF as they defend the boarders and continue to pray for the
peace of Jerusalem.
Every blessing, Maranatha.
Steve
