Visit our Web site: www.bridgesforpeace.com | April 8, 2011 |
1. Hamas Anti-tank Missile Hits Israeli School Bus
2. Gaza Groups Declare Truce; IDF Bombs Strip
3. Goldstone Retracts War Crimes Claim against Israel
4. Israel Working to Prevent Another Gaza Flotilla
5. Poll: 32% of Palestinians Support Brutal Itamar Terror Attack
6. Egyptian Foreign Minister Makes Overtures to Iran
7. Egypt Won't Succumb to Islamic Rule, Army Says
8. US Reaffirms Opposition to Unilateral Recognition of Palestine
9. Archaeologists of the Future
1. Hamas Anti-tank Missile Hits Israeli School BusAn anti-tank missile fired by Hamas from Gaza hit an Israeli bus on Thursday afternoon [April 7], critically injuring a teenage boy riding in the bus and lightly-to-moderately injuring the bus driver. The boy, whom the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] said was 16-years-old, suffered head wounds.
According to Israeli Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, speaking with Bridges for Peace in an interview early Thursday evening Israel time, the two wounded civilians were the only ones in the bus at the time. He said the vehicle was a school bus and, at one point, had 40 children in it, although all the others had been dropped off prior to the missile strike.
Hamas's military wing later claimed credit for the attack in an article on their English-language Web site complete with photos of the damaged bus. In addition to the bus strike, at least 45 mortars and rockets were fired from Gaza terrorists at Israel on Thursday, according to a press release on the IDF spokesperson's blog.
After a spike in attacks last month, Rosenfeld said things around the Gaza Strip had been relatively calm more recently, "but once again we're in another peak of dealing with the terrorists that are clearly aiming and trying to kill innocent Israelis, especially today, trying to kill, unfortunately, [by shooting at] a school bus with children in it."
Rosenfeld said police bomb disposal experts examined the site and confirmed the weapon fired was, in fact, an anti-tank missile. He said, "We believe that that anti-tank missile was directly aimed at the school bus, very accurate, very advanced," meaning the Gaza terrorists apparently targeted the bus intentionally.
"This is the first time there's been an anti-tank missile fired at a civilian target. There wasn't a tank that was aimed at…[It was] clearly aimed at the bus, an anti-tank missile that's fairly advanced, with precise coordinates and other systems that make the target very, very direct to hit, and therefore, it wasn't just out of the blue that that bus was targeted this afternoon," said Rosenfeld.
"But that's all being assessed both by the Israeli Police and the IDF, and obviously, we'll take all necessary steps within the next few hours to deal with the situation around the Gaza Strip at the moment." In light of the wave of attacks, he said they closed some major roads around the Gaza Strip and asked civilians to enter safe areas.
Rosenfeld said the bus was hit in the back, with damage done all the way to the front. Rosenfeld acknowledged that their basic assumption at the moment is that had the bus still been full of children, they would have been dealing with a mass-casualty event. "Anyone who would have been on that bus would have been seriously-to-critically injured."
The MFA Web site quoted Israeli President Shimon Peres as saying, "This is another incident which proves the Gaza Strip has turned into a terrorist zone. No one would give up the safety of his country's citizens, and Israel stands firm on the right to defend itself. Hundreds of thousands of mothers and children in southern Israel cannot sleep at night as a result of rocket-fire from the Gaza Strip."
The US also condemned the attack on the bus. Spokesman Mark Toner, in comments to reporters posted on the State Department Web site, said, "We condemn the attack on innocent civilians in southern Israel in the strongest possible terms, as well as ongoing rocket fire from Gaza. As we have reiterated many times, there's no justification for the targeting of innocent civilians, and those responsible for these terrorist acts should be held accountable.
"We are particularly concerned about reports that indicate the use of an advanced anti-tank weapon in an attack against civilians and reiterate that all countries have obligations under relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions to prevent illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition."
(Excerpts of an article by Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, April 7, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God for protecting the 40 children who were previously on the bus. Pray that those who are fearful will put their trust in God, and He will give them peace, so they can sleep at night.
Scripture
"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:8).
2. Gaza Groups Declare Truce; IDF Bombs StripFearing harsh Israel Defense Forces [IDF] retaliation following a day of missile attacks on Israeli communities, Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip declared a ceasefire as of 11 pm Thursday [April 8].
The announcement followed the firing of 45 rockets from the Strip into Israel throughout the day, as well as an anti-tank missile attack on an Israeli school bus that left a teenager critically wounded. Despite the Palestinian declaration, the army bombed Gaza for the 10th time Thursday around midnight targeting smuggling tunnels in Rafah. IDF officials confirmed the strike and said the army is preparing for further retaliation for Thursday's barrage of rockets.
Earlier, a Palestinian source associated with Islamic Jihad said that the decision to declare a truce followed consultations with Arab officials around the world. Another source said the ceasefire announcement was a product of indirect negotiations with Israel.
However, at this time, it appears that the IDF is preparing to launch additional strikes in Gaza overnight and possibly throughout the weekend, military sources said. Officials said the army has known of Hamas' plan to carry out a major attack but added that they were surprised that it was aimed at a school bus carrying children. Some Israeli officials estimated that Hamas originally sought a military target Thursday but could not find one, therefore choosing to fire a missile at a school bus.
However, the army is apparently not preparing for a second Operation Cast Lead that would include a major incursion into the Strip. Officials said that they wanted to avoid further escalation in the south that will disrupt the lives of residents.
Earlier Thursday, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, claimed responsibility for the attack on the school bus. The group said the strike was a response to the killing of three Hamas men over the weekend. Israel said the three were planning to abduct Israeli civilians.
In response to the terror attack, Air Force aircraft bombed targets in the Gaza Strip, hitting a terror cell responsible for rocket attacks on Ashkelon as well as another cell firing mortar shells. Five Palestinians were killed and 33 injured, according to medics in the Strip.
At least one of the rockets [from Gaza] was intercepted above Ashkelon by the newly installed Iron Dome system at around 6 pm. Army officials praised the system, saying it had made history with its first-ever interception.
(Excerpts of an article by Elior Levy, Hanan Greenberg contributed, Ynetnews, April 8, 2011)
Prayer FocusPraise God that Israel has taken strong steps to protect its citizens and that the Iron Dome has proven itself valuable. Pray that Israel will see God as their true "Iron Dome" to whom they can cry out to for protection.
Scripture
"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (Psalm 18:2).
3. Goldstone Retracts War Crimes Claim against IsraelThe chairman of the UN Human Rights Council fact-finding team that accused Israel of possibly committing war crimes during the 2008-09 Gaza war effectively retracted those claims on Friday [April 1] in an op-ed in The Washington Post. Judge Richard Goldstone, of the UN's Goldstone Report on Operation Cast Lead, said in The Washington Post that if he had known then what he knew now, the report would have been different.
He said Israel's own investigations into the war which were recognized in a UN follow-up committee's report have indicated that "civilians were not intentionally targeted as a matter of policy."
The Israelis welcomed Goldstone's comments, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying in a statement posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site that the UN should shelve the original Goldstone Report. "Everything we said has proven to be true: Israel did not intentionally harm civilians, its institutions and investigative bodies are worthy, while Hamas intentionally fired upon innocent civilians and did not examine anything [of accusations of war crimes]," said Netanyahu. "The fact that Goldstone backtracked must lead to the shelving of this report once and for all."
Prime Minister's Office spokesman Mark Regev, in an interview with Bridges for Peace, noted the importance of Goldstone's comments. "We think that this is a very significant admission," said Regev. "Ultimately, if the author of the report says the report is not accurate, there's no reason for the United Nations to lend any credence to this report."
Regev noted that Israel was acting in "justified self-defense" in Gaza against terrorists there, who had fired thousands of rockets and mortars at Israeli civilians. He said the Gaza terrorists "had no qualms whatsoever about targeting civilians and about using Gaza's civilian population as a human shield." Regev said that outside of Israel, the nation's approach has not only been defended as having acted appropriately with regard to civilians, it has even been praised.
"We've seen military officials from other democracies who have said, 'Study the Israeli tactics,' and have actually praised us," said Regev. "I think it was a British colonel, Richard Kemp-who was in charge of British combat forces in Afghanistan-who said that after looking at the tactics that we used said that we went above and beyond what most armies do when it comes to protecting the civilian population.
"We were trying to be as surgical as is possible, to seek out Hamas, to neutralize their ability to hurt us, to shoot rockets at the Israeli public…We didn't seek to hurt Gaza's civilian population."
Goldstone attempted to partly blame Israel for the results of his report, since Israel elected not to officially cooperate with the UN team, which was established by the UN Human Rights Council. The council is well known for its anti-Israel bias. While Israel did not officially cooperate with the fact-finding mission, Ynet reported in September 2009 that an Israeli source said they did provide the Goldstone team with a 160-page report from the Foreign Ministry detailing Israel's claims.
Regev explained that Israel's decision not to cooperate officially was based on concerns of the Council's bias against Israel. "We debated internally that issue; we had different opinions within the Israeli government, but in the end, it was decided that we simply could not cooperate with a mission that was sent by this very one-sided, anti-Israel, biased human rights commission," said Regev. "We saw this as a kangaroo court. And the truth is, we weren't wrong."
(Excerpts of an article by Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, April 4, 2011)
Prayer FocusPraise God for this vindication of Israel! Often, though, retractions given after an incident are not acknowledged and only the first reports are believed. Pray that this will bring the issue to a close in the UN.
Scripture
"For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging in righteousness" (Psalm 9:4).
4. Israel Working to Prevent Another Gaza FlotillaAlmost one year after the Gaza flotilla incident, another flotilla is being planned, and Israel is already taking diplomatic steps to try to prevent it. Last May, nine activists aboard one of the ships were killed in the original flotilla when activists attacked Israeli soldiers trying to commandeer the vessel as part of the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
According to a report last week in Haaretz, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to try to prevent the next flotilla, which is expected to come in late May. Netanyahu said the new flotilla is intended as a provocative move and being organized by extreme Islamists.
A separate Haaretz article on Monday [April 4] said that more than 1,000 activists are expected to be involved in the upcoming flotilla. According to sources cited by Haaretz, more than 20 vessels are expected to be in the new flotilla. It is set for May 31, the one year anniversary of the violence in the first flotilla.
Over the years, Gaza has fired thousands of missiles and mortars at Israel, and the current naval blockade is aimed primarily at preventing military-use items, including weapons, from reaching Gaza. Last summer, Israel eased their blockade as it was at the time, announcing a significant increase in the types of civilian goods that could be brought over land into Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.
Haaretz said that Israel is working diplomatically to convince leaders of nations from which the ships are planning to come to discourage their nationals from being involved in the next flotilla.
According to last week's article in Haaretz, Netanyahu, in speaking with Ban, reinforced the need for the Israeli naval blockade, reminding the UN leader of the recent interception of a cargo ship carrying an estimated 50 tons worth of weapons from Iran and bound for Gaza. Haaretz quoted Netanyahu as telling Ban, "Hamas is a terrorist organization and Iranian proxy."
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Web site published an article saying that up to 121 new projects to benefit Gaza have recently been approved by the IDF's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (CoGAT). The projects, with a cumulative price tag of approximately US $100 million, will be funded by international organizations, such as the Red Cross. The IDF article said the projects aim to "build infrastructure and improve the quality of life in the Gaza Strip."
(Excerpts of an article by Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, April 4, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that God will stop this flotilla from coming to Israel's shores. Let us cry out like Amos and say, "Lord, cease."
Scripture
"…Behold, the Lord GOD called for conflict by fire and it consumed the great deep and devoured the territory. Then I said: 'O Lord GOD, cease, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, for he is small!' So the LORD relented concerning this, 'This also shall not be,' said the Lord GOD" (Amos 7:4-6).
5. Poll: 32% of Palestinians Support Brutal Itamar Terror AttackAgainst the backdrop of ongoing concerns regarding Palestinian incitement against Israel, a new poll has revealed that 32% of Palestinians support the vicious terror attack in Itamar in which five members of an Israeli family were murdered in their home. At the same time, 63% of Palestinians opposed the Itamar attack which was published in a Hebrew University of Jerusalem press release.
While Palestinian leadership has spoken out against terrorism against civilians, the government has also sent mixed signals by honoring terrorists or turning them into heroes in a variety of ways. The poll interviewed 1,270 Palestinians in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria], East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip during March 17-19 with a margin of error of 3%.
Interestingly, while more than half of Palestinians expect that negotiations will continue, they also showed pessimism regarding the chances of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel being established in the next five years. 67% considered the chances for such a prospect to be low or non-existent.
Despite that pessimism, copying the massive protests in the Arab world doesn't appear to be perceived by Palestinians as a way for them to gain some of their political goals against Israel.
Roughly two-thirds of Palestinians polled did not think demonstrations against Israel in the West Bank could bring about the end of the so-called "occupation" or stop settlements. Israel took over the West Bank, also known as the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria, in a defensive war in 1967 from Jordan. Negotiations over the territory and security concerns arising from any potential Israeli withdrawal have featured prominently in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Meanwhile, protests are viewed as important in Gaza against Hamas, as roughly two-thirds of Gazans do feel a need for Palestinians to conduct demonstrations similar to those in the Arab world against the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip. It seems the Palestinian Authority (PA) government in the West Bank can breathe a little easier than Hamas, as just 36% of West Bank Palestinians felt such a protest need against the PA.
(Excerpts of an article by Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, April 6, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Though 32% is not a majority, it still represents a large number within a populace that seeks to be a state on Israel's border. Pray that the nations will consider this seriously as an indication of the kind of "peace" Palestinians really want.
Scripture
"For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction; their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue. Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You" (Psalm 5:9-10).
6. Egyptian Foreign Minister Makes Overtures to IranIranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has welcomed a proposal by his Egyptian counterpart, Nabil Al-Arabi, to improve ties. "A good relationship between the two countries will definitely help stability, security, and development in the region," Salehi told The Teheran Times.
He said he hoped the new environment would lead to an upgrade of relations. Al-Arabi said last week that Egypt was read to "open a new page" with Iran, and that the government no longer saw Iran as an enemy state. But the foreign minister wouldn't say whether Egypt would go as far as to open an embassy in Tehran.
The two countries were bitter enemies during the rule of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, but since he was forced to step down, there have been some signs of a thaw. Last month, Egypt allowed two Iranian warships to sail through the Suez Canal for the first time since the Shah's overthrow in 1979.
(By The Media Line, April 3, 2011)
Prayer Focus
This "good relationship" between Egypt and Iran is troubling. Pray that God's truth will be known in these countries, for surely this alliance, if used against Israel, will bring about God's judgment.
Scripture
"He [God] shall pass through the sea with affliction, and strike the waves of the sea: all the depths of the River shall dry up. Then the pride of Assyria [which included part of today's Iran] shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart" (Zechariah 10:11).
7. Egypt Won't Succumb to Islamic Rule, Army SaysThe Egyptian army won't allow the country to be ruled by Islamists, addressing fears among domestic liberal and Western powers over the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups. "Egypt will not be governed by another Khomeini," the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said, referring to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
The Brotherhood says it isn't in favor of a religious state but is taking an active role in the political scene since strictures [restrictions] against it were lifted following the exit of President Hosni Mubarak in February.
The military, which controls the transitional government now in power, reiterated its commitment to transfer power to civilian rule after legislative and presidential elections this autumn and to respect freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, Egypt's finance minister revised down his forecast for economic growth to between 2.5% and 3% in the current fiscal year as a result of the unrest that toppled Mubarak.
(By The Media Line, April 6, 2011)
Prayer Focus
It appears that Egypt speaks out of both sides of its mouth by claiming they won't "be governed by another Khomeni" while working to establish a "relationship" with Iran. Pray that the West will not be deceived by such duplicitous talk.
Scripture
"Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries...Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak the word, but it will not stand, for God is with us" (Isaiah 8:9a, 10).
8. US Reaffirms Opposition to Unilateral Recognition of PalestineLess than six months before the Palestinians could go to the United Nations for unilateral statehood, the White House's top Middle East adviser has reaffirmed the American opposition to such a move, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Speaking to the Anti-Defamation League's leadership conference on Monday [April 4], US official Dennis Ross was quoted as saying, "We have consistently made it clear that the way to produce a Palestinian state is through negotiations, not through unilateral declarations, not through going to the UN. Our position on that has been consistent in opposition."
September's United Nations meeting in New York has been mentioned as a possible date for the Palestinians to make such a step, which would be a diplomatic blow to Israel and could try to pressure them to make territorial compromises at the expense of their security.
The UN talk has continued despite the fact that the Palestinians suspended peace negotiations with Israel last year following the end of Israel's 10-month settlement construction freeze-which was itself an unprecedented gesture by Israel.
Palestinian unilateralism at the UN would likely harm the diplomacy involved between Israel and the Palestinians, and The Jerusalem Post reported that Ross himself believes it would not advance the Palestinian aims.
(Excerpts of an article by Joshua Spurlock, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio, April 6, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Praise God that the US remains supportive of Israel on this issue. Pray that your nation will stand with Israel and speak out boldly for her.
Scripture
"For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns" (Isaiah 62:1).
9. Archaeologists of the FutureThis coming Pesach (Passover) festival [April 18-26] there will be a unique and unusual project during the intermediate days of the festival in Tel Aviv. The project is being launched by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in conjunction with the City of Tel Aviv.
Participants will be able to take part in an ancient game of kings, the story of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, and acquaint themselves with the mysteries of ancient Egyptian writing just as if they were at an archaeological excavation camp. Along with all of this, there will be a show that dramatizes the story of the exodus from Egypt in an educational and entertaining way that combines environmental and social messages.
As part of the journey back in time, IAA will set up an excavation compound where one can discover different artifacts such as pottery shards and coins, as well as candy in between. The children will be invited to go on an adventure in time, equipped with special tools with which they will dig and find the remains of an ancient kingdom.
The activity will reveal the ancient Egyptian culture to the children, including an abundance of different archaeological finds, the symbols of the monarchy, the hieroglyphics, the world of art, and more.
In addition to the excavation compound, visitors will enjoy a number of activity stations, among them, the Egyptian writing station where they will learn about the mysteries of ancient hieroglyphics and experience preparing an Egyptian cartouche [an oblong carved tablet] with various decorations; a workshop where they will learn the games of the ancient kings of Egypt, prepare an ancient game board, and play with it; and the Tutankhamen station, the story of the pharaoh Tutankhamen who ascended to the throne as a child. The children will be told the story of the discovery of the pharaoh's tomb and make a copy of his mask.
(By Edgar Asher, Isranet, April 4, 2011)
Prayer Focus
Pray that many in Israel who are fearful will be encouraged during Passover as they remember how God delivered them from Egypt.
Scripture
"If you should say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?'-you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So shall the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid" (Deuteronomy 7:17-19).
Note: All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
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