Leaving about 7:00 am, he set out to begin the day. The visit to the south consisted of meeting a community leader and doing an interview with Yehuda Glick, who also lives in the same community. Yehuda spoke at our CFI conference last year, and is now the newest member of the Israeli Knesset (the legislative governing body of Israel). On October 29, 2014, he survived an assassination attempt outside of the Begin Center in Jerusalem by a Palestinian terrorist. Yehuda is an activist for religious freedom on the Temple Mount, as Jews are not allowed to pray when visiting their most holy site due to it also being the site of the Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock - and ONLY Muslims are allowed to pray (Christians aren't allowed either) when visiting during the short entry hours twice a day.
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| Yehuda Glick |
Upon arrival, Yehuda introduced them to a Rabbi, the president of the Yeshiva (Biblical learning center). They shook hands with the Rabbi, a joyful man, and talked with him for a bit before setting up for the interview with Yehuda. Before even beginning, Jim heard Yehuda say, "Oh no..." and everyone began to receive notifications on their phones of a terror attack.
As the day went on, the details of the attack were grim. A 17 year old Palestinian terrorist climbed over a security fence, sneaked into the home of a Jewish resident in Kiryat Arba (adjacent to Hevron), and stabbed a 13 year old girl to death in her bed. The terrorist was shot and killed. By 6:00 pm that evening, this beautiful young girl was buried by her grieving parents.
What kind of evil could cause someone to commit such an act??? The kind that is bred into a person each day as they grow up learning to hate - taught hate by parents, community, and schools; where being a martyr is being a hero, and glorified by your family and community. Where families of martyrs receive financial compensation from the government and roads named after the terrorist. Where they rejoice and pass out candies to celebrate the death of another Jew.
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| Hallel Yaffa - her name in English means "beautiful praise". |
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| Hillel Yaffa's mother at the funeral. |
The horror began that morning, but would continue that day and into the next.
After Jim was through with the interview, he travelled to the north to a graduation ceremony at an army base. Project David's Shield was providing shlukers (water back packs) to the soldiers who had completed their first 8 months of training.
After his visit with the soldiers, Jim headed still north to meet another commander who he needed to deliver hats to. It was too late in the day to go to the army base, so the commander invited Jim to his home, and to stay for dinner. They enjoyed the relaxed time together that they wouldn't normally get to have, and got to know each other better.
That same evening, a little after 7:00 pm, another Palestinian terrorist stabbed two people in the central market of coastal city of Netanya, injuring both. The terrorist was shot and killed.
News video in English:
After a very long day, Jim arrived home around 11:00 pm. It was an emotional, rollercoaster of a day.
The next day, Friday, during the morning, we had update notifications that another Palestinian terrorist attempted a stabbing attack against border police at the Tomb of the Patriarchs (where Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebecca and Jacob & Leah are buried). The female terrorist, who was shot and killed, was found to be from the same town - and is a relative - of the terrorist who murdered Hallel Yaffa the day before.
We worked until 1:30 pm (we get off early on Friday, to prepare for Shabbat, as stores and transportation stop in the afternoon). We had dinner plans that evening, so we went home to take a short nap before going out.
Right before falling asleep, we received yet more update notifications of a shooting at a vehicle near Hevron. First information to come out was one dead and two wounded from gunshot wounds and the accident (the car lost control and flipped). The husband was killed, and the wife is seriously injured from gunshot wounds. The terrorists have yet to be caught.
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| The Rabbi lived in Otniel, just south of Hevron - where the red marker is. |
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| The son of the father that was killed. |
After a short nap, we awoke to find out the details of the car shooting. To Jim's shock and horror, he learned that the man that was killed was the Rabbi he had met at the yeshiva. The joyful man he shook hands with. Jim was just with this man the day before, and now he was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist. The sorrow and pain is so real it hurts. This man was the father of 10 children.
It had been two terribly long days, and yet we were invited to a commander's home for the Friday evening Shabbat meal. To be invited to a Jewish home to share in this meal is always an honor. Tal (whose name means "dew") and Jim have met a few times, and he recently asked us to come to his home. We arrived at 7:30 pm to find that we were honored to not only share this evening with the commander, but his grandmother, parents, siblings and their children.
After meeting and greeting the family, the father led us through a song and the prayers to welcome and bless the Shabbat (Sabbath). Tal's mother's background is Moroccan, and boy did she lay out the most amazing feast for us that night. There must have been about 20 different homemade dishes - and she had been cooking for two days!
We spent the evening getting to know everyone - and them us - and discussing all sorts of topics in Israel, especially what had taken place that day and the day before. Being Israeli, they had all served in the army (Tal still in the army) and shared many different views on what should/could be done to change the current situations. While we ate and talked through the night, we believe it was the best place for us to be on this night - with the people, sharing their pain, understanding their challenges. It was an evening of love & joy, tears & frustration, laughter & questioning.
And if all the attacks of the day and day before weren't enough, while we at dinner, at 11:00 pm, a rocket was fired out of Gaza into Israel. Sirens went off in the affected area and families enjoying their Shabbat evening ran to their bomb shelters. The rocket made direct contact with a kindergarten in in Sderot. Praise God it was in the evening and no one was injured, although the building sustained damage.
Almost six hours after arriving, we said our goodbyes to our new family who we immediately fell in love with. With hugs and kisses we left to drive 45 minutes home - arriving a little after 2:00 am.
While there have not been any more attacks since Friday, in checking our updates, there has been a threat of another. A personal threat. Against Yehuda Glick. It was released right after Rabbi Miki Marc was gunned down. You'll remember that the interview with Yehuda was at the Rabbi's yeshiva - they are good friends. Well, the animated video created by the terrorist organization portrays Yehuda being gunned down as well, saying he is next. He had already been determined a high profile target, and now has around the clock Knesset guard security.
Please, please be praying for the families who lost loved ones, for those recovering in the hospitals, for the Israeli government to make wise choices on dealing with these situations, and for our protectors - the army, police & security. And last but not least, for the people of this nation, to have faith in God and not fear of the enemy, to heal in body, emotions and spirit, and to stay strong.
How??? How can we make this flood of terrorism around the world stop? If you follow the world news you know there are DAILY attacks going on. Mass casualties. And for those of you in the United States, it has come to your country in ways that you have not known before.
There are practical ways that governments can take to deal with this threat. As individuals we can pray - and NOT stick our head in the sand pretending it is not happening. The world does not like absolute truths and is doing everything it can to protect tolerance. Tolerance, however, will destroy the good in this world, as evil takes over.
There's a scripture that we've been studying lately that has some much needed concepts in it.
"Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing."
James 1:2-4 (CJB)
First, we like how this version uses the word "trust" instead of faith - it brings an even deeper understanding. Next consider the word perseverance.
Perseverance: "Implies resolute and unyielding holding on in following a course of action. Perseverance commonly suggests activity maintained in spite of difficulties or steadfast and long-continued application: Endurance and perseverance combined to win in the end."
In reading its definition, it brings to mind other words needed for perseverance: obstinate and tenacious.
Obstinate: "Not easily controlled or overcome."
Tenacious: "Holding fast, persistent, not easily pulled asunder."
If we are to make it through these times where evil is fighting to prevail, these are qualities each of us needs to "win in the end" and not be defeated. How do we accomplish this?
"But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing."
James 1:4 (CJB)
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