July 2021 Personal Letter

FROM SARAH, OUR SABRA
ON THE GROUND IN ISRAEL

Dear Friend,

Greetings to you from the Holy Land. I’d like to thank several of you for responding to my letters and writing in with questions and words of encouragement.

Since I last wrote, Israel and Hamas (the terror organization controlling the Gaza Strip on Israel’s southern border) engaged in eleven days of violent altercations with casualties on both sides.

While you may be familiar with the foreign news coverage of the events, I want to share a boots-on-the-ground perspective and, more importantly, the causes and aftermath. Here in Israel, we are unfortunately getting use to these disruptions.

The most significant aspect of these eleven horrifying days was not the rockets coming from Gaza or Israel’s response to this attack. It was rather the explosive violence in Arab-Jewish relationships within Israel, specifically in what we call the mixed cities. Mixed cities are areas in which Arabs and Jews live together, neighborhood next to neighborhood, in the same municipality.

The violence between Arabs and Jews — vandalism, shootings, and horrible lynchings (murderous attacks outside the law, not limited to hangings) — provided quite a shock to us longtime residents. The sudden explosion of violence was devastating and heartbreaking. The very idea of coexistence came under attack in an instant … with no warning.

As I reflect on those two weeks in mid-May, it appears that Hamas’s major achievements were destroying relationships between Jews and Arabs inside Israel and increasing their own support in the West Bank, which is currently controlled by their rival, the Palestinian Authority (PA).

THE ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF THE CURRENT TENSIONS

Ostensibly, the tensions began due to an ongoing argument concerning the true ownership of some real estate in Sheikh Jarach, an Arab East Jerusalem neighborhood. A recent decision by the Supreme Court awarded ownership of some homes to their original Jewish owners. During the Islamic month of Ramadan — already a sensitive time — emotions erupted when Israeli police moved to enforce that court order.

This enforcement action caused already rising tensions to explode as Ramadan-fasting and -praying Arab Muslims began to riot on the nearby Temple Mount. In an effort to keep the violence from spilling into Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli police placed restrictions on the people entering and leaving the Temple Mount.

Hamas (the rulers in Gaza) took up the cause of Sheikh Jarach. Then, in an unprecedented move, Hamas lobbed rockets at Jerusalem on Jerusalem Day — a day when Israelis celebrate the reunification of East and West Jerusalem and the return of the Western Wall to Jewish hands following the 1967 Six-Day War.

While tensions rose in Jerusalem, young Arabs in Lod, a mixed city where Jews and Arabs have been living together in relative peace for over 60 years, began demonstrating in solidarity with the chaos in Jerusalem. That night, a young Arab man was fatally shot by a Jew who claimed to be defending a nearby Jewish neighborhood from an advancing Arab mob.

This killing set off what became the most violent period between Arabs and Jews inside Israel since the ’60s. The following night, violent Jewish and Arab riots spread through other mixed cities, including Ako, Nazareth, and Haifa.

When news of these altercations spread, increasing numbers of young Jews and Arabs took to major junctions of inter-city roads all over Israel in protest. The abundance of events overwhelmed police forces, who were vastly outnumbered. Both Jewish and Arab mobs carried out violent lynchings. A real and very present spirit of lawlessness spread throughout the country.

THE POLITICS OF THE CURRENT TENSIONS

My family and many others did not dare leave the perimeter of our little town for nearly two weeks. The riots and mobs attacking families (some with babies and young children!) in cars passing through these inter-city junctions imprisoned and shocked us. Fear soon replaced our astonishment: Are we charging headfirst into civil war?!

That question raises two other questions:

• Why did Hamas decide to risk firing rockets at Jerusalem?
• What made Israeli Arabs react with such violence this time?

Just before the events of Sheik Jarach, the PA, led by Mahmoud Abbas, suddenly canceled the West Bank and East Jerusalem elections, fearing that Hamas would win and take power in the West Bank. Hamas successfully hijacked the roughly two million residents of the Gaza Strip in 2007 by killing the Gazan leaders of Fatah (which later became the PA in the West Bank).

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. since 1995 and the EU since 2003. It will never agree to Gaza being economically and civically stable because Hamas loses its legitimacy if Gaza succeeds. Nor does its boss — Iran — wish for calm and peace in Israel. Hamas will never accept the existence of the State of Israel and will instigate violence to keep peace and normalcy at bay.

If there were legitimate leadership in Gaza that wanted real peace, Israel would agree and make many concessions to sign such a treaty. However, because no such leadership exists, Israel took the opportunity to deal decisively with Hamas. For the past few months, Hamas operatives had been shooting rockets into civilian populations in Israel’s southern and central regions, as is their usual practice. Israel surgically — and with minimum civilian Arab casualties — removed Hamas’s rocket-building capabilities and other terrorist tools in Gaza as part of this Operation Guardian of the Walls.

THE “FLAW” IN THE IRON DOME

In 2011, Israel developed the Iron Dome to shield its population from Hamas rockets. During this recent attack, it proved to be 90% accurate even though Hamas tried to overwhelm the system by firing large numbers of rockets in rapid succession. This short-range air-defense system saved many lives in Israel and kept Israel from having to enter Gaza with IDF ground forces, which also minimized casualties on both sides.

As protective as the Iron Dome system is, it also helps perpetuate the tension cycles between Israel and Gaza. Israel developed this one-of-a-kind defense to deal with the inability to reach an agreement with Gaza and the Hamas terrorist organization. Hamas continues to pour its wealth into developing weapons and military infrastructure instead of building a prosperous society.

Examining the identities of the Arab rioters inside Israel shows that they were primarily young men, ages 17–20. As many as 40% in this demographic don’t have work and aren’t in school, and thus they turn to a life of mischief and crime. Sixty percent of convicted Arabs are young men with no job or schooling. In the Arab society, a majority of parents lack high levels of education and don’t invest money or effort into educating their children.

These young Arabs compare their lives to their Jewish contemporaries’, especially in the mixed cities where the disparity and lack of opportunities available to them are glaring. Another major factor: For many years Israel chose not to deal with the rising violence within its Arab population. Currently, as many as half a million illegal weapons in these cities and towns contribute to many killings. One could say that it was only a matter of time before the violence would spill over into confrontations with Jews.

TIMED TO DISRUPT PEACE

The timing of all of these events was no coincidence. Israel was within 48 hours of a historic change whereby this coexistence between Jews and Arabs would manifest itself politically: forming a national government that, for the first time, would be backed by an Arab party. Extreme political forces — both Jewish and Arab — were unwilling to accept this situation and fueled the rumors, hatred, and fear that drove these riots on both sides. As a recent commentator on Israeli radio noted: “Empathy and fear cannot coexist.”

We cannot disregard the spiritual timing either: The violence occurred during the convergence of Ramadan, Jerusalem Day, and Pentecost Sunday. The devil does not want God’s plan of reconciliation between Arabs and Jews through the Prince of Peace/Yeshua to unfold.

Satan continues his assault on the city of the great king — Jerusalem. There is no solution to this situation in the natural realm. We, as Believers (“Believers” is short for “believers in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah”) the world over, must stand in unity and pray for the people of this Land. Pray for the spiritual awakening of the people who live here — that they would walk according to God’s Word and law and not according to the ways of the world.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

Im tirdefu lada-at oto —
“Press on to know HIM!” (Hosea 6:3 NLT),

   
Sarah Liberman

P.S. Do you have a special prayer for Jerusalem or a word that God gave you for the situation here? Please write to me and let me know.

: A Zola Tours Promise

To be honest, after reading Sarah’s article, some would-be pilgrims may be wary about traveling to Israel this October. But rest assured: Zola Tours visits only the safest locations. In the decades that we have been taking tours to the Holy Land, our groups always felt safe and secure. Our tour guides are savvy professionals in both teaching and guiding groups through the regions and cities in Israel.

Kirsten and I host the tours as well as lead worship. We promise peace of mind as we sing and worship in the Holy Land. Please come with us and share our experience each time we land in Tel Aviv. When our feet touch that covenant land, we are filled with the deep sense of peace.

Sandra, our travel manager, is buttoning down every detail for our upcoming October tour and arranging flights for our Spring 2022 Tour. For reservations or more information, please contact her at 214-696-9760, travel@levitt.com, or levitt.com/tours. She can help you prepare for your journey of a lifetime!

A Note from David and Kirsten Hart

We hope that you enjoyed the inside scoop from Clayton Herring last month. Here’s a little scoop on Clayton, our behind-the-scenes producer for Our Jewish Roots. He is a healthy eater! Whenever we go out to eat during production week, he orders grilled salmon and salad. A humble and gifted lover of Yeshua, Clayton is an all-around gentleman and scholar.

June found the whole OJR television team busy at our Dallas, Texas production offices and in the local TV studio. We’ve also branched out into a new area! Sammy Davenport — we really must spotlight him here soon — is the arranger behind the music of Our Jewish Roots (OJR), having worked with Zola for decades. Most of the music on the program is from Sammy’s gifted fingers on the keyboard and his various instrumentalists. Now his creativity helps Kirsten and me bring much beloved Church hymns to OJR viewers.

Naturally, in true Sammy Davenport style, these hymn renditions will have a lush and novel Israeli feel. These new songs (we recently recorded five at Charley Pride’s recording studio in Dallas) will be featured in the new OJR television Bible-teaching series Faith for the Future. We’ve already created music videos for the programs and plan to tape additional footage when we return to Israel.

Our Jewish Roots TV programs in July

Letters and Preview of Eretz Israel

Dr. Seif and the Harts answer letters from viewers and preview our series Eretz Israel, which begins next week.

In the eight-part television series Eretz Israel (The Land of Israel), Dr. Jeffrey Seif takes viewers through the Land of Israel. By exploring the Bible’s accounts of the Holy Land’s past, present, and prophetic future, we discover an inextricable relationship between the people of Israel and the land of Israel.

Former CBS correspondent David Dolan helps explore the modern-day struggles that accompany the re-establishment of the ancestral Jewish homeland. On-location TV footage, dramas, and Zola’s wonderful music punctuate the series.

The Land Promised

In Bethel, we explore God’s promise to Abraham: that his descendants are eternally bound to what we call the “Promised Land.”

Promised to the Next Generation

In Beersheba, we discuss how God visited Isaac there and confirmed His intention to give the Land to Isaac and to his seed.

To All Generations

Discover how Bethel became a “gate[way] to heaven” (Genesis 28:17). God affirmed to Jacob the promises He made to Abraham and Isaac.

Kirsten, Dr. Seif, the whole ZLM team, and I consider it an honor to create these Bible-teaching TV programs and newsletters for you. Thank you for encouraging and supporting us. Please remember to pray for the whole nation of Israel and …

Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim! —
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! — Psalm 122:6

David & Kirsten

P.S. We depend on your gifts. Pledged funds like Zola’s Monthly Gift Program help us budget for new programs and projects. If you believe in what we teach about the Bible, would you kindly back us with generous and cheerful giving? (2 Cor. 9:6–7) Toda Raba (“Thank you very much” in Hebrew).