Shabbat shalom, chavarim!

“Shabbat” in Hebrew has the connotation of “stopping” or “resting.”  It may be roughly translated as “Sabbath.”  It also refers to a time of holy gatherings.  “Shalom” means “peace,” and is also used as a greeting.  “Chavarim” means “friends.”  Thus, my wish is for a peaceful Sabbath (sundown Friday evening to sundown Saturday evening) to you, and to all in Israel.

Oh how the region needs peace!  Could a ceasefire be in the works…or are Palestinians preparing to launch a third intifada (uprising)?

As I write, we are within 2 hours of a 12-hour ceasefire to be observed, beginning at 8:00am Israeli time on Saturday (July 26, 2014).  It is reported that both Israel and Hamas have agreed to the ceasefire.  If successful, this will be the first ceasefire in this Gaza conflict in which Hamas refrains from firing rockets into Israel.  Friends, will you stop and pray right now that peace will come to this situation?

The purpose of the ceasefire is said to be for humanitarian aid to be distributed in the Gaza Strip.  Terrorist tunnels throughout Gaza and across the border into Israel have become the primary focus for IDF forces, and they will continue to seek out and destroy those tunnels during the ceasefire.  They have agreed, however, not to use explosives and to hold their fire.

Meanwhile, riots have broken out in the West Bank, where Palestinians are threatening a third intifada (uprising against Israel).  Peace in the region seems virtually impossible, but let’s pray for peace and calm in the hearts of Palestinians in the West Bank, and that Hamas will withhold rocket fire into Israel.

Should this ceasefire succeed, US Secretary of State John Kerry and other world leaders (including Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president) are in the region to negotiate a longer ceasefire and, hopefully, a truce.  It is highly unlikely those efforts will succeed, as each side has specific demands to which the other is not likely to agree.  Hamas wants all Gaza borders open and the Israeli-Egyptian blockade lifted.  This, however, would open the floodgates for Iran and other evil regimes to ship weapons into the Gaza Strip.  In addition, Hamas wants all prisoners taken in the search for the murder of three Israeli teenagers released.  Those imprisoned are known terrorists.

Israel will want a significant presence in the Gaza Strip in order to prevent re-building of the terror tunnels.  It is unrealistic to think Hamas will allow that.  Israel also wants demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.  Another unrealistic expectation, given the stated goals and ambitions of Hamas.  (To destroy Israel.)

It doesn’t look promising, but let’s pray for a peaceful resolution.

Meanwhile, I want to encourage you to keep an eye on what’s going on in Russia and the Ukraine.  Trouble is stirring there as Russian military forces have fired upon Ukraine.  With all that is going on in the Middle East, I see huge possibilities for a Northern Coalition, as described in Ezekiel 38, to come together.  Keep your eyes open, your focus on the Word, and your trust in Jesus Christ…our Blessed Hope!