So many of you have reached out to express support for Israel and to ask about our upcoming tour plans. Thanks to all of you.

To state the obvious, it has been an absolutely horrendous couple of days in Israel. There is no way to sugar coat it: some say it is the worst terrorist attack in Israel’s history and is being compared to the Yom Kippur War of 1973 in terms of the shock value of what transpired in the first few hours of the Hamas invasion.

To be brief, the IDF seemed to have been caught totally off guard (a very unusual circumstance) as terrorists managed to breach security fences to infiltrate Israel. In so doing, they were able to kill or kidnap Israelis, many of whom were at a music festival. Once aware of the situation, the IDF responded very forcefully, and heavy bombing of Hamas facilities in the Gaza Strip has commenced and a ground invasion into Gaza seems likely. Also, several hostage situations have been resolved and many terrorists have met their death. PM Netanyahu vows to persist until the job is done.

More and more, it is thought that the Iron Dome was jammed. Only the world’s two superpowers have that capability. It is also believed that Hamas was helped in other ways as well. More to come on that as details become clear.

Apparently, Netanyahu has the rare backing of opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz who seem to be poised to join Netanyahu in a unity government. Praise God opposing parties will unify to take care of the situation at hand. Let’s pray it turns the political quagmire into a longer-term solution to the huge issues that have divided Israel for years.

The elephant in the room is the question I’ve received many times over the past two days: What about the Israel tour scheduled to launch next week?

The short answer is: the tour is clearly up in the air. We are aware that US airlines have suspended flights to Israel, and that the IDF continues to clear terrorists from its territory. In usual circumstance, the IDF is able to take full control of terrorist situations in a few days. This may not be a usual circumstance. We are actively monitoring the situation via authorities on the ground, so pray with us and for us.

My heart literally aches for the Israeli families who have lost loved ones to death or kidnapping. It is horrific how those killed or captured are being paraded through the streets of Gaza, to the celebration of evil people.

In the midst of it all, it is important for us to stand strong with our Jewish friends and the nation of Israel. Regardless of where you are, if you know Jewish people, pass along your kind words and thoughts to them, and let them know you stand with Israel. If you have contact with Israelis, consider sending them a text or email expressing your support for Israel.

Per Amir Tsarfati (Behold Israel), here is another tangible way you can express your support for Israel: Record a very short video stating your name and the country you are from and say, “I stand with Israel!” Email your video to standwithisrael.o8id0d@zapiermail.com.

Huge thank you to all who have contacted us to express concern and to find out about our tour. We appreciate your prayers and invite you to follow us here on this blog. We will do our best to keep you informed.