THIS WEEK’S GLOBAL UPDATE
A Note from Jonathan Bernis
Shalom, my friend!
As anti-Semitic hostilities continue to increase – as exemplified by the recent U.N. resolution you can read about below, and the ongoing war in Ukraine continues, we may feel the tension of uncertainty and the fear of the unknown.
But we have hope.
We have hope that we’ll never be alone, never lack, never be left to the mercy of our struggles and difficulties. And that we’ll never be without a shepherd – The Shepherd.
“ADONAI is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1 TLV).
The Shepherd is always watching, waiting, leading and guiding. That’s the promise from the Scriptures for you today.
That’s why it’s to Him we now turn and ask for His protective presence to be upon all of us – and especially upon His Chosen People. Please join with us in praying for peace and the safety of Israel and the Jewish people.
Thank you for standing with us through your partnership.
To the Jew first and also to the Nations,
Jonathan Bernis
President & CEO
Jewish Voice Ministries International
Headline News
U.N. Resolution Calls Israel's Founding a “Catastrophe”
The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution last week to mark the founding of the modern State of Israel in 1948 as a "catastrophe."
Palestinians consider the establishment of Israel and its existence to this day as the "Nakba" (“catastrophe” in Arabic), and the world body decided to acknowledge the Palestinian version of events with the resolution, which was adopted by a vote of 90-30 with 47 abstentions.
The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and most European Union countries, including Germany, voted against the anti-Israel resolution.
The resolution calls for a commemoration of the "Nakba" at the General Assembly Hall at UN headquarters in New York City next year.
Palestinians and their supporters mark the event every year on May 15, which is the day after Israel's independence was declared in 1948. Israel celebrates 75 years since the establishment of the state next year.
Middle East Updates
Gazan Laborer Arrested in Israel as Hamas Spy
Israeli security forces (Shin Bet) have arrested a Palestinian man from the Gaza Strip on suspicion that he spied in Israel on behalf of the Hamas terror group. Saber Mahmoud Yosef Abu Thabat, 28, from the central Gazan city of Deir al Balah, had a permit to enter Israel for work. According to the Shin Bet, Abu Thabat was recruited by Hamas to “gather intelligence and carry out missions in Israel.”
Report: Saudis Say Normalization with Israel “Matter of Time”
Saudi Arabia is looking to normalize relations with Israel, and such a move is a matter of time, according to Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir. The Minister, meeting with members of the American Jewish Community (AJC) in Washington, continued, “The direction of Saudi-Israeli relations is normalization, but it will take more time, and we must not put the cart before the horse.”
Pray with Us This Week
Please pray with me for:
- God to continue to protect innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia
- God to surround His people in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
- Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
- The Jewish people to recognize "Yeshua" as their Messiah
