“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
May those who love you be secure.”
(Psalm 122:6 NIV)
Shalom, my friend.
While we celebrate many victories this week – including the historic partnership between Israel and Bahrain and the deepening friendship with Egypt – I’m reminded by the Scriptures that we must remain vigilant in praying for continual peace.
This is especially true now, as it appears the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna are on the verge of concluding – though the outcome is at best uncertain.
That’s why I want to invite you to continue to pray with me and everyone at Jewish Voice on behalf of God’s people. And may you and yours experience the blessing of God in a special way.
EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT’S GESTURE SHOWS SIGNS OF WARMING RELATIONS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND EGYPT
Haaretz reported last week that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi made a moving gesture that likely indicates warming relations between Israel and Egypt.
In last week’s conference of North African and Middle Eastern countries in Cairo, a smiling President Sissi crossed the conference hall to personally greet Israel’s Energy Minister, Karine Elharrar.
According to Haaretz, a video of the action has been widely shared online. The Egyptian President left multiple delegates waiting as he spoke with Elharrar – telling her that he hoped she would visit his country again in the future.
Haaretz reports that Energy Minister Elharrar is a member of the Yesh Atid party and has been in office since June 2021. She uses a wheelchair due to muscle atrophy and made international headlines earlier this year after she was unable to attend a session at the United Nations’ climate summit in Glasgow since the hosting venue was not wheelchair accessible.
While Israel and Egypt have had diplomatic relations since 1979, it is widely considered a “cold peace” that is maintained by the countries’ political and military leadership but isn’t widely popular among the general Egyptian public.
For that reason, according to Haaretz, the Egyptian President’s gesture to Elharrar was celebrated as a sign of change.
ISRAEL BOOSTS NATURAL GAS EXPORT TO EGYPT BY 50%
Alarabiya News reported last week that Israel will boost natural gas export to Egypt by as much as 50 percent by the end of the month, deepening energy ties between Middle Eastern neighbors.
According to Israel’s Energy Minister Karine Elharrar, the firms that own Israel’s two biggest offshore reservoirs, led by Chevron Corp., will pipe another 2-2.5 billion cubic meters more gas per year to Egypt.
Israel currently sends 5 billion cubic meters each year to Egypt via a pipeline that connects southern Israel to the Sinai Peninsula, according to Alarabya News. And Israel’s Energy Minister said that the aim is to reach a capacity of 6.5 billion cubic meters by next year.
“Egypt is a big strategic partner for us,” Minister Elharrar said.
The added fuel would help Egypt meet its domestic energy needs and push forward plans to consolidate regional resources for export to bigger markets such as Europe.
ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER URGES BAHRAINI OFFICIALS TO FIGHT THE THREAT FROM IRAN IN HISTORIC VISIT
The Jerusalem Post reported last week that a Bahraini military band played “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem, outside the royal palace in Manama as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made history as the first Israeli leader to visit the Gulf state.
The Prime Minister, according to The Jerusalem Post, was received by Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the kingdom’s Prime Minister, before a one-on-one meeting and a working lunch.
Iran was at the top of Bennett’s agenda.
“Israel and Bahrain are dealing with major security challenges that stem from the same source, which is the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Prime Minister said. “Iran destabilizes the entire region. We will not allow that. We are fighting Iran and its henchmen in the region day and night, and we will help our friends in promoting peace, security and stability, whenever we are asked.”
The Prime Minister also met with U.S. Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper amid a military exercise led by the fleet with the participation of the Israel Defense Forces and other armies.
Bennett praised the cooperation between the IDF and the U.S. military, saying the Fifth Fleet “is an important factor in maintaining regional stability in the face of security threats.”
According to The Jerusalem Post, Prime Minister Bennett also said that Israel is working to increase military cooperation with its friends in the region to bolster security and stability.
ISRAEL’S DELEGATION TO VIENNA DURING NUCLEAR DISCUSSION APPEARS TO ANNOY, ANGER SOME IN IRAN
The Times of Israel reports that Israeli diplomats traveled to Vienna last week to meet with negotiators involved in talks aimed at restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, for the first time since the Vienna talks resumed in April.
The appearance of an Israeli delegation in close proximity to the high stakes talks over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) apparently angered some in Iran.
“The overt and unexpected presence of the Zionists in Vienna is undoubtedly a deterrent to progress in the current sensitive situation,” Iran’s Nour News wrote on its Hebrew Twitter feed.
Israel is not a party to the Vienna talks and has said it reserves the right to act as it sees fit against Iran’s nuclear program regardless of the negotiations’ outcome.
While the Israeli government is officially opposed to a return to the 2015 deal, which U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of in 2018, it has also sought to influence negotiations to seek tighter curbs on Tehran and more robust security arrangements.
The unusual decision to send an Israeli envoy to Vienna comes amid a growing sense of urgency among involved parties to reach a deal to revive the 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran.
According to The Times of Israel, officials involved in the talks have indicated that they are nearing a conclusion, and experts have predicted that the next few weeks will either see a deal reached or talks fall apart for good.
LET US PRAY TOGETHER
Please pray with me for:
- God to move in the hearts of world leaders and give wisdom to address the global threat of a nuclear Iran
- God’s protection to be upon His people in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
- God to bring peace and safety to the situation in Ukraine, protecting the lives that could potentially be at risk
- Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
- Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah
