Inside Israel

Israeli F-15 Fighter Jets Fly with American B-52s

F-15 IAF Israel 2015 Independence Day flyover (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

As tensions escalate between Iran, the United States, and Israel over the development of uranium for a nuclear weapon and continued air strikes from each country, the United States and Israel banded together in a show of force. Eight Israeli F-15 fighter jets escorted two United States B-52 bombers in an effort “to deter aggression and reassure partners of the US military’s commitment to security in the region.” The recent flyby was the first time the B-52 and Israeli F-15 were photographed flying together. As the B-52 airplanes continued on into Saudi airspace and then Qatar, they were joined by aircraft from those countries as well.

Please pray for Israel’s continued strategic Middle Eastern military relationship with the United States.

Read more at Times of Israel…


Underwater Power Grid Connecting Israel, Greece, and Cyprus

The flags of Greece and Cyprus (Source: dimitrisvetsikas1969/Pixabay)

In an effort to link their electricity grids, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel signed a 900-million-dollar agreement to build the world’s longest (930 miles) and deepest (8,860 feet) underwater cable. The cable, with a capacity of 1,000–2,000 megawatts, will provide back-up electricity in times of emergency to each country and cut down on the use of heavy fuels. It will be partly funded by the European Union as a “Project of Common Interest” and should be complete by 2024.

Please pray for this massive project that will tremendously help each of these three friendly neighboring countries.

Read more at YNet…


IDF Achieves Herd Immunity

IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi joins commando units in joint exercise in 2020. (Source: Israel Defense Forces/Flickr)

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have become the first army in the world to achieve herd immunity according to the head of the IDF’s Technology and Logistics Directorate. The high number of soldiers who have either been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 will allow the IDF to resume most of its normal operations. It currently has 149 confirmed cases, which is down from more than 2,000 last month. As of last week, 81 percent of the troops have been vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19, and the number is expected to climb to 85 percent in the coming weeks. Units that are considered “green,” which means that at least 90 percent of their troops have recovered or been vaccinated, can train and operate as normal and gather together for fun in their off hours. Green units are especially important to the continued protection of the northern borders and the border with Gaza.

Please pray for the Israeli Defense Forces who carry out important and dangerous jobs for Israel.

Read more at YNet


Meeting Hikers on the Trails

Hikers in Israel (Illustrative/Source: mexx_s/Pixabay)

Our team in Israel has recently had some great conversations about the Lord with people who contacted us many months after meeting in person or online. For example, one of our workers traveled to southern Israel, where many young Israelis were just starting to hit the hiking trails going north. Every fall and spring, hundreds of people embark on the “Israel Trail,” which traverses Israel over 638 miles from north to south. Before setting off, our worker chatted with many Israelis, shared about the Lord, and gave them a small Bible. Now, we pray for them as they spend hours each day walking, seeing the beauty around them, and hopefully thinking about spiritual things. Our worker even went on a hike and bumped into many of them again. He hopes to see them in Israel’s north when they finish. Another worker had great conversations with young people who reconnected with her after she had met them in New Zealand. She had not heard from them in many months. The Lord opens opportunities to share with people, and we can be in the right places at the right times to meet people and share with them about Jesus!

Please pray that all those we were recently able to meet would consider Jesus as Messiah and the truths of the gospel!