ISRAEL SECURES THE BORDERS
2024 has been a devastating year for Israel and the Jewish people around the world.
In late October to early November I travelled to Israel on a solidarity relief visit and witnessed first-hand the pain and suffering experienced in Israel as a result of what was started by Hamas on October 7 2023. We visited the Nova festival site situated on the border with Gaza and where 364 mostly young people were massacred. As I wandered the site alone in my thoughts and immersed in the grief and suffering expressed in so many forms by the memorials set-up by loved ones, I could only imagine the struggle for survival on that fateful day. My thoughts were interrupted by the occasional booming tank fire from just across the border in Gaza reminding me that war was still being waged just a few kilometres from where I was standing and also where over 100 Israelis are still being held hostage under what must be inhumane conditions.
To read my Israel Solidarity Trip Report on the FOI-New Zealand Website, CLICK HERE
I must confess I have felt angry these past 14 months about what was inflicted upon Israel by Hamas on October 7, and the unimaginable atrocities committed against innocent infants, children, the elderly and young men and women. But inside me there is room for compassion for the people that bare such hatred and extreme ideology indoctrinated from birth. The suffering being felt in Gaza afflicts all who hate Israel and is a biblical theme spanning all ideologies that set themselves up against God and His plan of salvation through the work of Jesus the Messiah. As we read in Genesis, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those that curse you.” (Genesis 12:3) Our prayers however must also extend to our enemies so that through God’s compassion some might be saved.
WHERE ARE THINGS AT?
I travelled to Israel on October 27th under threats of retaliation by Iran following Israels triple wave attack on it’s air defence systems and other strategic sites just a day earlier. Israels attacks were in response to the October 1st ballistic missile barrage where around 500 missiles and other projectiles were fired into Israel causing around AUD$75m in damage including 1,000 homes in one region alone. It is reported that this attack was the most costly since the war began with over 2,500 insurance claims lodged as a direct result.
Irans reprisal has never eventuated, however while I was in Israel there were many intrusions by drones and missiles from Lebanon that were managed effectively by the IAF and the troops fighting Hezbollah on the Northern border and on the ground in Lebanon. Thankfully I never once needed to go into a bomb shelter or take cover, I didn’t even hear a siren.
As we come to the end of another year, it is worthwhile reflecting on where things are at currently, and then consider what may lie ahead for Israel in 2025.
HEZBOLLAH CEASEFIRE
Severely weakened by the surprise pager and mobile device attack in September, the relentless aerial bombing of weapons and financial sites, and targeted assassinations of it’s leaders, Hezbollah has been somewhat crippled into submission. On the 27th November through a mediation process led by the US and France, Israel entered into a ceasefire agreement that is regularly being breached by Hezbollah in isolated events demanding a swift response from Israel.
As of writing, 818 Israeli solders have been killed since October 7 2023 with over 20,000 injured and most whose lives will never return to what they were both physically and mentally.
GAZA UNDER ISRAEL CONTROL
This week Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said that Israel will need to maintain a presence in Gaza for some time to come. Writing on social media platform X, he shared
“After we subdue the military and political power of Hamas in Gaza, Israel will exercise security control in Gaza with full freedom of operation, exactly as in Judea and Samaria.".
As long as the memory of October 7 remains, those in the political arena in Israel will be committed to ensuring such things will never happen again. Israel is committed to creating barriers and maintaining controls over all her borders offering protection to every citizen and ensuring safety and security that was sadly adrift when Hamas attacked 14 months ago.
This comes as a proposed ceasefire between Hamas and Israel along with a hostage release agreement is being tabled, although whether this will materialise is hard to say, and until now no specific details have been provided by Hamas on the status or number of hostages they could release.
REMARKABLE SYRIA CAPITULATION
This past week has also seen incredible changes for Israels enemies to the northeast in Syria. Over the course of 10 days, beginning with the overthrow of the city of Aleppo on 30th November, rebel forces, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), together with the Syrian National Army (SNA) backed by Turkey overwhelmed an unprepared, unbacked Syrian military resulting in the complete fall of the 50+ year reign of the Assad regime. Following 14 years of civil war, Assad backed by Iran and Russia committed many significant atrocities on the Syrian people, some of which are being announced as I write with significant mass graves being uncovered.
Assad, together with his family and high ranking officials have fled to Moscow under the protection of Vladimir Putin, while in Syria, the US and mostly Western nation backed rebels have begun the process of establishing a new governance structure, of which only time will tell how stable and peaceful it will be.
These events are quite remarkable and reflect the work Israel has done to severely weaken Iran and their proxies including the Assad government in Syria. Israel took no time to begin the work of destroying Syrian military assets including infrastructure of the airforce, navy and weapons and chemical arsenals. Through nonstop bombing Israel has effectively destroyed over 80% of Syrias military capacity.
Another amazing event has seen the IDF walk into the former Syrian held portion of the Golan Heights giving Israel complete control of Mt Hermon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently visited the site saying,
“This is a historic day in the annals of the Middle East,” adding, “We are first and foremost acting to secure our borders. This area was defined for nearly 50 years as a buffer zone under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, which has now collapsed. Syrian forces have abandoned their posts.”
Netanyahu went on to say,
“Together with the defense minister, and with full backing from the cabinet, I instructed the IDF yesterday to take control of the buffer zone and the nearby dominant positions. We will not allow any hostile force to establish a presence on our border. At the same time, we are pursuing a policy of good neighborliness, the same approach we maintained when we set up a field hospital here that treated thousands of Syrians injured during the civil war. Hundreds of Syrian children were born here in Israel.”
With incumbent President Trump supporting Israels sovereignty over the Golan and now with an added 400sq km buffer zone, Israels security has been significantly bolstered to the North.
Recent media reports indicate that while Russia has pulled back from Syria, removing some troops and assets, it has indicated it will not be pulling out entirely leaving at least two bases in place. Russia has a long standing relationship and presence in Syria and it will be interesting to watch how this unfolds in time. One thing is for sure, Russia has no plans to abandon the Middle East or other nearby regions it has a foothold on the African Continent.
THE HOUTHI THORN
The Houthis who are Shia Arab Muslims backed by Iran are centralised in Northern Yemen and have been an ongoing thorn in Israels side since Israel declared war with Hamas. They have persistently sent missiles and drones into Southern Israel as well as disrupted and at times destroyed shipping in the Red Sea region.
This week Israel took the most affirmative action to date sending fighter Jets to bomb strategic sites and a clear message to the Houthis they need to stop what they are doing immediately. Because the Houthis are relatively isolated at the foot of the Arabian Peninsula and are not appreciated by the Gulf States, nor the Yemenites they have been at war with since 2014 there will be plenty of applause for Israel's actions.
GREAT EXPECTATION FOR 2025
Donald J. Trump
The most significant world event that occurred while I was in Israel was the overwhelming victory by Donald Trump in the US Presidential Election. With the high stakes drama reaching fever pitch on 5th November the victory was warmly received by many in Israel.
In fact two days following the election while walking on the Temple Mount, a contingent of religious Jews also came up to walk around the site. The leader of the group was former Israeli defence minister, Yehuda Glick. Once labeled the most dangerous man in the Middle East, Glick, who survived an assassination attempt in 2014 now advocates for freedom for Jews to access the Temple Mount. Seeing our group (of mostly Americans), he shouted out loudly, “welcome to Israel, God bless America and God bless President Donald Trump”.
PHOTO: Yehuda Glick, Temple Mount 7/11/24
Not all in Israel welcome a Trump presidency, but anyone who objectively evaluates his last term would have to admit he was a good friend to Israel. The Abrahamic Accords was a significant achievement alone and has held firmly during the war even allowing me to fly directly through Dubai and on to Israel with a Dubai based airline, one of only a handful of airlines still flying daily to and from Israel during the conflict. In Jerusalem we were able to stop and see (from the outside at least) the US Embassy Trump moved there in 2017 thereby recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital.
Trump has given no indication that his position on Israel has changed, in fact most are looking on with great anticipation of what will happen with Israel during his second term. Many believe it will be the most supportive US administration ever providing Israel further opportunities for peace on its borders, perhaps even a full peace agreement with the Palestinians, something proposed in his last term but rejected by the Palestinian Authority in 2019.
Ultimately it will be how God chooses to use Trump as a channel for His purposes that really matters. With the landscape of the Middle East now looking much different than it did just days ago, it will be interesting watching what happens next.
IN CONCLUSION
It is increasingly evident that as 2024 comes to a close, the new year will bring some hope and optimism and possibly even some celebration in the victories Israel has won. As Christians, we have seen God’s fingerprints all over the incredible detail as he is moving His special nation incrementally closer to the times of full restoration promised through the prophets.
But right now hope remains that with secure borders, the remaining hostages will be released and restored to their families. We pray that with secure borders, thousands of displaced civilians will return home to live in peace and security, and hundreds of thousands of reservist soldiers will return to their normal lives, studying, travelling, settling in relationships and building families.
Secure borders however will not prevent the political repercussions that will play out in Israel for years to come, nor will it heal the great division that still exists between the religious and secular. Most sadly of all, it won’t stop the evil intentions of Israel’s enemies as their faulty worldview will continue to motivate their evil actions.
As we have reflected on the events of this year and pray they would come to a peaceful conclusion we can be reminded to pray the words that came from King David knowing that as each day/year that passes, we are another closer to this reality.
