Author: Teddy Chadwick

26 Sept, 2023, Samaria: Fighting at the Gaza border, fighting among residents in Tel Aviv, and comic relief.

“After attacks on troops, IDF UAVs strike Hamas positions in Yom Kippur,” Jerusalem Post, 26 Sept 2023 pg 1.

During Yom Kippur, militant Arabs in Gaza did not break from their 11-day assault on Israeli soldiers at the border fence.  The IDF responded by attacking Hamas positions.  Hamas is the democratically elected political leading party in Gaza.

While the battle raged on the Gaza border, citizens fought against one another in Tel Aviv.

“Fights break out in TA over gender-segregated Yom Kippur prayers,” Jerusalem Post, 26 Sept 2023 pg 1.

In traditional Judaism, women and men are located in separated sections in the synagogue or during prayers.  Tel Aviv, being largely secular, has residents who oppose such traditional thoughts.

And then a funny social media photo showing the contrast between secular and religious in Israel:

A comical picture of a religious guy breaking the fast after Yom Kippur having just rollerbladed home as quickly as possible from the synagogue. This is so humorous, since only seculars would use rollerblades or bicycles during Yom Kippur, and seculars would not dress in white.  Religious would dress in white, but go only by foot. As for automobiles, driving is actually against the law during Yom Kippur.  Also, traditionally, the fast is broken with sugary drinks and cake.  Seculars rarely even fast during Yom Kippur.

Pray our work will continue among a complicated mix of people.

20 Sept, 2023, Samaria: A new tank, in development for 5 years, has artificial intelligence (AI) features to assist the 4-man crew inside.

20 Sept 2023, Samaria: During the High Holy Days, why would attacks and clashes be heating up now? Also: Palestinians fight against IDF in Jenin.  The complicated picture includes: If in prior months, Hamas prevented PIJ from fighting against the IDF near the border, why would Hamas suddenly allow what they formerly blocked?  Do the High Holy Days have something to do with it?  Do the Arabs know that Israel is not interested in fighting during the Feast days – and taking advantage of them?

Pray for our work in a complicated situation.

15 Sept 2023, Samaria: Often, the former rains begin during Succot, which is in the third week of the seventh Biblical month, which usually corresponds loosely to September or October.

This time the rain came as a downpour in the end of the sixth Biblical month!

This July, customs officials spotted explosives concealed in bags of concrete. Amid rumors of airstrikes, Israel continues to threaten Syria verbally to prevent nuclear weapons. Arabs dwelling in Samaria and Judea (West Bank of the Jordan River) will be excluded from crossing into Gaza and Israel for two days, during the Feast of Trumpets.

Pray that our work prospers in the Land.

14 Sept, 2023, Tel Aviv: IAF struck a port in western Syria; Fifth reported attack in two months; Guards to be at all Jerusalem schuls for High Holy Days; A four-truck pileup on highway 6 yesterday resulted in the death of one driver; shockingly, passersby looted one of the trucks carrying shipments of candy.

Pray for continuity of our work in the Land.

12 Sept, 2023, Samaria: Each year, a sizable number of Jewish Israelis enjoy traveling to Uman, Ukraine to pray at the grave site of a famous rabbi there.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the city of Uman does not have enough bomb shelters for its residents, nevermind the expected 50,000 Jewish pilgrims from Israel.

The city is located on the north-south road between Kyiv and Odesa, both priority targets for Russia.

Pray for our work among a diversified people.

12 Sept, 2023: “Put differently, the land is Lebanese, the control is Iranian, the target is Israel,” said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

“Gallant added that Iran remains the greatest threat to Israel, though sometimes it uses Hezbollah and other proxies [such as Hamas] to fight its wars against the Jewish state.”

If Hezbollah “goes toward a conflict with us, they will pay a high price.  We will not allow Iran to turn Syria into a Hezbollah 2.0 with powerful rockets.”

Pray for our work here to prosper in a danger zone

Note: In Israeli terminology, “moderately wounded” includes life threatening wounds and loss of limbs.  “Lightly wounded” is quite a bit more serious than surface scratches.  

Pray for our ongoing work in challenging places.

3 Sept, 2023, Tel Aviv: Yesterday during Shabbat, which is a day off from work in Israel, thousands of illegal Eritreans got out of hand in a dispute among themselves regarding Eritrean politics.

There are between 25,000 to 30,000 Eritreans who crossed illegally into Israel via Egypt, in addition to others from Sudan.

The Eritrean Embassy in Israel has taken measures to promote its own government positions, and to repatriate what it sees as runaways back to their homeland.

Some Eritreans are in favor and some are opposed to the Eritrean government policies. A gang battle ensued between the two Eritrean factions, resulting in property damage, and injuries among Eritrean people. Around 50 Israeli police were injured while trying to keep the shalom.

The Israel government coalition, led by Netanyahu, says it will now consider deportation as a possible solution.  The opposition (the parties which have not joined the coalition) counters that the current government coalition promised to build a solution but has not done anything thus far.

Such gang battles have already occurred during the past two months among Eritreans located in USA and in Europe. Evidently, some Eritreans warned Israeli officials, but seemingly went unheeded.

Pray for our work in a troubled and complicated Land. 

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