Category: News

Yesterday, the bodies of Yarden Bibas’ family were laid to rest.  On Oct 7, he and his wife Shiri decided that he should go out and fight Hamas, leaving Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir at home in the bomb shelter, rather than surrender together.  They were taken as POWs separately, he was released around 500 days later on Feb 1 2025, and no one was able to say for sure what became of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir.  Eventually after a long process, their bodies were released, and it was discovered they had been murdered in captivity after only about one week.

In a glaring spiritual misunderstanding, Yarden prayed to Shiri as if she is now capable of watching his life and giving him directions while she is departed and on the other side. Let us pray that his spiritual eyes will be enlightened.

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Sources: https://www.timesofisrael.com/sorry-i-couldnt-protect-you-yarden-bibass-eulogy-for-wife-shiri-sons-ariel-and-kfir/

A sad morning in Israel. This morning is the burial of the bodies from the Bibas family. Yesterday the body lf grandpa Oded Lifshitz was laid to rest. The public are lined up along the road for the procession to a closed private ceremony, which will have livestreamed eulogies. While the living family members plead for privacy, the government publishes gory details of the bare-handed, cold-blooded murder of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir after just one week of captivity as POWs. The reason: the government knows that the world mostly yawned and ignored the atrocities, and made excuses in order to support the enemies of the Jews. Both viewpoints are easy for me to understand. Of course the family doesn’t like gory details and may sue the government in court fo speaking beyond the approved words; on the other hand, the government has a task to fulfill before the eyes of the public and the world.

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Sources: 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/bibas-family-tells-netanyahu-to-shut-up-as-he-details-the-murders-of-shiri-ariel-and-kfir/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/we-fought-for-peace-were-attacked-by-those-we-helped-yocheved-lifshitz-parts-from-oded/

We keep learning more from what the released POWs (Prisoners Of War) report after their release: Their captors claimed they coordinated with university students to hold pro-Hamas demonstrations in the West.

This lawsuit has been filed. More here:

Times of Israel, captured 25 Feb 2025

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Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/gaza-captor-told-hostages-that-hamas-collaborates-with-us-campus-protesters-lawsuit-alleges/

Convicted criminal terrorist released in a deal, then he fell to his death two weeks later.
Circumstances of his fall are yet unknown.

His attack in 2003 came two weeks before I arrived alone in Jerusalem to pray at a conference even after the sending congregation had cancelled their flights to the conference, due to the bus bombings and terror attacks of the Second Intifada.  It was at that conference that I received such powerful prophetic words.  This is the guy who murdered Dr. David Applebaum and his daughter Nava on the eve of her wedding, along with 5 others, plus 57 people injured in a Jerusalem cafe.  

“Hamas’s Nael Obeid was jailed for 2003 Cafe Hillel bombing in Jerusalem; 7 fatalities included Dr. David Applebaum, hospital emergency room head, and his daughter Nava, on the eve of her wedding…” (Times of Israel). 

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Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/terrorist-behind-deadly-bombing-falls-to-his-death-a-week-after-release-under-gaza-deal/ 

The people of Israel weep as we learn that Oded Lifshitz (84) and the Bibas family will not return alive.

Here are their photos:

Jerusalem Post, 2025-02-20 pg 1.

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Source; . Jerusalem Post, 2025-02-20 pg 1.

Professor resigns, and wonders aloud why another professor who celebrated the Hamas attack on Oct 7 is hired to teach courses on Middle East policy.

Source:  https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-professor-quits-columbia-citing-systematic-anti-israel-bias-on-campus/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-professor-quits-columbia-citing-systematic-anti-israel-bias-on-campus/

Israel, the USA, Russia, and Argentina celebrate the return of their citizens during Shabbat yesterday:

• Argentine-Israeli hostage Iair Horn, yet his brother Eitan is still held POW in Gaza;
• US-Israeli POW Sagui Dekel-Chen, who just learned of his daughter’s name “Shachar Mazal,” she was 7 months in the womb when he was captured on Oct 7;
• Russian-Israeli POW Sasha Troufanov met with the Russian Ambassador to Israel who gifted him with a new Russian passport (the hidden message: “come back to Russia, it’s safer!”); he just now learned that his father Vitaly had been killed Oct 7.

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More details: https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-new-daughter-a-murdered-father-a-brother-captive-joy-and-anguish-as-hostages-released/

Hundreds of terrorist prisoners have been freed by Israel. Civilians must do everything they can to prepare for self defense.

Jerusalem Post Magazine, 7 Feb 2025.

Let us keep praying for civilians’ safety.

Also necessary to pray for these negotiations and how the war will end:

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Related:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-intense-fighting-to-resume-in-gaza-if-hostages-not-released-by-saturday/

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is currently experienced by well over 1/3 of the Israeli population:

The social health programs run by the government are not meeting the need. Not even close. 90% of people who were present at the site of a missile attack have not even sought mental health assistance.

And yet, 38% of the people are suffering one or more symptom of PTSD.  The poll was conducted among Arab as well as Hebrew Israelis.

Shlomo Mantzur escaped Baghdad at age 15 when the Iraqi people conducted a pogrom.  Their Nazi-style government had collapsed, so the people took matters into their own hands, brutally killing and injuring many people simply because they were Jewish.

Jews had ties to the city of Baghdad dating back a thousand years. And yet there are people today who say (1) Jews have no connection to the seed of Abraham, and they also say (2) Israelis are all Europeans, when in fact, the majority of Israel’s current population comes from the Middle East nations such as Iraq, Morocco, Yemen, and so forth. Below is an example of this special type of antisemite who denies the legitimacy of the Hebrew people:

What a clown, who thinks that all Israelis emigrated from Europe; who does not know that Gaza has an ancient synagogue dated to 508 AD; would anyone claim that in 508 AD, the Hebrews that build this synagogue had no link to Abraham? Seriously?

https://JTOD.org/ancient-jewish-synagogue-in-gaza-508-ad/

Two photos above on the far right, a poll shows that almost two thirds of Israelis support Trump’s plan to relocate Gazans while the Strip is rebuilt. Only 6% think there is a better solution (perhaps 1% for each of 6 different options) and only 10% think that solution is immoral.

Israelis continue to suffer greatly and will continue for many years as a result of this unprovoked attack on Oct 7.  Israelis are now aware that Gazan children, women, and men were involved in capturing, torturing, murdering, and holding innocent Israelis as Prisoners of War (POWs) in their own apartments and homes.

Six Israeli bodies found in tunnel under Gaza

Israelis are aware that the majority of Gazans support Hamas 100%.  A percentage of Arabs in Samaria and Judea also support Hamas.

But as for the Gazans,  Israeli already offered them a mini-state in 2007 when Israel uprooted all the Hebrew towns there.  Gazans turned the place into a giant launching pad with a network of attack tunnels.  65% of Israelis who participated in the poll now feel that enough is enough, the experiment has failed, and it’s time to try something new for Gaza.  No workable solution has been proposed other than President Trump’s.  Belatedly, after Trump’s threat, Egypt has just now offered to help rebuild Gaza.  This after Egypt allowed tunnels which armed Gaza while blocking Gazan civilians from seeking refuge in Egypt?  Too little, too late, Egypt:  https://JTOD.org/egypt-refused-all-gazan-refugees/

As for Jordan, who just had a meeting with President Trump in Washington, they have only agreed to take in two thousand sick Gazan children. But at least that’s a start.

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Sources: Jerusalem Post, 12 Feb 2025 pg 1: 
"Comtroller: Gov't not doing enough to help millions with their mental health;"
"Mantzur's murder shows that Hamas keeps Farhud spirit alive;"
"'Post' poll: Most back Trump's Gaza plan;'

Times of Israel:  https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/egypt-to-present-comprehensive-plan-for-rebuilding-gaza-while-palestinians-stay-there/#openwebComments