THIS WEEK'S GLOBAL UPDATE
A Note From Jonathan Bernis:
Shalom, my friend!
As I write to you today, I’m reminded that God promises to be close at hand with strength and peace, no matter what His people are facing.
“The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace.”
— Psalm 29:11 (NIV)
I find tremendous comfort and hope in these words that have been ultimately realized in the coming of His Son, Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah.
There’s no greater comfort, peace or hope that God could give, knowing He’s close and active in our lives. I pray you’ll embrace this for yourself as you work through challenges in your life or concerns that are heavy on your heart.
I also pray that you’ll continue to stand with us in prayer...and ask God to strengthen His people, give them peace and change the hearts of their enemies.
Thank you for standing with us through your partnership.
To the Jew first and also to the Nations,
Jonathan Bernis
President & CEO
Jewish Voice
Headline News
Israeli Drone Strike Kills 3 Gunmen in the Northern West Bank
The Times of Israel reports that an Israeli drone struck a car carrying three gunmen who had just opened fire at a checkpoint in the northern West Bank last week.
The IDF and Shin Bet said in a joint statement that the gunmen had opened fire at Jalameh Checkpoint, north of Jenin. Following the shooting attack on the checkpoint, a drone carried out a strike on their vehicle.
The bodies of the gunmen were seized by Israeli security forces, and three assault rifles were also found in their car.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters that the incident was a targeted killing but said it was about “removing a threat.” “We identified a vehicle shooting at the checkpoint and removed the threat,” he said.
Over the past year, gunmen have repeatedly targeted Israeli troops carrying out arrest raids, military posts, Israeli settlements and civilians on roads, especially in the northern West Bank.
The Shin Bet has recorded 147 “significant” terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank this year, including 120 shootings.
The Shin Bet said security forces had foiled 375 significant attacks so far this year, including some 300 planned shootings.
Updates from the Middle East
IDF Finds Hezbollah Post on Israeli Territory
The IDF recently identified a Hezbollah position made up of two tents set up on the Israeli side of the international border with Lebanon at Mount Dov. The military sees this as a provocation that constitutes a border violation, and Israel is working to evacuate this position through diplomatic channels with access to the Lebanese army while it remains under surveillance by IDF forces.
Israel Develops Cutting-Edge AI Technology to Combat Cyber Terrorism
Shin Bet, Israel's counterpart to the U.S.'s FBI or Britain's MI5, has developed its own generative AI platform akin to ChatGPT. According to Shin Bet Director, Ronen Bar, of the 800 "major attacks" of cyber terror detected since the beginning of 2022, 600 were ISIS-related and that "some [members of ISIS] were even arrested before attacking."
Retired Major General Isaac Ben-Israel, director of Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center at Tel Aviv University, explained further. "As the use of AI increases, our society becomes more and more dependent on computers, leading to a greater need for strong cyberdefense measures." The new platform will allow Shin Bet to streamline the data analysis program by flagging surveillance anomalies and weeding through countless amounts of intelligence in order to identify potential threats.
Pray with us this week for:
- God to continue to protect innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia
- God to surround His Chosen People in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
- God to give wisdom and insight to Israel’s leaders to make wise decisions and for there to be unity among the Jewish people in Israel
- Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
- The Jewish people to recognize Yeshua as their Messiah
