Week of August 13, 2024

Israeli hospitals have declared themselves ready for mass casualty events. Israel is currently in a heightened state of tension and awareness as the country braces itself for a retaliatory strike from Iran and Hezbollah. Despite the current threat of escalation, hospitals have been ready since the start of the war by stockpiling supplies, moving or preparing to move wards into fortified underground spaces, and conducting drills simulating worst-case scenarios. Recently, Israel’s Red Cross, called Magen David Adom (MDA), held a three-day drill in the north. This drill simulated a complete communications black-out in the event of a missile attack on an apartment building with civilian causalities. Blood donations were delivered by motorcycle. In the event of damaged roads, MDA has all-terrain vehicles, which can deliver supplies in unpaved areas.

Petach Tikvah Beilinson’s Hospital has a 16,400-square-foot, two-floor underground parking lot they have converted to an intensive care unit, surgery, orthopedics, internal medicine departments, and dialysis unit. The spokesperson said, “The complex is ready for full operation at short notice.” Israel’s largest hospital, Sheba in Ramat Gan, said, “We prepare and drill all the time, throughout the year. We are on 24/7 alert but there is nothing out of the ordinary.” Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva was the closest hospital to the border with Gaza. Since October 7, when the war began, it has treated more than 3,000 soldiers and civilians. “There hasn’t been any changes in readiness,” said the hospital spokesperson, “We have been on full alert since the beginning of the war.”

Please pray for the safety and energy of who treat and care for the sick and wounded during these tense and anxious times.

The Hostage Family forum (which represents and advocates for all the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza) recently released an August poll conducted by Midgam Polling Institute led by Mano Geva. They polled 504 Israelis, representing the spectrum of Israel’s Jewish population. The poll showed 59 percent of people “support Israel making an immediate hostage deal that included ending the Israel-Hamas war” while 33 percent opposed such a deal, and 8 percent were undecided. When participants were asked, “What should the government do now?” only 23 percent answered with the wish to destroy Hamas whereas 68 percent said the Israeli government should make a deal to bring back the hostages.

Please pray for the hostages’ physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing as they have been held by Hamas in Gaza for more than 300 days.

At a time when Israel needs encouragement and pride, the Israeli Olympic team surpassed medal expectations. They are bringing home seven medals—one gold, five silver, and one bronze medal. The medals are in judo, windsurfing, and gymnastics. In light of increased anti-Israel and antisemitic fervor around the world, the Israeli athletes braced for angry protestors and possible violence.

So far, however, the anti-Israel sentiment was lower than expected with limited protest signs, Palestinian flags, and booing during Israeli competitions. The Israeli athletes were pleased to hear clear cheers and chants from the stands and to see lots of blue and white flags waving in every arena where they competed. The Paralympics start in two weeks, and Israel is sending twenty-eight athletes. The country hopes for another great showing and sportsmanship all around.

Please pray for the safe return of Israel’s athletes and for successful, safe games for the Israeli athletes competing at the Paralympics.

What is Tisha B’Av?

While the final weeks of summer bring vacation, relaxation, and memories for many, for Jewish people—especially in Israel—we mourn and reflect on one of the most solemn periods on the Hebrew calendar culminating in Tisha B’Av (the ninth day of the Hebrew month Av).

Why so solemn? Many tragedies befell Jewish people throughout history on this date.

• According to Jewish tradition, Tisha B’Av was the day when ten of the twelve spies returned with a bad report about the Promised Land. Because the Israelites feared the Canaanites more than they trusted God to keep His promise, He told them they would wander for forty years (Numbers 13).[1]
• 586 BCE—The Babylonians destroyed Solomon’s Temple, killed about 100,000 Jewish people, and took most of the others captive.
• 70 CE—The Romans burned and destroyed the Second Temple, and the war resulted in an estimated over 2,500,000 Jewish deaths. One million more Jewish people were exiled, and another 100,000 Jewish people sold as slaves by Romans.[2]
• 134 CE—The Romans plowed down the Temple site and began building a pagan city over Jerusalem.
• 1096 CE—The declaration of the First Crusade, resulting in over 10,000 Jewish deaths.
• 1290 CE —King Edward I expelled all Jewish people from England, following years of antisemitic policies from the crown.
• 1306 CE —King Philip IV expelled all Jewish people from France and seized their assets.[3]
• 1492 CE—King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella forced Jewish people to either convert to Catholicism or be expelled from Spain and Portugal. Over 175,000 left, and those who stayed forcibly renounced their identity.[4]
• 1914 CE—Germany declared war on Russia, effectively commencing World War I. During this bloody conflict, Russia targeted its own Jewish population with massive deportations and bloody army-organized pogroms along the entire front line. It is estimated 600,000 Jewish people in Russia were expelled from their homes.[5]
• 1942 CE—Nazi began deportations of Jewish people from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp. This first deportation (of many) was comprised of sixty enclosed train cars smashed full of Jewish people, locked in and barred with barbed wire.[6]
• 1994 CE—The Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina was bombed, killing 86 people and wounding 300 others.

After the atrocities of October 7, and with the threats from Iran and Hezbollah to possibly attack on Tisha B’Av this year—sundown Monday, August 12, to sundown Tuesday, August 13—Israelis are more solemn than ever. As a nation, we honor the traditional fast and remember the immense sadness and devastation. Reading the book of Lamentations really hits home.

Chosen People Ministries Serves Israelis in Times of Mourning

Across Israel, there are millions of people like Rotem.* Rotem is a young woman our staff met in Tel Aviv. She is a very vibrant and creative person who lost several friends on October 7 at the music festival. “All they wanted to do is hear great music, meet fun people and dance . . . and now they are gone,” she told us. She said she cannot focus since this day. The images and what she heard happened to her friends fill her thoughts and dreams. We have been meeting with her, and our staff is listening, praying, and speaking comfort from the Psalms. She wants to believe in a good God but is struggling with how tragedies happen.

As you read the following passage in solidarity to remember Tisha B’Av, please pray with us for Rotem. Pray for God’s love and comfort to be very real to her and other traumatized Israelis. Please pray for Israelis to encounter Yeshua (Jesus) as many struggle with deep questions right now, especially on Tisha B’Av.

Their heart cried out to the Lord, “O wall of the daughter of Zion, let your tears run down like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, let your eyes have no rest . . . pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord; lift up your hands to Him for the life of your little ones. . . . On the ground in the streets lie young and old; my virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword. . . . .”

All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. Panic and pitfall have befallen us, devastation and destruction; my eyes run down with streams of water because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. My eyes pour down unceasingly, without stopping, until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven. My eyes bring pain to my soul because of all the daughters of my city. My enemies without cause hunted me down like a bird; they have silenced me in the pit and have placed a stone on me. Waters flowed over my head; I said, “I am cut off!” I called on Your name, O Lord, out of the lowest pit. You have heard my voice, “Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, from my cry for help.” You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not fear!” O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause; You have redeemed my life. O Lord, You have seen my oppression; judge my case. (Lamentations 2:18–19b, 21a, 3:46–59)

* Name changed.

[1] “Nine Days of Tragedy: the Biblical Curse of Av on Jewish History,” Jerusalem Post, August 5, 2024, https://www.jpost.com/judaism/jewish-holidays/article-813430#google_vignette.

[2] Mordechai Becher, “History of Events on Tisha B’Av,” Ohr Somayach, accessed August 12, 2024, https://ohr.edu/1088.

[3] “Expulsion of Jews from France in 1306,” BBC, last updated June 25, 2006, https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/history/expulsionfromfrance.shtml.

[4] Paola Tartakoff, “Expelled from Spain: July 31, 1492,” PBS, July 26, 2022, https://www.pbs.org/wnet/exploring-hate/2022/07/26/expelled-from-spain-july-31-1492/.

[5] Howard Morley Sachar, The Course of Modern Jewish History (New York: Vintage Books, 1990), 349.

[6] “The Ninth of Av—Tisha B’Av,” Holocaust Remembrance Association, accessed August 12, 2024, https://holocaustremembranceassociation.org/the-ninth-of-av/.