Week of June 3, 2025

During the intense conflict Israel had with Hezbollah last year, more than 300 explosive-filled drones were launched at Israel’s northern cities and towns. Many caused injuries and damage by evading Israel’s air defense systems. During this conflict, Israel developed a new laser interception system like the Iron Beam. The new system uses a lower-powered laser system and is just as effective. With precision, it intercepted dozens of drones that Hezbollah had launched towards Israel. According to Israel’s defense ministry, “Throughout the current war, the IAF [Israel Air Force], including its Aerial Defense Array soldiers, studied and deployed the laser systems in the field, achieving outstanding interception rates that saved civilian lives and protected national assets.”

Please pray for more ingenious defensive developments to protect the nation of Israel from attacks

Recently, many residents of cities in central Israel have reported hearing loud explosions, mainly at night, despite Israel Defense Forces (IDF) maneuvers in Gaza being about twenty-five miles away. There is a reason why these sounds carry for this long a distance. Physicist Dr. Yuval Rosenberg explains that weather is instrumental to how sound travels. “When the air gets warmer closer to the ground—usually because the sun heats the surface—sound waves can bend upward, away from our ears, weakening the noise we hear,” he said. In contrast, the ground cools faster than the air above it at night, which has the reverse effect. “This is one reason why explosions from Gaza often sound louder in central Israel at night,” Rosenberg noted.

Please pray that those who suffer from PTSD and anxiety from the war would be comforted and assured of their safety, despite hearing explosions from Gaza

Through a complex heart operation—the first of its kind in Israel—a sixty-three-year-old patient has been given a new lease on life! A successful transplant of a complete artificial heart was performed at Hadassah-University Medical Center near Jerusalem. The surgery took seven hours, during which medical staff replaced the patient’s damaged heart with a special artificial heart made of titanium combined with animal tissues and advanced sensors. The expert team included cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensive care specialists, operating room nurses, and heart and lung machine technicians.

Some from this team flew to France for training and preparation. They learned how to transplant an artificial heart and came back to train others on the team. Senior cardiologist Professor Ofer Amir said, “This is a major first in Israel, so many preparations were required . . . this is a historic event, which, for the first time in Israel, offers life-saving treatment for those whose hearts do not function in both chambers of the heart. Our patient is the only person in Israel living with a complete artificial heart and without his real heart in his body.”

Praise God for this amazing and life-saving innovation. Please pray this can save others and give them many more good years. 

Last week, Chosen People Ministries staff in Israel welcomed a team of young professionals from across the United States who traveled together through the Land of Israel to walk where Yeshua (Jesus) walked, minister to His people, and deepen their hearts for God’s promises to Israel. The Discover Israel team served and encouraged Holocaust survivors, chatted with and cooked a feast for an IDF unit, and connected with young adults in Tel Aviv—offering hope, building relationships, and standing with the people of Israel during a difficult season. This trip was a transformative blend of seeing the land and serving the people. We believe the seeds planted will bear fruit for the kingdom for years to come, and we are already looking ahead with anticipation for next year’s trip.

Please pray with us for the seeds planted during this trip to bear fruit, and for more open doors during future trips.

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