LLX News

The writer, a three-time Emmy Award-winning actress and producer, reveals her unexpected journey after the Hamas attacks, uniting Christians and Jews against rising hate.

By: Patricia Heaton – The Jerusalem Post; jpost.com

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities 

Though written 165 years ago, the words of Charles Dickens remain relevant and reflect so well the times in which we are currently living. 

The worst of times: The horror of October 7 will forever be imprinted on all thinking, feeling people. The shock and grief experienced by Israelis and Jews all over the world, and indeed by every sane person, have shattered our souls and reminded us that we can never sleep while radical terrorists exist.

cont’d…

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-823425

By: Michael Brown – The Christian Post; christianpost.com

Over the decades, “normal life” in Israel has looked very different than normal life in most every other country in the rest of the world. That’s because Israel has been surrounded by mortal enemies who want nothing less than the nation’s destruction, because Israel’s very existence is constantly being threatened, because Israel must live in a state of constant vigilance. And what happens when the nation lets down its guard and its security systems fail? October 7 happens.

Some of the most revealing accounts from the massacre came from non-Israeli young people attending the Nova Music Festival. On the morning of the October 7, as the sound of rocket blasts was heard, these non-Israelis were alarmed. “Are we under attack?” they wondered. But their Israeli friends danced and partied on. Nothing to be worried about! We get bombed all the time.

Little did any of them realize that this day would be different than the rest. But until the full reality hit, this was just another day in the life of an Israeli.

cont’d…

https://www.christianpost.com/voices/this-is-what-normal-life-looks-like-in-israel.html

There was a 350% increase in French Jews opening aliyah files.

Some 31,000 immigrants arrived in Israel under the shadow of war over the past Hebrew year, government figures released on Sunday show.

The wartime wave of aliyah from more than 100 countries comes at a time of surging antisemitism around the world.

The great majority of the immigrants came from Russia, followed by the U.S. and Canada, according to the data from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the quasi-governmental Jewish Agency released ahead of Rosh Hashana, which begins on Wednesday evening.

Nearly 20,000 olim arrived from Russia, and about 3,350 came from the U.S. and Canada. There were more than 1,820 from France, 980 from Ukraine, 975 from Belarus, 560 from Great Britain, more than 450 from Argentina, more than 300 from Georgia, 280 from South Africa, 250 from Brazil, 220 from Uzbekistan, 160 from Germany, 150 from Azerbaijan, 135 from Australia, 130 from Mexico, and over 100 from Kazakhstan.

https://www.jns.org/31000-olim-moved-to-israel-since-last-rosh-hashanah

“No weapon formed against you Shall succeed, And every tongue that contends with you at law You shall defeat. Such is the lot of the servants of Hashem, Such their triumph through Me —declares Hashem.” (Isaiah 54:17 – The Israel Bible)

By: Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz – Israel365 News; israel365news.com

On the last day of the Jewish year, Color Red Sirens sounded across the country as Iran launched a massive attack on Israel. Israel claimed that the Islamist regime fired at least 180 ballistic missiles, targeting cities all over the country and sending almost all of the ten million residents into shelters. The sole casualty reported was a 37-year-old Palestinian Arab man in the village of Nu’eima, near Jericho. Four other Palestinians were reportedly injured by shrapnel from the same missile near Jericho.

Two Israelis were injured by falling shrapnel and some damage and fires were reported. 

Netanyahu warned that the Islamist regime of Iran had made a “big mistake tonight” and vowed that “it will pay for it.”

“The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies,” said Netanyahu. “[Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar and [top Hamas military commander Muhammad] Deif did not understand this, [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah and [Hezbollah chief of staff Fuad] Shukr did not understand this, and there are probably those in Tehran who do not understand this.”

cont’d…

https://israel365news.com/396776/hand-of-god-protects-israel-from-massive-iranian-ballistic-missile-attack

By: Ron Ben-Yishai – ynetnews.com

Ballistic AirBNB: Hezbollah covertly stationed long-range missiles in Shia homes across southern Lebanon, paying residents to store them; IDF now targets these rockets, urging civilian evacuation to minimize casualties and spotlighting Hezbollah’s tactics to global audiences

Nearly a decade ago, Hezbollah embarked on a covert and innovative military initiative. The group extended an offer to Shia villages and residents in southern Lebanon: provide a room in their homes in exchange for a steady rental payment. However, this unique tenant is not a person – it is a relatively long-range missile equipped with a heavy warhead.

Stored on a launcher, the missile is ready to be deployed from a room adjacent to the hosting family’s home. The design includes a roof that can be quickly removed, allowing the missile to be raised and launched within minutes. The families accommodating these missiles serve both as human shields and as camouflage.

Hezbollah targeted impoverished Shia families living in villages around Tyre, Sidon, and even south of Beirut, who were in need of additional income. Over time, the project has expanded. Hezbollah even purchased plots and constructed homes specifically for this purpose, offering them free or at a nominal rent to Shia families willing to house medium-range missiles in a dedicated room. Some of these missiles are intended to reach central Israel. Hundreds of these missiles are stationed in areas south of Beirut, ready to be launched by Hezbollah operatives from special units.

cont’d…

https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/b1b4k50pc#autoplay

The Palestinian-fronted resolution passed by wide margin, demanding that the Israeli army and Jewish residents evacuate to pre-1949 line within a year.

By: Mike Wagenheim – Jewish News Syndicate; jns.org

(September 18, 2024 / JNS)

Jerusalem’s Old City, in addition to Judea and Samaria, must be Judenrein within a year, according to a Palestinian-drafted resolution, which the U.N. General Assembly passed on Wednesday.

The resolution, which passed by a 124-14 margin with 43 abstentions, is meant to give force to a July advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, which declared Israeli presence to be illegal in any area over the 1949 armistice line.

More than 40 countries sponsored the resolution, which was the first that Palestinians filed after being granted unprecedented privileges, for a non-U.N. member, earlier this year.

The resolution calls on the Israel Defense Forces to withdraw completely from Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip within 12 months, which means evacuating all Jewish communities beyond the armistice line, including Jerusalem’s Old City.

cont’d…

By: Akiva Van Koningsveld – Jewish News Syndicate; jns.org

More than 450 Hezbollah operatives sustained wounds, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

(September 18, 2024 / JNS)

More communications devices used by Hezbollah terrorists exploded on Wednesday afternoon across the group’s main stronghold in Beirut and in Southern Lebanon, Reuters reported, citing a security source.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, at least 14 Hezbollah operatives were killed in the latest series of device explosions. In addition, some 450 terrorists were said to have sustained wounds.

At least one of the blasts took place in the vicinity of a funeral for terrorists killed on Tuesday, when thousands of Hezbollah pagers detonated all over the country, according to eyewitness reports.

cont’d…

By: Baruch Yadid – Tazpit Press Service; tps.co.il

Jerusalem, 15 September, 2024 (TPS) — Despite Gaza’s widespread devastation, Hamas continues paying salaries to its gunmen and civil servants partly through taxing and diverting humanitarian aid and distributing food vouchers — with the help of clans, criminal groups and so-called “People’s Committees.”

An Israeli security official told The Press Service of Israel, “Hamas’ governance situation in the northern Gaza Strip is suffering from progressive necrosis,” adding that humanitarian aid appears to be “intensive treatment” for the terror group. This perspective highlights the complexity of the situation in Gaza, where aid intended to alleviate the suffering of civilians is instead helping to sustain Hamas’s grip on power.

Last week, Hamas managed to pay full salaries to its fighters and partial salaries to thousands of its 27,000 civil servants, TPS-IL has learned. This was done despite the heavy financial burden it places on the terror group, highlighting its determination to maintain its grip on Gaza.

However, the continued financing of its war with Israel has raised concerns about the sources of this funding. Reports indicate that Hamas uses a variety of methods to gather revenue, including the imposition of “transit taxes” on aid trucks carrying food, water, medicine and tents, blankets and other goods into the Strip.

cont’d…

By: Chris Mitchell – The Christian Broadcasting Network; cbn.com

JERUSALEM, Israel – The prospect of a negotiated deal to free the remaining Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas sank to a new low over the weekend.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar made new demands in his months-long standoff with the lives of the hostages on the line.

The fighting continues in Gaza, as it seems the drive for a ceasefire ran into another roadblock. The Washington Post and Israel’s Channel 12 report Hamas has introduced another obstacle to prevent a deal, demanding that Israel release 100 more terrorists serving life sentences than had been agreed upon.

Reportedly, these 100 would replace top Hamas and other terror commanders killed in Gaza. Israeli sources put the odds of a deal “at close to zero.”

According to The Times of Israel, one negotiator said, “The only way forward is to end the war – keep acting to get the public behind bringing about an end to the war.”

cont’d…

https://www2.cbn.com/news/israel/ceasefire-deal-close-zero-sinwar-makes-new-demands-jordanian-murders-3-israeli-guards

The figure marked an increase of 400% compared to January.

Jewish News Syndicate; jns.org

August was the most intense month in the conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group so far, with more than 1,300 attacks on the Jewish state recorded, authorities said on Thursday.

According to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), Hezbollah terrorists fired no fewer than 1,307 rockets, missiles and drones last month, up 20% from July.

The figure included the some 320 missiles and drones fired as part of Hezbollah’s Aug. 25 attack, which the terrorist organization said came in retaliation for Israel’s targeted killing of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

The Shin Bet recorded 855 attacks in June, 1,000 in May, 744 in April, 746 in March, and 534 in February. The August figure marked an increase of 400% compared to January, when 334 projectiles were launched across Israel’s northern border.

cont’d…