VFI News 160 Wounded in Eritrean Riot Including Almost 50 Police Officers

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This 17th-century Jewish poem (piyut) was written by Rabbi Sa'adya ben Amram and has remained a beloved song throughout history. With both Hebrew and Yemenite Arabic, this beautiful ballad is an ode to the connection between body and soul. It is a testament to how the body and mind are one; our bodies do not limit our soul’s purpose, but rather support it. We must merge these parts of ourselves to fully serve our ultimate purpose. While our souls know the bliss of heaven, our bodies must remain on earth where we may only learn of paradise. When the two are in harmony, we can know peace.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for rough measures, including immediate deportation, to be taken against Eritreans who rioted in the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday, September 2, he said at a ministerial task force on Sunday.

Hundreds of police officers and refugees were injured as the protests in Tel Aviv by Eritrean asylum seekers against the East African nation's regime turned violent, Israel Police and local hospitals reported.

The clashes, in which stones were thrown and storefronts were vandalized, saw at least 160 people wounded in total, eight in serious condition, 13 in moderate, and 93 sustaining light injuries. Almost 50 police officers were also injured, most suffering from bruises and other injuries caused by stone-throwing, police confirmed.

Thirty-nine protesters have been arrested for attacking police officers by throwing stones, police said, saying they have successfully "calmed the streets of southern Tel Aviv."

Eritrean rioters were transferred to administrative detention on Monday night as another man was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of an illegal firearm after he was spotted with a pistol during the Saturday clashes. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we pray for the quick and full recuperation of all people who were injured during Saturday’s riot and we are thankful that no lives were lost. We hope that from now on, our leadership will make the right decisions and will act fairly to restore security, as well as protect all citizens that reside in our country.”

The articles included in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Vision for Israel. We try to provide accurate reporting on news pertinent to Israel, the Middle East, the diaspora, and Jewish issues around the world—and we hope that you find it both informative and useful for intercessory prayer.

A Telegram channel bearing the name of Mohammed Deif, supreme commander of Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, reported that a missile that threatens the majority of Israeli territory has recently become operational.

According to the report, the new rocket has a range of 190 KM (118 Miles), can reach Rosh Hanikra, on Israel's northern border, from Gaza, and its warhead weighs one ton.

It was also reported that the rocket is manufactured by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades in the Gaza Strip, and its explosives are imported from Iran.

On August 17th, 2023, this model of rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip toward the Mediterranean Sea, and according to the report, the launch was meant to send a message to Israel.

A separate message sent on the channel stated that the "Palestinian struggle organizations" led by the joint operations room are closely following the development in Judea and Samaria, and Jerusalem. "We remind you (Israelis) that the decision to bomb Tel Aviv is easier for us than drinking water," the message stated. (INN / VFI News)

“God, we pray that You protect us from the viciousness of our enemies. We hope that peace can be achieved in Israel. Let us pray that no innocent Israeli will lose their life from terrorist actions onwards and that we will be shielded by Your grace.”

Exports through the Kerem Shalom crossing were halted after the Defense Ministry thwarted an attempt to smuggle kilograms of explosive material from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Monday, September 4, according to a joint statement with the IDF and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.

Inspectors at the Kerem Shalom crossing found the highly explosive material hidden among a shipment of clothing.

Following the incident and in accordance with a situation assessment, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant decided to halt the passage of goods from the Gaza Strip to Israel in order to reexamine inspection practices at the crossing.

On Tuesday, the Shin Bet also said that two Israeli citizens from the Tulkarm area, Samer Farid Ghanam Knoh, and Osama Nissim Ghazi Harouf, were arrested while smuggling firearms and explosives for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist movement from Jordan in early August.

More specifically, on August 3, Knoh and Harouf, the latter known for his connections to terrorist operatives, were caught smuggling firearms and explosives at the Jordanian border, with four handguns and four explosive devices found in their possession. A photo of the devices showed that the explosives were MON-50 anti-personnel mines (similar to a Claymore mine) produced in Russia and Bulgaria. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we thank You for gifting us extremely competent and alert defense personnel that strive and succeed in protecting us at all times. We are grateful for the recent arrests that shielded Israeli citizens from potential terrorist attacks and we pray that our defense forces are able to continue thwarting such attacks.”

An Arabic newspaper reported, citing Egyptian sources, that the American government in recent days has been involved in negotiations with several regional factors, led by Egypt, to prevent a total confrontation in light of American and Israeli fears of the role Iran would play in one.

According to the Egyptian sources, "The American administration has been holding intensive talks with Egyptian officials to pressure Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to stop their struggle … due to feeling that there are attempts to ignite the Lebanese front and put pressure on the occupation government according to the Iranian agenda."

The Egyptian official also said that Egypt "is involved in the attempt to halt the Israeli plans to strike Hamas by assassinating (Saleh) al-Arouri, who is in Lebanon and who it blames for the escalation (in Judea and Samaria)."

Al-Arouri serves as the deputy leader of Hamas and is responsible for directing the organization's military and terror operations in Judea and Samaria. Egyptian officials contacted the Hamas leadership and clarified the gravity of Israel's intentions to strike the organization's officials in Lebanon, starting with al-Arouri

The official also stated that officials in the Egyptian general intelligence apparatus asked Israel to refrain from making public statements on the matter, to stop their security plan that would move the confrontation beyond Judea and Samaria, and not to strike Hamas and Jihad leaders outside Judea and Samaria. (INN / VFI News)

“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” - Proverbs 12:26

Israel’s Tourism Ministry convened a forum regarding a series of cases of harassment and attacks directed at Christians in the Old City of Jerusalem on Monday, August 28.

The forum covered the overall state of the tourism industry in the Old City of Jerusalem – with a specific focus on the recent spike in harassment of Christians in the area.

Tourism Minister Haim Katz brought the Tourism Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the Israel Police, the Israel Jerusalem Development Authority, the East City Development Company, and the Old City Reconstruction and Development Company together to participate in the forum.

"Every tourist who comes to Israel becomes our ambassador, and therefore we are committed to providing a unique and high-quality experience,” said Tourism Ministry Director-General Danny Shahar, who participated in the forum.

Numerous attacks by extremist Jews on Christians or Christian sites have been reported thus far in 2023. For instance, 30 graves at a Protestant cemetery on Mount Zion in Jerusalem were vandalized in January this year, while two Jewish men attacked a bishop and two priests during Mass at the Church of Gethsemane in March. (JPost / VFI News)

“Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.” - Proverbs 11:17

Finland's government on Thursday, August 31, outlined a plan to fight racism that includes a ban on denying the Holocaust, media reported. The move comes after the coalition cabinet was twice rocked by scandals.

"Every government minister renounces racism and commits to actively work against it," Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was quoted as having said at a press conference. As part of the new plan, the government will seek to criminalize Holocaust denial and explore the possibility of banning the use of Nazi and Communist symbols.

The move comes after Finance Minister Riikka Purra, leader of the far-right Finns Party, apologized following the emergence of years-old racist comments by her online, leading to condemnation from cabinet colleagues.

In June, another Finns Party minister, Vilhelm Junnila, announced his resignation after only 10 days in office following an uproar over pro-Nazi remarks. During his election campaign, Junnila had joked about the election candidate number 88 being a reference to "Heil Hitler", because 'H' is the eighth letter in the alphabet.

With the new plan, Finland joins other countries that have outlawed Holocaust denial, including Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, and Switzerland, among others. Thursday’s announcement by Finland was welcomed by World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald S. Lauder. (INN / VFI News)

“Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” - Proverbs 12:19

New research from the financial services group City Index has revealed that the Israeli New Shekel (NIS) has weakened the most since the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 4.73% decrease against the US dollar (USD), followed by Russia at 4.67%, with the UK, Indonesia, and Australia taking the next three positions with decreases of 3.92%, 3.14%, and 2.20% respectively.

Since the beginning of 2023, the Israeli currency has depreciated in value by around 10.34% against the USD, having taken a particularly significant dive in value at the beginning of March.

According, to the recently released Melnick State of the Israeli Economy Index for July, Israel’s economy has shown no improvement in economic activity despite recent efforts.

The business sector is experiencing a sustained slowdown, with significant economic growth deceleration in the second quarter. The industrial production index has also been declining, pointing to weakened industrial activity.

While there are some positive developments, like an increase in the import index, the overall picture is of a persistently sluggish Israeli economy facing challenges from both domestic and international factors. (JPost / VFI News)

“If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you.” - Leviticus 25:35

A sensational find in the Judean Desert: a cache of four 1,900-year-old, excellently preserved Roman swords and a shafted weapon were discovered in a crevice in a cave in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. It appears that the weapons were hidden by the Judean rebels after they were seized from the Roman army as booty.

“Finding a single sword is rare—so four? It’s a dream! We rubbed our eyes to believe it,” say the researchers. The rare weapons were exhibited for the first time at a press conference that took place Wednesday morning, September 6, with Eli Escusido, the Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the researchers.

The weapons were discovered in a small hidden cave located in an area of isolated and inaccessible cliffs north of Ein Gedi, in the Judean Desert Nature Reserve, under the jurisdiction of the National Parks Authority.

The swords were exceptionally well preserved, and three were found with the iron blade inside the wooden scabbards. Leather strips and wooden and metal finds belonging to the weapons were also found in the crevice.

The swords had well-fashioned handles made of wood or metal. The length of the blades of three swords was 60–65 cm, their dimensions identifying them as Roman spatha swords, and the fourth one was shorter with a 45 cm long blade, identified as a ring-pommel sword.

The swords were carefully removed from the crevice in the rock and transferred to the Israel Antiquities Authority climate-controlled laboratories for preservation and conservation. The initial examination of the assemblage confirmed that these were standard swords employed by the Roman soldiers stationed in Judea in the Roman period. (INN / VFI News)

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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