Three Israeli Soldiers Murdered on Egyptian Border Laid to Rest

Tues, June 06 — Three Israeli Soldiers Killed near the Egyptian Border| VFI News

Investigation into Border Attack Reveals Religious Extremism

Investigation into Border Attack Reveals Religious Extremism.

Egyptian Border Terrorist Was Carrying Koran, Likely Motivated by Extremism

Italian Media: Intelligence Agents Were Tracking Transfers between Russia and Iran

Iran May Supply Mali with Weapons, Impacting West Africa and Sahel - Analysis

WATCH: Pack to School: A Fresh Start for Kids

Pack to School: A Fresh Start for Kids

Hungary to Be the First EU State with Embassy in Jerusalem, Cohen Says

One in Four Europeans Harbor Antisemitic Attitudes, New ADL Survey Shows

Israel's Eli Cohen Makes Historic Visit to Philippines, South Korea

Ziv Medical Center Launches US Charity to Step up Care for Needy Communities

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VFI News Final | VFI News | Vision for Israel

Stay updated with the latest developments in Israel and the Middle East. This news roundup covers a range of topics, including the funerals of three Israeli soldiers killed by an Egyptian police officer, uncovering religious extremism as a likely motive behind the border attack. 

Join us as we delve into an Italian news website's speculation on an Israeli-Italian intelligence meeting, Iran's offer of military support to Mali, Hungary's groundbreaking move to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, and the concerning prevalence of antisemitic attitudes in European countries. 

We also highlight the historic visit of the Israeli Foreign Minister to the Philippines and the efforts of Ziv Medical Center in Safed to enhance healthcare through their 'Partners of Ziv' charity. Stay informed on the latest news from the region.

The funerals of the three soldiers who were killed by an Egyptian police officer at the Israeli-Egyptian border on Saturday, June 3, were held on Sunday afternoon. 

The Egyptian policeman shot and killed two of the Israeli soldiers, Sgt. Lia Ben-Nun and St.-Sgt. Uri Itzhak Ilouz, sometime between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Saturday morning. 

The soldiers were manning a guard post near the border and were found lifeless at the post around 9 a.m. by an officer who had been sent to check on their wellbeing after they failed to respond to their radios. Immediately after, military officials declared a terror incident in the area and began searches. 

The intruder was spotted by a drone and soldiers converged on his position. The attacker opened fire at a group of soldiers approaching the area — some 200 meters (656 feet) away — fatally hitting St.-Sgt. Ohad Dahan. Several minutes later, another group of soldiers closed in on the Egyptian, killing him. One non-commissioned officer was lightly wounded in the second clash before noon. 

Sgt. Lia Ben-Nun's funeral began at 4:30 p.m. at the military cemetery in Rishon Lezion. Ben-Nun was 19 years old and from Rishon Lezion. She was promoted to the rank of sergeant after her death, the IDF announced. 

St.-Sgt. Ohad Dahan was laid to rest at 5 p.m. in the military plot of the cemetery in the southern Israeli town of Ofakim. Dahan was 20 years old when he was killed. He was from Ofakim and posthumously promoted to staff sergeant from sergeant. 

St.-Sgt. Uri Itzhak Ilouz's funeral took place at 5 p.m. at the military cemetery in Safed, in Israel's north. Ilouz was 20 years old when he died and like Dahan, he was posthumously promoted from sergeant.  (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we pray for the families of the three soldiers who were murdered on Saturday and ask that You comfort them. We ask that the criminal quickly receives the sentence he deserves and that no such incidents happen again in Israel.”

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.

The terrorist who killed three IDF officers at the Egyptian border on Saturday, June 3, was likely motivated by religious extremism, according to new information presented by Israeli media on Sunday morning. In addition to a Koran and a firearm, he was found to be carrying a knife that he used to cut the zip ties at the border barrier, and six magazines of ammunition. 

During the exchange of fire in which St.-Sgt. Ohad Dahan was killed, the terrorist was the one who opened fire. The brigade commander drew closer to the terrorist in a military vehicle after he had been identified by an IDF surveillance drone. When he got out of the vehicle, the terrorist fired off several shots at a distance of several hundred meters. 

Shortly after midday on Saturday, the IDF confirmed an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and the terrorist, who was killed in the exchange. 

The Egyptian army later said in a statement that the police officer was chasing drug smugglers, adding that "during the chase, the security man was involved in an exchange of fire that caused the deaths of three Israeli soldiers." 

They did not add how the police officer ended up in a shootout with IDF soldiers when he should have been chasing drug smugglers. 

MK Eliyahu Revivo called for Egypt to conduct an investigation and to provide an explanation for the incident. “We must demand from our Egyptian counterparts to conduct a comprehensive investigation and to provide clear answers about the terrible event,” said Revivo. (JPost / VFI News)

An Italian news website hypothesizes that the Israeli and Italian intelligence agents met to spy on a Russian money transfer to Iran. 

The website states that "Russian figures" have recently transferred their investments from Lake Como to luxury hotels on Lake Maggiore, where a shipwreck occurred. 

An Israeli Mossad agent Erez Shimoni was killed when the boat he was on with Italian intelligence agents capsized in Lago Maggiore in Italy. Four people were killed in the incident, which Italian media are calling "The 007,": a nod to the fictional spy James Bond, including two local agents and the wife of the boat's captain.

 Immediately following the incident, Israel and Italy covered their tracks: the injured were quickly removed from the hospitals and hotel rooms so their details would not be discovered. Israel sent a special airplane that landed in Milan and reportedly returned ten Israeli agents to Israel. 

Erez Shimoni was laid to rest on Wednesday, May 31, at the Ashkelon Military Cemetery. On Monday night, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the person killed on the ship was a retired Israeli security service employee. (INN / VFI News)

“God, we are sending prayers for healing and our heartfelt condolences to the family of the Mossad agent who was killed in Italy. We ask that the guilty parties and their schemes are soon revealed so that they receive their just sentence and are removed from society for the safety of other citizens.”

The defense minister of Mali, was in Iran last week for meetings that could see Iran sending arms to Mali in North Africa. Malian Defense Minister Colonel Sadio Camara had meetings with Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani. 

Iran’s pro-regime media reported that “the defense minister of Iran expressed the country’s readiness to provide Mali with military equipment and experiences in the fight against terrorism.” 

Ashtiani said Iran is prepared to share equipment, experiences and capabilities in training with Mali. “The Islamic Republic of Iran will spare no effort to strengthen Mali’s defense power against the threats posed by terrorist groups,” the Iranian general who is also the defense minister added. 

Iran also said that Western governments were meddling in Africa and that the presence of the West in those areas was a continuation of the legacy of “colonial” policies. Iran blamed the West for creating instability: “Although the Westerners claim hypocritically to be after security in Africa, history shows that they spread terrorism in order to justify their presence in the region and interference in the internal affairs of independent states, such as Mali.” 

Iran also praised Mali for supporting “Palestine and its people.” Clearly, Iran’s goal in this case is to extend its influence to more countries in Africa. Iran already has a presence, through Hezbollah and other influencers, in some countries in West Africa. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we pray for long-term stability and security throughout the Middle East and Africa. We ask that nations which try to incite hatred between countries are quickly dismissed and such situations become resolved immediately.”

Every school year, our team works hard to distribute school bags stuffed with supplies for children in need throughout the country. Together, we’re helping children from all backgrounds start off strong—and we’re so thankful for your support.

Hungary will be the first EU member state to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen announced during a visit to Budapest on Wednesday, May 31. 

“Hungary supports us in the international arena,” Cohen said, speaking at a Chabad synagogue. “More good news…is that in a number of weeks, Hungary will be the first EU state to announce that it is moving its embassy to Jerusalem. This is great news for Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish people for over 3,000 years,” he added. 

Hungarian Ambassador to Israel Levente Benkö said: “Hungary has been operating a trade office in Jerusalem since 2019 and there has been no decision on further steps so far.” 

Paraguay’s newly elected president also said he plans to move his country’s embassy back to Jerusalem when he enters office in August. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called president-elect Santiago Pena to congratulate him on his victory and praised his plan to move the embassy. 

The US moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, in 2018. There are currently three other embassies in the capital as well: Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo. Ten countries have diplomatic offices in Jerusalem, and several countries promised to move their embassies since 2018, most of which are in Africa, like Malawi, Togo and Uganda. 

During Cohen’s visit to Budapest, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also agreed to petition the International Court of Justice against the Palestinian Authority’s “pay for slay” practice, of paying terrorists who attack Israelis. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we thank You for giving us invaluable allies that are courageous to take a public stance in favor of Israel, as well as to devise plans and actively support Israel in any way they can. We are extremely grateful for all these nations and individuals who continually seek ways to partner with us and assist us.”

A new survey found that roughly one out of every four residents of the European countries polled for the 2023 survey harbored antisemitic attitudes. 

In Eastern Europe, there were significant drops in the antisemitism index scores in Ukraine (46% to 29%), Poland (48% to 35%), Hungary (42% to 37%) and Russia (31% to 26%). However, overall antisemitic attitudes remain higher in Eastern Europe compared to Western Europe, exceeding one in three respondents in Hungary and Poland. 

The new survey found that some of the most stubborn anti-Jewish tropes remain deeply entrenched in 10 European countries. 

The survey also found that one out of three respondents in six Western European countries believe that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their home countries. In Spain, one in four people are likely to believe classic antisemitic stereotypes – particularly hateful beliefs about Jews and money and Jews controlling the government. 

Consistent with previous surveys, among the six countries polled in Western Europe, Spain remains the country with the highest level of antisemitic attitudes, with 26 percent of the population harboring extensive antisemitic beliefs, followed by Belgium (24 percent), France (17 percent), Germany (12 percent) and the United Kingdom (10 percent). 

The Netherlands registered the lowest score of the 10 countries polled for the antisemitism index, with just 6 percent of those polled holding antisemitic views. (JPost / VFI News)

“Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.” - Psalm 69:4

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen traveled to the Philippines on Sunday, June 4, for a historic multi-day visit, the first visit by an Israeli foreign minister in 56 years. He will continue from there to South Korea. The visit follows an important trip to central Europe and also one to Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan in April. 

Cohen is expected to meet the President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his counterpart, Foreign Minister Enrique A. Manalo. In South Korea, he is expected to meet Foreign Minister Park Jin. 

In Manila, the business delegation will focus on agriculture, energy, cyber and security as well as health and emergency preparedness. In South Korea, it will also focus on robotics, artificial intelligence and automotive sectors, catering to the strengths of Seoul. There will be business seminars in both countries. 

Cohen’s trip takes place in the context of Israel seeking to deepen political and economic relations with not just the Philippines and South Korea, but other countries in Asia. Cohen noted, in the statement from the MFA, that Asia is a continent with tremendous potential and of great importance to Israel. (JPost / VFI News)

For the 300,000 Israelis living in the Golan, Upper Galilee and Safed - a diverse population of Jews, Arabs, Christians and Druze - the services offered by the Ziv Medical Center in Safed make the difference between life and death, or between the ability of receiving appropriate care for a chronic disease or not. 

With its 370 beds, Ziv’s vision is to deliver its community the most excellent and comprehensive medical care so that they can find a solution to every medical problem close to home. 

In order to fulfill this vision, the hospital’s Director General Prof. Salman Zarka announced that he would be launching the “Partners of Ziv” charity. 

“I am an Israeli Druze,” he said. “I served in the Israeli Defense Forces for more than 25 years. After I retired, I knew I had to help upgrading our standards of healthcare, for the population in the North of Israel.” 

“In our region, we saw a disparity of access to care that is alarming,” Zarka, who also served as Israel’s Coronavirus Commissioner, added. “Our people in the North, Sarah and Moshe, Said and Jamila deserve the same standard of care of those in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.” 

Many of the residents of the area that Ziv serves come from low socio-economic backgrounds, which translates into several health issues. For example, cases of diabetes are common and when diabetes is not properly treated, patients risk losing a limb, with a terrible impact on their quality of life. The goal is to expand their services to offer the same level of care in all fields. (JPost / 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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