VFI News January 10, 2020

“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is with those who uphold my life.”  Ps. 54:4

Freshman congresswoman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has been crowned 2019 “Anti-Semite of the Year,” according to a poll hosted by StopAntisemitism.org. The organization invited the American public to nominate and vote on who they believe has shown the most hatred towards the Jewish people in 2019. Last November, voters narrowed down the finalists to notorious anti-Semite and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, neo-Nazi Richard Spencer, and Congresswoman Omar. After thousands voted, the NGO announced on Mon. 6 Jan. 2020 that Omar would be awarded the title of biggest anti-Semite of the year along with a video listing her achievements in the field of Jew-hatred. This list included: 1. Accusing American Jewry of possessing dual loyalty. 2. Alleging that Jews buy their influence with money, infamously stating “It’s all about the Benjamins.” 3. Accusing Israel of having hypnotized the world. 4. Supporting the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. 5. Submitting a resolution in the House of Representatives comparing boycotting Israel to boycotting the Nazis. 6. Having her anti-Semitic statements endorsed by infamous neo-Nazi David Duke. The organization also mentioned Omar's refusal to take back or regret many of her anti-Semitic comments, as well as the backing she receives from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood. StopAntisemitism.org’s Liora Rez says it is important to expose anti-Semites especially at a time when bigotry against Jews is on the rise in the United States. “Anti-Semitism is plaguing our nation, and it’s about time we create real consequences for those spreading it,” Rez said. “By exposing bigots like Rep. Ilhan Omar, we are ensuring that the public is alert and able to take action.” (VFI News/J. Post) 

USA voters, note the blatantly anti-Semitic stance of Freshman congresswoman Rep. Ilhan Omar.  May she and those like her be consistently exposed and blocked in their political influence and careers.

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered in Qassem Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman in southeastern Iran on Tues. 7 Jan. 2020 for the burial of the slain commander of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force. Kerman is the city of Soleimani’s birth and burial. Local media outlets reported at least 56 deaths in a stampede that took place at the beginning of the funeral, with another 213 injured. The reason for the crush is still unknown. It is estimated that some 1 million people turned out in the streets of Tehran earlier in the day to witness just one of several other funeral processions held around the country. Iranian leaders vowed that the legacy of Soleimani – who was considered one of Iran’s most powerful figures after the Grand Ayatollah – would only be strengthened by his death. (VFI News)  

“The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools.” Prov. 3:35

Congressional Democrats and 2020 presidential candidates have slammed USA President Donald Trump for the drone strike on Friday 3 Jan. 2020 that killed the Iranian military leader responsible for hundreds of American deaths in the Middle East. Among the political and military leaders in the USA and across the globe who have highly endorsed Trump’s move to eliminate Soleimani is former USA Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. Haley said this week that the Democratic leadership and 2020 presidential candidates are “the only ones mourning” the death of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. “I’ll tell you this: You don’t see anyone standing up for Iran. You’re not hearing any of the Gulf members, you’re not hearing China, you’re not hearing Russia,” said Haley. “The only ones mourning the loss of Soleimani are our Democrat leadership and our Democrat presidential candidates. You go tell that to the 608 American families who lost a loved one,” continued the former South Carolina governor. “Go tell that to the military members who lost a limb. This was something that needed to be done, and should be celebrated.” Democrats have argued that the strike will lead to war in the Middle East and that Trump should have sought congressional authorization, but Haley said that Soleimani’s death “should be celebrated.” (VFI News)

“Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.” Prov. 28:15

Leading American legal scholar, Alan M. Dershowitz, said this week, “There can be no serious debate about USA President Trump’s constitutional authority to order a single attack on an enemy combatant who has killed and is planning to kill American citizens. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama issued such orders,” said Dershowitz, who is a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School. “The targeting of Soleimani was more justified, as a matter of law, than the targeting of Osama bin Laden in 2011. The killing of Soleimani was in large part an act of prevention, whereas the killing of bin Laden was primarily an act of retaliation.” The killing of Soleimani, he continued, “was also entirely legal under international law. The Quds Force commander was a combatant in uniform who was actively engaged in continuing military and terrorist activities against Americans. The rocket that killed him, and a handful of others, was carefully calibrated to minimize collateral damage, and the resulting death toll was proportionate to the deaths it may have prevented.” (VFI News)

The death of Iranian Quids gen. Qassem Soleimani, as a result of a USA targeted-drone attack last week, is expected to severely impair Iran's attempts to further expand its influence in the Middle-East. In fact, the removal of Soleimani could prove to be the most significant USA killing of an enemy operative in recent times. His elimination came at a time when the project he had directed- to create an Iranian hegemony in the region - is facing unprecedented challenges in Iraq and Lebanon. Additionally, Esmail Ghaani, the Iranian general appointed to fill Soleimani’s post is considered to be a weak replacement for the purposes of carrying out Soleimani’s agenda or curtailing the increasingly explosive events in countries where months ago the Islamic Republic declared major victories. (VFI News)

Pray according to scripture: “Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.”  Isa. 8:10

Iran vowed on Sunday 5 Jan. 2020 to defy the limits placed on its nuclear enrichment by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and completely abandon the deal, in a response to the recent USA killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Iran’s announcement that it no longer intends to keep its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers could soon renew discussions in Israel over a possible military strike on Iranian targets. While Israel has maintained a low profile since the USA killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani it will be difficult to remain on the sidelines if Iran follows through on its pledge to toss out the nuclear accord. Israel has repeatedly said it will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, even if that requires a risky military strike. The USA-led nuclear deal, which restricted Iran’s atomic activities in exchange for relief from sanctions, put off talk of Israeli military action against Iran. But that all changed when Iran, protesting Soleimani’s killing, said it would no longer honor the limits on uranium enrichment and other nuclear research spelled out in the deal. (VFI News)

Pray that Iran’s leaders will no longer underestimate USA Donald Trump’s intentions to answer provocations with force. May the Iranian regime cease with its agenda to establish control throughout the Middle East and be weakened in all of its provocations that could drag everyone into a devastating conflict.

Some 2370 attacks by Palestinians against Jews took place in Judea & Samaria alone during 2019. For decades, Arab terrorists have been attacking settlers in Judea & Samaria on a daily basis. Some of those attacks, which include rock-throwing, firebombs, arsons, and shootings, proved fatal. Habitually, such murders and attempted murders are silenced by mainstream media. On another front, the Israeli military days ago released data on operational activity on all fronts in 2019. It revealed that the Gaza Strip quarter continued to be highly volatile, as terrorist groups fired 1,295 projectiles at Israel during 2019. Some 729 rockets hit open areas, while the Iron Dome defense system intercepted 478 shells, noting an 85% success rate. In retaliatory operations, the IDF struck 900 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror targets in the coastal enclave last year. (VFI News)

Intercede that Hamas and the Palestinian Authority will be made to feel the increasing futility of attacks against the Jewish state, supporting and promoting terrorism, educating its youth to hate Israel and glorifying terrorist murderers as heroes.

While Israel enjoyed much increase in 2019, end of the year poverty figures revealed that some 2.3 million Israelis, including one million children, live beneath the poverty line. The report also found that nearly one-fifth of Israelis, over 1.6 million people suffer from food insecurity. Please continue to help us ease the very real distress of hardship in Israel. Strained government budgets are due in part to Israel’s high-security needs. Additionally, the allocation of funds for welfare programs are presently being stalled and impacted by the ongoing lack of a functioning government and the high cost of repeated elections. We at VFI continue to be deeply concerned for, and dedicated to, assisting underprivileged children, the elderly and entire families who are beloved of the Lord and in need. Please continue to enable us to be expressions of His heart and hands. We need and appreciate your donations at: www.visionforisrael.com.

“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Prov. 19:17