VFI News Fri, April 14 — Enemies Encircle Israel | VFI News

In this video, we cover the recent deadly attacks by Palestinian terrorists on Israelis, including the brutal killing of a Jewish mother and her two young daughters in the West Bank.

We also discuss the latest political development, as Prime Minister Netanyahu appoints Yoav Gallant as Defense Minister amid heightened tensions in the region.

Economy Minister Nir Barkat was interviewed Tuesday, April 11 on American media, on the murder of Lucy Dee and her daughters Maia and Rina Dee in a terrorist shooting attack in the Jordan Valley.

Barkat stated that the murders showed the difference between the State of Israel and its enemies. "Unfortunately, when the mother died just a few hours ago, they [the Dee family] donated the organs to save other people's lives."

"And on the other side, the terrorists - do you know what they're going to get from the Palestinian Authority? A million dollars for the rest of their lives - for killing innocent Jews," he said.

"That's the difference between living as Jews, seeking life and making a better life for other people, and the terrorists, who all they seek is death. That's all they seek," Barkat added.

Lucy, Maia, and Rina Dee were shot by a terrorist while they were driving in the Jordan Valley on Friday. Maia and Rina, ages 20 and 15, were killed at the scene. Their mother, Lucy, was critically wounded and succumbed to her injuries Monday.

Rabbi Leo Dee, the husband and father of the victims, decided to donate his wife's organs to save the lives of five people. “Five lives were saved and two cornea donations will be made, which is very good news for the family as much as a comfort as possible given the circumstances.” (INN / VFI News)

“God, we pray that the now family of four will find some peace in this time of mourning. We hope that the terrorists who robbed these people of their loved ones will soon be discovered and receive justice for their horrifying crimes.”

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.

Palestinians who barricaded themselves in al-Aqsa mosque last week brought explosives into the mosque, Israel Police chief Kobi Shabtai told media on Sunday evening, April 9.

The Shin Bet is reportedly investigating the explosives being brought into the mosque, with defense sources telling Israeli media that the investigation is "complicated and complex."

Shabtai stated that there were over 400 people who barricaded themselves in the mosque Tuesday, April 4, bringing fireworks, explosives and stones into the building. Police then entered al-Aqsa, firing stun grenades and trying to remove the people barricaded inside.

Palestinians in the mosque fired fireworks and threw stones at the Israeli forces. Dozens of Palestinians were reportedly injured or arrested in the clashes. Footage from the scene published by Palestinian media showed police officers hitting Palestinians in the building with chairs and batons and arresting many of them.

A few hours after the clashes, 10 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip toward southern Israel, followed by further rocket fire in the next two days from Gaza and Lebanon toward Israel.

When asked about the conduct of police during the clashes at al-Aqsa, Shabtai stressed that the officers were forced to use "force of a somewhat higher degree" due to the complete barricade of the doors of the mosque and the fireworks fired toward them by the rioters. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we pray for long-lasting peace and stability in our country. May You assist us in defending ourselves, while at the same time we remain capable of resolving most issues without the need for violence.”

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, April 9, published a statement condemning the visits by Jews to the Temple Mount during Passover, calling them "the frequent invasions of Al-Aqsa Mosque" which are carried out "under heavy security by the Israeli occupation police in a manner that constitutes a violation of the historical and legal situation existing at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and a violation of the sanctity of the holy places".

Sinan al-Majali, a spokesperson for the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, said that the entire area of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which includes 144 dunams (meaning the entire area of the Temple Mount) is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and that the Jordanian Department of Endowments is the only entity that is authorized to manage the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque and regulate the visit to the place.

Muslim clerics claim that the entire area of Al-Aqsa Mosque also includes the Western Wall and belongs exclusively to Muslims. They also completely deny the fact of the past existence of the Holy Temple on the Temple Mount.

Al-Majali also blamed the Israeli government for the escalation in Jerusalem and "in all the occupied Palestinian territories and for the deterioration that will get worse if Israel does not stop invading Al-Aqsa and the heavy hand on the worshipers on these blessed days."

Sinan Al-Majali said that Israel, being an “occupying country”, must comply with its obligations according to international law. (INN / VFI News)

“The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.” - Proverbs 10:30

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi over the phone that the "Islamic world should be united against Israel's attacks in Palestine," Turkish media reported.

The two world leaders also discussed the incidents at the al-Aqsa mosque and Iranian-Turkish relations, the report said.

The Turkish president also noted the importance of preserving the status of holy areas and emphasized "reasonable thinking" in order to prevent further escalation of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories, sources said.

Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen then told his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu the same day that the IDF will respond to any attempt to terrorize civilians.

Erdogan condemned the Israeli police's actions at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on Wednesday, April 5, calling such acts in the mosque compound a "red line" for Turkey.

"I condemn the vile acts against the first qiblah of Muslims in the name of my country and people, and I call for the attacks to be halted as soon as possible," he said. (JPost / VFI News)

“An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.” - Proverbs 18:1

Rosian Zerner was born in 1935 in Lithuania. When Germany invaded Lithuania in 1941, Rosian and her family were confined to the Kovno Ghetto. When she was six years old, her parents helped her escape through a hole they had dug under the ghetto fence, where she was met by her father's secretary. She was hidden by several rescuers over the next three years before being liberated by the Soviet troops in 1944.

The Islamic Republic of Iran exerted pressure on the nation’s tiny Jewish community to not celebrate the end of Passover and instead participate in the annual anti-Israel al-Quds Day demonstration that calls for the destruction of Israel.

Beni Sabti, an expert on Iran from the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told Israeli media on Sunday, April 9, that “there is a silent pressure and everyone knows their role in this regime and the regime won’t hurt you” if you demonstrate in the al-Quds Day march.

Sabti, who was born in Tehran and speaks fluent Persian, added “And if you don’t demonstrate, you will be harmed.” He stressed the Iranian Jewish community has to show support for the al-Quds Day demonstration in order to “survive” in the totalitarian Islamic state.

Sabti continued that “the regime sometimes sends IRGC or Basij into synagogues to see if they are talking about Israel or against the Iranian regime.” He also noted that many Iranian Jews are being harmed and avoid greater danger by participating in the al-Quds demonstration.

The founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, created al-Quds Day in 1979 as a worldwide demonstration to protest the existence of the state of Israel. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we ask that You protect our people living in the state of Iran. We pray that they are shielded from danger, so that they can honor their roots and live comfortably, while staying true to themselves.”

Israel signed a NIS 1.44 billion ($400 million) deal to sell Spike anti-tank missiles to Greece, Israel's Defense Ministry said on Monday, April 10, just days after reaching a similar-sized deal to provide air defenses to newly-inducted NATO member Finland.

The Spike is a guided anti-tank missile used by many EU and NATO countries produced by Israeli state-owned defense contractor Rafael.

"The Spike missiles will strengthen the Greek army's portfolio of operational tools and we expect further expansion through strategic collaborations in the near future," said Rafael CEO Yoav Har-Even.

Israel's defense minister said the agreement reinforces ties between the countries. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we thank You for giving us invaluable equipment that helps us defend ourselves in times of need. We are also grateful for being able to assist other nations, while establishing important alliances and benefitting monetarily.”

Israeli start-up DOTS (Data Of The Soil) has launched a new technology that could have a dramatic impact on global agriculture, sustainability and the health of the global population: an electro-optical sensor and information system which helps users optimize fertilizer usage based on continuous and readily available soil data, making it possible to significantly reduce the use of fertilizers.

The technology is set to mitigate agriculture’s damage to the environment from groundwater contamination, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and may also significantly improve the quantity, quality and shelf life of the crops, which will benefit both growers and consumers.

DOTS has raised half a million dollars from the Israel Innovation Authority, in addition to $1.2 million from Labs/02, whose investors include OurCrowd and the multinational Indian corporation Reliance Industries.

By detecting and monitoring soil fertilization levels, DOTS enables accurate timing of fertilization cycles and prevents fertilizer overuse. Comparing the sensor to standard laboratory tests shows that the accuracy of the technology is above 92%.

Moreover, a series of successful experiments in Israeli tomato greenhouses have demonstrated fertilizer savings of 30% during the growing season, without any damage to the resulting crop. (JPost / VFI News)

“He holds success in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.” - Proverbs 2:7

Scientists have found a ‘hidden chapter’ of Bible text written more than 1,500 years ago. The page features chapters 11 through 12 from Matthew, providing more details than today's standard Gospel text.

Scientists uncovered the scripture after applying ultraviolet light to a manuscript about ancient Christian stories and hymns housed at the Vatican Library. The researchers have not yet revealed a complete translation written in ancient Syriac, but shared some details.

In the Greek version of Matthew chapter 12, verse one reads: 'At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath and his disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.' The Syriac translation reads, '[...] began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them.'

The initial text was written around the third century but was erased by a scribe in Palestine - a common practice because the paper made from animal skin was scarce.

Palimpsest Grigory Kessel, who made the discovery, told British media: "The Gospel text found in this reused manuscript contains the so-called Old Syriac translations of the Gospels. This Old Syriac translation quite often attests the Gospel text that is different from the standard Gospel text as we know it today."

UV light has become popular among scientists who hope to uncover secret documents, as the hidden text absorbs the light and glows blue. It can capture hidden text because parchment soaks in ink. And no matter how often it is reused, the original writings are still imprinted on the paper.

"The Gospel text is hidden in the sense that the early 6th c. parchment copy of the Gospels Book was reused twice and today on the same page one can find three layers of writing (Syriac - Greek - Georgian)," Kessel said. (DM / 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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