VFI News October 22, 2021

Barry's got the latest updates you've been waiting for - today, we're talking about the recent shaking (physical & spiritual) in Israel and the neighboring countries. God is shaking the earth!

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Welcome to our new VFI News Channel! Barry's got the latest updates you've been waiting for . . . Premieres Oct 22, 2021
Today, we're talking about the recent shaking (physical & spiritual) in Israel and the neighboring countries. God is shaking the earth!

Watch Barry's first VFI News update!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRZ0cn9-MT8

The Alma Research and Education Center, an Israeli think tank that specializes in security threats on the northern border, released a report this week outlining the true scope of Hamas’s military activities in Lebanon, indicating that the terrorist rulers in Gaza are building a second front from which to attack Israel.

The report identified the principal senior political and military Hamas leaders active on Lebanese territory, the organization’s multiple military projects, and working plans. It also identified the locations of some of Hamas’s key Lebanese military sites.

The report also analyzed Hamas’s complex relationship with the Iranian-led radical Shi’ite axis.

The report detailed how Hamas’s two operational units in Lebanon – El-Shimali and Khaled Ali recruit members, train them in specialized combat skills such as sniping, anti-tank missile attacks, operating drones, and more. The units also develop and produce their own weapons – rockets, offensive drones, and small unmanned underwater vehicles. And they set up operational cells while preparing attack plans against Israel.

The two branches are guided by Hamas’s ‘Construction Bureau,’ based in Lebanon and Turkey, which influences Hamas activity in Gaza, Lebanon, and Judea and Samaria. the Construction Bureau operates covertly out of Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, concealed from both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. According to the report, the two units develop and manufacture weapons in Lebanon including rockets, drones, and small unmanned submarines. In addition, the two sections of the Construction Bureau recruit and train would-be terrorists in specialized courses such as sniping, operating anti-tank missile launchers, drone operators, urban warfare, aeronautics, naval diving, and tactical intelligence collection.

It is believed that Saleh al-Arouri , the deputy head of the Hamas’ political bureau In Lebanon who is responsible for terror attacks in Judea and Samaria was behind the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers in 2014, which preceded the IDF incursion into Gaza.

Hamas activity in Lebanon is ultimately directed by the Iranian Quds force. This creates a broad threat as Hezbollah was established as part of an Iranian effort, through funding and the dispatch of a core group of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Pasdaran) instructors, as an anti-Israel entity on Israel’s northern border. Iran also supports the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad in his civil war.

Proof of Hamas activity in Lebanon came in the form of five incidents of Grad rockets fired from Lebanon against Israel between May and August. According to the report, at least some of the rocket attacks were launched without the knowledge or consent of Hezbollah, a terrorist organization that represents fully one-third of the Lebanese Parliament. The Alma report concluded that this indicated a developing rift between Hamas and Hezbollah. The report claimed that as a response to Hamas firing rockets at Israel from Lebanon, Hezbollah was forced to follow suit. (I365 / VFI News)

Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. - Proverbs 25:26

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.

David Amess, the British Conservative lawmaker who was allegedly murdered last Friday, October 15, by 25-year-old Ali Harbi Ali in what police have deemed a terror-motivated attack, may have met his demise due to his rumored support for Israel.

Amess, 69, was fatally stabbed in a church during a constituency meeting on Friday afternoon, and police say there are no additional suspects. Amess previously served as honorary secretary of Conservative Friends for Israel.

Anjem Choudary, an extreme Islamist preacher who in the past expressed support for the Islamic State said on Sunday, October 17, that Amess' support for Israel may have been the cause of his murder. The actual cause of the murder is currently unknown.

"Many people do [believe] that it [Israel] is a terrorist state, and who would possibly be a friend of Israel after you see the carnage that they carried out against Muslims in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and continue to do with the appropriation of properties?" Choudary asked.

Choudary formerly led the banned Islamist group Al-Mubajiroun, and was sentenced to prison for five years and six months for inviting support for the Islamic State in 2016. He was released in October 2018.

"No one in their right and rational mind would support such a state [Israel]," Choudary said.

Ali is detained under Britain's Terrorism Act 2000. His father confirmed that his son was arrested in connection to the politician's murder.

Ali, a British citizen of Somali heritage, allegedly underwent a program aimed to deter individuals from extremism, but reports say he did not remain long in the program, which was voluntary. His detention has been extended until October 22. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you protect Your people from all forms of harm.”

A Hamas official's son — who has himself expressed support for Hamas in the past — has been revealed to be one of the lead drafters of the UK Labour Party Conference motion calling for sanctions against Israel and declaring it apartheid, according to an investigation by the NGO Israel Advocacy Movement (IAM).

In an interview with Al-Jazeera, general secretary of the Arab Labour Group Omar Mofeed — Allegedly the son of Hamas official Dr. Mufid Al-Mokhalalati — was acknowledged as a drafter of a Labour conference motion, along with another group, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, of which he is also a director.

Omar Mofeed is the son of Dr. Mufid Al-Mukhalalati, who was the health minister in Hamas's Gazan government. Al-Mukhalalati died in 2014. Mofeed initially denied that his father was a Hamas member.

“My father died in 2014 when I was still young," Mofeed said. "He was a surgeon who did remarkable work, for which he is widely recognized in Palestine, building health services for the people of Gaza. I am deeply proud of the work that he did in caring for the health of others and his legacy is extremely important to me.”

There are social media posts by Mofeed in which he expressed support for Hamas, individual terrorists, and terrorist activity. Mofeed has since closed his Twitter and Facebook accounts. In one 2013 Facebook post, Mofeed called to kidnap Israeli soldiers to ransom them for imprisoned Palestinian combatants. In 2015 he celebrated the anniversary of the death of Hamas chief bomb-maker, Yahya Ayyash.

"When it comes to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, mainstream political parties like Labour are expected to act impartially," Joseph Cohen of the Israel Advocacy Movement said. "This is why we were shocked when an al-Jazeera interview suggested Omar helped draft a Labour motion highly critical of Israel.

The UK Labour party passed the motion on September 28 during their annual party conference. The motion condemned "the ongoing Nakba in Palestine, Israel’s militarised violence attacking the Al Aqsa mosque, the forced displacements from Sheikh Jarrah and the deadly assault on Gaza."

It noted the "unequivocal 2021 reports by B’Tselem and Human Rights Watch that conclude unequivocally that Israel is practicing the crime of apartheid as defined by the UN," and called for "stopping any arms trade used to violate Palestinian human rights and trade with illegal Israeli settlements."

However, Labour leadership indicated that the motion would not become official party policy: "Labour’s policy is for a peaceful, negotiated two-state solution that ensures a sovereign Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel," the party said in a statement.

One of the major criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn, UK Labour party's previous leader, was his interactions and engagement with members of terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

IAM is a British based organization that seeks "to establish a 'mass movement' of Israeli advocates through training and mobilising a network of passionate supporters of Israel." (JPost / VFI News)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6

Defense Minister Benny Gantz called on the international community to “take a stand on Iran,” at Tuesday’s, October 12, Jerusalem Post Conference.

He warned that Iran aims to be a regional hegemony by developing a nuclear capability and therefore Israel has developed technological and operational tools that will guarantee its security against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Iran is first a global challenge, then a regional one and only lastly it is a threat to Israel,” he said. “The future is now, and a future with a nuclear Iran is a dark one.”

Gantz said Israel is developing both defensive and offensive capabilities against its enemies, constantly stopping attempts to harm Israeli citizens.

“We must always remain two steps ahead, combining civilian and military capabilities to maintain Israel’s cyber superiority and to stop terrorism,” he said. “It is a vital need for Israel’s security and a common interest with our closest partners, so we are constantly engaged in learning, knowledge sharing and technological development.”

Gantz said the world is split between countries that innovate, those that steal innovation and those that oppose innovation. He said Israel belonged in the first category, Iran in the second, and the Taliban in the third. He said Iran uses reverse engineering and industrial espionage to take apart Western technologies and produce weapons.

He praised the Abraham Accords, which he said promote creativity, innovation and information sharing. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, thank you for continuing to protect Your people from Iran.”

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The government of Morocco, which last year normalized ties with Israel, announced on Saturday, October 16, that it was set to discuss and then potentially ratify two new agreements signed with Israel in the fields of aviation, as well as culture and sports.

“The [government] meeting will be devoted to the review of two cooperation agreements between the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Government of the State of Israel, signed on August 11, 2021 in Rabat, the first concerning air services with a draft law approving this agreement while the second provides for cooperation in the fields of culture and sports,” the government said in a statement reported by the Agence Marocaine de Presse.

The agreements were originally signed by Foreign Minster Yair Lapid and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita during the former’s trip to the north African nation in August.

Lapid was in Morocco for the first official visit by an Israeli top diplomat since 2003, and the highest-level trip since an agreement was signed by Jerusalem and Rabat last year to reestablish ties after some two decades. .

The agreement with Morocco came as part of a wave of diplomatic agreements between Israel and Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan. (TOI / VFI News)

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” - Hebrews 10:24-25

Israel's Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, participated on Thursday, October 15, in the groundbreaking of the Mammoth Solar project, to be built in Indiana, which will become the largest solar field in the United States.

The Mammoth Solar project is being built by Doral Energy, an Israeli company. Once operational, the Mammoth Solar project, which stretches into both Starke and Pulaski Counties, will ultimately produce 1.3 gigawatts of clean energy. The Mammoth Solar project is expected to be complete by the summer of 2023.

Aside from Ambassador Erdan, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, the Consul General of Israel to the Midwest Yinam Cohen, the President & Co-Founder of Doral Nick Cohen, and the Chairman & Co-Founder of Doral Dori Davidovitz participated in the event as well.

In his remarks, Ambassador Erdan said, "The Mammoth Solar project is a milestone in the Israel-U.S. relationship – the biggest solar energy in the United States. This project, led by Doral Energy, a pioneer in solar energy, is a shining example of the tremendous mutual benefits of our cooperation, not only for the people of Israel and the United States but for the entire world. Mammoth Solar will create hundreds of jobs, and produce enough clean energy to power over one hundred and seventy thousand households annually."

"Israel, the Start-up Nation, is on the cutting edge of clean technology. As someone who has worked for many years, as Minister of Environment and a member of parliament, to address the challenges of climate change, I deeply believe that a U.S.-Israel strategic climate alliance can play an extremely critical role in advancing the innovation needed to ensure both strong economic growth and clean air, land and seas, for us and for our children."

Ambassador Erdan added, "Friends, this is just the beginning. If our relationship is the Indy 500, then we are only on the first lap. As Mammoth Solar shows, our cooperation today can help ensure that we play a leading role in the innovative industries of tomorrow, from renewable energy to smart agriculture, and from cyber-security to life sciences. As Israel’s Ambassador, I am committed to furthering our relationship in every way." (TOI / VFI News)

“God, we thank You for the knowledge and education that allows Your people to advance technology.”

Israel submitted the highest number of ransomware samples for analysis to a cybersecurity research group commissioned by Google to publish a major study on the phenomenon, according to data released Thursday, October 14.

Cybersecurity firm VirusTotal published the Ransomware Activity Report, which entailed reviewing 80 million ransomware samples from 140 countries.

Israel, South Korea, Vietnam, China, Singapore, India, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Iran and the United Kingdom were the 10 most-affected territories based on the number of submissions reviewed by VirusTotal.

According to the report, Israel had a near 600 percent increase from its baseline number of submissions between January 2020 and September 2021. It was not clear what Israel’s baseline was.

The report added that Windows-based computers accounted for 95% of the ransomware targets, compared to just 2% on Android devices.

The report comes as an Israeli hospital faced a major ransomware cyberattack, crippling systems, which could take months to recover.

Earlier this week, Microsoft said that it had identified a group of Iranian hackers targeting Israeli and American defense technology companies using the tech giant’s products, as well as firms running maritime shipping in the Middle East.

The statement came as Israel and Iran have accused each other of attacks on ships in the Middle East, and amid reports of growing efforts by Tehran to avenge the death of its top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, killed last year. Separately, Google warned on Friday of a surge in state-backed hackers, with a report focusing on the “notable campaigns” of a group linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. (TOI / VFI News)

Israeli judoka and Olympic medalist Raz Hershko, 23, took home a gold medal in the women’s +78kg category at the Paris Grand Slam 2021 on Sunday, October 17, capping off a successful run for Israeli athletes at the international competition.

Gefen Primo took home gold in the women’s -52kg category a day earlier, and Inbar Lanir picked up a bronze earlier Sunday in the women’s -78kg category.

Overall, Israel sent five women to the Paris Grand Slam and three returned with medals. Israel finished the competition ranked in third place overall for the most medals out of 45 competing nations, coming after Japan and Russia.

Culture and Sports Minister Chili Tropper congratulated Hershko on her win on Sunday.

“Raz, your accomplishments are the fruits of hard work and a long journey,” he said, also adding his congratulations to Lanir: “You are both a huge inspiration for every girl and teenager in Israel.”

Hershko — who took home bronze at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year for her role in the mixed group competition — beat out France’s Lea Fontaine to take the top prize. Lanir — who also holds a bronze from the Olympic team competition despite not competing — defeated the Netherlands’ Karen Stevenson to clinch third place.

On Saturday, Primo, 21, beat France’s Astride Gneto for the gold medal.

“I’m so happy for this medal, particularly in this tournament,” Primo told reporters after her win on Saturday. “For me, winning a gold medal at the Paris Grand Slam is another small dream that I accomplished. I’m happy that the hard work I invested has come to fruition at such a prestigious competition.”

Primo won bronze at the 2021 World Judo Championships in Budapest in June, as well as at the European Championships in Lisbon in April. (TOI / VFI News)

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” - Proverbs 31:25

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

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