Day 43 — Israel in Crisis
Greetings from London!
I woke up thinking of the iconic punk rock hymn, London Calling. It was a defining moment for The Clash in the late seventies.
“It changed the course of the band’s career as they went from underground sensations to bringing punk to the masses … The track is an apocalyptic anthem which … details the many ways the world could end which, during the current climate, feels more relevant than ever.” [1]
Last night in London, Elana and I wanted to be with other Jewish people. We found a local synagogue for Erev Shabbat (Friday evening prayers). We arrived a little late to the nondescript building. A large man guarded the door. “Is your name on the list?” he asked. I had called earlier and gave my name, ‘Ron.’ He went to check and came back and said, “The rabbi is in the middle of leading in prayer. It will be a few minutes.” We assured him that we understood the need for security and waited patiently.
This man saw my kippa and asked to speak to me. He told me how sorry he was and expressed support for Israel 🇮🇱.
How sad! We feel safer in the desert of Israel with rockets falling than in the metropolis of London. A lady named Julia came and got in. Her name was on the list. I felt like I was at an exclusive nightclub. Another two girls came and entered—their names, too, were on the list.
Finally, they let us in, realizing that the “Cantor” at the door was the “Ron” who called earlier. We were led down to a basement. The steps were lined with cinderblock walls. My first thought, “At least we will be safe if Hamas fires rockets…oh, wait…I’m not in Israel.”
We prayed with them until the service ended. We had not planned to stay for dinner, but it was hard to decline. Chabad is known for welcoming Jews of all persuasions. Many were not Orthodox but lonely, Jewish, and in London. Some were French college students—some from Russia or Ukraine.
It was pretty modest and the food was not…well, not my wife’s. But the people were so sweet. The rabbi, a plump Englishman, told me that he walks the streets of London with his traditional Jewish clothes. He will not compromise out of fear We spoke with an Israeli man in his late 70s. He said to us, אימה נפלה על היהודים בלונדון (Fear has fallen in the Jews of London).
However, we learned quickly that the antisemitism is not coming from the native people of London. They have been amazing. One hundred percent of people we’ve encountered have been sympathetic to Israel's plight. One couple said that Israel is fighting “our battle.” The protesters and those committing violence against Jews are Muslim immigrants from the Middle East. Taxi drivers, hotel workers, and people on the train all expressed support for Israel’s position. “We opened our doors to them, and they teach their children in schools to hate the local people,” said one taxi driver.
Also, there are a lot of uneducated GenZ'rs. I saw an interview with one girl who was protesting against Israel and for Palestine. The interviewer asked her what she thought about the Hamas invasion on October 7. She did not even know of the terrorist attack!
While our heart is to love Muslims and reach them for Yeshua, the goal of Hamas, Iran and Hezbollah is Global Jihad; they have said as much. Both Nasrallah of Hezbollah and Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ military leader, are hoping for more nations to join the Jihad war against Israel. The other day, Nasrallah called for more protests from Muslims around the world.
In other words (Harvard and Columbia, listen up!), Israel’s fight will soon be your fight!
Please keep us in prayer. Our bodies are tired. In addition to forty days of stress and anxiety, we have been traveling for the past few days. We are now on a train to the south of England, in Cornwall. I will preach tomorrow and then rush back to London, where I will give a short speech at a Christian rally for Israel.
And then…off to precious America for my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. I can’t wait to see my family and my Jewish friends from childhood.
Thank you for you all have been doing! We can only do this together!
Stories from Israel
This is an interview with an elite Israeli soldier. WARNING: Graphic details. He speaks of a baby being cooked before his parents in an oven and then shot. We share these things not because we enjoy it, but because the world says October 7th did not happen. Or, it was a military operation. No! It was murder. It was savagery. We must document. We must watch. We must remember.
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