Middle East Update
Aid to Syrian from Christians and Jews
Ron with Lt. Col. Moreno (c) and Dalton Thomas (r) on the Golan Heights at border with Syria.
On Sunday, I went to the Golan Heights on the Israeli/Syrian border to interview leaders of FAI Relief. The founder of the group, Dalton Thomas, is a believer and his Chief of Operations is Jewish IDF Lt. Col. (res) Marco Moreno. Moreno was the creator of the Israeli Defense Forces “Good Neighbor Program,” that treats Syrians in need of medical attention and brings in aid. I will write a full blog about this, and we are going to create a 30-minute documentary for GOD TV.
In short, Moreno made contact with the Syrian rebels when the civil war began. They developed a relationship and began to bring wounded Syrians into Israel for treatment. And this is changing the way many Syrians view Israel.
“The Syrians when they came the first time, they were surprised because they saw the Arabic language on the signs. They asked, ‘How come it is in Arabic here?’ We told them, ‘We have 1,000,000 Muslims living in Israel, and they are part of us.’ And then they will go to the hospital. They will see a Christian doctor, a Muslim doctor, a Jewish doctor working together.’ “They would say, ‘This is not what we have been told [about Israel. We’ve been told that] you guys are the big Zionist enemy and here you are saving our lives.”
FAI Relief recruits doctors from all over the world and takes them into Syria for three months at a time. I was able to talk to Tanya. Tanya is barely five feet tall and looks like she is in her teens. But she is a 29-year-old Peruvian Wonder Woman with a medical degree. She works tirelessly, treating the Syrians caught in the civil war.
Dalton Thomas heads up the mission and, after living several years in Iraq, relocated his family to the Golan Heights. He and Moreno cooperate with the IDF to take doctors and aid into Syria.
“We need human bodies. We need ‘salt and light’ people on the ground. So if you are a medical professional, education, psychological trauma counseling, you name it, we need it.”
Fore more information go to www.FAIRelief.org.
Defense Minister Vows To Protect Syrians from Syria
Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday that Israel will defend the 1974 buffer zone between Israel and Syria. Israel will not allow any Syrian soldier in the buffer zone on the border, and the Assad regime will be the target of retaliation.
“This attempt to establish terror infrastructure in the Syrian Golan Heights under the regime’s purview is unacceptable to us. We will operate with full power against any terrorist infrastructure we identify in the area.”
The Russian-backed Syrians have been advancing southwards, causing over 300,000 refugees to gather in the buffer zone, seeking safety. Under the auspices of the United Nations, the buffer zone, about 80 km long, and between 0.5 and 10 km wide, was created after Israel defeated Syria in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Part of that agreement was that neither side would build up its military on the border. Israel believes it has every right to stop any attempt from Syria.
Lieberman continued, “As far as we are concerned, the Syrian regime is responsible and it will pay a heavy price for cooperating with the axis powers [referring to Iran and Hezbollah] and for trying to set up terror structures here.”
Iran’s goal is to create a military base in Syria, from which they can unleash terror attacks on Israel. Israel has been steadily destroying each attempt. Just a few days ago Israel was thought to be behind an airstrike on a Syrian airbase near Homs, that was believed to a base for Iranian fighters.
A Girl and Her Sad Before and After Pictures
Hamas terrorists continue to provoke Israel by sending kites with incendiary devices aimed to start fires in Israel’s farm country. Estimates are that 28,000 dunams (7,000 acres) have been burned since March 31st using, not only kites, but balloons and even condoms.
On the news, Sunday, a girl was interviewed about pictures she took in the spring. She went back to the place and recreated the pictures. Only, now, the beautiful field has been burnt to the ground.
Israel is looking for ways to halt the attacks. One of the crossings has been closed in order to put pressure on Hamas.
“Kerem Shalom is the main commercial crossing into the Gaza Strip. The IDF announced that there would be no export or marketing of goods from the Gaza Strip – except for humanitarian supplies such as food and medicine which will have to be approved on an individual basis by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).” —Jerusalem Post
A military aid said,
“The Hamas terrorist organization is responsible for what is happening in the Gaza Strip, and its consequences. Hamas is dragging the residents of the Gaza Strip into an abyss, and the IDF will continue to act as necessary to preserve the security interests of the State of Israel.”
Bibi and Putin Set to Meet Today
Amid Israel’s commitment to bomb Iranian infrastructure in Syria and Syrian forces making their way south to the Israeli border, Prime Minister Netanyahu is set to meet today with Russian President Vladimir Putin. One might wonder why Putin cares what little Israel thinks.
It is simple. Israel has the military might to put Syria back in the stones age. Russia does not desire for a conflict with Israel—not out of fear, but there is simply no reason for it—nothing to gain. Russia wants one thing: To keep Syria as a paying client. So Bibi will express to Putin that we will not attack the Syrian regime, but we will not tolerate Iran to build a permanent presence in the region.
The Prime Minister’s office sent word yesterday to Russia’s foreign ministry that Israel will,
“not tolerate a military presence by Iran or its proxies anywhere in Syria and that Syria must strictly abide by the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement.”
Meaning, stay away from the Golan border with Israel!
Prayer Points:
Pray for the Prime Minister’s meeting with Putin.
Pray for our friends with FAI Relief that they would continue to be a powerful witness to the Syrian people. Pray for revival in their midst as the see first-hand, the love of Yeshua.
Pray for a supernatural solution to the “Kite Bombs” from Gaza.
Pray that the Iranian people, who are tired of propping up terror organizations would rise up successfully against their government.
Pray that God would move in Israel, opening up the eyes of His people to Yeshua.
How your Gift will Impact Israel
When you support Messiah’s Mandate, you are supporting Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv that is sharing the good news of Yeshua, discipling Israeli believers, raising up young leaders and serving the needy. We continue to see growth as God fulfills his promise to remove the blinders from the Jewish people in the end-times. Just go to www.standwithmmi.org and take your stand for Israel. Let’s believe for revival in the Israel and the whole Middle East!
