Shelanu TV on Prime Time News in Israel!

Last week, as hundreds of thousands of Israelis were waiting eagerly for the nightly news story on the miraculous recovery of the remains of the last hostage out of Gaza, another miracle happened live on national television! 

I asked Moti Cohen to share the details surrounding this amazing event. In addition to being our pastor at Tiferet Yeshua, Moti is a regular contributor to Shelanu TV and he spends a lot of time online answering questions from people watching our videos. 

PS—Be sure to read to the end for a surprise twist! 

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How God Used an Anti-Messianic Prime Time News Report to Spread the Gospel on Shelanu TV

By Moti Cohen

Lead Pastor, Tiferet Yeshua, Tel Aviv 

Monday evening, January 26, was a very significant day in the State of Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis were waiting for the evening news to receive details about the IDF’s remarkable operation to recover the body of the last kidnapped hostage from Gaza. 

That same evening, just before the news broadcast began, we received a prayer request from Bat El Tagen, who was about to be featured on Channel 14 because of her belief in Yeshua. Bat El is currently running for the Israeli Knesset (Parliament), and the report was clearly intended to damage her candidacy. 

Bat El is a very active Messianic Jew. For a long time, she preached the gospel on Shelanu TV. Because of her bold faith, she has also received a great deal of opposition—and venom—on social media, primarily from religious Jews who simply do not understand. (Please pray for the blinders to be removed.) 

She has also faced resistance from within her own community. Some Ethiopian Jews strongly objected to what Bat El was sharing on Shelanu TV. 

Bat El is truly a hero among Messianic Jews. She preaches the gospel without shame and lives out her faith through action. She is a lawyer who served in the IDF in the Military Advocate General’s office, and she continues to fight for justice in Israel.

Bat El is very active in the Knesset and participates in several Knesset committees, especially those dealing with military recruitment. The issue of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students—most of whom do not enlist in the army—is one of the most contentious topics in Israeli society. Since the October 7 war, this issue has caused even deeper division. Most Israelis are outraged that the ultra-religious do not serve, and those who do often face persecution. (But that is a story for another email.) 

Bat El is a member of a new political party founded by former Knesset member Yoaz Hendel. The party is called Miflagat HaMiluimnikim, more easily known as The Reservists’ Party. It is made up of IDF reservists who fought in the war in Gaza, along with family members, wounded veterans, and bereaved families who want to see real change in the country. 

This party is rapidly gaining popularity among Israeli soldiers. Yoaz Hendel himself is a powerful example: a family man who, at the age of 50, served extensively in reserve duty during the war against Hamas. 

Because political opponents want to damage this new party, they chose to target Bat El—labeling her a “missionary” (a derogatory term in Hebrew)—and claimed that Hendel had placed a Messianic Jew on the Knesset list. 

And so, on an evening when so many Israelis were already glued to their screens, Channel 14—a hugely popular, right-leaning news channel, kind of like Israel’s version of Fox News—aired a report about Bat El’s faith and her work on Shelanu TV. 

Yes—Shelanu TV footage was shown on prime-time Israeli news.

During the broadcast, viewers saw Bat El boldly declaring, “Jesus is the Messiah,” and inviting people to read the New Testament, straight from a Shelanu TV advertisement encouraging viewers to order the book. All of this was aired on the main evening news, reaching hundreds of thousands of Israelis. 

In her prayer request, Bat El wrote that she was grateful—and even hopeful—that this report would ultimately help spread the gospel, bring attention to Shelanu TV, and expose more Israelis to its content. 

Yoaz Hendel’s response was also very encouraging. If the goal of the report was to pressure him into removing Bat El from the party, it failed. Hendel stated clearly that the party’s mission is to promote military service in the IDF, not to police the private faith of its activists or candidates. The party includes Jewish, Christian, Arab, and Druze candidates, and anyone who has served in the IDF is welcome. 

Hendel also pointed out that Bat El had previously been an activist in the Likud party (Netanyahu’s party), and no one objected to her faith then. He added that they are happy she chose to join the Reservists’ Party. 

Let us remember Bat El in prayer. May the Lord bless her path and her candidacy for the Knesset. And let us pray that many more Israelis will come to know Yeshua through Shelanu TV. 

Shelanu is able to share the gospel online because of your generosity. Israelis are suffering from PTSD in record numbers, and we know that true peace comes only from the Prince of Peace. Please consider becoming a monthly partner with Shelanu through Messiah’s Mandate. Click here to help ensure that we can continue reaching Israelis with the message of eternal life.

GIVE HERE

In Yeshua,



Pastor Moti Cohen Tiferet Yeshua

Contributor to Shelanu TV

P.S. Yoaz Hendel was the Minister of Communications when Shelanu was removed from cable TV in 2020, and at that time he did not stand with us. But it appears the Lord has given him another opportunity—and this time, he passed the test.