Hope of Israel

Last Sunday, when the three young Israeli hostages, Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari were released and I watched the videos of them reuniting with their families and loved ones, I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. There were tears of joy and relief upon seeing that they made it home alive. At the same time, my heart is broken for all they have gone through and what they will  continue to face after being traumatized for over 470 days in the hell of the Gaza tunnels.

I know from my own experience with trauma and being separated from a loved one how the initial tragedy doesn’t fully end even after you’ve been reunited, because your loved one will never be the same. Through God’s help, they can overcome the pain they’ve been through, but the wounds are deep, and the scars remain. Everything from the way they go about their daily life to how they relate to others, to how they manage stress is impacted, as anyone who has experienced PTSD knows full well. 

The ceasefire/hostage release deal Israel has essentially been forced to agree with is a terrible “deal” and is really an exchange of life (something precious to Israel) for the possibility of more terror, violence and death (something Hamas is hell-bent on). This coming weekend, Israel is expected to release 200 Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences for violent crimes, in exchange for four Israeli women soldiers who have committed no crimes. In the first phase of the “deal”, Israel will release a total of 1900 Palestinians, many of which are violent criminals, for 33 civilian hostages.

Hamas knows how Israel values one life as if it is the whole world, and how valuable women are to every area of Israeli society.  In contrast, the evil ideology infecting Hamas (and their partners in terror) drive them to sacrifice the women and children of their own communities, using them as human shields. Women are seen as nothing more than property. Equally heartbreaking to what Israel has endured at the hands of Hamas is the way their ideology impacts children in Gaza. As soon as the ceasefire went into effect, Hamas lost no time coming back out into the streets to recruit young boys into their death cult.

While the ceasefire/hostage release deal Israel has agreed to is nothing to celebrate and the released hostages face years of recovery, there is still hope for the future. 

Over the past 15 months, Israel has weakened the “ring of fire” (Iranian proxies) and opened a pathway for Iran’s nuclear facilities to be eliminated. The possibility for the expansion of the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia (with no contingency for a Palestinian state) could also lead to other nations following suit, spreading even more hope throughout the surrounding region.

In the first 24 hours of President Trump’s new administration, he signed over 200 executive orders, five of which directly impact Israel and the Middle East. They include sanctioning the ICC who has relentlessly targeted Israel, defunding UNRWA once again, deporting visa holders that are involved in pro-Hamas activity in US cities and on college campuses, lifting the restriction of arms sales to Israel, and revoking sanctions against Israeli settlers in Judea and Samaria. If Americans can push back against the woke, leftist agenda and elect Donald Trump again after all that has happened in the last four years, there is hope for America’s future as well.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”  

The HOPE of Israel spoken about in Isaiah 42:1-4 can still change hearts and save lives throughout the world.

 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”