In Israel, the threat is real

If you’ve been following the news, Israel is on high alert, bracing for an attack by Iran and/or its proxies. US and Israeli intelligence consider an attack on Israel to be a matter of WHEN, not IF. Following news in Israel, it feels like every other article/commentary is about one aspect or another of Iran’s planned attack: 

• that an Iranian attack will be big enough to hit Israel hard, but not too big to draw Israel and others into a wider regional conflict;

• that Israel is jamming GPS all over the country to prevent precision GPS-guided missiles from hitting their targets; 

• whether Israel’s anti-missile defense systems can meet the potential challenges; 

• US officials instructing its embassy staff not to leave big cities until further notice; 

• what this is doing to tourism, the economy, calling up reservists again, and how it's impacting society broadly; 

• what if anything this is doing to negotiations to release ALL the 133 hostages Hamas holds in captivity in Gaza; 

• world governments telling Iran not to launch an attack that will create a wider conflict; 

• Israel’s Homefront Command instructing Israelis how to be prepared for an attack, supplying homes and bomb shelters, and generally to be aware; 

• how all this is going to impact the upcoming Passover holiday and preparations for it; 

• and as of this writing, intelligence reports that an attack may be within 24-48 hours. 

I have given a number of media interviews recently and noted that there is a deep sense of stress here, one that’s not gone away from the outbreak of the current war and massacre that Hamas perpetrated on October 7, and from which we have not fully recovered. Now, it’s just more, impacting most Israelis. 

In one interview, I spoke about the inevitability and the necessity of a war against Hezbollah in Lebanon (and perhaps Iran). The host asked me to clarify why it was necessary, thinking that some might hear that we are looking for a war. No. It’s the opposite. Israel was not looking for a war on October 6. We probably would have gone along kicking the can down the road dealing with Hamas, even though they made their intentions clear: genocide against the Jewish people and destruction of Israel. 

Hezbollah is worse. A war is necessary because 100,000 Israelis have been evacuated from their homes on the Lebanese border, turning entire cities into ghost towns. Hundreds of homes and other buildings have been hit by Hezbollah rockets, missiles and drones as they fire these on an almost daily basis. The threat that they pose – with between 150,000-350,000 long-range and precision missiles – allows them to hit all of Israel. As a proxy of Iran, they must be stopped because the threat is no longer tolerable (not that it was before, we just lived with a false sense of security and a “rational” thought that they might not really do what they threatened. October 7 blew that idea up, literally. 

So no, Israelis do not WANT a war with Hezbollah, or anyone else. But we cannot live like this with the threat of war and terror that they pose. It’s necessary to stop them, but we know it will come with a grave price. Estimates that could be thousands or more Israelis killed. We don’t want that, and to be honest we don’t want to inflict reciprocal damage on Lebanon. But the UN and Lebanese people and government that have allowed Hezbollah to amass these weapons make them culpable. Unfortunately, a war with Hezbollah (and possibly Iran) is not only necessary, but may be imminent. 

Friends all over the world are reaching out, to express support and concern, and ask what can be done. The simplest and easiest answer to them all is to pray. I’m asking people to pray for our enemies, that God will perform a miracle and change their hearts. That’s the only way we can see that might prevent a war. I’m asking people to pray that all of the Israel Defense Forces will succeed in complete victory, protecting the State and the people of Israel, and eradicating the terrorists, their weapons, and any future threat. I’m asking people to pray that God will continue to protect Israel, even when its allies cannot be relied upon, that all Israelis will be safe, that they will be free from stress and fear, and that in being victorious, our enemies will see that God is the One true God, that His covenant with Israel has never been broken, and that Israel's enemies will abandon Allah and come to know their Creator and repent. 

As a more scary and dangerous war seems to be coming closer, I have been working feverishly to be sure that the Genesis 123 Foundation is continuing to monitor what we can do and how we can continue to make the biggest impact with the greatest integrity, and give people around the world a place through which they can rely upon for material donations as well. 

Allow me to share one personal note. Many people have asked me about my faith since October 7. I’ve come to a fascinating realization that is a comfort amid the fear. I read my Bible differently now. I see the wars against the Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, Moabites, and all the other “ites” and while I realize that we were victorious, it was not without fear, pain, suffering, and death. We don’t read of the Jewish soldier in these battles who was fearful for his life and that of his loved ones. We don’t read about the individual deaths. But we know that wars were fought by Jewish men, men my age and younger, and that they had real and justifiable fears. 

As a father and grandfather, I do not get to fight in the IDF. I have many fears, however. For my family, for my country, and for my people. I realize that thousands of years ago, in battles that were no less significant and recorded in the Bible, Jewish men like me had the same fears. We were victorious. We will be victorious. But this will not be without loss and suffering. I pray that it does not get close to my family, but I don’t really know. Strangely, this gives me a sense of comfort. My faith is still strong, but I am still fearful. It’s the same story as thousands of years ago, just in modern times. God still is protecting us, but this time we have an additional protection: you. 

This morning, while running errands before Shabbat, the threat became real on another level. The cell phone store in the neighborhood shopping center is now selling gas-powered generators. We’ve been talking for weeks about the likelihood that an attack by Hezbollah or Iran could take out the power grid for some time. People are stocking up. As for us, we have a solar panel that will give us electricity for all but large appliances. 

The threat to Israel is real. Please pray.