Displaying items by tag: Asia

Religious Jewish parties won nearly 20% of the vote in the national election on 17 September. Previously, those parties have united with the conservative Likud party to form a governing coalition. But now the religious-nationalist bloc fell short of a majority in the Knesset, winning only 56 of the 120 seats. Seven decades after Israel’s founding, the debate over Judaism’s place in public life rages on. Israeli political battle lines often fracture along balancing Jewish religion and liberal democracy. These tensions were a central issue in the election, and will influence the composition of Israel’s next government.

Following April’s elections Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition, the first such failure in Israeli history. Snap elections will now be held on 17 September. The polls predict another election result that would make it impossible to form a government. Pray for a breakthrough, asking God to bring about His government for Israel. Claim the words of Isaiah 1:26 for these elections. Let the voters have Your mind, particularly as they weigh up Netanyahu’s plan to annexe 600 square miles of Palestinian territory. May the results bring a government through which You can be glorified, and may every stumbling stone to prevent a godly government be removed. The autumn feasts of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Succoth begin soon. Pray for Jews to be reconnected to their biblical roots and see the King of Israel, their Messiah and Lord.

According to Indian news outlets the nationalist ruling party is preparing a bill which would make all conversion, not just forced conversions, illegal in all of India’s 29 states. The bill will be presented at the next session of parliament. One Indian Christian leader said that the proposal of a national law that prevents religious conversion sounds like a Hindu Rastra. This is similar to Hitler’s Aryan Reich, calling for the protection of Hindu people and culture and emphasising that political and economic systems should be based on native thought, not concepts borrowed from the West. With media reporting this proposal, radicals are becoming more aggressive. Eight Indian states have already enacted anti-conversion laws, under the heading of ‘freedom of religion’, which in practice serve as a justification for violence against Christians and other non-Hindus. Pray for a thriving Indian society, including journalists, religious figures, government and non-governmental organisations to work for tolerance and goodwill towards all people.

In an unprecedented move, President Erdogan has declared his desire to obtain nuclear weapons, flouting Turkey’s obligations as a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. In a speech he praised the advancement of Turkey’s defence industry, and then said, ‘It is all fine and well, yet some countries have missiles with nuclear warheads, not one or two. But I don’t have missiles with nuclear heads. This I cannot accept.’ This statement reflects his mistrust in the nuclear umbrella of NATO, to which his country belongs. It also suggests that he does not regard the American B61 tactical nuclear weapons deployed at an air base in southern Turkey, as part of NATO’s nuclear programme, as a significant deterrent. Erdogan’s crucial remark, ‘We are currently working on it’, suggests Turkey is engaged in activities to acquire a nuclear capability.

On 1 September Hezbollah fired several precision-guided missiles from Lebanon towards an army base on Israel’s northern border, destroying an IDF armoured vehicle in the attack. Thankfully, there were no soldiers inside it at the time, but there had been just 30 minutes before the attack, leading Israel’s Army Radio to broadcast that Israel and Hezbollah were ‘30 minutes away from war’. Israel led Hezbollah to believe that there were casualties by staging a well-planned medical evacuation, prompting the terror group to hold fire and giving Israel tactical advantage to strike back with artillery and helicopter fire, sending over 100 shells into Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. Many lives are at risk due to escalating tensions between Israel and Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah.

Christian workers report several encouraging developments in the demanding Afghanistan mission field. Seven new believers recently formed a house church after being baptised, translators are working on three new Bible projects for minority languages, and followers of Christ are now present in every one of the country’s 34 provinces. As we celebrate God at work in Afghanistan, we are also asked to pray for the future success of various media projects such as films, radio, satellite TV, and social media outreach, so that every one of the currently unreached people groups is touched by the Holy Spirit.

In 1989, the longest human chain in history (675 kilometres) was formed from north Estonia across Latvia to south Lithuania, as a moral protest against the illegal occupation of those lands by the Soviet Union. Thirty years later, thousands of protesters formed an unauthorised but peaceful human chain across Hong Kong in a movement against the erosion of liberties under Chinese rule. On 29 August, at 3 am, Hong Kong became alarmed as Chinese troops, armoured personnel carriers and trucks poured into the city in what Beijing called 'routine' troop rotation. China has made it clear recently that it considers a military intervention in the crisis a viable option, despite US warnings that this might lead to a repeat of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. On 30 August, three prominent protesters were arrested. See

Recently there have been four attacks on weapons storage facilities belonging to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) militia. Some factions of the PMU are believed to be Iran proxies, which might explain why there have been accusations of possible US and Israeli involvement. The latest attack took place even though prime minister Mahdi had closed Iraqi airspace to all unauthorised flights of drones, spy planes, jets and helicopters; including the US-led coalition. With Israel being suspected of organising these attacks, some claim that the United States and Russia have allowed them to do so. Iraq’s president said his country does not want to become a battleground for other countries at the expense of its people. ‘Iraq's interest comes first, and the nation will not allow others to turn it into a land for competition.’

Lebanon opened fire on Israeli surveillance drones on 28 August, heightening the conflict between the warring neighbours. Lebanon does not usually attempt to down Israel’s unmanned surveillance planes, but its Hizbollah military wing said it was preparing a ‘calculated strike’ against Israel, in retaliation for an Israeli raid on its position near Damascus and a drone attack in Beirut on its Iranian missile-making equipment. Sources believe Lebanon will target Israeli soldiers on patrol near the border. Israeli media reported that Israel had targeted and destroyed machinery used for the production of precision-guided missiles. It is trying to disrupt the flow of weapons and technology from Iran to its proxies in Syria and Lebanon. In response to constant rocket attacks, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes against Hizbollah and Iranian positions in Syria, so far with little response. Lebanon’s president is increasingly influenced by Hizbollah, which is also represented in the country’s parliament.

Emil Masud is an Arab Druze farmer who identifies as ‘for ever Syrian’, and Ofer Megged is a physics professor settler in the contested Golan Heights. The unlikely partners are working together to save the environment against Enrgix, an energy company which wants to erect dozens of turbines, some 64 storeys high, on cherry and apple orchards owned by the Druze. They promised jobs and financial incentives and about 40 Druze landowners agreed. Then news emerged of infrasound waves from the turbines that cause headaches, nausea and dizzy spells. The fertility of farmers’ bountiful agricultural lands was also at risk. ‘Our lands will be destroyed,’ Masud said. ‘We cannot allow this disaster to happen. Druze, Jews, there is no difference. We have joined hands against a common enemy to stop it.’ Many farmers who signed contracts with Enrgix have reneged, so Enrgix is preparing to file lawsuits.