Displaying items by tag: Middle East

A woman leads the fight against coronavirus in the Palestinian territories, while at the same time it has brought more violence and suffering to women. Umm Iyad travels to the northern West Bank to follow up on emergency procedures as part of the efforts to stem the outbreak of coronavirus. She has been heading the village council since 2017, and is now head of the emergency committee. She is also working on a community initiative to cultivate land and grow vegetables to achieve self-sufficiency for the villagers. However, during lockdown, statistics showed social workers across the Palestinian governorates have been dealing with increased victims of domestic violence. 40% of women have been subjected to emotional and mental abuse, and 31% to physical abuse. 60% of the victims have fled their houses, and 21% attempted suicide.

Israel is threatening to shut down a Hebrew-language evangelical channel aiming ‘to take the gospel of Jesus into 700,000 Jewish households’. Under its newly issued license, Shelanu TV, an arm of God TV, is now prohibited from broadcasting content that subjects viewers to ‘undue influence.’ It is illegal to proselytise under-18s without gaining parental consent. The Likud party’s communications minister said that they will not allow missionary channels to operate in Israel under any circumstance, and has launched a comprehensive investigation to determine that no channel is violating the terms of its license: ‘if indeed this channel is engaged in missionary activities, it will be taken down immediately.’ Ron Kantor, Shelanu’s regional director, said his network had been entirely transparent during the licensing process. ‘I immediately asked them, 'Can we broadcast in Hebrew?' And the answer was an emphatic yes. We were told many times that laws have changed and there was no issue with our programming.’

Manufacturing clothes was once a pillar of Gaza’s economy, with 900 factories employing 36,000 Palestinians. But the industry collapsed in 2007 when Hamas seized control of Gaza and Israel banned the export of clothing from Gaza to Israel or the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Ziad Qassem’s 25 years as a tailor seemed worthless in the cruel blockade: unemployed, debt piling up, worried how he would provide for his wife and five children. Coronavirus came to the rescue. Demand for masks and protective gear soared worldwide. Gaza garment factories are flooded with new orders from Israel, ordinarily seen by much of Gaza’s Palestinian population as the enemy. Israeli rights groups have called for the permanent easing of restrictions that govern entry in and out of the Gaza enclave, home to some two million people, so that the economy can function more normally even after the pandemic. See

On 29 April, banks across Lebanon were torched and vandalised by hundreds of demonstrators during the second night of protests over their currency recently losing 50% in value. The largest and most violent protests were in Tripoli, the second-largest, and poorest, city. One 26-year-old protester died from army gunshot wounds and many were hospitalised from heavy-handed responses to protests. Human Rights Watch called for transparent investigations into the death. Poverty has worsened during the nationwide pandemic lockdown. The social affairs minister estimated that 75% of the population require aid in a country of about six million - but that aid has been meagre and slow to come. Massive anti-government protests began in October but paused during lockdown. Now they are angrier and more desperate. On 30 April the Daily Star reported 23 soldiers wounded overnight in Tripoli and Sidon.

A ceasefire few expected to last is holding in Idlib, for now - but the last rebel-held area in northwest Syria is bracing itself for the expected onslaught of the deadly coronavirus. The 5 March truce between Russia and Turkey halted a dangerous escalation of nine punishing years of war in Syria, but Idlib's breathing space is fraught with fear of the new enemy. The health system has been destroyed by bombing by Russian and Syrian warplanes. Nearly a million displaced people, sheltering inside flimsy tents, or on open ground, have few defences against the powerful Covid-19. ‘There's a humanitarian and political imperative for a complete, immediate nationwide ceasefire throughout Syria’, said the UN special envoy, in his recent briefing to the UN Security Council.

For the first time since Israel’s establishment in 1948, the country will soon have two prime ministers. Benjamin Netanyahu will be the active premier over the coming eighteen months, while Benjamin ‘Benny’ Gantz will be the ‘designated prime minister in rotation’ and replace Netanyahu in September or October 2021. Both Benjamins will enjoy the same government perks: an official residence underwritten by the government, a fleet of official automobiles, a Shin Bet security detail, and more. To prevent Netanyahu from reneging on the rotation agreement, an unprecedented ‘rotation law’ will codify the process and put it on automatic pilot. When voting on the government, Knesset members will authorise the process, including blocking the possibility of changing it. Netanyahu and Gantz will both be sworn in as prime minister, the only difference being that one will begin work immediately and the other one later.

In conjunction with Revive Israel — LIVE on YouTube and Facebook

Join us on the 7th of April (3pm Jerusalem)!

As the nations are shaking, in distress and great turmoil, many across the global Body of Christ are sensing that the Spirit of God is highlighting Passover this year in a significant way. They are hearing God summoning His people, Jews and Gentiles, to gather as one and commune at the Lord’s Table for this year’s Passover memorial. There is a holy alignment that God is birthing in His Global Church, His Ekklesia, that we may be one with one another and with Him.

On the very first passover, more than 3000 years ago, the Israelites were protected from the angel of death by the blood of the lamb that was applied to the door posts of their homes. They came under the protection of the Almighty God. Later that same night, they were called out and freed from Egypt that they might go and worship God, being led by His Presence to the promise land.

We believe we, His covenant people, are in such a time yet again. The Lord is summoning us to come under the shadow of the Almighty, and be covered by the blood of our true Passover Lamb, Yeshua. He is calling us out of our Egypt, our Babylon, the world systems and spirits that have defiled and entangled His Bride. It is time for the Global Ekklesia to rise and shine as One army in holy array, in the alignment of the Oneness of God, as One global family with His Presence!

This is the hour when Yeshua will be revealed and unveiled to the eyes of all, Jews and Gentiles, and to see His glory and for a great multitude to be brought into His family. It is time to enter the fullness of the unshakeable Kingdom of Jesus, the Messiah as it is manifest now, more than ever, in the midst of these global shakings. We are at the threshold of the greatest global revival the world has ever known.

For King Jesus and His unshakeable kingdom!

The event will be live-streamed on our Facebook account and YouTube channel.

Watchmen for the Nations
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It has been almost ten years since the horrific war began. The Syrian army has retaken most of the land (except Idlib). Many believe that what happens here could be the culmination of the entire war. Recent devastating airstrikes and ground operations have forced millions to run again. But to where? No nation wants them. Refugee camps are full, and it is winter. This has the potential to be the worst refugee and humanitarian crisis in Syria yet. An incredibly fragile ceasefire was declared, bringing a tense calm. But for these traumatised masses, it was too late. Bad news has been coming out of Syria for so long, we hardly even notice any more. But Jesus does. Let us not give up praying for peace in the nation and in every heart in Syria.

A damning report, prepared last year, has been released. It detailed Israel’s lack of preparation for a major epidemic. A pre-coronavirus scenario in the report (based on an influenza epidemic) expected about 2,250,000 infected residents (25% of the population) with an increase in morbidity spread over eight weeks, about 150,000 more hospitalised, 25,000 in intensive care, and 12,500 needing ventilation. The report stated that the health system was greatly burdened all year round, with many departments overcrowded, and there was a shortage of ICUs. Now there is a lack of protective medical gear, and problems with infection testing. Netanyahu said nobody was ready for corona.

Israel’s government has approved emergency regulations to enable the Shin Bet to perform mass surveillance of phones belonging to Israelis who contracted COVID-19. This is not to monitor quarantined people, but to track the movements of those found to be coronavirus carriers, to see with whom they interacted in the 14 days before they were diagnosed. Those who were contacted will receive SMS messages instructing them to enter home quarantine. Netanyahu announced the use of these digital counterterrorism measures, as one of several drastic steps to curb the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. He acknowledged that the digital measures might interfere with people’s privacy, but he argued that Taiwan has successfully used similar means in order to stop the coronavirus spread. Public criticism and warnings by human rights groups mean that authorities must limit these measures to only thirty days.