Subscribe to TNS Weekly Report by e-mail! Weekly News of Faith in Israel Week ending Shabbat, December 24, 2005 23 Kislev, 5766 United States Congress calls for ban on Hamas: Following a huge victory for Hamas in local elections, the Congress of the United States of America voted to freeze aid to the "Palestinian" Authority if Hamas takes part in parliamentary elections. The landslide vote of 397 to 17 resolved that "terrorist organizations such as Hamas should not be permitted to participate in Palestinian elections until such organizations recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, cease incitement, condemn terrorism, and permanently disarm and dismantle their terrorist infrastructure." The resolution also calls on "Palestinian" Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to declare openly his intention to dismantle the terrorist organizations before the election. Other language in the resolution suggesting that allowing Hamas or any other terrorist organization to participate in the election could "undermine the ability of the United States to have a constructive relationship with, or provide further assistance to, the Palestinian Authority." Senior official in the Fatah party, Fares Kadoura, rejected the decision of the United States. "We don't need to coordinate our internal policies in accordance with what is decided there in Congress," Kadoura said. "No one can dictate to the Palestinian people their method of government." The European Union also warned that it might also halt tens of millions of dollars of aid to the "Palestinian" Authority if Hamas wins the election and fails to renounce violence. Editor's note: Since when does "renouncing violence" change anything? Later in the week seventy United States senators called on President Bush to make it clear to "Palestinian" leaders that the United States wants terrorist organizations to disarm or be banned from the upcoming elections. In a letter to president Bush the senators said the United States "would have little choice but to reevaluate all aspects of our relations" with the "Palestinian" Authority if Hamas "or such groups" were brought into it. What we suspected all along is officially stated: Many of us thought it, said it, or even discussed it, but finally someone with credibility has stated it. In an interview last week with the New York Sun, former Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Chief-of-Staff Lieutenant-General Moshe Ya'alon said that six weeks before the Americans launched their offensive, the Iraqi government moved its chemical weapons to Syria. "He (Hussein) transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria," said Ya'alon. "No one went to Syria to find it." Ya'alon's statement contradicts U.S. President George W. Bush's recent statement that "much of the intelligence" on Iraq "turned out to be wrong," and that it appears as though Saddam did not possess weapons of mass destruction. Bush has no choice but to describe the situation as a "blunder" until weapons of mass destruction are found. It looks as though they may have been looking in the wrong place. Israel strikes northern Gaza: On Sunday "Palestinian" terrorists fired a rocket into an industrial zone in the southern city of Ashkelon (left). No one was injured, but the rocket exploded near an electric power station and a fuel depot outside the city. In response, Israeli aircraft pelted northern Gaza with at least ten missiles early Monday (right). An Israeli military representative said the goal was to destroy the roads used by terrorists to reach the border fence and fire rockets into Israel. Since last summer's "disengagement" from Gaza, Jewish communities no longer block the way, allowing terrorists to get closer to the border and launch their rockets. Zeev Boim, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister, said the military should go beyond its current practice of firing artillery shells and missiles at the fields in northern Gaza (where terrorists have been launching rockets). "They have already reached Ashkelon," Boim said. Israel should strike terrorist cells "in the areas where they prepare them (build the rockets) and the areas where the launching teams are located." Despite these efforts, four more Qassams were fired from the northern Gaza Strip Tuesday evening, landing in Israel. One Qassam landed in an IDF base, although it was targeted at southern Ashkelon. No one was injured. Two other Qassams landed in open fields north and south of the city of Sderot. The fourth rocket fell in the western Negev. Again late Thursday morning "Palestinian" terrorists fired two Qassams (left) into Israel. The rockets landed on the Zikim army base just south of Ashkelon striking near the mess hall, which was filled with officers at the time. Five soldiers were injured including battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel Yossi Drori. Later the same day the IDF unleashed a massive artillery barrage in response to the morning Qassam rocket attack. Israel has now decided to step up its targeted killings of senior Islamic Jihad officials in response to all the recent Qassam fire. The IDF has also decided to impose an "aerial siege" aimed at keeping "Palestinians" from entering the ruins of three previously Jewish settlements in northern Gaza that have been frequent launch sites for the rockets. Terrorists killed: On Wednesday an elite Border Police unit attempted the arrest of Ziad Moussa, the Hamas terrorist responsible for the killing of Staff-Sergent Yonatan Evron last month. Moussa fired at Israeli soldiers as he tried to escape, but was shot dead. Wednesday night security forces also apprehended Islamic Jihad terrorist Muhammad Kashua, who assisted in carrying out the October terror attack in Hadera in which six Israelis were murdered. Also Wednesday night six other wanted Islamic Jihad and Hamas terrorists were arrested in villages near Jenin and in Bethlehem. On Thursday the local commander of the Popular Front for the Liberation of "Palestine," Bashar Hanani, was killed in Shechem, along with two of his accomplices as they were resisting arrest. Hanani was responsible for the bombing of the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv more than a year ago, and the attack on the Geha Junction bus stop two years ago. Seven Israelis were murdered in those attacks and dozens more were wounded. Israel's Nobel Prize Recipient Speaks Out: On Wednesday Professor Yisrael Aumann, Nobel Laureate, addressed the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, where he called the August Disengagement from the Gaza Strip and communities of Samaria a "disaster." Aumann, who last week received the Nobel Prize for Economics due to his work in game theory, attacked the unilateral removal of Jews from Gaza and northern Samaria. He said that continued withdrawals would only lead to bloodshed, as they signal that Israel does not know what to do and is merely taking an action for the sake of "doing something." Priest's robe ready for Temple: The Techelet (azure blue) robe of the High Priest has been completed by the Temple Institute after arduous work and research and it is hoped to be fit to be worn in the Third Temple. The blue "coat" (me'il techelet) has 72 golden bells alternating with 72 pomegranates attached around its hem, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet wool. It joins the already completed ephod and choshen (breastplate), featuring the twelve precious stones representative of the twelve tribes of Israel. They are located at the Temple Institute in the old city of Jerusalem, and it is hoped they will be found fit to be used by the High Priest in the third temple. Yehudit Avraham, a master weaver, wove the robe using the Navajo "two-sided" weaving technique. The Techelet dye used is the most widely accepted of the blue dyes believed to be the "Biblical Blue." "This is the first robe woven entirely out of techelet in nearly 2,000 years," said Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute. "Next week we shall begin to observe the holiday of Chanukah, which marks the rededication of the Second Temple in the days when the wicked King Antiochus rose up against the Jewish people with decrees meant to separate them from G-d and His Torah. Chanukah also marks the day when the original desert tabernacle was completed. Our sages emphasize that every year on Chanukah, when we kindle the festive lights, there's a sublime illumination of holy light that is released into the world - a continuation of the original hidden light of creation and a spark of the light of the holy Menorah in the Temple. Above all, Chanukah is the time of miracles and thanksgiving to G-d. The completion of this sacred garment marks a great step forward towards the renewal of the Divine service in the Holy Temple." A Message from the Editor: Since we choose to focus our reports on faith, we also choose to not focus on the political manipulation taking place in smoke-filled rooms. Recent events in Israel have brought about circumstances worthy of mention. In the past few weeks, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon chose to leave the Likud party that he co-founded, and established a new "Kadima" party. He cited the Likud with becoming too politically "right," and that the Kadima party would represent a more middle-of-the-road position between Likud and Labor. He gathered together strong leaders and the Kadima party quickly advanced in the polls to the posture of greatest popularity in Israel. The word Kadima means, "to advance" or "go before," but for bible believers the Kadima party is a retreat from the directives of G-d. Prime Minister Sharon, who will be seventy-eight years old in February, suffered a mild stroke Sunday evening, which has the potential to change the entire political landscape. Sharon owns a ranch in the Negev, which has to be looking rather attractive to him right now. Without him there is no Kadima party. Notice that politicians are always trying to look like they walk the middle ground, and most of them, especially those who get elected, do so. Biblically they are "neither hot nor cold" fence-sitters who stand for nothing. There is no place in the bible where we are instructed to pray for the peace of any nation, or for world peace. However, we are instructed to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalms 122:6), because when there is peace in Jerusalem, the King will have come, and with Him the Kingdom of God will be established. He will rule with a rod of iron from Jerusalem. Then, and only then will there be peace in Jerusalem and the whole earth. The cry in Israel is stronger and stronger for the Messiah to come. Those of faith say they hear the sound of His army marching in the treetops. These events, step by step bring us closer to the fulfillment of His coming. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Jerusalem Prayer Team petition request: Earlier this month (see "Canada takes a stand for Israel"), the United Nations held a "Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People." Would it surprise you to know that central to the festivities was a map of "Palestine"...with Israel literally erased from the map? The irony is that Israel has been a member of the UN for 56 years! The map, tagged "map of Palestine" was prominently displayed between the UN flags and the PLO flag. Not only does the map have the Arabic word for "Palestine" at the top, and not only does it NOT include Israel, it does not even have the partition line sanctioned by the UN General Assembly to denote a Jewish state alongside an Arab state. Those present were asked to stand to observe a moment of silence with the master of ceremonies offering this invitation: I invite every one present to rise and observe a minute of silence in memory of all those who have given their lives for the cause of the Palestinian people. According to one observer, "It was a moment...crafted to include the commemoration of suicide-bombers." Please sign our petition to President Bush today. Ask him not to continue the policies that allow terrorist attacks against our staunchest Middle East ally, Israel. Hanukkah begins: Hanukkah begins Sunday evening as the sun is setting. Although it is not a biblically commanded festival, Israelis have been celebrating it since the deliverance of the Temple in 167 B.C.E. from the hands of the Greek empire, the lone superpower of their time. Most believe the festival commemorates the miracle of the small flask of oil which kept providing oil for the Menorah in the Temple for eight days. Unfortunately, there is no historical documentation for this theory, and often the point that G-d gave the real miracle of overthrowing the entire Greek empire through the hands of a small band of guerilla warriors who were faithful is missed. The word Hanukkah means "dedication," and is the celebration of the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. Eight days were celebrated consistent with the feast of Sukkot, which was not celebrated until the Temple was delivered. A shock for Christians is John 10:22 where it identifies that Jesus was in Jerusalem to keep the feast of Dedication (Hanukkah). WWJD? What would Jesus Do? He would celebrate Hanukkah. More on Hanukkah. Tzemach News Service [TNS] is a ministry of: Tzemach Institute for Biblical Studies This week's sources: Arutz Sheva, Israel Insider, Israel Today, The Lekarev Report, Unity Coalition for Israel.