Friday, April 11, 2025

Trump: Direct Talks with Iran Underway

by David Isaac ~ JNS

Tuesday, 8 April 2025 | US President Donald Trump said that direct talks with Iran were taking place in a meeting with the press in the Oval Office on Monday. “Direct talks with Iran … they’ve started,” he said.

“There’s a major meeting going on between us and Iran. That will take place on Saturday, and it will be top level,” Trump said.

“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he stressed. “If it can be done diplomatically in a full way, the way it was done in Libya, I think that would be a good thing.”

“And I think everybody agrees that putting a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious, and the obvious is not something that I want to be involved with,” Trump said, referring to a military option.

“Iran would be in great danger,” he added.

“Hopefully, those talks will be successful. And I think [it] would be in Iran’s best interest if they are successful, we hope that’s going to happen, and we had just a lot of good talks on a lot of things,” the president added.

Trump’s pronouncement put the lie to recent Iranian statements, setting a high bar to direct talks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Iran would only return to discussions with the United States if all American sanctions against Iran were lifted.

“In principle, direct negotiations with a party that continuously threatens violence, violates the UN Charter, and whose various officials issue contradictory statements would be meaningless,” said Araghchi.

Pointing the Finger at the Aggressor

While Trump made clear his preference for a diplomatic solution, Washington is readying for the possibility of military action.

Last month, the United States sent multiple B-2 bombers to a military base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

With a range of 6,900 miles [11,104 km.], the B-2 is the only stealth aircraft that can carry the GBU-57, a 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bomb known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator.

It’s an unusual deployment for the B-2. While Diego Garcia hosts Air Force bombers on a fairly regular basis, B-2s haven’t spent significant time there since 2020. Last August marked the first time in four years that a B-2 even touched down there when a bomber made a quick ‘hot pit’ stop with its engines running,” reported Air & Space Forces Magazine on March 27.

On March 17, US President Donald Trump warned that any future attacks from the Yemen-based Houthis, who have targeted US naval vessels hundreds of times and wreaked havoc with global shipping channels, would be treated as a direct aggression from Iran itself.

Iran was behind the Houthis’ attacks, he said.

“Let nobody be fooled! The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthis, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He dismissed Iran’s claims that it had lost control of the Houthis.

“Iran has played ‘the innocent victim’ of rogue terrorists from which they’ve lost control, but they haven’t lost control,” he said. “They’re dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated military equipment, and even, so-called, ‘intelligence.’”

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on April 7, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Molly Riley/White House/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Continue to pray for this volatile situation concerning Iran whose leaders have expressed the intention to annihilate the Jewish people and the possibility that it will achieve nuclear weapons. Pray that Israel’s leaders will remember the words of their future king when he spoke about facing the Philistine giant, Goliath, saying, “The battle is the Lord’s!”

Scripture

Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.

- 1 Samuel 17:47

Hezbollah Rebuilding Weapons Production Site in Violation of Ceasefire

by Lior Ben Ari ~ Ynetnews

Thursday, 10 April 2025 | The IDF revealed Wednesday that Hezbollah is attempting to rebuild an underground weapons production site in Beirut’s Dahieh district, in violation of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.

IDF Arabic-language spokesman Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee said the site—located near a school and beneath residential buildings—was first struck in November 2024. Israel alerted the international ceasefire monitoring committee about renewed activity at the site, prompting a surprise inspection of the location.

However, Hezbollah appeared to have been tipped off in advance and had already removed all engineering equipment before the inspection took place. “The equipment was returned to the site after the inspection ended, in violation of the ceasefire agreement,” Adraee said.

“This is how Hezbollah is trying to rebuild its weapons production facility in Dahieh, conceal its operations from monitoring mechanisms, and deceive the Lebanese public,” Adraee wrote on X.

He added that such activity represents a clear breach of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. “The IDF remains committed to the full implementation of these agreements and will continue to work to eliminate any threat against the State of Israel and prevent Hezbollah’s military entrenchment.”

Meanwhile, a senior Hezbollah official told Reuters the Iran-backed group would be willing to hold disarmament talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun—but only if Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon and halts its strikes in the area.

Three political sources in Lebanon confirmed that the president is planning to launch discussions with Hezbollah on its weapons arsenal in the near future.

The Hezbollah official said the group would be open to discussing its arms within the framework of a national defense strategy. However, he emphasized that any such negotiations are conditional on an Israeli withdrawal from five key points where IDF forces remain in southern Lebanon.

“Hezbollah is ready to talk about its weapons if Israel pulls out and ends its aggression against the Lebanese people,” he said.

Hezbollah has long rejected calls from within Lebanon to disarm, arguing its weapons are necessary to defend against Israel. But the group has lost significant parts of its arsenal during the war, particularly after Israeli strikes targeted large weapons stockpiles hidden in civilian homes.

According to the ceasefire agreement, the Lebanese army is tasked with addressing all unauthorized military facilities and taking control of all weapons south of the Litani River.

Two sources familiar with Hezbollah’s internal deliberations said the group is considering handing over some of its weapons—including anti-tank missiles and drones—to the Lebanese army in areas north of the Litani.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Ynetnews on April 9, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit photographer/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Pray that the international community will wake up to the duplicity of Hezbollah, which is rearming itself in direct violation of the ceasefire agreement. Pray for the innocent civilians whose lives are at risk because Hezbollah chooses to place its facilities under residential buildings and near schools. Pray that Israel will remain steadfast in its commitment to eliminate this military threat against its northern communities.

Scripture

Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day! Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

- Psalm 74:22–23

Israel Awards Muslim Nation Leader Highest Civilian Medal of Honor for Post-October 7 Support

by Joshua Spurlock ~ Mideast Update

Monday, 7 April 2025 | Israel on Sunday awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, the leader of the predominantly Muslim European nation, in a noteworthy event that comes in the face of dangerous anti-Israel sentiment globally and particularly in Europe. Rama was celebrated with Israel’s highest civilian honor for his “steadfast support for Israel following the October 7 massacre, his courageous stance against antisemitism, and his enduring friendship with the Jewish people,” according to an Israeli press release.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog presented the award to Rama in person in Jerusalem, telling the Albanian leader, “When the time came to turn words into action, you rose to the challenge with courage. In our darkest hour, after the horrific Hamas attack on Israel—the most devastating assault on the Jewish people since the Holocaust—you refused to succumb to international pressure. You held fast to your moral compass, and expressed deep friendship and vital support for Israel.”

Despite the population balance in Albania tilting toward a Muslim majority, Rama was outspoken in support of Israel’s right to defend itself and in his explicit condemnation of Hamas after the October 7 terror massacre in which the Gaza terror group murdered around 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped hundreds more. In a statement a month after the attack, for example, Rama said his nation “stands firmly with Israel against Hamas” and that “Israel has an undisputed right to defend itself.”

While he also called for a ceasefire at the time in exchange for Hamas releasing all hostages taken from Israel, Rama made it clear Hamas could not retain control of Gaza. “Following the horrific crimes committed on 7 October, there can be no political future for Hamas,” said Rama in the 2023 statement, which was published to the Albanian Prime Minister’s website.

Rama hasn’t changed his message since then. In his comments on Sunday when he accepted the award from Herzog, Rama said pointed to the plight of the remaining hostages while also pointing the finger at Hamas: “In this particularly difficult moment, there are innocent people held in the dungeons of Hamas. I want to repeat—Albania has always supported a two-state solution, but it is our view that there is no solution while Hamas is around. Hamas is not a resistance movement. Hamas are the Nazis of the new century, and as history has taught us—there is no compromise with Nazis.”

Rama has also blamed Hamas for the condition of Gazans. In comments made in September 2024 at a Combat Antisemitism Movement event and published by the B’nai B’rith International organization on their website, Rama said, “No one who cherishes freedom and democracy should forget that Hamas represents the worst of the anti-democratic faces of this world. So those who call Gaza an open-air prison have to be told that the guards of the prison are Hamas, not Israel.”

On Sunday, Rama also noted the significance of battling antisemitism. “We do everything we can to be vocal on antisemitism, we have passed legislation, and promoted Holocaust education in our schools. Because, for us, this is not just about the Jews—it is about humanity.”

Rama further underscored that support of the Jewish people is nothing new for Albania, highlighting his nation’s actions during the Holocaust.

“I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the Albanian people, and first and foremost, on behalf of all Albanians—Muslims and Christians—who put themselves and their lives on the line during the darkest hour of modern history, and turned our country into the only one in Europe that ended the Second World War with more Jews than it started with,” Rama was quoted as saying in the press release.

In addition to the important actions in the past, the Israeli award also offers hope for the future, noted Herzog. Said the Israeli president to the Albanian leader on Sunday, “Jewish tradition teaches that the world stands on three pillars: justice, truth, and peace. I believe these values—and the balance between them—define your leadership, and the special bond between our nations.

“May the friendship between Albania and Israel remain a beacon of goodwill in these dark times, reminding us all that integrity and courage are always a choice—and that a safer and more peaceful future is possible.”

Source: (This article was originally published by the Mideast Update on April 6, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today.)

Photo Credit: CEEC-China 2018/wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Ask the Lord to richly bless the nation of Albania, whose support of the Jewish people stretches back to the time of the Holocaust and beyond. At that time, Muslims and Christians alike refused to surrender their Jewish neighbors to certain death in Hitler’s camps and continue to stand against antisemitism decades later. Pray that the example of Albania and her leaders will provoke other nations who may be tolerating antisemitism to reconsider their position.

Scripture

Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you…Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!”

- Genesis 27:29a,c

IDF Establishes Morag Corridor amid Gaza Offensive

by JNS

Monday, 7 April 2025 | The Israel Defense Forces recently escalated its ground operation in the Gaza Strip by assigning the 36th Division, aka the Rage Formation, to a new security area known as the Morag Corridor.

This corridor now serves as a buffer between the Strip’s southernmost city of Rafah and central Gaza, forming part of a broader campaign to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli hostages and dismantling its operational networks.

This escalation falls under the broader framework of “Operation Strength and Sword,” which was launched on March 18 after the breakdown of a ceasefire agreement. Since then, the IDF has intensified air and ground operations across Gaza, targeting infrastructure linked to Hamas. The stated objective remains the elimination of terrorist threats and the safe return of hostages.

Among the latest developments, Israeli forces recently uncovered and destroyed a one-kilometer-long [3,280 ft] tunnel in Beit Lahia, believed to have been constructed by Hamas for cross-border attacks. Simultaneously, the IDF has extended its reach in both the northern and southern sectors of Gaza, encircling key areas such as the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah and carrying out ground operations in Beit Hanun, in the northeastern Strip.

The creation of the Morag Corridor mirrors an earlier initiative—the Netzarim Corridor—which cuts across Gaza from east to west. These controlled zones are part of a broader strategy aimed at limiting Hamas’s mobility, disrupting its communication lines and weakening its territorial control.

The latest measures are intended not only to reduce the threat of enemy attacks but also to gain strategic leverage over Hamas during hostage negotiations. The IDF maintains that these efforts are essential for ensuring long-term national security and reducing the threat posed by terrorist groups operating in Gaza.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on April 6, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: IDF/jns.org

Prayer Focus
As the ground operations in Gaza have been renewed, please pray for the safety of the troops who are fighting there. Pray especially for the reservists, many of whom have served 300 days in the past year and a half, putting their lives “on hold” to accomplish the goals of eliminating terrorist threats and the release of the hostages.

Scripture

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.

- Psalm 3:1, 3

Facing Antisemitism, Diaspora Jews Remove Jewish Symbols

by Sivan Hilaie ~ Ynetnews

Thursday, 10 April 2025 | Since the October 7 Hamas massacre, Jews around the world have been concealing kippahs, hiding Stars of David, and watching close friends distance themselves socially. This new reality of fear and alienation was the focus of a panel at Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth’s People of Israel conference.

Panelists discussed the global surge in antisemitism—and a simultaneous rise in Jewish aliyah [immigration] to Israel.

“In France, Jews are removing mezuzahs [Scripture box affixed to a doorway] and hiding Jewish symbols,” said Lt. Col. (res.) Shar-Shalom Jerbi, head of Education and Community at KKL-JNF. “My emissary in Paris had to bring the mezuzah inside. People no longer wear kippahs. Antisemitism is growing rapidly.”

Jerbi said Jewish communities are requesting tools to deal with the backlash. “We’ve invested millions of shekels in educational kits to fight antisemitism — Q&As for teens, teachers and parents. They don’t know how to respond to claims like ‘you kill innocent civilians’ or ‘Israel is an apartheid state.’”

Despite the crisis, aliyah to Israel is soaring. “Since October 7, 40,000 new olim [immigrants] have arrived in Israel,” said Avichai Kahana, director-general of the Aliyah and Integration Ministry. “It’s a miracle. There’s no other country in the world people run to during a war.”

Kahana also noted a dramatic increase in aliyah applications: “We’ve seen a 350% jump in France and a 130% rise in North America. It’s both the result of rising antisemitism and a wave of solidarity—people wanting to come and be part of building Israel.”

Shiri Madar, CEO of Netaim—a program to strengthen Jewish communities abroad launched by the late Ofir Libstein, head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council who was murdered on October 7—described the emotional toll. “We’ve seen completely transformed communities—afraid, hiding signs of Jewish identity,” she said.

According to Madar, the deepest damage is in daily life: “Their best friends, the ones they used to meet with every Friday, stopped inviting them. They were removed from WhatsApp groups. Children are being ostracized at school—ignored, uninvited.”

Still, she said, the crisis is creating new bonds. “We’ve seen a shift in the relationship between Israelis and Diaspora Jews [Jewish population outside Israel]. Where there was once tension, there’s now a shared sense of destiny.”

Also speaking on the panel was public diplomacy advocate Yoni Diller, a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre. He highlighted the absurdity of having to explain what happened and the critical need for clear, truthful messaging.

Since October 7, he has traveled the world—including to US college campuses — speaking to both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences about the war’s real impact.

He pointed to media manipulation and social media algorithms that amplify anti-Israel narratives. “There’s an urgent need for a strong, honest narrative that supports Jewish voices and diaspora communities under attack,” he said.

With antisemitism on the rise, the panelists agreed that a coordinated national effort is needed both to support Jewish communities abroad and to prepare for continued waves of aliyah to Israel.

Editor’s Note:  In June of this year, Bridges for Peace will sponsor an entire planeload of French Jewish families who are making aliyah! For information about this exciting project, please scan to watch Rev. Peter Fast, our CEO, give further details  on  this  exciting  project!

Source: (This article was originally published by the Ynetnews on April 8, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Vadim Akopyan/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Give thanks for the increased numbers of Jewish people making aliyah (immigrating) from the West. Give thanks also for the closer relationships between Israelis and Jews in the Diaspora (outside of Israel) that are developing due to increased antisemitism and isolation. Pray that these relationships will encourage even more Jews to consider making aliyah.

Scripture

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

- Isaiah 35:10

Israel, US Defending Europe by Battling Iranian Axis

by Joshua Spurlock ~ Mideast Update

Tuesday, 8 April 2025 | Israel and the United States are fighting on behalf of Europe—if not most of the world—by battling the Iran and their terror proxies including the Houthi in Yemen. And both nations recognize that responsibility.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a visit to Hungary last week, said in comments published by Israel, “We will smash the Iranian axis, the Iranian terror axis which threatens not only us but Europe and many of our neighbors in the Middle East. We’re committed to doing so. By doing that, we’re also protecting Europe.”

That Iranian axis has waged a multi-front battle against Israel, but terror groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthi have also attacked targets from around the world over the years. In the last 18 months, that has been especially true of the Yemeni militants, who have targeted international shipping. While the US is leading the fight against the Houthi, Israel has also been involved.

Netanyahu said that while not everyone in Europe recognizes the international benefits of Israel fighting the Iranian axis on their behalf, some like Hungarian President Viktor Orban do. Said Netanyahu, “He understands this common battle for our values, for our interests and for our common security.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a similar observation on Friday. In comments to reporters published by the State Department, Rubio said, “On the Houthis, everybody wants to get their ships through the Red Sea. We’re the only ones doing anything about it, but everyone wants to get their ships through there. As I said, we’ve done the world a great favor by taking on this band of criminals who have unfortunately sophisticated weaponry that they can use to—I mean, they’ve attacked, what, 150, 160 merchant vessels—174 times they’ve attacked the United States Navy?”

“So I think the world should be grateful to the United States for being involved in this and doing this… We think that mission is going to bear fruit and it’s necessary.”

Some of that fruit was borne out last week, as the Telegraph reported that Iran called for its military personnel to exit Yemen in the midst of American attacks. Furthermore, there are reports that the US bombardments have killed multiple senior Houthi members. That includes comments made on Saturday on X by Moammar Al-Eryani, the Information Minister for the internationally-backed Yemen government opposing the Houthi. Al-Eryani said on X (formerly Twitter) that a recent US attack “resulted in the killing of several prominent Houthi leaders, including a ‘valuable catch,’ in addition to experts from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.”

He later continued, “The video clip released by the US command proves the accuracy and significance of the strike, confirming that it targeted a military gathering comprising field commanders and missile and drone operators. This reflects US military and intelligence superiority and refutes any claims of targeting civilians. It also demonstrates that these operations are not random, but rather qualitative strikes targeting sites that pose a direct threat to international navigation and the security and stability of the region.”

But it isn’t just Western and Middle East allies who are benefitting from the US and Israeli fight against Iran and its proxies. Israel has their own haunting memories of Iran’s malice as well, and Netanyahu made a point of reminding his audience of that on Thursday. It’s also the purpose behind their mission that they won’t forget.

“Radical Islam in the Middle East is spearheaded by one country, and that is Iran,” said Netanyahu. “It has proxies: The three H’s, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and others, but the center is Iran. We were attacked by Iran’s proxies in a murderous campaign by Hamas’s terrorists who raped our women, beheaded our men, burned our babies and took hostages. We’re committed to bring back home all of them.”

Source: (This article was originally published by the Mideast Update on April 6, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today.)

Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Yuval Haker/IDF/wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Give thanks for the investment that Israel and the United States have made in fighting Iran and its terror proxies whose aim is the destruction of democratic governments and the global rule of Islam with its sharia law. Pray for recognition of this danger to the West to arise in nations which do not see how it can ultimately affect them.

Scripture

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

- Joshua 24:15

Over Half of US Adults View Israel Unfavorably, Pew Survey Finds

by Ynetnews

Wednesday, 9 April 2025 | More than half of US adults, or 53%, have an unfavorable opinion of Israel, up from 42% in March 2022 – before the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted March 24-30 looking at US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy and global trade actions.

The survey also found that Americans’ confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also remains relatively low, at 32%.

US President Donald Trump has so far received mixed or negative views from Americans regarding his early foreign policy actions, including his involvement with Israel and in trying to end the war with Gaza.

Other foreign policy actions surveyed include Trump’s working more closely with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, withdrawing the US from international agreements, his statements about taking over Greenland and Gaza and tariffs imposed on US trade partners.

One example is that more Americans disapprove than approve of the US leaving international organizations and agreements including the World Health Organization, the Paris Climate Agreement and cancelling most US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs

Some 43% of Americans says Trump is favoring Russia too much in his negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, but when asked about their opinion on whether Trump is striking the right balance when it comes to US relations with Israelis and Palestinians, opinions are more mixed.

Some 31% say they see him favoring the Israelis too much and 29% say he is striking the right balance. Another 3% say he is favoring the Palestinians too much. This leaves 37% who say that they are unsure.

For comparison, in July, views of how US President Joe Biden was handling the conflict were more even with 21% saying he favored Israelis too much and 20 % saying he favored Palestinians too much, with another 18% saying he was striking the right balance and 40% unsure.

Meanwhile, most Americans do not think it’s likely Trump will pursue a takeover of Gaza.

Some 38% say it’s either not too or not at all likely, 26% say it’s somewhat likely, and 20% say it’s extremely or very likely. Another 16% are unsure.

Some 62% of Americans oppose the US taking over Gaza, including 49% who strongly oppose it. Another 22% are unsure, while 15% favor it.

From the perspective of politics, Republicans are somewhat more likely than Democrats to say it is unlikely that Trump will try to take over Gaza, with Republicans at 43% and Democrats at 34%.

Republicans are also more likely than Democrats to be in favor of a US takeover of Gaza at 27% to 5%, though a plurality of people in both parties oppose it. Some 44% of Republicans oppose the US taking over Gaza, while another 28% are unsure. Democrats are fairly united in their opposition, with 80% saying they oppose the measure, including 72% who strongly oppose it.

On Monday, speaking to reporters before a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump described the Gaza Strip as “a tremendous piece of real estate” and said the US still plans to take control of the territory. “It’s a great place. I don’t understand why Israel gave it up,” he said in remarks from the White House.

The survey was conducted from March 24 to March 30. A total of 3,605 panelists responded out of 4,045 who were sampled, for a survey-level response rate of 89%. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 3,605 respondents is plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.

The survey includes oversample of Jewish, Muslim and non-Hispanic Asian adults in order to provide more precise estimates of the opinions and experiences of these smaller demographic subgroups. These oversampled groups are weighted back to reflect their correct proportions in the population.

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on April 9, 2025. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: The White House/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Pray for opportunities within your sphere of influence to bring positive information about Israel into discussions where there is anti-Israel sentiment or misinformation that has been circulated on social media or in the news. Pray for those in authority, even when they do not appear to be adhering to biblical principles, relying on God to reveal truth.

Scripture

Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.

- Psalm 25:3–5

France to Recognize ‘Palestine,’ Macron Announces

by JNS

Thursday, 10 April 2025 | France is set to recognize a Palestinian state in the coming months, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday.

“We must move towards recognition, and we will do so in the coming months,” he declared in an interview with the France 5 channel.

“Our aim is to chair this conference with Saudi Arabia in June, where we could finalize this movement of mutual recognition by several parties,” he said, referencing plans for a global summit on the issue in New York.

“I won’t do it for unity or in order to please someone. I’ll do it because I think that at some point it would be fair. And also because I want to take part in a collective dynamic—one that allows everyone who defends Palestine to also recognize Israel,” added Macron.

Announcing the initiative with Riyadh in December, the French leader said his government would recognize a Palestinian state “at the right moment” and “when it triggers reciprocal movements of recognition.

“We want to involve several other partners and allies—both European and non-European—who are ready to move in this direction, but who are waiting for France,” Macron explained at the time.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem did not immediately respond on Wednesday night to a request for comment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed recognition of “Palestine,” a state which does not exist according to international law.

“There was a Palestinian state. It was called Gaza,” Netanyahu said in a February 6 interview with Channel 14. “Look what we received. The biggest massacre since the Holocaust. To establish a Palestinian state after October 7 is a huge prize, not only for Hamas [but also] for Iran.”

An Arab opinion poll published last year showed that nearly two-thirds of Palestinians in Gaza, Judea and Samaria prefer Hamas to be part of, or even lead, a government that would control the Strip after the war.

Some 71% of Israelis oppose establishing a Palestinian state that would include Judea and Samaria, according to a survey published on January 29. Nearly 70% want to extend Israeli sovereignty over the area.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on April 9, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Hadas Parush/Flash90/jns.org

Prayer Focus
Pray that this initiative of the nations to divide the Land God gave as an eternal possession to the descendants of Abraham will fail. Proclaim the truth that it is the Lord who has set the boundaries of Israel and not the nations. Ask the Lord to fight on Israel’s behalf against the global leaders who are rebelling against Him.

Scripture

When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.

- Exodus 32:8

Hamas Asks British Government to Remove it from Terror List

by Ynetnews

Thursday, 10 April 2025 | Hamas has formally petitioned the British government to be removed from its list of designated terrorist organizations, the Guardian reported Wednesday. In its official submission, the group described itself as a ““a Palestinian Islamic liberation and resistance movement whose goal is to liberate Palestine and confront the Zionist project.” The UK Home Office has not commented on the request.

Senior Hamas political bureau member Mousa Abu Marzouk added a witness statement to the petition, calling the UK’s designation “unjust” and accusing Britain of longstanding complicity. “The British government’s decision to proscribe Hamas is an unjust one that is symptomatic of its unwavering support for Zionism, apartheid, occupation and ethnic cleansing in Palestine for over a century,” he wrote. “Hamas does not and never has posed a threat to Britain, despite the latter’s ongoing complicity in the genocide of our people.”

In its legal argument, Hamas’s legal team acknowledged that its actions meet the broad definition of terrorism under the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000. However, it asserted that the same definition also applies to “any organization worldwide that uses violence to achieve political aims—including Israeli forces, the Ukrainian military and even the British Army.”

The UK designated Hamas’s military wing as a terrorist organization in 2001, and expanded that designation to include the political bureau in 2021. At the time, the British government called the distinction between the two “artificial,” stating that Hamas is “a complex but single terrorist organization.”

The request comes amid renewed scrutiny of Hamas in the UK. A month and a half ago, following the release of a controversial BBC documentary featuring the son of a senior Hamas figure, Conservative Parliament member Kemi Badenoch called for an inquiry into whether the broadcaster had paid Hamas during the film’s production. In a letter to BBC Director-General Tim Davie, Badenoch demanded clarity on whether British taxpayers’ money—via the publicly funded license fee—had reached the terrorist group.

Earlier, in August 2024, the Telegraph revealed that Hamas had drawn up plans to “seize” the remains of British soldiers buried in Gaza as leverage to blackmail the UK government. The report was based on a document recovered by the IDF in Gaza, written by a Hamas operative in October 2022, following remarks by then-Prime Minister Liz Truss, who had considered relocating the UK embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Source: (This article was originally published by the Ynetnews on April 10, 2025. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Hadi Mohammad/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Pray that the British government will not agree with the Hamas position that it is a “liberation and resistance movement” but consider the mountains of evidence to the contrary. Pray that decision-makers will not be swayed by rhetoric but will instead listen to firsthand testimonies of freed hostages and survivors of the October 7 massacre.

Scripture

Then He saw wisdom[fn] and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out. And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.’

- Job 28:27–28

Sudanese Envoy Secretly Visits Israel to Push Normalization for Military Support

by Lior Ben Ari ~ Ynetnews

Wednesday, 9 April 2025 | Two weeks after Sudan’s military regained control of the presidential palace in Khartoum, a Sudanese army official revealed that Al-Sadiq Ismail, envoy of military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, visited Israel last week. The visit remained discreet until its conclusion, according to a report by Sudanese outlet Al-Rakoba.

The visit was reportedly aimed at coordinating with Israel on how to promote al-Burhan to the new US administration and ease tensions with the United Arab Emirate over his leadership and the Sudanese army more broadly.

Ismail was tasked with delivering several messages to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the report, he conveyed al-Burhan’s desire to complete the normalization process between the two countries and formally sign the Abraham Accords, in exchange for Israeli support in the next phase.

The envoy told Israeli officials that Sudan’s recent overtures to Iran — which angered Israel — were a matter of necessity, driven by the country’s isolation and mounting regional and international pressures since the war began. He claimed Sudan needed high-quality military support from any available source to secure victory.

Through his envoy, al-Burhan promised to fulfill any commitments or conditions Israel might require to finalize the agreement swiftly. A source close to Sudan’s military chief said a message was relayed to Israel expressing frustration over a perceived lack of cooperation during the past two years of conflict, noting that al-Burhan had hoped to obtain weapons to defeat the Rapid Support Forces.

The Sudanese side reportedly emphasized that Israel had no reason to be angry over Sudan’s outreach to Iran — arguing that it resulted from Israel’s failure to provide the anticipated assistance.

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on April 8, 2025. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Esteban Saborío H/Wikimedia.org

Photo License: Wikimedia

Prayer Focus
Pray for the relationship between Sudan and Israel, asking that the Lord will give Israel’s leaders the wisdom that Daniel received when they are engaged in all matters of discussion between the two nations. Pray that Israel will discover any hidden motives the Sudanese leaders may have in asking to renew talks about normalization of relations and joining the Abraham Accord.

Scripture

Daniel answered and said: ‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His.’

- Daniel 2:20