Israel Active

$1.2 billion of the US’s latest aid package to Israel is to help finance Israel’s Iron Beam laser defense system (see previously). The US hopes that trials of the system will eventually also benefit the US army. Iron Beam will significantly reduce the cost of intercepting short-range threats.

Major Foaz Hussein, a Bedouin Arab tracker in the Paran Brigade, was released from Emek Medical Center after receiving treatment for gunshot wounds received fighting terrorists on Oct 7th in Kibbutz Holit. He saved many lives before being wounded himself.

Located just north of Nazareth, Nof HaGalil (population 42,600) prides itself on friendly relations between its Jewish majority and its approximately 30-40 percent Muslim and Christian Arab population. Mixed teams patrol nightly to display the town’s determination to maintain quiet streets.

Israeli chef Eyal Shani’s Malka Manhattan restaurant opening on Nov 16 benefited the La’Aretz Foundation which aims to distribute $2,500 each to 100 families who lost their homes on Oct 7.  Shani missed the Michelin award ceremony for his Shmoné restaurant – he was cooking for the IDF.

USA-based Water 4 Mercy has partnered with Israel’s Innovation: Africa to provide water to the Ausia village in Kondoa, Tanzania. They tapped an aquifer to provide fresh water and installed solar panels to operate the pumps. It saves the villagers from making long, risky journeys to get water.

Christians United for Israel held a large and peaceful rally outside the UK Prime Minister’s Downing Street residence. They called on all Christians to support Israel as “Righteous Gentiles” and not be silent at this time.

"If not for Israel I would probably be illiterate, penniless, herding sheep. But I have an electrical engineering degree, I have a master’s from Stanford University, and I have my rights to live my life the way I wanted to live it."  Sophia Shramko’s father was the first Bedouin Lt. Col. in the IDF.

Nearly 300,000 attended the March for Israel rally in Washington DC – the largest Jewish gathering in US history. Some 100,000 more watched the online streaming of the event. The main purpose was to call for the release of over 200 hostages kidnapped by the terrorist organization Hamas and held in Gaza.

US Christian groups, such as Christians United 4 Israel, are hosting fundraisers and sending volunteers and supplies to the Jewish state. One initiative “Don’t Look Away” is a video high above New York’s Times Square, to raise awareness of the Israeli hostages. CUFI has raised $2.65 million.

A group of 30 international students at Tel Aviv University have formed a task force to counter fake news and tell the verified story of what they’re seeing and hearing in Israel right now. They are uploading fact-checked reports and survivor testimonies onto Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook.