Shalom from Israel! What a week it has been. Last Wednesday, our September Bible Experience Tour arrived in Israel. Since then, I’ve been able to visit and fellowship with them at several sites. On the tour’s second day, I had the joy of teaching this great group on a boat on the Sea of Galilee, then a second time at Magdala. And, while we were at Magdala, the tour was joined by a very special guest – my friend Ambassador Mike Huckabee! What a great day! Then, on Friday, I was able to host the tour participants here at CONNECT for a wonderful time of Q & A. Since then, they have been all over the holy land experiencing the sites, learning historical and biblical truths, and growing in their spiritual walks as they are led by the heads of our Behold Israel–Canada team, Nick and Tina DiGiovanni.
Today, I am leaving for the United States. While there, I will be recording the audiobook for the 365-day devotional Pastor Barry Stagner and I have put together called Until He Comes, releasing December 2. I’ll also be speaking in Fort Worth, Texas, and Lee’s Summit, Missouri. There are still spots available at both locations, so make your reservations here.
But before I do any of that, I’ll be attending the memorial service for Charlie Kirk on Sunday, which will be held in State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. I have no doubt it will be a powerful time as we celebrate the life of this young, godly patriot whose life and death have done so much to change America and the world.
Times of remembrance and celebrations of Charlie’s life have already been held across the globe. His stand for truth, both political and spiritual, are inspiring the younger generation to stand up and be noticed. In the United Kingdom this past week, two million British patriots marched against open immigration and for conservative values. Notice, I wrote that they marched, not that they rioted or looted or lit anything on fire. The impact has been felt here in Israel where huge banners have been put up in honor of Charlie. In Netanya, the mayor announced that one of the city’s main squares is going to be renamed in honor of him. And in the United States, Turning Point USA, the organization that Charlie Kirk launched, 54,000 inquiries have been received asking to begin new Turning Point chapters as of the time of this writing.
In what shouldn’t be a surprise anymore, the usual antisemitic crowd immediately began pointing fingers at Israel, saying that the Netanyahu government was behind the assassination. This is true even among a growing number of once-respected conservative leaders, who claim a growing rift between the young conservative leader and the Israeli prime minister. But Charlie Kirk’s own words demonstrated his support for Israel and his respect for Netanyahu, and his X post of just a few weeks stated “Jew hate has no place in civil society. It rots the brain, reject it.”
In another blow, we’re finding replacement theologians using this opportunity to assert God’s rejection of the Jews. They say that the people who are in the State of Israel now have no part in the promises given to Abraham millennia ago. Sadly, even Kirk Cameron, a man I greatly appreciate for all he’s done for the Christian community, put out a video filled with cherry-picked passages and illogical leaps. Because of my respect for him, I felt compelled to lovingly answer him directly.
If there is one thing that we know, it is that the enemy will take every opportunity to attack God’s people. Stand strong in the truth. Don’t let yourself be swayed by big names and popular hosts. I hesitate to mention it here because there are some who will see ulterior motives, but my recent book, The Israel Decree, is an accessible tool that puts to bed this replacement heresy in a short, easy-to-understand, and very inexpensive way. If you are confused at all about how we know that today’s Israel is the same as Old Testament Israel, this book will clear it up for you.
MidEast & Beyond
Yesterday, Pastor Barry Stagner and I went deep on many of the following subjects during our “MidEast & Beyond” update. I’d encourage you to check it out. Also, please subscribe to my Telegram channel if you want to keep up to date on all that is happening in the Middle East and in Behold Israel’s ministry.
First Anniversary of the Grim Beeper
On September 17, 2024, thousands of Hezbollah pagers buzzed in Lebanon and Syria. When the terrorists went to look at their messages, the devices exploded. The next day, a similar attack took place, this time with old school walkie-talkies. More than 42 operatives lost their lives and another 3400 were injured. It was a planned attack that will go down in the annals of intelligence history. The ramifications were huge. Hezbollah was greatly weakened, and, a month later when the terrorist group’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an airstrike, the organization was left gasping for air. Even Syria felt the results of Hezbollah’s takedown, with the militias now suddenly feeling emboldened to such an extent that they were able to remove the Bashar al-Assad government after decades of family rule.
The Commencement of Operation Gideon’s Chariots II
The IDF has launched the second phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots with a ground incursion into Gaza City. Numerous high-rises had already been brought to the ground to prevent their use by Hamas terrorists against the troops. In advance of this next phase of the war, hundreds of thousands of Gazans were contacted using numerous means and told to evacuate. Thus far, more than 400,000 civilians have left the area, despite violent pressure from Hamas to remain in the city so that they could be used as human shields. It can be safely said that if the IDF is a genocidal army, they are the most incompetent army in history at accomplishing their goal. They warn civilians in advance whenever they are going to attack, and when the people flee to the already set-up humanitarian areas, they are provided water, food, electricity, and a safe haven from Hamas terrorists.
Trump Warns Against Using Hostages as Human Shields
On hearing rumors that Hamas has moved the hostages above ground to use as human shields against Operation Gideon’s Chariots, President Donald Trump warned that doing so would amount to “a human atrocity.” If it is found to be true, the president warned in all caps for emphasis, “ALL ‘BETS’ ARE OFF. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while visiting Israel, emphasized the president’s words saying that Trump wants all 48 hostages, living and deceased, freed. And he wants the conflict to end. “That is our priority,” he added.
Doha’s Toothless Emergency Summit
Following the attempted assassination of Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar was left standing with their thawbs down. Suddenly, it was evident to all what most already knew; Qatar was an extremely comfortable safe haven for Hamas leaders to plot and oversee their evil schemes. Israel also demonstrated that no one who attacks them is safe no matter where they are, and that even includes the Qatari emirate. In response, Qatar called an emergency summit, and leaders from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation showed up. They yelled and stomped their feet for a bit, eventually condemning the attack and giving Qatar an ego boost. But the resulting toothless communique included a few threats and not much else.
Major IDF Attack in Yemen
Yemen’s port at Hodeidah is a primary transfer center of weapons for the Houthi terrorists. Tuesday, Israel’s air force hit three port areas with twelve strikes, turning the area into a cauldron of flames. In a statement, the IDF said, “The strike was carried out in response to the repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel, including the launch of UAVs and surface-to-surface missiles towards the State of Israel.”
U.S. Department of State Expands the Terrorist List
Four new groups were added to the list of Iran-aligned militia groups (IAMGs) on Wednesday. They include Harakat al-Nujaba, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, Kata’ib Imam Ali, and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada who were the antagonists in my first thriller novel, Operation Joktan. Good to see you finally made the cut, old friends.
Iranian Civil Unrest Accompanies Important Anniversary
On September 13, 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was taken into custody by Iran’s Guidance Patrol, or morality police, for not wearing her hijab as she should. Three days later, the 16th of September, while still in custody and under intense and violent interrogation, Mahsa lost her life. On this third anniversary of her death, Iranians took to the streets, marching and chanting “Death to the Dictator.” May their efforts at reform one day bear fruit.
United Nations Passes Empty Two-State Vote
With a vote of 142 pro, 10 against, and 12 abstentions, the United Nations overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine problem. And, by “non-binding”, I mean worthless. Who were the ten states who voted against this useless moral theater? Newsweek published an article Saturday called, “All Nations that Voted Against the Two-State Israeli-Palestinian Solution”, in what I can only believe must be an attempt to shame the negative Nellies. However, I am choosing to use this article as my source, because I want you to have easy access to those nine countries, in addition to Israel, who stood by our side. Thanks, Newsweek, for making our celebration of the brave nations that didn’t kowtow to another worthless bit of antisemitic UN drivel that much easier.
Russia’s War Threatens NATO’s Allies
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has suggested that a “de facto” war currently exists between Russia and NATO. With Russian drone incursions into Poland, Warsaw has triggered NATO’s Article 4, an alert to fellow members that a country’s sovereignty is in danger. Now, Romania has had its sovereignty violated and it appears that Estonia may be next. In response, NATO is repositioning jets to the region.
The Ministry
There are less than three weeks until Exploring Ezekiel will be released. We are still short of our goal to help get these books into the big box stores, so please consider ordering your copy today.
There are currently five options available for you to visit the Holy Land on a Behold Israel tour in 2026 – February, May, October, November, and December. To see where you might fit in, check out our website for details. And in addition to our tours, please consider joining us for our Exploring Ezekiel Norwegian Fjords Cruise next September and October! Registration is filling up quickly, so make sure to reserve your spot soon!
As we’ve already talked about, Gen Z is a critical population for the future direction of this world. A goal we have at Behold Israel is to bring this generation to Israel to experience first-hand the world of the Bible. If the Lord is leading you to partner with us in providing scholarships to young adults on our 2026 tour, you can do so HERE.
Keep up to date with all the CONNECT viewing options by checking out our Live Online Events page on the website. There are quite a few options to choose from.
This is going to be an extremely busy month starting today. So, please keep me, my ministry team, and all the event coordinators in your prayers. Our greatest desire is for God to be glorified and honored in all that is said and done. The only way to ensure that is if we are on our knees.
So many of you are faithful in praying for us and in supporting this ministry. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you. We’ll let you know in the days ahead how God is using your faithfulness to touch the lives of people.
Awaiting His Return,
Amir Tsarfati
Amir Tsarfati, a Jewish Christian, is the founder and president of Behold Israel, a news site to correct the scarcity in trustworthy reportage on issues and events impacting Israel, and to resolve the uncertainty about who or what to believe.
The views expressed in opinion articles are solely those of the author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Black Community News.
