Shalom from soggy Galilee! What a beautiful week we’ve had in Israel, but the weather has changed. After giving Greece and Cyprus a torrential smackdown, Storm Byron has arrived to our little corner of the Mediterranean. We are always grateful when God blesses us with His downpours. However, I must admit that there are times when we feel a little bit like the wilderness Israelites on day 26 of their quail feast. “Thanks, Lord, but can You possibly ix-nay on the ail-quay? We’ve had about enough.” As of yesterday, Tel Aviv had already received 2.5 inches of rain, and the storm clouds just keep emptying. Flash flood warnings are out across the country and people are tring to stay inside, away from the wet.
For our BI December Tour folk, they’ve been making good use of their umbrellas, but have still been able to see most of the sights. Tomorrow, they’ll wrap things up, and we’ll say farewell as their wonderful eight-day sojourn through the Holy Land comes to an end. It’s always sad when a tour reaches its completion, but it’s a blessing to know that rarely will anyone leave the land of Israel unchanged. Instead, they’ll have a better understanding of the Scripture, a mental reference guide for the biblical stories they read and hear about, and a deeper love for God’s chosen land and His chosen people. If you feel the Lord is moving you to come visit Israel this next year, we have options for you in six out of the twelve months in 2026. Check out the Behold Israel Tour page on our website.
This past weekend was very special for me and the CONNECT team. We were able to get away from the office for a bonding retreat. We work together nearly every day, but we’ve never had the opportunity to just stop and take time to get to know each other. That purpose was accomplished as we drew closer together through time spent. But it wasn’t all fellowship and relaxation. We also took the occasion to plan through 2026. Our Israeli CONNECT team are remarkably talented, and I believe that you are going to be greatly blessed by the high-quality work they put out this next year.
I was also greatly encouraged this past week as I watched the response to the release of Until He Comes, the 365-day devotional authored by Pastor Barry Stagner and me. The pre-order numbers were amazing, as were the post-release purchases. But what excites me most about all of this is knowing that there will be so many people who will be getting into the Scriptures daily. The Bible is what is most important. What Barry and I have put together is simply a tool to dig a little deeper, understand what the Scriptures are saying, and have a plan as to what to do with what you learn. It’s a great gift for Christmas and should easily get to you in time if you order in the next few days.
There was one other incredible blessing from these past few days. My visa was finally approved to go to Australia. This has been a two-year process of prayer and paperwork. But now, in God’s perfect timing, the door has been opened. As it stands, in the period between July 29 and August 8, Pastor Barry Stagner and I will be speaking in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. We sure hope to see you there. Check out the Behold Israel Teaching Around the World page to see when we’ll be in your area!
MidEast & Beyond
This past week, there have been some news happenings that I’ve delved into deeply on Telegram. Unfortunately, the format of this newsletter only allows me to touch on each item briefly. So, please take the opportunity to subscribe to my Telegram page to keep up to date with the news as it happens, typically in short form blurbs but sometimes in more detail as is necessary. Also, be sure to subscribe to the Behold Israel with Amir Tsarfati YouTube channel to make sure you don’t miss a news update or any of our other great content, such as my Explore the Bible study with Dr. Rick Yohn from Tuesday.
Middle East Downpours
I’ve already spoken above about Storm Byron which is causing flashfloods in Israel. These same downpours are dumping inches of rain in Gaza. There is both a positive and negative effect, as a result. The positive is that the rain is flooding the terrorist tunnels. Everyone knows that when you flood a tunnel, all the rats who are living inside pour out. Hopefully, this will be the result as the water turns the tunnels into death traps. On the negative side is what the water is doing to the ground within the refugee camps. Civilians are being encouraged to dig trenches to drain the water away, even as help is being rendered to the people.
As Storm Byron hits the Middle East from the west, flooding is already taking place farther east in the heart of the Arab states. Iraq has been severely hit with flooding, particularly in the area of Kurdistan. At least two people have been killed, and many structures have been destroyed. Torrential rains drenched Saudi Arabia impacting a number of governates in the country. Drought-stricken Iran received its first rainfall of the season. However, the amount of water that reached the ground was the proverbial “drop in the bucket” of what the parched country needs.
Hamas Hoarding Baby Food
How could Israel allow babies to starve in Gaza? Turns out that if there actually were any hungry Gazan children, it wasn’t the fault of the Israelis. Anti-Hamas activist Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib posted pictures on X of huge piles of unopened baby formula and nutritional shakes, claiming, “During the worst of the days of the hunger crisis in Gaza in the past six months, Hamas deliberately hid literal tons of infant formula and nutritional shakes for children by storing them in clandestine warehouses belonging to the Gaza Ministry of Health.” In that statement, we can not only see the depraved actions of the terrorists, but the collusion of the Gazan governmental entities. It is one more example of the Palestinians hating Jews more than they love their own children.
One Year Anniversary of a Nouveau World Leader
Monday marked one year since Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa took office after the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime. While no one is mourning the departure of Assad, this is an appropriate time to evaluate who it is that’s taken his place. Should we rejoice in this new style of leader, or should we raise our hands into the air and ask, “What have we wrought?”
On the surface, al-Sharaa is a huge improvement over the previous leadership. He says the right things, he looks good, he shakes hands with all the right people. But how different is this man from Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the nom de guerre that al-Sharaa carried when he was one of the leaders of al-Qaeda? The deeper we look at this man, the more apparent it becomes that while he says the right words, his actions betray him. He is playing the Muslim long game, similar to the “soft takeover” that Islam has carried out in Europe. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and I hope that President Donald Trump and other world leaders have enough insight to see him for who he really is. For a more detailed analysis of this story, please check out my Telegram post.
Islam’s Global Takeover
Al-Sharaa’s soft takeover is indicative of Islam’s global strategy. The clearest sign of this is in Europe where Muslim violence is blending with the vicious nature of the radical left to steal the peace of the continent. Pope Leo XIV criticized Catholics last week who feel threatened by the mass immigration of Muslims to Europe, but I’m not sure what he’s looking at. During this Christmas season, Europe has become a target-rich environment. Just this past week, in Brussels, Muslims crashed a Christmas market and stole and decapitated a figurine of Jesus. In Milan and many other cities throughout Europe, Islamists and leftists have climbed statues and blasted music at the peaceful gatherings of people just wanting to celebrate the season. In Paris, an Algerian woman working as a nanny tried to poison the Jewish family she was working for by putting household chemicals in their food. About 200 miles southwest of Paris in Nantes, Muslims and far-left activists attempted to destroy a Catholic bookstore, claiming it was fascist for selling the Bible, Christian books, and statues of Jesus and Mary. But, again, the Pope says you shouldn’t feel threatened by that, so who are you going to believe, the Pope or your own lying eyes? Many Europeans are fed up and want to get rid of the invaders, including seven out of ten Danes who are now supporting remigration of any immigrant who commits a crime. Unfortunately, Danish policies have made their bed already, and now they have to lie in it.
But it’s not just Europe. It’s global. Even as Khalid Al Hail, president of Qatar’s opposition party made it clear that “Qatar will never allow Hamas to give up its weapons”, FBI director Kash Patel signed two MOUs (memorandums of understanding) with the Gulf nation’s Ministry of Interior to expand bilateral security cooperation in training, intelligence sharing, and capacity-building. Somalia is already well into a quiet takeover of the state of Minnesota, and Miami is becoming Saudi Arabia’s gateway into America. From a Muslim mayor in New York City to major Islamic enclaves in Michigan, Texas, Illinois, California, and other states, the Islamists’ “groundswell takeover” methodology is working in a way that an outright attempt at conquering never could.
Doha “Terrorists ‘R’ Us” Convention
The Doha Forum was held this past week in the capital city of Qatar. All the usual suspects were there, including some special guests, like U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, Syrian President al-Sharaa, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, former Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Mohammad Javan Zarif, and Tucker Carlson who revealed that he was buying a home in Qatar. I’d give you the details of all that happened, but you already know it. It’s the same rot and drivel that you would expect, with the surprising exception of Tom Barrack calling out Israel for only claiming to be a democracy and implying instead that we are really a closet monarchy. Don’t worry, Tom, we’ll write that off to one of those crazy Q & A moments when we are forced to speak before we have time to think.
Genocide Swept Under the Rug
More people were killed in one week in Sudan than in two years in Gaza. Up to 150,000 residents of El Fasher are missing, huge piles of bodies have been spotted awaiting mass burial, and experts are beginning to refer to the city as a slaughterhouse. What happened? The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) swept through the city killing everyone they could find. It was a week-long October 7 perpetrated on the people of the city. The pictures I’ve seen from inside the area make my stomach churn in a way I haven’t felt in two years. Most of the news agencies, however, are giving the butchery no more than a quick mention or a single article on their online feeds. Where is the outrage? Where are the people marching in the streets? Is it because these are only poor Africans, and this kind of stuff sometimes happens on that backward continent, don’t you know? Is it because black lives only matter when their killers fit a convenient narrative? The lack of indignation is appalling. I understand the “no Jews, no news,” but this is the epitome of genocide. Do better, media. Do better, politicians. At the very least, do something.
The Ministry
I told you above about my upcoming 2026 journey to Australia. However, before that happens, I’m heading to Asia! In January, Pastor Barry Stagner and I will be touring through the Philippines and China with stops in Manila, Tacloban, Davao, and Hong Kong. Then, in April, I’ll be back again in Asia again, this time in Japan, with visits to Tokyo, Nagano, Hokkaido, and Osaka. If you want to see where we’ll be and when, check out the Behold Israel “Teaching Around the World” page. I hope to see you there!
If you are into cruising, we’ve got some possibilities for you there, also. In July 2026, we’ll be up in Alaska again, where I’ll be joined by Pastor Barry Stagner, Pastor Bob Pearle, and Pastor Bob Kopeny for an on-the-water prophecy conference. Later in the year, Pastor Barry and I will be teaching Exploring Ezekiel in the fjords of Norway from September 27-October 4, 2026. Registration is currently open for both of these amazing excursions.
There is still time left to include Behold Israel in your year-end giving. It is because of your gifts that we are able to go wherever God calls us without ever charging any church a single dollar. God opens the door, we go, and through your generosity He pays the way. So, we thank you for that from the bottom of our hearts. We also are so grateful for your constant prayers for the impact of this ministry and for the health and safety of our team. God is at work, and you are part of it. May He bless you greatly!
Awaiting His Return,
Amir Tsarfati
Amir Tsarfati, a Jewish Christian, is the founder and president of Behold Israel, a news site founded 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 CURE News and Clergy Blog.
