Icej nz newsletter aug14 by Moshe Habaita

ICEJ NEW ZEALAND

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM August 2014, Av Elul 5774

PO Box 100474 Auckland 0745 Telephone: 09 837 5384 / Email: icejnz@ihug.co.nz

Find us online: www.icej.org

NZ REGISTERED CHARITY CC41177

Big picture

Making a stand

ĞƌĞŬ DĐ ŽǁĞůů ŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ / :ͲE

Alison Dyson WƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŽŶŝƐƚ &ĞĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚ

It seems ironic that the UNHRC sees x Įƚ ƚŽ ŚĂǀĞ ǇĞƚ ĂŶŽƚŚĞƌ ƉƌŽďĞ ;ůĞĚ ďǇ ĂŶĂĚŝĂŶ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŽƌ tŝůŝĂŵ ^ĐŚĂďĂƐͿ x ŝŶƚŽ ĂůůĞŐĞĚ ǁĂƌ ĐƌŝŵĞƐ ďǇ /ƐƌĂĞů ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ 'ĂǌĂ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ ǁŚĞŶ ,ĂŵĂƐ x ŚĂƐ ŽƉĞŶůǇ ĂŶĚ ďĂƌďĂƌŝĐůǇ ŇŽƵƚĞĚ ĞǀĞƌǇ ƌƵůĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ǁĂƌ ůĂǁ ďŽŽŬ ĞŶĚĂŶŐĞƌŝŶŐ ŝƚƐ ŽǁŶ ĐŝǀŝůŝĂŶƐ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ĚĞůŝďĞƌĂƚĞůǇ ƚĂƌŐĞƟŶŐŶŐ /ƐƌĂĞůŝ ĐŝǀŝůĂŶƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ǁŚĞŶ Israel sets high moral standards in its ŵŝůŝƚĂƌǇ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ ƚŽ ŵŝŶŝŵŝƐĞ ĐŝǀŝůŝĂŶ ĐĂƐƵĂůƟĞƐ͕ ǁĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĐŝǀŝůŝĂŶƐ͕ ǇĞƚ ŚĂǀŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĐŽŶĨƌŽŶƚ ĂŶ ĞŶĞŵǇ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ŝƚƐ ĐŝǀŝůŝĂŶ ƉŽƉƵůĂĐĞ͘ Israel always knew that its legitimacy internationally would be hurt in the political war which Hamas has cynically exploited through its “dead baby” strategy. The more Gaza civilans killed, the more Israel is castigated. Yet Israel cannot allowHamas to act with impunity, hiding behind its own people and terrorising Israel, let alone its own people. It is inevitable that civilians will get caught up in such a conflict. Not surprisingly such issues occur in all wars but they do not hit the public radar to the same degree -- unless of course Israel is involved. In which case, the media shifts the opinion shaping emphasis by focusing on and misreporting Israel’s response, reducing the conflict to a mere numbers game of dead on each side as if the side who killed the most must be wrong. This completely disregards that proportionalities of conflict are governed more by the foreward intentions of the parties, not by numbers of casualties. These issues, whilst important, deflect attention from the larger picture. Hamas has genocidal aspirations to destroy the Jewish State and the Jews “from the river to the sea”. In the face of such aggression, Israel must defend itself. To then change the discussion to a microscopic analysis of IDF actions, ignoring Hamas depravity, when Israel’s standards are at least ss high as any other western army might say something more about heart attitudes towards Israel. 'ĞƫŶŐ ƚŽ ŐƌŝƉƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƚƌƵƚŚ ĂŶĚ understanding the ideological and spiritual drivers behind this enduring ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚ Ͳ ŽĨ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƚŚŝƐ ŝƐ ďƵƚ ŽŶĞ ĐŚĂƉƚĞƌ ŝŶ Ă ͞ůŽŶŐ ǁĂƌ͟ Ͳ ŝƐ ĐƌŝƟĐĂů ĂŶĚ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƐ ǁŚĂƚ ƚŚŝƐ ƉƵďůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ŚŽƉĞƐ ƚŽ contribute towards.

Following the Kiwis for Israel rally in Auckland’s QEII Square on Sunday 10 August, Alison Dyson, President of ƚŚĞ ŝŽŶŝƐƚ &ĞĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚ͕ on behalf of the Auckland Jewish ŽŵŵƵŶŝƚǇ ĞǆƉƌĞƐƐĞƐ ŚĞƌ ŐƌĂƟƚƵĚĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶ Israel support groups in Auckland but ĂůƐŽ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚ ǁŚŽ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƚŽ ƐƚĂŶĚ ǁŝƚŚ /ƐƌĂĞů ĂŶĚ ĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůǇ Ăƚ ƚŚŝƐ ĚŝĸĐƵůƚ ƟŵĞ ĨŽƌ /ƐƌĂĞů defending itself from Hamas, a modern day Haman. In keeping with the spirit of Esther who made her stand against Haman let us be encouraged to count it a privilege to remain steadfast in our stand with Israel and the Jewish people everywhere… for Zion’s sake... for His ,ŽůǇ EĂŵĞ͛Ɛ ^ĂŬĞ͘͘͘ Ε ĞƌĞŬ ĨŽƌ / :ͲE

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ĞĂƌ &ƌŝĞŶĚƐ ĨƌŽŵ ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ I believe that yesterday (Sunday 10 August) would not have been possible without your support -‐ your encouragement, your professional assistance, your strong voices and ǇŽƵƌ ĨĞůůŽǁ ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶƐ ĚĞĐůĂƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞǇ ĐĂŵĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƌĂůůǇ͕ ƐŚŽǁŝŶŐ ƚŚĞŝƌ ůŽǀĞ ĂŶĚ ĚĞĚŝĐĂƟŽŶ ƚŽ Israel, your faith and commitment to speak for the right of Israel to exist in peace. Speaking for myself I can say that I doubt that I would have had the courage or the strength to stand without you. You gave me such encouragement and

you supported me and our team all the way. It is deeply appreciated and I feel humbled by your embrace of the Jewish community here in New Zealand and extended to Israel. How fortunate are the many young Israelis who find warmth and hospitality in your homes. Your generosity knows no bounds. Please share this message with your communities who are helping to shoulder the burden as we struggle to bring some balance and rational discussion to the current ugly conflict between Israel and Hamas, and all the other tragic massacres occurring at the hands of militant jihadists all around the Middle East region. I am sure you were proud of the words shared by Sheree Trotter, she has received a lot of acclaim for this wonderful speech. Pastor Carle gave a most important message giving a most important historical perspective on the current conflict. We are grateful for these strong statements. We must all keep talking and advocating for the truth, and praying for peace. With my most sincere thanks to you all, and on behalf of the Jewish community, Alison Dyson, President Zionist Federation of New Zealand ŽǀĞƌ ŝŵĂŐĞ͗ <ŝǁŝƐ ĨŽƌ /ƐƌĂĞů ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚ rallies for Israel at the rally in Auckland on ^ƵŶĚĂǇ ϭϬ ƵŐƵƐƚ͘ WŚŽƚŽ͗ /ůĂŶ tŝƩĞŶďĞƌŐ ;ŝůĂŶǁŝƩĞŶďĞƌŐ͘ĐŽŵͿ

Kiwis at the Kiwis for Israel rally in downtown Auckland Sunday 10 August

An evening with Daniel Gold

On Wednesday 6 August ICEJ was privileged to host the opening evening for Mr Daniel Gold at the Quality Hotel in Parnell. Daniel, from Israel, ŝƐ ǀŝƐŝƟŶŐ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚ ƉƌŝŵĂƌŝůǇ ƚŽ ƐƉĞĂŬ ƚŽ ,ŝŐŚ ^ĐŚŽŽů ĂŶĚ ƚĞƌƟĂƌǇ groups about the Holocaust through sharing his own experiences as a child ƐƵƌǀŝǀŽƌ ŝŶ >ŝƚŚƵĂŶŝĂ͘ ŌĞƌ ƚŚĞ ǁĂƌ͕ Daniel with his father made aliyah to Israel where Daniel served for over two decades as an IAF pilot. He then became a microbiologist. Daniel kept us riveted with his story inspiring us that the human spirit can triumph even in the face of extreme adversity. A scriptural foundation was laid, that the Lord will never forsake Israel and that He has His hand on Israel’s neighbours also, followed by prayer led by Roger King. We heard a refreshingly powerful address from H.E. Yosef Livne, the ambassador of Israel to New Zealand via a video address especially prepared for us, explaining clearly Israel’s right to defend itself from an enemy sworn

to Israel’s destruction. “What would you do?” he asks. Fully cognisant of the suffering of Gaza civilians but placing the blame squarely on Hamas, he also made emphatically clear that Israel was not in the business of killing civilians and those who say otherwise do not know what they are talking about. His address was clearly embraced by the audience of 270 people. Nigel Woodley Chairman of Ebenezer challenged us to get out there and rally for Israel as Ebenezer has done courageously in Wellington and Hawkes Bay. Alison Dyson followed to further inspire us to rally and stand with Israel. Shosahana Maasland from the Jewish community poignantly reminded us of the challenges facing Jewish people even in New Zealand as the conflict and biased media reporting exacerbates feelings of uninformed people. Music and dance brought another dimension to the evening. Hineh Lo yanum - He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep - enjoined us. A violin concert piece by Murray vanHoorn and Christine Rawlings brought richness to

the evening as did Heather Edwards soothing us with Hebriac tunes form on her harp. “Whom shall I fear (God of angel armies)” sung by Kevin and Rejaee could be interpreted to remind us that God is also watching over His people. “Hope in front of me” danced to by Anna Soo and Aimee Edwards inspired us that even in adversity hope in God sustains us. In closing before the national anthems Julia Vincent reminded us of God’s faithfulness to His promises that “He will bring it to pass” with a powerpoint presentation to this Hebraic song by Keren Silver. It was a blessing to gather, not only to hear Daniel’s powerful story but also to show real solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people. It was especially important to do this at a ƟŵĞ ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞ ŶĂƟŽŶ ĨĞĞůƐ ƐŽ ĂůŽŶĞ in a world which turns black into ǁŚŝƚĞ ŝŶǀĞƌƟŶŐ ůŽŐŝĐ ĂŶĚ ƌĂƟŽŶĂůŝƚǇ in a way others would never do for themselves if confronted with the same implacable foe, sworn to their ĚĞƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶ͘ -‐ Derek McDowell INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM NZ BRANCH 3

dŚĞ 'ĂǌĂ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ Ͳ ŵǇ ƚŚŽƵŐŚƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞŇĞĐƟŽŶƐ ŵďĂƐƐĂĚŽƌ ŽĨ /ƐƌĂĞů ƚŽ E ͕ ,͘ ͘ zŽƐĞĨ >ŝǀŶĞ A famous Israeli novelist, Amos Oz, spoke recently to a German network. tŚĞŶ ĂƐŬĞĚ ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ 'ĂǌĂ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ he answered as follows: Unlike European Peaceniks, I do not believe ƚŚĂƚ ǁĂƌ ĐŽŶƐƟƚƵƚĞƐ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƉƌĞŵĞ evil. In my view it is aggression that ĐŽŶƐƟƚƵƚĞƐ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƉƌĞŵĞ Ğǀŝů͘ ,Ğ ǁĞŶƚ ŽŶ ƚŽ ƐŚĂƌĞ ǁŚĂƚ Ă ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ of his had said to her children and her grandchildren: I was saved from the ĐŽŶĐĞŶƚƌĂƟŽŶ ĐĂŵƉ ŽĨ dĞƌĞǌŝŶ ŶŽƚ ďǇ ƉůĂĐĂƌĚ ĐĂƌƌǇŝŶŐ WĞĂĐĞ ĂĐƟǀŝƐƚƐ͕ but rather by Soviet soldiers carrying machine guns. I am referring to this interview to put the operation in Gaza in some sort of perspective. If one of Israel’s foremost peace camp activists defines Hamas as the aggressors and defends the right of Israel to take arms in order to frustrate the machinations of this terrorist group, I believe it should at the very least call for some soul searching and deep thoughts. I am proud to defend my country and in all honesty I believe our case is just. In order to do that, allow me to start with an historical review. Who are the Hamas? Hamas is a fundamentalist, extremist Islamist organization that calls for the destruction of Israel. It does not mask its aim and says it clearly in the preamble as well as several articles of its covenant. Consequently, it has undertaken terrorism against Israel and Israelis attacking civilian population. In 2007, two years after Israel evacuated Gaza, Hamas took over the area by force from the Palestinian Authority turning it into a terrorist fortress aiming at raining death and destruction upon Israel. I believe I should dwell a little over the status of Gaza. Back in 2005, Israeli Prime Minister Sharon ordered the total evacuation of Gaza. His reasoning was very simple -- the region would never be a part of Israel, hence there is no reason to maintain it under Israeli control. All settlements were uprooted and all military personnel were evacuated. The understanding was that the Palestinians would take over and do the same over the same land that under Israeli cultivation produced a successful agricultural harvest. There had been a tacit hope that they would prove their capability and capacity to run a successful independent region, not unlike 4 INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM NZ BRANCH

a Middle Eastern version of Singapore. Unfortunately, where vegetables and strawberries had been cultivated, mortar shells and rockets spawned under the dictatorship of Hamas. In a short period of time the terror-mongers of Hamas had installed offensive armaments directed at Israeli communities across the border. Their targets were not military camps, but civilian villages and townships, schools and kindergartens, homes and community centers. These weapons were stashed in schools and clinics, in back yards and under mosques. In short, Hamas has turned the civilian population of Gaza, over a million and a half into a giant human shield over their gangsters. From 2007, Hamas has launched over 21,000 rockets into Israel and who can count how many mortar shells? At first they were directed against the communities in the immediate vicinity of the border and as the years went by, they extended their targets including towns and cities in central Israel. Under this situation Israel had to adopt a two-pronged response: The defensive one was to develop a mechanism to frustrate the rockets. Let me remind you that already in 1991 Israel had been the target of missiles from Iraq. The answer came in the form of Iron Dome system that intercepts the rockets. Israeli alarm systems provide the population with time to seek shelter that varies from 15 seconds (please check how long 15 seconds is) near the border to 90 seconds in the center. The offensive option was to inflict damage on the terrorists that will make them think twice before launching attacks. This brings me to the current situation. On July 1st my family and I left New Zealand for Israel. We headed home to celebrate my younger son’s Bar Mitzvah with our family and close friends. Little did we know what was awaiting us. It all began with the kidnapping and murder of three Jewish boys on their way home. The eventual action by the army against Hamas terrorists brought with it the renewal of rocket launching against our territory. Despite calls for calm by the Prime Minister, we witnessed an escalation in the aggression. Finally, the government took the last option- to defend the lives of our citizens. The

aggression deteriorated and suddenly we found ourselves with our ears at attention lest a siren went off. And off they went, even in Tel Aviv and other parts of the country. On a personal level, our holiday was in shambles. First of all, I was ordered back to Wellington as soon as our celebration was over. Then we united in the synagogue hoping that our services would not be interrupted by sirens. Luckily we managed to celebrate without sirens. But as I said, the spirit of carefree holiday had disappeared. On a more general level, Israel found itself facing a new threat- the offensive tunnels. The uncovering of tunnels dug and built 20 meters below ground from Gaza into our communities brought home the degree of menace. Had our military not intervened, it is quite possible that the result would have been a wholesale massacre of civilians on the Jewish New Year. Israel had to fight with an arm tied behind its back. We were facing an enemy whose disregard for human life became evident by its violation of a basic tenant of human rights - to not involve civilian population. Our army was and is aware of this cruelty and has taken all possible measures to warn the local population of impending attacks. Some have managed to leave; others were blocked by the terrorists. Ladies and gentlemen, we are not in the business of killing civilians. It never was, it is not and it will never be. Our moral code dictates that civilians do not belong in harm’s way and we shall always take all the possible steps to ensure their safety. We regret and mourn the death of all civilians, but at the same time we raise the question clearly and loudlyWho exposed civilians to the threat of death? The answer is one - Hamas. As long as the aggression of the merchants of death goes on, as long as our civilian population is threatened by a gang of murderous thugs- Israel will respond. We shall react with forceful determination coupled with the realization that civilian life should be spared. We shall do whatever is humanly possible to achieve it. We have no quarrel with the Palestinian population of Gaza, ours is a fight against those who have declared a “Jihad” against us.

dŚĞ ƌĞĂů ĨĂĐĞ ŽĨ ,ĂŵĂƐ A true understanding of the month-‐ ůŽŶŐ ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚ ŝŶ 'ĂǌĂ ĚĞƉĞŶĚƐ ŽŶ Ă ĐĂƌĞĨƵů ĞǆĂŵŝŶĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ,ĂŵĂƐ͛ ŝĚĞŽůŽŐǇ͕ ĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝƐƟĐƐ ĂŶĚ ŽďũĞĐƟǀĞƐ͘ Hamas is a radical Islamist WĂůĞƐƟŶŝĂŶ ŵŽǀĞŵĞŶƚ ĚĞĚŝĐĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĚĞƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ /ƐƌĂĞů͘ ^ŝŶĐĞ ŝƚƐ ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ ϭϵϴϳ ĂƐ ĂŶ ŽīƐŚŽŽƚ of the Muslim Brotherhood, it has ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƉĂƚŚ ŽĨ ƚĞƌƌŽƌŝƐŵ͘ /ƚƐ ǀŝŽůĞŶƚ ĂĐƟŽŶƐ ŚĂǀĞ ůĞĚ Hamas to be recognized as a terrorist ŽƌŐĂŶŝǌĂƟŽŶ ŶŽƚ ŽŶůǇ ďǇ /ƐƌĂĞů͕ ďƵƚ ďǇ the US, European Union, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and Egypt. Hamas’ Charter rejects peace with Israel and stresses the terrorist organization’s commitment to destroying it through holy war (jihad). This is an overtly antisemitic and antiWestern document that expresses the organization’s radical agenda. Hamas implements its ideology by carrying out horrific terrorist attacks. Its first suicide bombing was in April 1993, shortly before the signing of the Oslo Accords. Hamas’ bombing campaign undermined efforts to reach a peace accord and culminated in the unprecedented wave of suicide bombings during the second intifada that murdered and injured thousands of Israeli civilians. Hamas took control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007 in a violent coup and created a terror base from which it has launched thousands of rockets at Israeli towns and cities. The range of the rockets continues to increase and today Hamas’ large arsenal threatens most of the population of Israel. Hamas cannot be understood by trying to apply Western values to a terrorist group that despises them. Hamas supports global jihad movements. Like al-Qaeda, which has vowed to wage jihad against the West, Hamas is committed to holy war. Its aim is to establish an Islamic caliphate over the whole territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea in place of Israel. Hamas identifies with al-Qaeda, and after the death of Osama bin Laden, its prime minister at the time, Ismail Haniyeh, condemned the “murder” of bin Laden and praised him as a “holy warrior.” Like ISIS, its alter-ego in Iraq, Hamas

is a terror organization that violently seized control of territory and then imposed its brutal rule over the population. Hamas and ISIS share the same fundamentalist ideology, ruthless methods and contempt for human rights. Both want to murder those who disagree with them or belong to another faith. Hamas acts in complete disregard for international law and human rights. It maintains its theocratic regime in Gaza using oppressive methods. Highly credible reports on Gaza tell of systematic violations of basic human rights, including the execution of political opponents, torture, and attacks on journalists, as well as the oppression of women, homosexuals and other minorities. Hamas’ use of human shields has been well-documented. In the current hostilities, Hamas ordered civilians not to evacuate neighborhoods after Israel warned of imminent attacks. It encouraged crowds to go up to the roofs of houses after Israeli phone calls to warn the residents. Its terrorists fired rockets from fortified tunnels and hideouts underneath and next to the homes of ordinary Gazans. It is the uninvolved Palestinian residents who unfortunately bore the brunt of these illegal tactics. Even during periods of calm, Hamas exploits and mistreats civilians, especially children. A 2012 report by the Institute for Palestine Studies, a private Palestinian nonprofit body, cites Hamas officials who said that “at least 160 children have been killed in tunnels.” Only an Islamist organization like Hamas would so cynically use its own population to promote its distorted ideology. Hamas not only wishes for the demise of Israel, but regularly exploits Gaza’s civilians to achieve its goals. Tragically, the higher the death toll among Gaza’s civilians, the more Hamas’ interests are advanced. Hamas’ use of civilians in Gaza as human shields has two goals: to prevent Israeli counter-attacks and to inflate Palestinian casualty figures in order

to rally international opinion against legitimate actions taken by Israel in selfdefense. One should not be misled by Hamas’ attempt to brand itself as a “resistance” movement. The term “resistance”, used also by the Hizbullah terrorist organization in Lebanon, is a euphemism for terrorism. When it comes to Hamas, the only things it truly resists are peace, co-existence and the wellbeing of its own population. The fact that Hamas is a fundamentalist religious organization by no means signifies a lack of sophistication. Hamas has learned from past mistakes and endeavors to camouflage its true terrorist nature from Western eyes. Hamas has made great efforts to conceal its illegal tactic of fighting from within the civilian population. During the latest confrontation, it intimidated journalists, ordered Gaza’s residents to represent dead terrorists as civilians and prohibited photographing rocket launching pads placed in the midst of populated areas. Hamas tries to portray itself as a political body, deserving of international recognition. It endeavors to show the world a false dichotomy between the political and military wings of the organization. It has attempted to rehabilitate its image by associating itself with the Palestinian Authority although it wants to replace the PA with an Islamic state. Hamas also tries to fool the international community by hiding its Islamist agenda behind the Palestinian cause. Hamas’ crimes against Israeli and WĂůĞƐƟŶŝĂŶ ĐŝǀŝůŝĂŶƐ ĂůŝŬĞ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ďĞ recognized and strongly condemned. 'ƌĂŶƟŶŐ ůĞŐŝƟŵĂĐǇ ƚŽ ƚŚŝƐ ƚĞƌƌŽƌŝƐƚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝǌĂƟŽŶ ǁŝůů ŽŶůǇ ƐĞƌǀĞ ƚŽ embolden Islamist terror groups worldwide.

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DĂŬŝŶŐ ƐĞŶƐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ /ƐƌĂĞůͲ'ĂǌĂ ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚ <ŝǁŝƐ ĨŽƌ /ƐƌĂĞů dŚŝƐ ƌĞƉŽƌƚ ĐŽŵƉŝůĞĚ ďǇ ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶ and Jewish organisers of the “Kiwis for Israel” rally in Auckland on Sunday 10 ƵŐƵƐƚ ĨŽƌŵĞĚ ƚŚĞ ďĂƐŝƐ ŽĨ Ă ŇǇĞƌ ĨŽƌ ĚŝƐƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶ ƚŽ ŵĞĚŝĂ ĂŶĚ ƚŽ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ of the public. EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚĞƌƐ ĂƌĞ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚĂďůǇ distressed by the media images ĐŽŵŝŶŐ ŽƵƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵŽŶƚŚͲůŽŶŐ ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚ in and around the Gaza Strip. Many ǁŝůů ŚĂǀĞ ƐĞĞŶ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ ŽĨ ĞŵŽƟŽŶĂů protests in Auckland and Wellington by groups and individuals condemning /ƐƌĂĞů͕ ĐĂůůŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ďŽǇĐŽƩƐ and the closure of the Israeli Embassy. tĞ ŽīĞƌ Ă ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ŵĞƐƐĂŐĞ͕ ŽŶĞ of support for Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, and the same ƌŝŐŚƚƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ WĂůĞƐƟŶŝĂŶƐ ŝŶ 'ĂǌĂ͘ /Ŷ their case, however, those rights are directly connected to the need for them to be free from the shackles of Hamas, the Islamist group that has controlled the territory for the past seven years. dŚĞ &Z ' ƐŝŐŶƐ ǇŽƵ ŵĂǇ ŚĂǀĞ seen on television or in newspaper ƉŚŽƚŽƐ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ƌĞĂůůǇ ƌĞĂĚ͗ &Z ' &ZKD , D ^͕ E ^ s d, ,/> Z E͘ dŚŝƐ ŵĂǇ ďĞ Ă ŵĞƐƐĂŐĞ ǇŽƵ ǁŽŶ͛ƚ have heard before. We urge you to ƐĞƚ ĂƐŝĚĞ ĂŶǇ ƉƌĞĐŽŶĐĞƉƟŽŶƐ ǇŽƵ ŵĂǇ ŚĂǀĞ ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƐŝƚƵĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ DŝĚĚůĞ East and to read this pamphlet with an open mind. t Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Hamas seized control two years later from the Palestinian Authority leadership and has controlled it since then t Since 2007 Israel and Egypt have sought to prevent weapons from entering Gaza while allowing the transfer of food and most other goods t Hamas’ sworn mission is not to build a viable state in Gaza but to destroy Israel t Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel from Gaza since 2007 t Israel, like any government, has the right and duty to defend its citizens t Hamas and other terror groups fire rockets towards Israel from 6 INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM NZ BRANCH

t t

civilian areas. They hide their rockets, mortars and other weapons in civilian areas and UN facilities Despite those difficulties, Israel has tried to avoid civilian casualties, warning residents to leave areas it intends to target Hamas has violated half a dozen ceasefires over the past month Key Arab states, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, are quietly backing Israel. They view Hamas – and its Muslim Brotherhood mother organisation – as a security threat

What’s the recent history of Gaza? Despite the rhetoric that Gaza remains “occupied territory,” Israel in 2005 withdrew entirely from the strip with the stated aim of trying to seed and aid the development of an independent territory under Palestinian control. Significant infrastructure was left behind, including millions of dollars’ worth of horticultural equipment, greenhouses etc. But all these were destroyed by the Palestinian leadership. In 2007, Hamas routed forces loyal to Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas and took control of Gaza. It rules Gaza with an iron fist, with no criticism of the regime tolerated.

tŚĂƚ ŵŽƟǀĂƚĞƐ /ƐƌĂĞů͍ Israel is a democratic state trying to fight an extremist, terrorist regime which, since seizing control of Gaza in 2007 has fired thousands of rockets into Israel. In recent weeks these attacks have forced millions of Israelis to take to bomb shelters at very short notice. Any elected government’s paramount responsibility is to safeguard its citizens. tŚĂƚ ŵŽƟǀĂƚĞƐ ,ĂŵĂƐ͍ Hamas’ policy is not to build a Palestinian state but to annihilate Israel. Its founding charter calls unambiguously for Jews to be killed and says all Muslims are duty-bound to join a jihad to destroy Israel. It essentially holds many of the people of Gaza hostage (polls show a steady decline in Palestinian support for Hamas, from 62 percent in 2007 to around 35 percent now), and its aim is an Islamic state across the Levant. Even before Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007, it was responsible for hundreds of deadly terror attacks against Israel in the years following the signing of the Oslo peace accords in 1993, including suicide bombings in public buses and restaurants. These terror attacks were a strategy of Hamas to prevent the end to the conflict which would have resulted in the creation of two states, one Jewish and one Palestinian.

Is Gaza besieged? ƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƚǁŽ ƉĂƌƟĞƐ ĞƋƵĂů͍ Since 2007 Israel and Egypt have tightly controlled (not blockaded) the entry of goods into Gaza. A little known fact is that apart from weapons and dual-use items that could be used in militant activity, goods flow virtually freely into Gaza – even during the current conflict. The discovery of dozens of tunnels designed to store weapons and to infiltrate Israel in order to carry out attacks has cast a spotlight on how some of the goods entering Gaza have been misused for violent ends: Specifically, large quantities of cement intended for building houses, hospitals and infrastructure have instead been used to construct and fortify tunnels. The tunnels shelter Hamas fighters and rockets. They are not used to shelter civilians.

The tragic war that we are witnessing is between two players – Israel and Hamas, not Israel and the Palestinians of Gaza. The protagonists are unequal in many ways: They have different values: one values death as a jihadist act, one values the life of its citizens - and of all people. Hamas taunts Israelis: You love life but we love death. They have different objectives: one is to destroy its neighbour and build an Islamic state in its place, the other aims to disarm and defeat a militant movement which has found ways to infiltrate and terrorize its citizens. They have different approaches to this continued on page 7, column 1

Making sense...

;ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ ƉĂŐĞ ϲͿ fight: With the most powerful army in the Middle East Israel could literally flatten Gaza in days if it chose to do so, with bombs and airstrikes launched from a safe distance. Yet in efforts to minimise Palestinian civilian casualties it has sent soldiers into a lethal situation, risking their lives as they face an enemy that fights from among a civilian population. Hamas knows full well that the loss of Palestinian civilian lives fuels its cause and stokes international condemnation of Israel. tŚĂƚ ĂďŽƵƚ ĐŝǀŝůŝĂŶ ĐĂƐƵĂůƟĞƐ͍ In an effort to limit civilian casualties Israel as a matter of course alerts residents of imminent attacks on identified Hamas targets in their areas. The hope is that people will quickly leave the area and so avoid coming to harm. According to Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, the Israel Defence Forces are unique in taking such steps to prevent civilian casualties. Hamas is known to encourage (even pressurise) civilians to ignore the Israeli warnings and stay put. Adding to this cynical ploy, Hamas intentionally fires rockets and launches other attacks from civilian areas, knowing full well they will draw responsive fire – which may harm civilians. Hamas also does this from UN facilities, again knowing that Israel’s response will risk harming UN sites, including schools being used as shelters by displaced Palestinians. Even UN officials who have little sympathy for Israel acknowledge that Hamas and other militants fire rockets from the near vicinity of UN installations. The UN has also found weapons stored in UN schools and hospitals. tĂƐŶ͛ƚ ƚŚĞƌĞ Ă ĐĞĂƐĞĮƌĞ͍ Over the past month Israel has agreed to half a dozen ceasefires. Hamas and other militant groups violated each one. An August 1 ceasefire, meant to hold for at least 72 hours, lasted just 90 minutes. How do the Arab states view Hamas? The Israel-Gaza conflict cannot be divorced from today’s broader regional

dynamics. The governments of the most powerful and influential Arab states, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, are both highly suspicious of Hamas (and the Muslim Brotherhood of which it is an affiliate). They are joined in this stance by Jordan (which has been severely destabilized by the mass influx of refugees from the Syrian civil war and is itself vulnerable to Islamist militants) as well as some of the smaller Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates. Turkey, Qatar and Iran are virtually alone in the region in supporting Hamas. Ironically, the current conflict has seen more pressure on and condemnation of Israel by countries elsewhere in the world than from the Arab governments, most of which are tacitly supporting Israel in the hope it will defeat Hamas.

Is Israel an “apartheid state”?

Until it officially ended in 1994, apartheid was the statutory system of racial segregation in South Africa, introduced and harshly enforced by its minority white citizens against its majority black citizens. It has become fashionable in recent years to accuse Israel of apartheid, but the charge is baseless. Israel is an ethnically diverse society made up of: 4.5 million Jews (from Ethiopian, Iraqi, Moroccan, Yemenite, Iranian, eastern European and many other backgrounds); 1.5 million Israeli Arabs, 131,000 Druze (Arabic speaking, but practising an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam), 161,000 Christians, as well as Baha’i and other minority religions. The religious affiliation of the population /Ɛ ƚŚĞ 'ĂǌĂ ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚ ƵŶŝƋƵĞůǇ ŚŽƌƌŝĮĐ͍ as of 2011 was 75.4% Jewish, 16.9% Muslim, 2.1% Christian, and 1.7% As distressing as it is when civilians are Druze, with the remaining 4.0% not caught up a conflict, the international focus classified by religion. on Gaza suggests that this is the worst All denominations and ethnic crisis happening anywhere in the world minorities are represented in all areas right now. Since the Syrian conflict began of civilian, political and military life in March 2011, more than 171,000 people (Muslims may choose to volunteer for the have been killed. They include some 56,500 army but are not conscripted like other civilians, including more than 9,000 citizens) of this democratic nation, the children. Groups organizing the weekly only democracy in the region. anti-Israel protests in downtown Auckland have yet to take to the streets to decry the Freedom of expression, or stoking huge loss of life in Syria. This is despite the hatred? fact that the Syrian conflict has taken its toll on Palestinians too. The UN says 63 Those protesting in Auckland claim percent of the Palestinian refugees it has to be pro-Palestinian but in truth many on its books in Syria have been displaced of the banners, slogans etc have been by the war. The Damascus suburb of anti-Israel in nature. The burning of any Yarmouk was home to more than 150,000 country’s national flag is decidedly unPalestinians before the war began. It now Kiwi behaviour. Slogans equating Israel has around 20,000 residents, and according with Nazi Germany are enormously (and to leading international rights groups intentionally) hurtful to Jews, whose hundreds of its residents have starved to people were the victims of the most death as a result of a siege imposed by the appalling, systematic system of raceAssad regime. based extermination in the history of the You also won’t see the anti-Israel world. Painting swastikas on banners groups protesting on Queen Street about or Israeli flags, and throwing words like the 10,000 Iraqis killed in sectarian “genocide” around should have no place violence in recent years; or the dwindling in public discourse. Not in this country. Christian minority in Iraq, one of the Making any comparison between oldest Christian communities in the world, Nazism and the specific conflict Israel forced by Islamists to flee their city or face faces is preposterous and dangerous, conversion to Islam or the sword; or the and incites ill-informed hatred and deaths of thousands of Nigerians at the anti-Semitism. Supporters of political hands of the Islamist group Boko Haram, parties participating in these protests, which has also kidnapped hundreds of primarily Mana and the Greens, should young girls as sex slaves. Israel is the only ask themselves whether they really want country in the Middle East where its to be associated with such conduct – and Christian population in increasing. if they wish to be seen as supporting Hamas, whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel, the murder of Jews and the rejection of negotiation. INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM NZ BRANCH 7

A Maori woman stands with Israel ^ŚĞƌĞĞ dƌŽƩĞƌ

Here is the full text of Sheree dƌŽƩĞƌ͛ ƐƉĞĞĐŚ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ͞<ŝǁŝƐ ĨŽƌ Israel” rally, in Auckland on Sunday 10 ƵŐƵƐƚ ƚŽ Ăĸƌŵ /ƐƌĂĞů͛Ɛ ƌŝŐŚƚ ƚŽ ĞǆŝƐƚ͕ her right to defend herself against Hamas’ aggression, and to respond to ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚǁŝĚĞ ƐƵƌŐĞ ŽĨ ĂŶƟͲ^ĞŵŝƟĐ expression. 'ŽŽĚ ĂŌĞƌŶŽŽŶ ůĂĚŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŐĞŶƚůĞŵĞŶ͘ dĞŶĂ ŬŽƵƚŽƵ͕ ƚĞŶĂ koutou, tena koutou katoa. Shalom. I am not Jewish nor am I Israeli. / Ăŵ Ă DĂŽƌŝ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚĞƌ ĂŶĚ Ă friend of Israel. I am here today to stand with Israel and to remember those whose lives have been lost in ƚŚŝƐ ĐŽŶŇŝĐƚ͘ As a mother I grieve with the mothers and fathers who have lost children. I grieve with the WĂůĞƐƟŶŝĂŶ ŵŽƚŚĞƌƐ ǁŚŽ ŚĂǀĞ lost young ones. I grieve with the Israeli mothers who have lost sons who fought bravely to defend their country. As we watch this battle unfolding we are grieved and saddened, but also indignant. So many have made hasty judgments on this conflict, based on what the media has chosen to present. For any fair minded, thinking person it ought to be blatantly obvious that we are not being presented with the full picture. One knows that news reports are biased and unbalanced when they begin, ‘Israeli bombardment of Gaza continues’ but then fail to mention: t UIBU *TSBFM JT CPNCJOH JO response to rockets that have been fired 8 INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM NZ BRANCH

t UIBU )BNBT IBT SFQFBUFEMZ violated ceasefire agreements -that more than twenty thousand rockets have rained down on Israel over the last nine years The background and context are repeatedly ignored. The media has chosen to focus on the numbers of civilian casualties. Having been fed Hamas approved photos and images the media has created a distorted picture of the situation. It is only now that journalists are leaving the intimidating environment in Gaza and returning to their home countries that some have been brave enough to speak the truth t ɨBU )BNBT IBT TUBHFE TDFOFT to make it appear that children were targeted by Israel. t ɨBU JU T WFSZ IBSE UP LOPX exactly how many civilians were killed because Hamas operatives dress as civilians. t ɨBU )BNBT IBT DPNNJUUFE war crimes by hiding amongst civilians and firing rockets from heavily populated areas including UN operated schools and even hospitals. t ɨBU UIF UBMMZ PG DBTVBMUJFT reported by the UN, are those given to them by Hamas, without independent verification. Even the BBC is now advising caution in interpreting the Gaza casualty statistics. The media also fails to follow up when, for example, it is discovered that it was actually Hamas who killed its own civilians by misfiring rockets. The damage of the first sensational report

having been done, it is never properly rectified. Israel remains the villain. Israeli authorities told us all along that Hamas uses its civilians as human shields. Those of us who know Israel and Israelis were not duped by the biased reporting. We know that Israel is a democratic country with institutions in place to ensure accountability. The fact that an Israeli President can be convicted in a trial presided over by an Israeli Arab Judge is a great example of this accountability. This also exposes the lie that Israel is an apartheid state. Arab Israelis enjoy more rights and freedoms than Arabs in any other Middle Eastern country. Israel is a pluralistic society in which there is a great variety of voices and opinions across a broad political spectrum. Issues are debated openly and vigorously. My family has had the privilege to meet hundreds of fine young Israelis who have travelled to NZ, many of whom we have visited in Israel. The overwhelming desire of their hearts is to live at peace with their neighbours. But the media has chosen to focus on the number of casualties as if this were an indicator as to who held the moral high ground. Perhaps they would feel better if there were more dead Israelis? In fact the media is culpable. Hamas’s documents confirm that their strategy is to manipulate world opinion by maximizing their own civilian toll. The media cooperates with Hamas in this by presenting Palestinian casualties without showing the necessary context that it is Hamas who is responsible for those civilians being placed in harm’s way. Thus Hamas is encouraged to continue sacrificing its own civilians because it is a cynical strategy that works. And while hundreds of reporters are stationed in Gaza, we hear one lone report today that children are being ripped apart by Assad’s barrel bombing in Syria. And while hundreds of reporters are stationed in Gaza we hear one lone report from Syria today that children are being ripped apart by Assad’s barrel bombing in Syria. Irresponsible media coverage has contributed to the explosion of antiSemitic expression around the world, including the event in Sydney last

a Maori woman... ;ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ ƉĂŐĞ ϴͿ

week in which a group of Jewish school children were terrorized on a school bus. Thugs taunted the children with slogans such as ‘kill the Jews’, ‘Heil Hitler’, ‘we’re going to cut your throats and slice your throats open.’ This… in Sydney! The fact is, Israel prioritizes the safety of its people by providing bomb shelters and investing in the iron dome system which has neutralized so many Palestinian missiles. Meanwhile Hamas performs its double war crime, firing indiscriminately at Israeli civilians whilst hiding amongst its own civilians. And this is the dilemma. Should Israel refrain from targeting Hamas terrorists and risk its own people being killed? The Israeli government is doing what any responsible government must do. She is protecting her citizens. The IDF has done more than any other army in the history of warfare to minimize civilian casualties in enemy territory. If the issue were really the number of civilians killed, why are we not hearing an outcry over the thousands of innocent Christians and other minorities being killed in Iraq as we speak? Where is the outcry over the hundreds of thousands that have been killed in Syria over the past couple of years? Where is the outcry over the hundreds being killed by Boko Karam in Nigeria right now? There are Christian children being beheaded right now by ISIS in Mosul, Iraq, and their heads put on a stick. Where is the international outrage? Where is the media coverage? Where are the protests and street marches? The silence is deafening. The crux of the matter is this: the ideology that drives Hamas glorifies death and martyrdom. It is an ideology invested in the next life, not this one. It is an ideology intent on establishing an Islamic caliphate in which there will be no room for infidels.

And no room for Jews. This is the real motivation behind Hamas’ attack on Israel. This is not about so-called occupation. If it were, then why did Gazans not seize the opportunity to create a flourishing society when Israel withdrew fully from Gaza in 2005? -- Instead of establishing a thriving economic base they poured millions of dollars of aid money into building a terrorist enclave. The ideology driving Hamas is the same one motivating other Islamic groups around the world such as Isis in Iraq and Boko Karam in Nigeria. If this sounds over-dramatic, just look at what is happening in the Middle East and look at what is happening in Europe. Let us not be so naïve as to think it will end there. Israel is only the “little Satan”. America is the “great Satan” ...and then there’s the rest of the civilized world. Hamas has stated clearly in its charter that it does not want peace with Israel. Israel is to be annihilated. Ɛ Ă DĂŽƌŝ / ƐƚĂŶĚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŶĂƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ protects the rights of all ethnic groups. Ɛ Ă ǁŽŵĂŶ / ƐƚĂŶĚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŶĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ which women are treated with dignity and respect and enjoy opportunity and freedom. Ɛ Ă ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶ͕ / Ăŵ ŐƌĂƚĞĨƵů ĨŽƌ Ă shared spiritual heritage and I stand ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƉĞŽƉůĞ ǁŚŽƐĞ ŐŝŌƐ ĂŶĚ ĐĂůůŝŶŐ ĂƌĞ ŝƌƌĞǀŽĐĂďůĞ͘ / ƐƚĂŶĚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŶĂƟŽŶ that allows freedom of religion and that respects the holy sites of all religions. As a Kiwi who likes to see a ‘fair ŐŽ͕͛ / ƐƚĂŶĚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŶĂƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ĨŽƌĞĨƌŽŶƚ ŽĨ Ă ĮŐŚƚ ĨŽƌ ĚĞŵŽĐƌĂĐǇ͕ ĨƌĞĞĚŽŵ͕ ĐŝǀŝůŝǌĂƟŽŶ͕ ĂŶĚ ůŝĨĞ͘ For all these reasons and more, let us together declare our support for Israel and stand with her, at such a ƟŵĞ ĂƐ ƚŚŝƐ͘ ^ŚĞƌĞĞ dƌŽƩĞƌ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƚĞƌǀŝĞǁĞƌ ĂŶĚ researcher for Shadows of Shoah. ^ŚĞ ŝƐ Ă DĂŽƌŝ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚĞƌ͘ ǁǁǁ͘ shadowsofshoah.com. Photos by Perry dƌŽƩĞƌ

Media statement

KŶ &ƌŝĚĂǇ Ϯϱ :ƵůǇ ĞŝŐŚƚ ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶ ĂŶĚ ƐĞǀĞŶ :ĞǁŝƐŚ ŐƌŽƵƉƐ ĐĂŵĞ together to issue a joint statement ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŵĞĚŝĂ ĚĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƟŶŐ ƵŶŝƚǇ ŽĨ ŵŝŶĚ ĂŶĚ ŚĞĂƌƚ ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ͘͘͘ We recognize Israel’s right to exist. We condemn the burning of the Israeli flag, and statements and banners inciting racial hatred and anti-Semitic sentiment during recent protests in New Zealand. We condemn Hamas’ placement of armaments in civilian areas in the Gaza Strip, endangering the Palestinian civilian population, and the use of Gaza residents as human shields for Hamas operations. We condemn Hamas’ targeting of Israeli citizens with volleys of rockets and other projectiles, fired indiscriminately at Israeli towns and cities and Hamas’ use of terror tunnels to infiltrate Israel in order to carry out terror attacks against Israeli civilians. We abhor and are deeply saddened by the unnecessary loss of life of Gaza civilians, Israeli civilians and Israel Defence Forces personnel as a result of Hamas aggression. We unequivocally support Israel’s right to defend itself in the circumstances and we urge Hamas to accept Israel’s right to exist. This statement is released on behalf of the organisations listed here. ƌŝĚŐĞƐ ĨŽƌ WĞĂĐĞ ;EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚͿ ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶ &ƌŝĞŶĚƐ ŽĨ /ƐƌĂĞů ;EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚͿ ďĞŶĞǌĞƌ ŵĞƌŐĞŶĐǇ &ƵŶĚ dƌƵƐƚ ;EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚͿ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶ ŵďĂƐƐǇ :ĞƌƵƐĂůĞŵ ;EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚͿ /ƐƌĂĞů &ŽĐƵƐ 'ƌŽƵƉ 'ƌĞĞŶůĂŶĞ WƌĂǇĞƌ ĨŽƌ /ƐƌĂĞů ;EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚͿ WƌĂǇŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ /ƐƌĂĞů 'ƌŽƵƉƐ dĂƵƌĂŶŐĂ ^ŚĂĚŽǁƐ ŽĨ ^ŚŽĂŚ ƵĐŬůĂŶĚ ,ĞďƌĞǁ ŽŶŐƌĞŐĂƟŽŶ ƵƐƚƌĂůĂƐŝĂŶ hŶŝŽŶ ŽĨ :ĞǁŝƐŚ ^ƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĞƚŚ ^ŚĂůŽŵ WƌŽŐƌĞƐƐŝǀĞ ŽŶŐƌĞŐĂƟŽŶ ͛ŶĞŝ ƌŝƚŚ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚ ŽƵŶĐŝů ŽĨ ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶƐ ĂŶĚ :ĞǁƐ ƵĐŬůĂŶĚ dŚĞ :ĞǁŝƐŚ &ĞĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ EĞǁ Zealand dŚĞ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚ :ĞǁŝƐŚ ŽƵŶĐŝů

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM NZ BRANCH 9

,ĞůƉŝŶŐ /ƐƌĂĞůŝƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ĮƌĞ / : ƌĞƉŽƌƚƐ ĞĚŽƵŝŶ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚǇ ŝŶ EĞŐĞǀ ŚĂĚ ŶŽ refuge from rockets On Thursday, August 7th, 2014, staff members of the ICEJ visited the Bedouin village of Umm Batin next to Beersheva to deliver the first transportable bomb shelter ever to a Bedouin community in the Negev. “Eleven rockets came down in the area of Umm Batin during the current conflict. Because of the rocket firing, no security could be guaranteed and their clinic had to close,” explained Nicole Yoder. “Today, it´s open for the first time after four weeks.” Thanks to the bomb shelter which was provided by supporters of the ICEJ worldwide, pregnant women and mothers with children can come now without fear to be treated.” “In the last seven years ICEJ has delivered about 40 bomb shelters to communities in southern Israel,” said Ketola. “Today, it is already the fifth shelter in this current conflict and additional four will be provided.” Bringing respite to distressed families from Southern Israel -‐ ICEJ Sponsors ĚĂǇƐ ŽĨ ƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ 'ŽůĂŶ ĂŶĚ dŝďĞƌŝĂƐ During the ongoing crisis in Gaza the ICEJ has been able to send Israeli families from communities in the south for a few days of respite to the quiet north of the country. The ICEJ sponsored two to three days of rest in the Golan and Tiberias for distressed families from Sderot, Ashkelon and Ashdod. More than 300 people from the south have enjoyed a break so far, among them families with disabled children. We hope that we can support even more families with the help of our many Christian friends worldwide. ZĞƐƉŝƚĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŶŽƌƚŚ Nicole Yoder, ICEJ Aid Director, visited some of the families while they were up in the north. Two families from Ashdod were enjoying a fun afternoon hiking in nature and swimming in the natural pools of Ein Tina in Upper Galilee. Surrounded by the beautiful and quiet landscape they expressed their deep gratefulness to ICEJ for these days of quiet. “We want to thank you very much for everything you did for us. Just to hear the repeated sound of the siren every day is stressful. To be out of it is so good!” said Chana, who came with her children 10 INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM NZ BRANCH

Nicole Yoder ICEJ AID director showing local Bedouin kids a newly delivered bomb shelter on 8 August in Umm Batin near Beersheva.

and was accompanied by her sister Pnina and their children. Their husbands had to stay back in Ashdod to work but they remained in constant contact. The kids enjoyed having a few days of real holidays – instead of staying in the house all time. Most of them have only have 15 to 20 seconds to find a safe room once the alarm sounds. These circumstances force the kids to stay inside during their summer vacation, close to a shelter. In the north, they loved to run around and play outside happily and freely without having to think where to hide. Over the past year, Ashdod and Ashkelon have begun to be under attack from Gaza regularly. This is a new trend caused by the extended range of rockets which Islamist terrorists in Gaza fire on Israel. “It is a lot better here, we can disconnect for a while from the missiles and all the bad things going on down there in Ashdod”, said a young man joining the families. “We have fun here and we put aside the tension in Ashdod. We thank you for what you are doing for us. We have a little more strength now to go back.” “We feel that the people of Israel and many friends are with us, we feel that we are together, everyone is helping each other”, said Pnina. dŝŵĞ ŽĨ ƌĞƐƚ ĨƌŽŵ ŶŝŐŚƚŵĂƌĞƐ For years the residents of Sderot have suffered from the danger of rockets and the terrifying alarms. Now the threat of terror tunnels brought a new dimension to the conflict. Children have nightmares about terrorists digging tunnels under their house and suddenly coming up under their beds. “It is really very hard to

live in the south in this situation. One of the previous nights, ten terrorists came out of a tunnel next to our town. It is as if you live in a battlefield”, said the worried mother. “You cannot live in this high tension constantly without a break.” Challenges for disbled children For families with disabled children the challenge of war is even harder. In Tiberias, Nicole was able to sit with some families from Ashkelon. “My son Netanel sits frozen and won´t move when he hears the siren alert. “He is afraid and does not understand what is going on. ,ĞůƉŝŶŐ /ƐƌĂĞůŝƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ĮƌĞ &ƵŶĚƐ ƌĂŝƐĞĚ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƵƐĞĚ ƚŽ ĂƐƐŝƐƚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ŵŽƐƚ ŝŵƉĂĐƚĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ĞƐĐĂůĂƟŽŶ͘ tĞ ŚĂǀĞ ůŽŶŐͲ ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ƉĂƌƚŶĞƌƐŚŝƉƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƌĞĂƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ĮƌĞ ĂŶĚ ĂƌĞ ĂůƌĞĂĚǇ ƌĞĂĐŚŝŶŐ ŽƵƚ ƚŽ ŵĞĞƚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƵƌŐĞŶƚ ŶĞĞĚƐ͘ ICEJ thanks you for your support.