YOU ARE STANDING WITH ISRAEL AND BLESSING HER PEOPLE IN NEED ISRAEL
VICTIM OF TERRORISM | ANASTASIA’S STORY
Like others living along the Gaza border, Anastasia and her family were accustomed to hearing rocket alerts. But on the morning of October 7, she knew something was different.
Awakened at 6:30 a.m. by rocket fire and sirens, Anastasia thought, “They will bombard us for two to three days, as always.” So she and her husband ran to the bomb shelter with their 2-year-old daughter. Minutes later, a nearby parking lot was bombed and cars caught on fire. When the couple saw the terrifying videos and news on Facebook, they knew they were under serious attack.
Yet you were there for Anastasia and her family. Because CBN Israel had worked with them earlier, our staff reached out to make sure they were safe. Through your support, you evacuated them and others to a hotel—and provided meals, lodging, other essentials, and counseling.
“The group of people who came that believe in God, they have done so much good for us. Really, we are so grateful,” Anastasia shared. “Where does all this kindness come from—the donations for people they don’t even know? Wow.” You gave Anastasia encouragement to move forward, and she said, “We are together, we are alive. That is something to thank God for.”
You are giving so many in need a reason to be grateful. In addition to all you are doing for victims of the war, you are supplying groceries, financial aid, and housing to many other Israelis in crisis. And your continued support is crucial in bringing ongoing assistance to aging Holocaust survivors, single moms, refugees, and terror victims. Thank you!
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE DIFFERENCE!
HUMANITARIAN WORK
Your support provides food, assistance, education, economic development, and hope to Israelis in need. You are blessing Holocaust survivors, victims of terrorism, single mothers, immigrant families, and others who desperately need our help.
BREAKING NEWS
Your gift allows us to produce unbiased, independent journalism through broadcasts, podcasts, and online media dedicated to informing the world about what is happening in Israel and the Middle East through our news bureau in Jerusalem.
FAMILIES RECEIVE WARTIME TRAUMA CARE AND RESPITE
The October 7 Hamas invasion and continuing war with Israel have left many casualties. But one group felt the effects most: the families of those called up to serve in Gaza.
Immediately after the invasion, Israeli men were sent to war. Wives were left to manage the home and kids alone while still working regular jobs and trying to calm their children’s fears and anxieties.
“Most civilians aren’t equipped to deal with such intense circumstances, and it has created a crisis for many in that country,” said Arik Pelled, head of CBN Israel’s Family Department.
Thanks to you, these families are getting a much-needed respite. Through CBN Israel, you sponsored a weekend retreat in Galilee for 20 families who experienced separation due to the ongoing war. While they enjoyed time in a restful setting, a professional psychologist and a parenting coach provided trauma counseling as well as a listening ear.
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Your support allows us to produce educational documentary films that tell the true history of Israel, its right to exist in the face of growing anti-Semitism worldwide, its innovative and entrepreneurial culture, and its commitment to helping others—even its enemies.
Mothers learned how to cope with loneliness and anxiety, and husbands discovered about transitioning from a war setting—perhaps with PTSD—back to mundane daily tasks. Parents reconnected with their kids, while also getting vital alone time as a couple. More retreats are planned in the coming months, with the next one hosting 30 new families.
One of the wives said, “Our family went through a difficult time when Yehuda was called to serve in the war for a long time—more than four months— which he served in Gaza and was not allowed to make contact. The uncertainty made it difficult for us as a family.”
She thanked donors for a weekend that “wrapped us in warmth and love,” saying, “We knew we were in good hands.”
Your gifts to CBN Israel are also providing food, lodging, and essentials to many other victims of the war. Our continued thanks for blessing those in need!
HOW ISRAEL’S DISENGAGEMENT FROM GAZA AIDED HAMAS
By Julie Stahl
In August 2005, Israel forced more than 9,000 Israelis out of 21 Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip and four in Judea and Samaria, known as the West Bank.
Dubbed the “Disengagement,” the idea was to “disengage” from Gaza, leaving it entirely in the hands of the Palestinians to do with what they wanted.
Israel’s then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his government argued that the one-sided withdrawal would reduce friction with the Palestinians. It was supposed to open the way for peace—but instead paved the way for radical groups like Hamas to take over and launch repeated terror attacks against Israel long before October 7.
After the Disengagement, thousands of successful, prosperous Israelis in Gaza found themselves uprooted and forced to start over.
One of those was Anita Tucker. She had farmed in her community for decades and helped build the Jewish enclave of Gush Katif from the
sand dunes of Gaza. Her community and others began to thrive.
Tucker said their Arab neighbors were happy because they had jobs and the Israelis taught them modern agriculture. But things broke down as Israel started to talk peace with the Palestinians in 1994—when Yasser Arafat returned to the Gaza Strip.
Removing the Israelis was highly controversial. The residents of Gush Katif decided not to leave voluntarily. They felt they had settled on biblical land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the blessing of the Israeli government.
It was a painful scene, with Israeli soldiers physically dragging their own people out of their homes, pleading with the soldiers not to kick them out. After more than three decades of building and farming in Gaza, it took just a week to remove all signs of Jewish life from there.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) asked Israel to destroy all the homes—which they did after
Israeli soldiers wait as Jewish family is escorted from their home in the Gaza Strip.
removing the Jewish residents—because the PA was afraid Palestinians would fight over them.
Former Jewish communities quickly became launching pads for rockets aimed at Israel, eventually turning into Hamas training grounds and outposts. Digging invasion tunnels under the border also became a major threat to Israel.
Hamas won legislative elections in 2006, seized control of Gaza, and canceled all future elections. Because Israel had completely moved out of Gaza, this unfortunate decision created the opportunity for an extremist terror group like Hamas to take power.
Since then, rockets have rained down on Israel, more underground tunnels were built, and invasions into Israel have been attempted on multiple occasions.
By 2010, Israel’s city of Sderot, situated less than a mile from the Gaza Strip, had been dubbed “the bomb shelter capital of the world.” Playgrounds installed bomb shelters, including one made like a giant caterpillar. Israel also developed the Iron Dome anti-rocket system to shoot down incoming rockets, something no other country in the world
would have put up with.
For years, Hamas used internationally funded materials to build a terror tunnel network longer than the London Underground.
Then on October 7, 2023, the unimaginable happened. Forget enduring the rockets, a lifestyle Israel had lived with for decades—this was an all-out invasion.
Hamas terrorists and regular Palestinians breached the border, murdered 1,200 Israelis, wounded many more, and pillaged, plundered, and burned the border communities. Then the terrorists abducted some 250 hostages. And in those first days, Hamas vowed to repeat the attack again and again.
That is why many Israelis believe Hamas cannot remain in power or, indeed, continue to exist as an organization.
Sadly, many look back at the 2005 “disengagement” as a pivotal decision that led to the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
AUGUST 2024
Gaza-based terrorists have been launching rockets into Israel for decades.
A woman sobs as Israeli soldiers evict Jewish families from their homes.
Jewish homes were bulldozed during Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip.
THE LAW OF CHRIST
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
–Galatians 6:2
How do we obey Jesus and fulfill what He commanded us? According to Paul, we bear one another’s burdens. It’s that simple.
Some today have taken to calling themselves
“Christ followers” or “disciples.” Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” The evidence of our discipleship or following Jesus, according to Him, depends upon how we love one another and bear each other’s burdens.
To bear others’ burdens requires us to walk alongside them. To be a part of their lives. To operate out of love, so that they will feel comfortable sharing what weighs them down. It’s not a relationship that can be formed just during our Sunday services or even in our small groups. It only materializes when we place ourselves in another’s life and demonstrate genuine love and concern.
The law of Christ flies in the face of our me-first, fast-paced, hectic culture. But if we are not going to actively, daily seek to fulfill His command to love one another, then can we truly call ourselves “Christ followers” or His disciples? Do we take time in our day truly to see the
people around us—their pain and their struggles? Are we moved with compassion for those we see?
Bearing one another’s burdens is not to get people to think and believe like us, and it’s not something we reserve for those we feel comfortable with. When a religious expert asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29), He turned the question around and challenged the man to be a good neighbor like the Good Samaritan in His parable (Luke 10:36-37).
Being Jesus’ disciple is not simply helping those who are like you; rather, it is loving everyone—even your enemies—and seeking to bear their burdens (Matthew 5:43-47). How badly do we want to be disciples of the Lord? If we’re truly serious about it, we must do what He commanded; we must love one another. This is the mark of discipleship.
Scripture is quoted from the New King James Version.
PRAYER
Father, help me to see those around me today as You do. May my heart be moved with compassion to bear their burdens for Your glory. Amen.
PRAYER POINTS
Pray for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the security cabinet, and all Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) leaders.
Pray for the mental health of all Israelis who have faced varying degrees of trauma—especially those who witnessed unspeakable atrocities.
Pray for the families of hostages who are suffering from anxiety, trauma, and sleepless nights as they await the outcome.
Pray for the Jewish people to continue to renew their faith and hope, recalling that for centuries God has redeemed and preserved them.
Pray for Christians to strongly oppose all forms of anti-Semitism and to stand in solidarity with their Jewish brothers and sisters.
Pray for Christians to use their circles of influence to communicate facts from reliable sources like CBN Israel and CBN News.
Pray for our CBN Israel team as we continue to provide humanitarian relief to terror victims, displaced families, and others affected the most.
Pray for our CBN News team in Jerusalem as we continue to report the unbiased truth during these unprecedented times.
DO YOU HAVE A PRAYER NEED?
Call CBN’s Prayer Center at 800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com/Prayer.
Give Hope with Estate Planning
You deserve peace of mind when planning your estate. Experts estimate that only about one-third of adults have a will, and many people don’t realize a will is only part of an estate plan. The good news is we have FREE RESOURCES to help you, and our planned giving specialists are available to guide you through the process. Visit the “Free Resources” section at CBN.com/Legacy for a Will Planner, Estate Planning Guide, and more! Call 800-333-2373 | Email PlannedGiving@CBN.org CBN.com/Legacy
