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War

Writer's picture: Guy CohenGuy Cohen

Harvest of Asher

Akko, Israel


Thank you for your prayers.


It is with a heavy heart that I write to you. You have seen the headlines, the pictures, the numbers of dead, injured and taken captive; and it is not yet over. It was a holocaust of demonic proportions. The enemy used Hamas, a terrorist organization funded by Iran, to slaughter soldiers and civilians in their beds. I am unable put into words what was done to women and to children. The brutality is unfathomable and the atrocities unspeakable. We are on alert, every fiber prepared for war; waiting for something that has not yet happened – with our entire being reacting as if it has. Families wait for news about those taken or still missing. They wait for a text message or a few words from loved ones serving in the military. Multitudes are already burying and mourning the dead. There are Israeli refugees from infiltrated communities and burned houses. Meanwhile forces search for terrorists, and for more dead and missing. We stay close to bomb shelters as the enemy continues to fire rockets into Israel. In 2005 Israel removed itself from the quagmire of patrolling Gaza – thus giving the people there the opportunity to come under complete self-rule. However, since then we have been in a never-ending cycle of their rocket fire.


Israeli children from the time they enter kindergarten are taught to long for peace, whereas the children of Gaza grow up brain-washed to kill Jews.


In October 2011, ONE Israeli hostage soldier was released by Hamas in exchange for 1,027 Hamas prisoners. The current head of Hamas was among those prisoners; he was cured of cancer by Israel while a prisoner. Yet he organized this massacre. We ask that you keep the families of our congregation and the whole believing and non-believing community in your prayers. Many fathers, brothers and sisters are serving in the military. Already at least two soldiers from the believing congregations, have given their lives in defense of Israel. The war is being fought on two fronts, South and North. Hezbollah in Lebanon, has the ability to target specific locations with their rockets. They have promised that the northern border will be hit 100 times harder than the south. For this reason, the eyes of the IDF are on both borders. The humanitarian aid efforts of our congregation Harvest of Asher are focused on needs in the far North. We are receiving non-stop requests.

We were asked by the regional council of the Western Galilee to help provide medical supply kits to treat the wounded. We are grateful that the funding has been received and that we are able to help prepare border communities in this way. Social workers from Akko told us there are many elderly, sick and poor families and single persons with insufficient food and basic supplies. The government has stated that we can expect a loss of utilities, water and electricity for a week. So there is a need to purchase and store these items for distribution. I must note that already we are experiencing shortages in the grocery stores. The soup kitchen located in the center of the city also needs to be equipped to prepare meals for a greater number of people than normal.


We need finances to help with the requests for humanitarian aid. We need wisdom to know how the Lord would have us proceed.

"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people," says your God. (Isaiah 40:1)




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