
It's mid January and it seems like the New Year has come in like a swirling, windy storm, and this, just when everyone was feeling optimistic and excited about the days to come. This past Fall, Israel seemed to be overcoming the 4th wave of the pandemic, numbers were very low and going down daily, restrictions were being eliminated in every area including letting individual tourists and groups come in. The skies were opened and people were flying all over the world as Israelis love to do. Then suddenly, the news of the appearance of a new variant shook the nation and within two weeks of the new "openness", Israel closed its doors yet again to tourists and even eliminated exemptions for first degree family members. And Omicron took center stage.
Our congregation, Ahavat Yeshua is once again on Zoom. This feels like a significant step back for us as we had just started meeting together indoors after having spent the first 18 months of the pandemic on Zoom, followed by meeting in smaller groups and then together in the park during the warm weather. We were so excited to be in our meeting hall and were eager to get about the business of regrouping, reorganizing and moving forward. There are no additional governmental restrictions on meeting but the leadership felt there were too many infected and in quarantine, so more could participate if we were on Zoom.
Omicron has been described as hitting the shores like a "tsunami" and they expect the number of infected will double every couple of days until it reaches about 300,000 daily. On the positive side, the number of serious cases and hospitalizations are rising at a much lower rate and the experts are hopeful that it will continue to remain low and less serious an infection than the Delta variant and that we will peak in a few weeks and then be on the other side.
In the meantime, the system of testing is already overloaded and officials believe only a percentage are actually being recorded. Although this government is very opposed to a lockdown, the stores, malls and restaurants are almost empty and businesses are complaining loudly, but because there is no official lockdown, they can't get any compensation. Those involved with the tourist industry are pessimistic and many of the tour guides we know are in difficult financial circumstances. After two years and no end in sight, many are not hopeful that they can hang on long enough until the situation changes.
As in other parts of the world, inflation has also affected this country. Prices in the supermarket are going up, cars which were always much more costly than in most other countries have been going up even more, and housing prices which again were always very high are continuing to rise at an alarming rate.
The Bennet-Lapid government is managing to hold on - albeit sometimes by its fingertips. Since the coalition took the reins of the government, it has been hit with one crisis after another. The latest is terrible violence in the south as the Bedouins are protesting a government tree planting program on lands they claim belong to them. They are burning cars and closing down the highway. The conflict is long standing and concerns Israel's sovereignty over the various areas in the desert in which they have been living but the nation has been shocked at the level of violence that is being manifested.
The other big news is that former PM Netanyahu seems close to agreeing to a plea bargain which would terminate his court cases and prevent him from going to jail, if found guilty. Part of the deal is that he would resign from the Knesset for a certain period of time which could effectively lead to an end of his political career. This in turn will cause a shaking in the Likud party which he currently heads and probably end with a major reorganization of the entire "right" wing of Israeli politics. Reports are that in fact this could lead to the collapse of the current coalition. It seems like Israel is on the verge of a new political reality as it enters a post Netanyahu era.
This past week, I went to visit a friend whose wife went to be with the Lord. The drive was several hours long and what amazed me the whole way was the amount of new construction that I saw. In fact, in every part of the country, new buildings are going up, the infrastructure is being improved, there are new tunnels, new highways and even a new light railway transportation system - and it's all happening at the same time at high speed! Construction cranes fill the skies over the city of Jerusalem and others.
All this activity speaks to me of life and future, so as difficult and as dreary the forecasts may be for the foreseeable future, I always have the feeling that Israel has yet to reach its destiny - that there is almost a "golden age" yet to come. Israel is a world leader in technology and its advances are multiplying at a dizzying speed - permeating every facet of society in every nation on this earth!
Even as the winter rains have come and the days can be cold, dark and dreary, the hills are wonderfully already green and in a short time, the spring flowers will be bursting forth with their vibrant color. In this season, God has been encouraging me to be "steadfast". Like David, I want to proclaim that "my heart is steadfast". He will keep in perfect peace him who mind is steadfast because he trusts in Him. God said that we are to stand firm and let nothing move us... because we know that our labor is not in vain! And although we may suffer for a season, God will himself restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast!
2022 came in as a storm, but may its accompanying rains water the ground and may every seed that has been sown bear much fruit in the glorious days to come.
Thank you for your prayers for this nation, for me personally and for all that is going on around us. We have such a good God and our future is filled with His good plans. Let us press on together towards the goal for which God has called us heavenward.
Wishing you a most blessed New Year in every way - filled with the presence of Yeshua above and beyond what you can imagine!
With love from Zion,
