“But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.”
Mark 13:7
Dear friends,
Terror and violence are happening in Israel right now. So many innocent people are being terrorized and killed for things that are not their fault. Many of us feel helpless in the face of such tragedy, but it’s important for us to try to help anyway. What are we doing if we do not defend the souls of innocent people?
Terrorist attempts take place in Israel almost every day. Even though most of them fail, it is not published in the news and most of us live in a constant state of fear. We are at war for our very existence and survival as a people. Because of this, what happened in Elad recently was not a surprise, though we are devastated at what occurred.
In a ruthless, bloody terrorist attack in Elad, Yonatan, the father of five children, Oren, father of six children, and Boaz father of five children died. Sixteen children became orphans that night. None of them deserve to go through this life without parents, but it’s a reality that they must face now.
This war is not the children’s fight. It is happening because of extreme Islamic groups such as Hamas. Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, called for attacks with firearms or an ax, saying, "Our people in the Negev, the Triangle, the Galilee, Haifa, Jaffa, Acre, Jaffa, and Lod - everyone will make their own rifle. And whoever does not have a rifle - will make a knife or an ax. This is a religious war.” We are once again fighting for the freedom to serve God and live our lives safely and openly.
These last few months, Israel has been preparing to defend herself from enemies in the north and south. Thousands of rockets are ready to be launched by hostile countries. Their only goal is to hit as many civilians in Israel as possible.
For many of us, our instinct is to pray like never before, and we should. However, we should react practically as well. Vision for Israel is uniquely positioned to do that. We plan to prepare for emergencies for the citizens of Israel, without distinction of religion. To date, close to 100 mobile shelters have been installed throughout the southern region. These will provide protection for innocent civilians living in conflict zones and allow them to reach a protected place on short notice.
We all have the responsibility to do whatever we can to help save the lives of people in case of war, terror, and devastation. Please help us save the lives of innocent children and civilians by donating here. Time is of the essence; people are dying every day from this violence.
We will continue to do God’s work, even when evil surrounds us.
May the Lord bless and keep you during this time,
Barry, Batya, and the VFI team
