Gaza in 1917. What Led to Such Terrible Destruction?

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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Gaza in 1917. What Led to Such Terrible Destruction? -- Excerpts from a previous posting Posted: 21 Jul 2014 Gaza City in World War I, 1917 (Library of Congress). What caused such destruction? Turks prepare to attack the Suez Canal, 1915 In the early 1900s, the British Empire relied on the Suez Canal to maintain communications and trade with India, Australia and New Zealand.  And that was precisely why Germany encouraged Turkey to challenge British rule over Egypt and British control of the Suez Canal. In early 1915, the Turkish army in Palestine crossed the Sinai and attacked British troops along the Suez. The British army beat back the attacks, took the war north into Sinai and pushed the Turkish army back to a defense line stretching from Gaza, located on the Mediterranean, to Be'er Sheva, some 40 miles inland. Great Mosque of Gaza (circa 1880) The Mosque after the fighting (1917) In March and April 1917 the British army attempted to push through Gaza and up the Mediterranean coast in battles that involved as many as 60,000 soldiers, British and French ships firing on Gaza from the Mediterranean, the use of poison gas, and the deployment of newly developed British tanks. The British suffered a disastrous defeat. Ruins of Gaza, believed to be after the 1917 battles British trenches in Gaza. After the defeat, the  British army switched to more mobile tactics. British tanks destroyed in the Gaza fighting The British campaign for Jerusalem would be stalled for six months.  It would be led by a new commander, a large number of reinforcements, and a new strategy that took the war in a new direction, east toward Be'er Sheva.  British Prisoners of War, captured in Gaza 1917 Footnote: History records Jews living in Gaza for thousands of years.  [View the mosaic depicting King David from a 6th century synagogue in Gaza.] Mosaic of King David (Israel Museum) Ottoman tax records showed dozens of Jewish families in Gaza in the Middle Ages.  One of the most famous Gazan Jews was Rabbi Israel Ben Moses Najara (16th Century) who composed prayers and Sabbath zmirot (songs) popular to this day.  He was buried in Gaza. Jewish families fled Gaza in the 1929 pogroms. Population records still showed Jews living in Gaza until 1945. Kfar Darom, named for a community mentioned in the Talmud, was a Jewish kibbutz established in the Gaza Strip in 1930 that was abandoned in the 1948 war.  Kfar Darom was reestablished in 1970 but evacuated by Israel in the 2005 "dis

FAA bans U.S. airlines from Israel over rocket threat - USA TODAY

FAA bans U.S. airlines from Israel over rocket threat

Bart Jansen, USA TODAYJuly 22, 2014

(Photo: Reed Saxon, AP)

Delta Air Lines, United and US Airways each canceled flights Tuesday to Israel because of safety and security concerns, after a rocket attack near Tel Aviv's airport.

At 12:15 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration prohibited U.S. airlines from flying to Ben Gurion International Airport for 24 hours, after a rocket landed about 1 mile from the airport.

"The FAA will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation," FAA said in a statement. "Updated instructions will be provided to U.S. airlines as soon as conditions permit, but no later than 24 hours" from the last order.

Delta Flight 468, a Boeing 747 with 273 passengers and 17 crew members, diverted to Paris on Tuesday after reports of a rocket near Tel Aviv. The airline, which typically flies between New York's JFK airport and Ben Gurion, suspended service indefinitely.

United Airlines canceled flights 84 and 90 from Newark to Tel Aviv.

"We are suspending operations to/from Tel Aviv until further notice," United spokeswoman Jennifer Dohm said. "We are working with government officials to ensure the safety of our customers and our employees and will continue to evaluate the situation."

US Airways also canceled a flight to Israel Tuesday. Flight 796, which began in Los Angeles, was canceled in Philadelphia before leaving for Tel Aviv.

The airlines said they are working with FAA and other government agencies to monitor the situation.

The State Department has been warning to defer non-essential travel to Israel since Feb. 3 because of hostilities with the West Bank and Gaza.

Long-range rockets launched from Gaza since July 8, 2014 have reached many locations in Israel, including Tel Aviv. While many rockets have been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, there have been impacts that have caused damage and injury.

Israeli Defense Forces said in its Twitter feed that Iron Dome had intercepted one rocket above Tel Aviv while a second rocket fell in the town of Yehud, about a mile and a half from the airport.

Human Shields: 'Hamas Wants Israel to Kill Their Children'

By Chris Mitchell

CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

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GAZA BORDER -- Seven Israeli soldiers have been killed in a confrontation with Hamas infiltrators disguised as Israeli soldiers wearing suicide belts inside the Israeli border.

The IDF killed most of these infiltrators. So far, the Israel Defense Force has destroyed more than 20 tunnels and killed nearly 200 Hamas terrorists since the start of its ground operation.

Here on the Israeli-Gaza border you can see the plumes of smoke from the fighting within Gaza city. The IDF has called up 60,000 troops in Operation Protective Edge. About 30 soldiers have died in the line of battle.

Israeli soldiers find themselves fighting an enemy that uses the same tactics as al Qaeda in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Col. Richard Kemp, who commanded British ground troops in Afghanistan, refutes the claim that Israel has committed war crimes.

"The British forces fought against the Taliban for many years in Afghanistan," Kemp said. "They use human shields. They attempt to lure us to kill their civilian population. It's a common theme among Islamist extremist groups in this world."

"Everything I've seen would suggest to me that Israel is not committing a war crime," he said. "Far from it. Israel is going further than most other countries in this world, going to prevent the loss of civilian innocent civilian life."

"The people that are committing the war crimes are Hamas who fire rockets into Israeli civilian population indiscriminately and who also use their own people as human shields," he continued. "That is a war crime."

"Hamas wants the Israeli Defense Force to kill their children, their women, that's what they want to happen," he said. "They want to get the propaganda; they want to get the publicity, the sympathy and the pity of the world to by getting the Israelis to kill their population. That's exactly what their tactic is."

Former IDF spokesperson Avital Leibovitz said Hamas deliberately put Palestinian civilians in harm's way during the intense fighting in Shebalia.

"We are trying to do everything we can in order to make sure that civilians are evacuated from the area," he said. "However, as we've seen from Hamas time and time again, the Ministry of Interior is forbidding their civilians -- it's really tragic -- he's forbidding them from leaving those areas and we find ourselves in very tough situations."

On the diplomatic front, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and U.S.Secretary of State John Kerry are in the region trying to broker a ceasefire. Yet Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said they would continue to fight Israel.

"For shall you bless the righteous, O Lord..." - Israel365

For shall you bless the righteous, O Lord; you shall cover him with favor as with a shield. PSALMS (5:12)   כִּי אַתָּה תְּבָרֵךְ צַדִּיק יְ-הֹוָה כַּצִּנָּה רָצוֹן תַּעְטְרֶנּוּ תהילים ה:יב kee  a-TA t'-va-RAYKH tza-DEEK a-do-NAI ka-tzi-NA ra-TZON ta-t'-RE-nu

Today's Israel Inspiration There is a story of a great rabbi who recently passed away in Jerusalem, who, during his life, would sometimes sit near the window of his home and quietly bestow blessings on all those who passed by. He explained this unusual habit, saying that most people only wish someone a "good morning" when seeing them in person. But he taught that even when not meeting someone face to face, we should still work on instilling a feeling of good will toward them. Learn more about the power of bestowing blessings on others in an inspiring new eBook! Get a FREE eBook of blessings » Questions from God This inspiring 1-minute video leaves such a powerful impression that you'll want to share it with all your friends. In question after question, we discover what's truly important in life.   Watch here » Christians Threatened by ISIS Over this past weekend, militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria set fire to a 1,800-year-old church in Mosul.  Hundreds of Christian families have also fled the city after being threatened if they did not convert or pay a tax.   Read more » Star of David Micro Calligraphy Print Look closely and you'll see that this gorgeous print is composed entirely of words from Isaiah 62, blended together to form a colorful Star of David. This beautiful piece of art is by talented artist Ellen Miller Braun, sharing her love of Zion and the Bible with a unique talent.   Get this Great Deal » Israel Photo Trivia Can you guess where this photo by Igor Farberov was taken? Hint: These fisherman are in one of the world's oldest port cities. Send me an email or post your guess on Facebook!   Guess on Facebook » Thank You Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by new Bible partner Billie Walk of Michigan. Toda raba!   Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “Everything is So Inspiring” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!   Stay in Touch »   Dear Rabbi Tuly, I thank you very much for the daily messages, the videos, photos etc. Everything is so inspiring. I appreciate it very much. G-d bless you also in the future to be a light for the nations and Israel. Thank you very much. All the best from Switzerland. M.J. Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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"He who touches Israel touches the apple of My eye." Zech. 2:8

Love For His People, Inc.

Founders - Steve & Laurie Martin

From our friends in their Promised Land: "I know you are interceeding for Israel all the time, and I can always feel a little boost when you get up in the morning, I thought you should know!"

Soccer Fans to Flood Lone Soldier's Funeral

Soccer Fans to Flood Lone Soldier's Funeral

A Haifa soccer club called on its fans to attend the funeral of lone soldier Nissim Sean Carmeli.

By Yaakov Levi  ARUTZ SHEVA   ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS

First Publish: 7/21/2014

Nissim Sean Carmeli hy"d

IDF Spokesman

In a heartfelt call to fans, the Maccabi Haifa soccer club called on its fans to “do a mitzvah (a good deed) and attend the funeral of fallen IDF soldier Nissim Sean Carmeli, so that his funeral will not be empty.”

The funeral for lone soldier Carmeli, whose parents live in Texas, is set to take place later Monday night, after his parents arrive in Israel.


Carmeli is one of the 13 combat soldiers who were killed in the close fighting at the Battle of Shejaya Saturday night and early Sunday.

A lone soldier from South Padre Island, Texas, Carmeli was born to a secular Israeli family which along with him, became more religious over the past several years.

Named for his grandfather on his mother's side, Carmeli, 21, was studying in a Jerusalem yeshiva before joining the IDF. He had been given the opportunity to avoid service in Gaza because of a foot injury, but insisted on going anyway.


Carmeli's two sisters live in Israel as well, but that is apparently the only family he has in Israel – so officials of Maccabi Haifa decided to step in and provide an “honor contingent” to accompany the fallen hero to his resting place.


In the call to fans, the soccer club said that “Carmeli was a lone soldier, and we don't want his funeral to be empty. Come to his funeral Monday night to pay respects to a man who died so that we could live. This is the least we can do for him and for our nation,” the message said.

Al Thomas: Many Are On a Strange Road To a Blessing - The Elijah List

Al Thomas:

Many Are On a Strange Road To a Blessing

The Elijah List

A Blessing In Disguise

Have you ever had an important appointment and then came upon an unexpected road block? Suddenly you find yourself on an unknown road and lost? The traffic is heavy and you are barely moving. You know if you don't get off this road you will be late. Then you fall into an agitated state and get stressed out. This is when the Holy Spirit says, "Child, be at peace." And so it is in the spirit: Some think they are in an unknown place (stuck in spiritual traffic), but God is actually preparing them for a blessing. 

The Holy Spirit is saying: "The unexpected road block is a blessing in disguise."

Often, when everything seems to be going well for you, then problems come; but, actually, God is up to something good. Sometimes battles are easily won, and temptations (although constant) don't usually trip you up (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). Other times it seems like life is falling apart and everything breaks loose. Those things that you used to handle with ease now overwhelm you. You wonder, Where did my strength go? (see Psalm 6:2).

So there you are, called by God, following His plans the best you know how, when things start to go downhill. Your spirit was soaring with enthusiasm, but now victory seems illusive.

Fear not, God is preparing something: a blessing for you. 

Yes, the road looks unfamiliar, but you are not on the wrong path. Psalm 37:23 declares "The steps of a man are established by the Lord..."

You didn't ask for this, but now you must fight a small battle (see Ephesians 6:11-12). You must keep moving forward. Tremendous rewards await you if you do not quit (see Philippians 1:6). You decide to keep moving (see Philippians 4:13) and not quit. The formally congested road is about to clear up (see Romans 8:28). The fog will soon lift, because God is preparing an unexpected blessing for you. God is saying to you, "Behold, I will bless, and nothing can reverse it..." (see Number 23:20). (Photo via Pixabay)

Don't Think Because You Are Not Moving God Is Not On the Move

Sometimes, if God would have allowed you to keep on the same old path you were on (see Proverbs 14:12) you would have missed the opportunity (and blessing). Often, God forcefully detours us so we will head into the blessings He has for us (see John 4:38). Often more is accomplished in the spiritual realm when He makes us wait (see Isaiah 40:31) and wonder.

Wait doesn't mean inactivity. It means "resting in Him." Don't panic because nothing seems to be happening. He has pushed the "divine pause button" to bring you to rest in Him. (Something He has been trying to get you to do for some time now.) Yes, you are moving, only this time He is carrying you. Yes, progress is being made; but this time He is directing it. 

You prayed for this long ago, so don't fight it. You can now relax...as He takes over. 

Realizing this, your faith allows His joy to manifest. Expectation replaces stress.

Because of the Road Block, Don't Think His Promises Are Postponed

Actually, the opposite is true (see Psalm 138:8). God is taking you on a different road. The promise will not only come to pass but will be fulfilled on a grander scale. 

You allow God to do it His way (see Psalm 18:30). Oh yes, you meant well and your heart was in the right place; but God wanted to show you "a better way." And, because you didn't take your road (and avoid His detour), God can now speak with you about His plans, not yours (see Jeremiah 29:11). 

Now you realize that you should have taken His detour long ago. You start to thank Him for the "strange road." 

Deeper communion with the King results (see Luke 24:15). You smile knowing He's in charge, and His peace arrives. (Photo via Freeimages)

You're In Good Company And About To Make History

God's in the business of "divine road blocks." He gave Paul a heavenly detour (see Acts 9) and changed history, turning the world upside down (see Acts 17:6). Jesus gave a few fisherman a divine detour and it also turned their life (and the world) upside down (see Matthew 4:18-19). God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary for the grandest detour of all, and because she accepted it (see Luke 1:30-31), you and millions of others are now in the Kingdom of God. They and many others could have taken the "normal, beaten path," but they would not have changed history.

God's highway appears before you (see Isaiah 35:8). You need to start thanking Him for the interruption. Rejoice for the road block God has placed in front of you. Do not run from it. Many will be blessed because you said, "God, I don't recognize this path. I have never been here before, but because You say so, I will follow Your detour for me."

Remember, no one said you have to always understand this divine road block. That will come later. As for now, take a deep breath, slow down and enjoy the view. 

Don't worry. Be anxious for nothing (see Philippians 4:6). Simply keep your eyes on Jesus and He'll let you know which exit to get off (see 1 Samuel3:10). Road block? Detour? I think not. You're on the road to blessings. (Photo via Pixabay)

CONSIDER THIS: God has never had a day when He said: "Gee, I didn't see that coming..."

Al Thomas
Celebrating His Life

Email: a.thomas@myactv.net
Website: celebratinghislife.com

Al Thomas is a noted Bible teacher who travels mostly east of the Mississippi with a ministry of encouragement to the Body of Christ. He teaches heavenly truths with down-to-earth practicality and humor. Al and his wife Sherry publish a free teaching newsletter that reaches many homes each month. Al has pastored in California and Wisconsin and was mentored by evangelist Jim Spillman. 

Al and Sherry minister in churches of all denominations, and are known for the gift of faith to be in operation in their meetings. Al and Sherry move prophetically and see many healed in their meetings. They have four children and six grandchildren. They reside in central Maryland.

To subscribe to The Elijah List go to:http://elijahlist.com/subscribe

France: Anti-Semitism Fuels Violent Criticism of Israel

Monday, July 21, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff

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Anti-Semitism

Senior French government officials this week were pulling no punches as they stated with perfect clarity that the violent anti-Israel demonstrations on the streets of Paris and elsewhere around the world are fueled by a racist hatred of all Jews.

Last weekend in Germany, demonstrators in Berlin hurled stones and rioters in Frankfurt vandalized a local synagogue as they protested Israel’s military operations in Gaza; in Los Angeles and Boston, pro-Palestinian protestors assaulted rival pro-Israel demonstrators; and while direct violence was more subdued in London rallies, anti-Semitism slogans were used as an estimated tens of thousands took to the streets in support of Hamas-ruled Gaza.

But nowhere was the situation worse than in Paris, which some noted had come to look a bit like Gaza as Muslim and other pro-Palestinian rioters rampaged through the streets.

After anti-Israel protestors wounded 15 French police officers, Prime Minister Manuel Valls forcefully addressed the issue:

“Traditional anti-Semitism, this old disease of Europe is joined by a new anti-Semitism that cannot be denied or concealed, that we must face. It happens on the social networks and in workers’ neighborhoods, among ignorant young men who hide their hatred of Jews behind a façade of anti-Zionism or hatred of the State of Israel.”

Those riots quickly turned into an anti-Semitic affair, as businesses in the largely Jewish neighborhood of Sarcelles were attacked and burned.

Standing outside a Sarcelles synagogue that was violently besieged by demonstrators, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve decried the anti-Semitism sweeping his and other nations.

“When you head for the synagogue, when you burn a corner shop because it is Jewish-owned, you are committing an anti-Semitic act,” Cazeneuve told reporters.

Anti-Israel activists like to claim that they have nothing against the Jews personally, and are only protesting “Zionism.” The same assertions are often made by Hamas officials when addressing an international audience.

But in the cases of both the anti-Israel activists and Hamas itself, the constant references to Jews in the context of “protesting Zionism” belie their true intent and the spirit behind their movement.

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