The Little Known Crisis in Israel’s Heartland

The world is still reeling from the horrific tragedies that took place in Israel on Oct 7th, 2023. 1,400 Israeli citizens were barbarically murdered by Hamas, and more than 200 were taken as hostages. This level of brutality against the Jewish people has not been seen since the Holocaust. Now Hezbollah is threatening Israel’s northern border with more than 100,000 missiles which are far more advanced than the rockets Hamas has been firing from Gaza.  

Most of the world has their eye on those two fronts – the northern and southern borders of Israel. There is, however, another critical front that many are unaware of. This front is especially significant for us Bible-believing, Christian Zionists. What most people don’t know is that there are Hamas, Fatah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Iranian agents, and other terrorist groups operating inside of Judea & Samaria. The majority of the Arab “Palestinians” seen as “peaceful civilians” agree with the ideology of these terrorist groups. Just a few days after the horrific massacre, thousands of Palestinians marched in support of Hamas inside Arab cities in Judea and Samaria. They chant “from the river to the sea,” which is a call for the genocide of the seven million Jewish people living in Israel, right along with the terrorists. 

Please note that this area is Judea and Samaria. This is the biblical heartland of Israel, where the vast majority of the Bible was either written or occurred. These are the exact locations where God spoke to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, “To you, I will give THIS land.” 

In the early 1900’s, the Jewish people embarked on the “greater exodus.” Thousands of God’s people began pouring back into His land. Knowing the biblical significance of Judea and Samaria, some went and began to build up the small Jewish communities there. There were attacks from the Arabs, many of them Christian. Tragically, the Arabs completed their work of making Judea and Samaria judenrein (ethnically cleansed of Jews) during the 1929 massacre in Hebron. Thank God, after the six-day war, Israel regained its heartland. In the 1980s, courageous Jewish pioneers began to move back into these biblically rich areas and re-settle the land.

Today, there are 500,000 Jews who live in the 200 re-established communities in Judea and Samaria. The families are thriving, with twenty-five percent of the population being under the age of 14. These precious people live in these areas because they believe in the promises of God and in His plan for the redemption of the world. They pray multiple times every day for the Messiah to come and be their king.

It is these 200 small communities of God-fearing Jews who are surrounded by more than two million hostile Arabs. The communities do not have the high-tech fences that the Gaza border had. Some do not have a fence at all. In addition to this, their men have been called up to serve on the southern or northern borders. They are ill-equipped and inadequately defended due to Israel’s security forces being stretched thin.

On top of all this, the USA has demanded that none of the weapons being given to Israel to fight terror be distributed to any of the communities or security personnel on the Biblical Heartland side of the Green Line. Unfortunately, the Biden administration still holds to their ludicrous stance that the Jewish pioneers of Judea and Samaria – the “settlers,” are more dangerous than their hostile Arab neighbors, whom President Biden continues to equip with arms and military equipment.

This extremely critical situation was immediately apparent to me and our organization, HaYovel. Miraculously, God has allowed us to stand here alongside these 200 communities since 2004. As the only Christian organization in the area, we have developed close relationships, understand the struggles, and are determined to share these truths with anyone willing to listen. Immediately after October 7th, seeing the seriousness of the situation, we went to the heads of the regional councils in the area and asked how we could help. As we suspected, the need is basic protective gear and surveillance equipment. We asked for a list of equipment. They came back with a list including protective vests, thermal drones, night vision goggles, binoculars, flashlights, security cameras, gates for small farms and communities, etc. The items on the list are truly very basic necessities for security.

We did our research to find out where we could acquire the equipment, how we could get it shipped to Israel, what paperwork we needed, etc. Within a week we launched what we have named “Operation Ittai.”

In 2 Samuel 15, King David was experiencing some of his most difficult days as king. Things become so tumultuous that David is forced to leave Jerusalem. As he is making his way out of the city he notices a non-Jew, Ittai, a man from Gath (modern-day Gaza) who had arrived in Israel only the day before. David called out to Ittai and said: 

“Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”

Instead of following King David’s advice, Ittai boldly responded: 

“As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”

Ironically, Ittai was from Gath, the same town where Goliath came from! Instead of following what may have seemed like the easier route at the time and becoming an enemy of King David, Ittia decided to throw his lot in with him. 

Today, Israel is facing their worst crisis since their founding in 1948. We, non-Jewish, Christian, Bible believers, from the nations, have a choice to make. Will we be modern-day Ittais and stand with Israel in this time of need? Or will we join with Hamas (modern-day Goliath) and stand against Israel?

Today, we have an incredible opportunity to bless Israel. We can stand with these valiant men and women of faith. It is the right thing to do. Think about the fruit that this could bear. If we come together and equip these communities, not only will they be ready in case, God forbid, the Arabs attempt to do what they did in Gaza, but more families will feel safe enough to move here. We have a real opportunity to meet a serious need and be part of building up Judea and Samaria – the biblical heartland of Israel. Let’s not be like those who did nothing when Jews were being sent to the gas chambers. On October 7th, Jews were slaughtered during your lifetime. Please, for God’s holy name sake, do all you can right now.   

At the time of this writing, we have airlifted two shipments of equipment and delivered them to the communities in the Biblical Heartland. As you read this, suppliers, purchasers, exporters, importers, and dealers are lined up and ready to move all the equipment we can purchase directly into Israel and then into the Jewish communities and farms in Israel’s Heartland. Please go to www.serveisrael.com and join us to protect the five hundred thousand vulnerable Jewish men, women, and children of Judea and Samaria today.