There are a number of things that I shared in earlier blogs that I’d like to review right now. First of all, that it is impossible to understand this nation apart from the tragedy of the Holocaust.
When people threaten to destroy us, we have to take it seriously, as Prime Minister Begin so poignantly said years ago. We lost 6 million people, including 1½ million children. Children are our future and they are treasured. When Israeli teenagers were questioned on whom their best friends were—80% listed their parents! And, finally, that this nation is a family. So when three teenagers, Eyal Yifrach, aged 19; Naftali Frankel, aged 16; and Gil-ad Shaar, aged i6, were kidnapped by terrorists last Thursday night, you have to understand that it deeply affected the people in this small nation. As of today, the 17th, there has still been no word on their whereabouts. Massive searches are being held as well as prayer vigils and signs of support from everybody. When situations like this happen to us as a nation and as a people, it feels almost like an Israeli love song—for the feelings of love and support are intense and touching to behold. I want to share all this with you today, since most of you who read these blogs already love Israel. I’m simply going to quote some news items that hopefully will give you a sense of what we’re experiencing here in these trying days. I want you to be a part of it, since you are a part of this family, and your hopes and prayers can join with ours as we share in this together.
Chief Rabbi David Lau held a prayer service at the Western Wall. Around 30,000 worshipers packed the plaza of the holy site to pray for the safe return of the three yeshiva students. Prayer vigils were held throughout the land. The security forces began a massive search, and some reservists were called up to help in the rescue operations. Whenever anyone tunes into the news—very frequently in situations like these—it is always with hope that there will be good news. The feeling of togetherness is palpable. As someone commented on the day of the kidnapping, “Thirty minutes ago, I never heard of those three teenagers. But now, it feels like it happened to my own family…”
IBA News “The parents of one of the abducted teens, Eyal Yifrach, this morning issued a statement to reporters, thanking the people of Israel for their prayers and support. They also thanked Israel’s security forces and the political echelon for their efforts to bring the missing boys home safely. ‘Your embrace gives us strength,’ Eyal’s father Ori said. ‘Continue to pray,’ said Eyal’s mother, Iris. The mother of Naftali Frankel, Rachel, said, ‘We have the utmost gratitude for the work that everyone is doing and we want to express our utmost thanks for all the support. We feel waves and waves of prayer and support and positive energy in this direction and we request everyone to continue praying. The professional people will do their job and we do trust them. Everybody also if you could please pray with us. We’ll trust that our boys will soon be on their way home and we’ll hug them soon. I really thank you all and God willing we’ll all be able to celebrate their return to safety.’”
Times of Israel by Ben Sales “On the rolling green fields of a suburban Tel Aviv park, hundreds gathered to pray for the imminent rescue of the three kidnapped Israeli teenagers. Rabbis delivered speeches, singer Yonatan Razel performed two pieces based on liturgical invocations of God’s mercy, and a prayer was recited for the safe return of Gil-ad Shaar, Naftali Frankel, and Eyal Yifrach. Nearby, the calm warmth of summer seemed to take the edge off the anxiety a little…Such a beautiful day, such a terrible thing. Last week’s kidnapping brought Israelis together as few things do in this divided nation. Thousands joined prayer vigils across the country, including a massive one at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. ‘It’s like we were all kidnapped,’ said Rabbi Eliezer Elbaz, the chief rabbi of Givat Shmuel. Politicians steered clear of divisive statements, too. ‘The boys belong to all of us,’ government ministers said from left and right.
Times of Israel by Debra Kamin “Israel is very familiar with demonstrations of mass unity and solidarity in times of crisis. This highly fractured nation has an uncanny ability to look beyond its divisions…to actually unite as one people. Perhaps that’s why over the weekend so many mothers and fathers described the three kidnapped teenagers ‘as their own.’”
Jerusalem Post “Iris and Ori Yifrach faced the media with an emotional address to their son. ‘Our hearts are torn and broken but we believe you will return home healthy and unharmed,’ Eyal’s mother said. ‘We believe that everything that God does is for the good,’ Ori said. ‘We want to thank the embrace and the unity of the nation of Israel. I believe that this strengthens the children. The prayers reach the children and will help them to stay strong,’ he added. He also thanked the security forces, the Shin Bet, the Prime Minister and everyone involved in the search efforts for the three teens. Addressing her son, Eyal’s mother begged him to continue praying and to cry to the heavens, saying, ‘This is what gives us strength. We love you with all our heart, the nation of Israel is praying for you. Hug Gilad and Naftali tightly,’ she said.
Naftali Frankel’s aunt said, ‘Very hard days but we are very optimistic. We know that everybody’s doing everything they can to bring the three boys home and we really know that the whole country is praying for them to get home, we are very optimistic and we want to see them home soon. Everybody’s doing everything to make our lives as easy as possible, starting with food and tremendous prayers have been organized We’ve been getting messages. We just feel a big hug from everybody. Our hearts are torn and broken but we believe you will return home healthy and unharmed. We want to embrace you so tightly,’ she added. ‘He’s an amazing kid. He’s really sweet. He’s a combination of a really serious kid and a fun kid. He’s just really delicious. We just want him home. We miss him.’”
Times of Israel David Horowitz: A Nation United in Foreboding
“A burning sense of solidarity and grievance as we brace for developments in the kidnapping. We hope and pray for the best. Each passing hour increases the fears, each passing hour with no claims of responsibility, no demands (from the kidnappers). We are a nation largely united in a fog of foreboding. while simultaneously marvelling at the resilience of the parents. All three mothers have stood before the microphones and the TV cameras these past two days, insistently holding back the emotional terrors, defiantly optimistic. ‘Israel is turning the world upside down to bring you home,’ said Frankel’s mother, Rachel, smiling—smiling—as she praised the security services for their efforts to find the three. ‘We believe that Eyal will come home safely,’ insisted Eyal’s mother, lifting her eyes skyward.
Many in our anxious nation also spare a little thought for the wider injustice of it all—the fact that Hamas draws succor from an international community led by the United States, that proved willing to legitimatize it as a pillar of the Palestinian ‘unity’ government even though it remains committed to Israel’s destruction and is demonstrably prepared to go to any lengths in support of that goal.
We live, in our sliver of contested land, in a region where Islamic extremism, notably right now in Iraq and Syria, departs even further from the framework of humanity. We strive to retain our stability, our democracy, our resilience. We count out true friends on the fingers of one hand. And we hope that those astounding parents will be vindicated in their optimism.”
Times of Israel 17 June: “Today the three families of the abducted teens met together for the first time. The mother of Naftali, Rachel Frankel, made a statement on behalf of them all. “We pray that all the soldiers, and our children, will come home without injury. We send our thanks to everyone participating in this extraordinary effort. During these days,” she continued,” we feel deeply embraced by the entire Jewish nation, which accompanies us throughout the day, which gives us so much support. We ask that the prayers continue. That’s it; all we want is to hug our children. Eyal, Gil-ad, Naftali, we love you, we miss you, be strong, be strong!”
A resident of the community said the meeting was arranged to encourage the families. “We are all really in the same boat. There is a need for unity because this is not just something private that happened to one family, this is something that affects everyone in the whole nation,” he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the families during their meeting and said Israel would leave no stone unturned in the effort to bring the boys home. “In the field we are making a tremendous operational and intelligence effort, In the name of the citizens of Israel, I would like to strengthen your spirits.” The Police Commander, IDF officers and several politicians visited the home where the three families met.
And so, dear ones, I would like to ask that you join together with us—with your hearts, with your prayers, with your faith, and with your hope—as we await together the good news of the safe return of these three teenage boys. Thank you so very much!
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H M Uys says
There are many in South Africa praying for you
Linda Phillips says
We are praying in Canada!!!
Dorothy Lance says
I’m committed to praying against your enemies daily. I stand on the promises in God’s word for your nation and its peoples. Loved and special to the heart of God.
Dorothy Lance
Birgit Peters says
I pray for the three boys in Frankfurt. Psalm 69, 34
Anna Rientjes says
We are praying to G-d for His protection for your dear boys and that they would soon be found. He is able to do all things!
Stephanie Heller says
There are many American Christians joining our Jewish brothers & sisters in prayer for these 3 young men. The love that the people of Israel have for each other & their nation is a powerful example to us all.
R.Turner says
Believing these 3 youths and those who are seeking to find & free them – will be ushered through danger and escape to safety being delivered completely from all harm, by G_d in The Name of Jesus.!