Cap Phantom

Since 2000, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations have been perpetrating terrorist attacks against Israel, including suicide bombings in the heart of Israeli cities, shooting attacks on vehicles, murders of families in their homes, and unrelenting rocket and mortar fire on Israeli towns and villages – resulting in the deaths of more than 1,100 Israelis, the wounding of thousands more, and the terrorization of millions. These terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians are meant to disrupt negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and to prevent a peaceful resolution of the conflict in the Middle East. Hamas has sought to promote the political agenda in its Charter: to exterminate the State of Israel and establish a Muslim state over all the territory of historic “Palestine.”

In June 2007, Hamas executed a violent and bloody coup d’état in the Gaza Strip, persecuting members of the legitimate Palestinian Authority, neutralizing the Palestinian Authority’s military and political power and setting up a radical Muslim entity in its place. Aided and abetted by Iran and Syria, Hamas conducted an ongoing terrorist campaign against Israel, using the Gaza Strip as the launching pad for its terrorist attacks. The frequency and intensity of rocket and mortar attacks on Israel increased dramatically – in 2008, nearly 3,000 rockets and mortars were fired at Israeli homes, schools, kindergartens, shops, clinics, factories and other civilian infrastructure. Israeli civilians were compelled to race to bomb shelters several times a day and lived in constant fear of where the next rockets would hit.

22 days of war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip

Between 2000 and 2008 Israeli citizens were bombarded by about 12,000 rockets and mortar bombs, including nearly 3,000 rockets and mortar bombs in 2008 alone.

December 27, 2008 – After 8 years under missile attacks Israel responds. Operation Cast Lead in Gaza begins.
January 3, 2009 – The ground stage of the operation commences.
January 18, 2009 – After 22 days of fighting in Gaza, Israel ends the operation, unilaterally declaring that it is holding its fire. All Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.

In June 2007, Hamas violently took over the Gaza Strip, overthrowing the legitimate Palestinian Authority and neutralizing the Authority’s security forces. In its place, Hamas set up a radical Muslim entity.

- The Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip

Supported by Iran and Syria, Hamas used the Gaza Strip as its launching pad to conduct ongoing terrorist attacks against Israel. Hamas amassed an extensive armed force of more than 20,000 armed operatives in Gaza. They constantly worked to increase the quality and range of their weapons and by late 2008, its rocket fire was capable of reaching some of Israel‘s largest cities and strategic infrastructure.

About 12,000 rockets and mortar bombs were launched against Israel between 2000 and 2008, including nearly 3,000 rockets and mortar bombs in 2008 alone.

These deliberate attacks caused deaths, injuries, and extensive property damage. They forced businesses to close and terrorized tens of thousands of residents into abandoning their homes.

- The Hamas terror war against Israel

Israel pursued numerous non-military efforts to try and stop the violent attacks, including urgent appeals to the U.N. Secretary General and successive Presidents of the Security Council as well as diplomatic overtures directly and through intermediaries.

Despite these efforts, Hamas escalated its cross-border attacks included a raid into Israeli territory from Gaza in June 2006 and the abduction of an IDF soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit. More than three years later remains in captivity, having been held incommunicado without access to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or any other international body.

- Gilad Shalit: In terrorist captivity since 25 June 2006

Israel‘s resort to force in the Cast Lead Operation in Gaza was both a necessary and a proportionate response to Hamas‘ attacks.

During this Operation, Israeli commanders and soldiers were guided by International Humanitarian Law, including the principles of distinction and proportionality.

Both before and during the Gaza Operation, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) went to great lengths to ensure that humanitarian aid reached the Palestinian population, including by facilitating the delivery of 1,511 trucks carrying 37,162 tons.

The IDF took extensive precautions to avoid or limit harm to civilians in Gaza, while pursuing its objectives of stopping Hamas’s incessant rocket and mortar fire on Israeli civilians and property.

Hamas, on the other hand, committed clear grave violations of international law and human rights, both before and during the Gaza Operation.

Romans tells us plainly God has not cast away Israel. This is speaking plainly of the nation of Israel, not spiritual Israel.

Romans 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 a God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.

Romans warns those who were grafted in [gentiles by faith, who became part of spiritual Israel] that they should not be haughty.

Romans 11
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

Romans tell us of the blindness of Israel towards the Messiah. This will continue until the “fulness of the Gentiles has come in”.

Romans 11
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Romans 11
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Romans tell us all Israel will be saved as it is written.

Romans 11
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

The Gospel is the power of God unto Salvation to the Jew first, then the Gentile [Greek]!

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The Jew will join with the Gentile, by faith, in Gods kingdom.

Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

The nature of the Jew and the gentile, both are brought to God the same way. Neither one has it over the other, for all are under sin. But God loves them all, and through Yeshua {Jesus, Iesous} he will save them all.

Romans 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

Romans 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Romans 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
Romans 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

Romans 3:29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

1 Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

1 Corinthians 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

This is why I pray for Israel’s Salvation, I also pray for the peace of Jerusalem. I know however, that peace will only come to Jerusalem when Yeshua HaMassiach will arrive.

I urge, therefore all men to pray for this. the Salvation of the Jew and the Gentile. For we have brothers that are both Jew and Gentile. The Gentiles are all races other than the Jews.