ENHANCE - 1st Quarter 2024

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UK profile Public figures condemn BBC’s refusal to call Hamas ‘terrorists’ and the surge in antisemitism in UK The idea for British Friends of Israel (BFI) first came from Laura Dodsworth, author of ‘A State of Fear’ who was appalled by the scenes she was witnessing on the TV, so she gathered a small group of supporters to set up BFI and make the The October Declaration. CFI UK’s chief executive was invited to be one of the signatories before going live, joining others like Sir Tom Stoppard, Dame Maureen Lipman, Sir Tim Rice, Vanessa Feltz, former head of British Intelligence Sir Richard Dearlove, Countdown’s Rachel Riley and broadcasting titan Andrew Neil. These were all part of a 200-strong group which featured members of the House of Lords, MPs, celebrated historians, professors and journalists, including Allison Pearson of the Telegraph – one of the ‘small group’ whose article appeared online on 22 nd October 2023 at 8:48pm quoting Laura, “Within hours of the terrorist attacks there were marches around the world with chants of ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Gas the Jews’ before the bodies had even been counted. Antisemitism skyrocketed here in Britain which has been a safe home for Jews for hundreds of years. Children were too scared to go to school. What have we become? Frankly, it has sickened me. I thought, this has to be the time to stand in solidarity with British Jews.” So far The October Declaration has received over 80,000 signatures. Parliament lit up in support of Israel in October THE OCTOBER DECLARATION We are a group of concerned British citizens and residents from a wide range of backgrounds and professions who stand in solidarity with British Jews and condemn all forms of antisemitism, whether in Britain or elsewhere. We unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism against civilians in Israel, especially the massacre on 7 th October 2023 On 7 th October 2023 the State of Israel and her citizens, both Jews and non- Jews, were subjected to a brutal terrorist attack, which resulted in the murder, torture, rape and kidnapping of over 1,500 people. More Jews were killed on that day than on any other day since the Holocaust. We are aware that Jews are not the only victims of this tragedy. Hamas knew that there would be consequences to 7 th October, but the consequences did not weigh with Hamas. Its ongoing terrorist operation is calculated to cause maximum fear and distress. The people of Israel have been subjected to a near constant bombardment of rockets from Gaza and Lebanon. Civilians of all kinds – including the elderly, disabled, women, children and babies – have been targeted in a direct breach of the rules of war. We share the shock and distress of Israelis, British Jews and compassionate people around the world at the unfolding horror and its consequences. We call for all the hostages taken on 7 th October to be released immediately. It is an essential step on the path to peace and the cessation of hostilities. We stand in support of British Jews and condemn acts of antisemitism Following the terrorist attack on Israel, antisemitism is surging in the UK. The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded at least 533 antisemitic incidents across the UK between 7 th and 20 th October 2023, representing an increase of 651% compared to the same period in 2022. Children have not been spared. Four Jewish schools in Britain felt compelled to close. One school was vandalised. It is abominable that British children should now live in fear just because they are Jews. All children should be able to attend school without fear. British Jews should not live in fear because of actions taken by the state of Israel to defend itself. The British state must do everything in its power to protect them. While we respect the right of all groups to engage in peaceful protest, we urge the police to enforce the law without fear or favour. We ask the media, members of all political parties and everyone in public life to call out Hamas for what it is: a terrorist organisation Hamas, whose actions have led directly and indirectly to the tragic deaths of many Palestinian civilians as well as Israelis, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK as well as in many other states. The Home Secretary and the Prime Minister have identified Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Failure to use the correct language – describing Hamas as ‘militants’ or ‘fighters’, for instance – creates the false impression that Hamas and Israel’s armed forces are morally equivalent and is an affront to the group’s victims – the dead, their families, and those currently being held hostage. No one thought this would be necessary in the 21 st Century but, sadly, it is. You can sign up online at: www.britishfriendsofisrael.org 4 ENHANCE •1 st Quarter 2024
Prayer report Prayer rally Whitehall Christian Action Against Antisemitism (CAAA) initiated a prayer rally in Westminster, opposite No. 10 Downing Street, on Sunday 19 th November, where CFI UK and many other Christians were able to stand with Jewish communities across the world in praying for the hostages in Gaza. It was an incredible event. There was an excellent turnout of approaching 10,000 Christians and Jews. This was so encouraging for the Jewish communities here in the UK and in Israel. Many Jewish people were deeply impacted with the love shown by Christians who remain friends of Israel at this difficult time of war (see Proverbs 17:17). CFI UK’s Chief Executive, Jacob Vince, was invited to speak at the event. His speech follows. God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, said to Israel, ‘“No weapon forged against you will prevail and you will refute every tongue that accuses. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from me,” declares the Lord’ (Isaiah 54:17) Israel is engaged in ensuring weapons against them do not prevail. In the UK we are refuting every tongue that accuses. We look to God to fulfill his promise. Christian Friends of Israel based in Jerusalem are assisting displaced and bereaved families in Israel bringing provisions and comfort. Here in the UK, we are in the long process of encouraging understanding among our Christian constituency of Israel in context – biblically, historically and today. In addition, we are challenging prejudice against Israel and antisemitism, alongside the UK Jewish community. Israel today, like in Nehemiah’s day, is focused on nation building; their opponents, like then, on terrorism and tearing down what is being built up. Hezekiah, during Isaiah’s day, is recorded building a tunnel to carry water and preserve life, still there 3,000 years later. Today Israel’s enemy tears up water pipes, turning them into weapons and they dig tunnels to kill lives. In Genesis, Abram’s nephew and family were taken hostage by the enemy and he rescued them, afterwards meeting the priest Melchizedek (see Genesis 14:14). Later in the Bible, the prophet Samuel recounts the enemy taking King David’s family hostage and his rescuing them (see 1 Samuel 30). Today Israel’s children are again taken hostage by the enemy. Please God may they be rescued and returned safely.* Christians, from their inception till today, benefit from the foundation of our faith, the Bible – law, prophets, psalms, and those who spread the message to the nations, the apostles. All we believe comes through the promises made to Israel. Israel today is a beacon of light in the region, preserving life for all; whilst their enemy thrives in the darkness of evil and death. The whole world benefits from Israel’s innovations, watertech, agritech, medical innovation. As Christian Friends of Israel we represent thousands who are thankful to Israel for enriching the world and to the UK Jewish community for enriching this nation’s life. We prize our Jewish Christian heritage and freedom greatly. So we pray, asking and longing for peace and safety for Israel and us here in the UK. May good and right prevail, may life defeat death, hope overcome despair. We ask this of the living God, to whom we pray as Father in heaven, whose Name is holy. May his kingdom come, his will done; like in heaven, so on earth. May we know his provision each day, forgiveness of our own sins, as we in turn forgive. May he help in this testing time, may we know deliverance from evil. On this we agree, and to this end, using the Hebrew word, we say, Amen. We uploaded a video of Jacob’s speech with text subtitles onto our CFI UK YouTube channel and it has received more than 2,500 views. Do look it up, watch it and click the ‘like’ button. And let us keep praying that as many hostages as possible will be freed from Hamas terrorists and brought safely home. Credit to Watching over Zion ~ The ‘lite edition’ No.63 *Due to time constraints Jacob was unable to share this paragraph. 1 st Quarter 2024 • ENHANCE 5
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ENHANCE - 1st Quarter 2024

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