ENHANCE magazine - 3rd Quarter 2025

3 rd Quarter 2025 • No 224
Christian Friends of Israel
United Kingdom
Look to the rock from
which you were hewn
Isaiah 51:1
INSIDE: EDITORIAL – Roman soldiers fulfil Scripture • The challenge of antisemitism • Hidden Treasures • Seeing the Land Promise - Part 2
Festival & Event Report • HEBREW WORD FOCUS – Gur-Sojourner • Co-sponsored Events • Update ’25 • Special Report • Resources & Festivals

Editorial
Christian Friends of Israel
United Kingdom
Roman soldiers
fulfil Scripture
About us
CFI UK seeks to bless Israel through
practical and moral support, and serve
the Church in teaching about God’s
purposes for Israel and the Hebrew
heritage of our faith.
CFI UK also produce a monthly prayer
letter and a weekly audio Middle East
report.
Please contact us for full details of
projects in Israel and the teaching
resources available.
As an educational charity, we carry a
variety of resources relevant to our
purpose. We do not necessarily endorse
every view expressed by our guest
writers or authors.
Encouraging understanding in the
Church of Israel in context of the
Bible, history and today.
Challenging prejudice against Israel
and antisemitism alongside the Jewish
community in the UK.
Assisting cross-culturally in Israel
with charitable projects - medical,
educational and social.
What’s in a name?
ENHANCE means to increase, or further
improve the quality, value, or extent
of, in our instance, Christian friendship
of Israel. It also emphasises that when
God’s faithfulness to Israel is included and
understood by the wider Church, it truly is
‘faith enhancing.’
ENHANCE Magazine
Published by:
CFI Charitable Trust, PO Box 2687
Eastbourne BN22 7LZ
Tel: 01323 410 810
Email: info@cfi.org.uk
www.cfi.org.uk
Registered Charity, No. 1101899
Registered Office c/o
Caladine, Chantry House, 22 Upperton Road
Eastbourne, BN21 1BF
Company No: 04984515
VAT Registration No: GB678780275
Front cover photo:
Keshet Cave, Adamit Park, Nahal Betzet
Nature Reserve, Israel / Lebanese border.
Photo: Jacob Vince
2 ENHANCE • 3 rd Quarter 2025
Jacob Vince
Previously we considered
the letter of James and his
recognition of Abraham
fulfilling Scripture, where he
connects quotations from the
three parts of Scripture that
Jesus used – the Law, Prophets
and Psalms.
Here we consider the testimony of
John, one of Jesus’ apostles, who
describes particular scriptures being
specifically fulfilled following Jesus’
death on the cross.
Like James, John connects scriptures
drawn from the three-part order
Jesus used, but here connects
them through to Revelation, the
concluding book of the fourth part,
the apostles’ teaching, in which
John’s gospel is also located.
Here is John’s testimony,
‘Now it was the day of preparation,
and next day was to be a special
Sabbath. Because the Jews did not
want bodies left on the crosses during
the Sabbath, they asked Pilot to have
the legs broken and the bodies taken
down. The soldiers therefore came
and broke the legs of the first man
who had been crucified with Jesus
and then those of the other. But when
they came to Jesus and found that he
was already dead, they did not break
his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers
pierced Jesus’ side with a spear,
bringing a sudden flow of blood and
water. The man who saw it has given
testimony, and his testimony is true.
He knows that he tells the truth,
and he testifies so that you also may
believe. These things happened so that
the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not
one of his bones will be broken,” and,
as another scripture says, “They will
look on the one they have pierced.”’
(John 19:33-37)
Here is an instance of two scriptures
being fulfilled, but not by Jesus,
rather by Roman soldiers attending to
the crucifixions and their aftermath.
But which scriptures does God use
Roman soldiers to fulfil? The first
scripture referred to by John relates
to Moses’ instructions in the law
concerning the Passover lamb,
‘It must be eaten inside one house;
take none of the meat outside the
house. Do not break any of the
bones’ (Exodus 12:46)
And Moses’ repeats this in his
instruction concerning the annual
commemoration of the Passover,
They must not leave any of it till the
morning or break any of its bones.
When they celebrate the Passover,
they must follow all the regulations
(Numbers 9:12)
The theme of not breaking any of its
bones is picked up by David in the
Psalms,
A righteous man may have many
troubles, but the Lord delivers him
from them all; he protects all his
bones, not one of them is broken
(Psalm 34:19-20).
An earlier psalm of David echoes
this, part of which is also fulfilled
by the Roman soldiers who cast lots
for Jesus’ garments, ‘When they
had crucified him, they divided up
his clothes by casting lots’ (Matthew
27:35 – see Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34,
John 19:23-24).
‘All my bones are out of joint. My
heart has turned to wax; it has melted
within me. My strength is dried up
like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks
to the roof of my mouth; you lay
me in the dust of death. Dogs have
surrounded me; a band of evil men
have encircled me, they have pierced
my hands and my feet. I count all
my bones; people stare and gloat over
me. They divide my garments among
them and cast lots for my clothing’
(Psalm 22:14-18).
So, not one of Jesus’ bones were
broken, even if they were out of
joint and he could still count them.
The second scripture mentioned
follows after the first is fulfilled, and
is located in the Prophets,

Guest Feature
The current challenge
of antisemitism
By Martin Charlesworth
Antisemitism has been a constant threat to the Jewish community around the world –
including the United Kingdom. I know that this issue has been a concern for CFI UK for
many years. And this threat has risen sharply since the fateful events of 7 th October 2023.
Let me illustrate this through three of
my recent experiences.
I attended a ‘Pro-Palestine’ march in
late October 2023, as an observer.
Tens of thousands had gathered. Many
of them were students and ordinary
middle-class families. Such marches
have become commonplace since
then. Here I heard, for the first time,
the infamous chant ‘From the river to
the sea, Palestine shall be free’. I asked
one of the young idealistic student
marchers what this slogan actually
meant. He struggled to explain it
to me, not being very familiar with
the geography or geo-politics of
the Middle East. He was marching
on the understanding that the ‘pro-
Palestine’ marches were just another
‘progressive’ cause. I then explained to
him that this specific slogan actually
implied the destruction of the state of
Israel. He looked genuinely shocked
and confused.
Shortly after this I visited a major
Jewish institution. It was closed
for security reasons – to my
disappointment. Then I noticed the
security guards and decided to try to
discuss what was going on with them.
After some initial hesitation they
opened up and we had a very frank
conversation. They spoke darkly of
the hugely increased security threats
to the Jewish community in the UK.
They described some ugly incidents
which had taken place nearby. They
explained that many Jews were keeping
their heads down and nervously
watching the political situation.
Some were beginning to wonder if
the UK was still a safe haven for Jews.
Ominously, antisemitic incidents had
started rising steeply since October 2023.
Some time later I spent a day in a
heavily Islamic part of a major UK city.
I visited various important community
institutions and chatted to as many
people as I could. This gave me the
opportunity to get a sense of the
grassroots Muslim sentiment in Britain
about Israel and the Gaza war. Not
surprisingly I discovered huge support
for the Palestinians, huge distrust of
Israel and a barely concealed wider
antisemitism.
These three events all shed some
light on the recent dramatic rise in
antisemitism here in the UK.
I shall be addressing some key
aspects of this issue in my talk at the
forthcoming CFI UK annual conference.
In particular, I will seek to explain how
some ‘progressive’ ideologies have
significantly contributed to the current
rise in antisemitism and overt hostility
to the State of Israel. In my view, this
is a matter of great importance for the
Church – especially at this time. I shall
also address the question of how we, as
Christians, can best address this issue.
I hope to see you there!
Martin Charlesworth
has worked as a school
teacher, in business, as
a pastor and in charity
leadership. He was
the pastor of Barnabas
Community Church,
Shrewsbury, for twenty
years. He founded the Christian social action
charity ‘JubileePlus’ in 2013 and has coauthored
three books. In 2020 he launched
an online Bible teaching resource - ‘Word
Online’ (https://wordonline.org/. Throughout
his ministry Martin has retained a focus on the
Church’s engagement with the Jewish people.
‘And I will pour out on the house
of David and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem a spirit of grace and
supplication. They will look on me,
the one they have pierced, and they
will mourn for him as one mourns for
an only child and grieve bitterly for
him as one grieves for a firstborn son’
(Zechariah 12:10).
In placing these two scriptures
together, John has drawn from the
first three parts of the Bible – the
Law, Prophets and Psalms – but
there is an additional reference
to the second scripture in John’s
testimony in the final book in the
Apostles’ teaching, concerning the
return of Jesus, yet to be fulfilled,
‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him, even
those who pierced him; and all the
peoples of the earth will mourn
because of him. So shall it be! Amen’
(Revelation 1:7).
Only God could inspire the
Scriptures to outwork such ‘things
planned long ago’ (Isaiah 25:1), even
before the world began, to reveal
himself from creation, through
corruption and correction, to
completion, so bringing us into
right relationship with him through
the sacrifice of ‘our Passover lamb’
(1 Corinthians 5:7).
3 rd Quarter 2025 • ENHANCE 3

Feature
Hidden Treasures
‘Synagoga del Agua’
The town of Úbeda in the Province of Jaén, in the southern
Andalusia region of Spain has a population of around
35,000 people. It is a centre of Renaissance architecture,
which was made a World Heritage site in 2003.
After the Reconquest in 1492,
Queen Isabel la Católica of
Castile ordered the walls and
fortress of the town to be
destroyed in 1503, making way
for a century of prosperity,
resulting in many of the existing
Renaissance buildings.
However, it was not until the
development of a property in
2007 that a 14 th century Jewish
Synagogue was discovered
below ground level. It was made
accessible to visitors three years
later.
The steps to it have been carved
out of rock.
One of the cellar rooms contains
a number of original half-buried
pottery jars, possibly used to store
olive oil and (kosher) wine. A
further space was probably used as
a kitchen, with ovens for producing
unleavened bread.
David Linnell
Chairman CFI UK
The building consists of six rooms
and is thought to have belonged
to a rabbi. Intriguingly, it had
been known as the house of the
Inquisitor and the corresponding
coat of arms can be seen on a
façade of the property. This
adaptation could have been a
measure taken to preserve the
building’s history.
In the main meeting room – a
large space with three naves,
separated by columns supporting
pointed arches – is a ‘women’s
gallery’ hidden behind shutters.
Remarkably, there are seven wells,
two of which can still access water,
and in the depths of the cellar there
is a mikveh, or ritual bath, supplied
with water from a natural spring.
4 ENHANCE • 3 rd Quarter 2025

Guest Teaching
Seeing the Land Promise Part 2
In this three-part essay series, Gerald McDermott explores the notion of supersessionism (replacement thinking) in Christian theology, which
suggests the promises made to the Jewish people in the Old Testament, including the land promise, have been superseded (replaced) by the
Christian Church. He contends this view has dominated Christian interpretation since the fourth century, leading to the marginalisation of the New
Testament’s references to the land promise. McDermott posits evidence in the New Testament that contradicts supersessionism, and he argues that
recognising the ongoing significance of the land promise is vital for understanding God’s trustworthiness and the fulfilment of his promises.
Jesus referred to the future
of the land of Israel many
times.
I’ll provide five instances.
In Acts, the disciples asked the
resurrected Messiah if he would,
“restore the kingdom to Israel” (Acts
1:6). He didn’t dismiss this as
a silly or unspiritual question
(as scholars have often claimed)
but said the Father has set times
and seasons for that, and they
weren’t to know them yet. Isaac
Oliver, a Jewish New Testament
scholar, argues in Luke’s Jewish
Eschatology that Jesus had an
earthly – if eschatological –
kingdom in mind.
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus said that one
day the residents of Jerusalem will
welcome him (see Luke 13:35), and
later in the gospel he prophesies
Jerusalem will be trampled on
by Gentiles until the times of the
Gentiles are completed,
“They will fall by the sword and will
be taken as prisoners to all the nations.
Jerusalem will be trampled on by the
Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles
are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24).
The cessation of Gentiles trampling
on Jerusalem means the beginning
Sea of Galilee seen from the Golan Heights
of Jewish sovereignty over
Jerusalem. This suggests that Jesus
predicted a time when Jews would
have political control over their
capital. It wouldn’t be too much
of a stretch to say the beginning of
Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem
– in 1967, almost 2,000 years after
Jews lost it in 63 BC to Pompey
– could be seen as a fulfilment of
prophecy by the New Testament
Jesus.
This isn’t the same as saying the
Jewish state is a direct fulfilment
of prophecy. Or that the current
Jewish state is beyond criticism.
Or that this is the last Jewish state
before the eschaton (end of the
world).
But it isn’t beyond imagining that
on the basis of this remarkable
prophecy by Jesus, we can say the
rise of Jewish sovereignty over its
capital after two millennia could be
a “sign of the times,” (Matthew 16:3)
the kind Jesus rebuked some Jewish
leaders for not recognising.
Matthew has Jesus saying that in
the paliggenesia, or renewal of all
things, his apostles would rule over
the 12 tribes of Israel, evoking not
only the land of Israel but also the
reconstitution of the 10 northern
tribes (see Matthew 19:28).
As we saw in the first part of this
three-part article (ENHANCE Q2
2025), Jesus refers to the land in
a verse that’s almost universally
mistranslated. It should be “Blessed
are the meek, for they shall inherit
the land” (Matthew 5:5, author’s
translation). More and more
scholars are recognising that Jesus
is quoting Psalm 37:11 word for
word. Five times this psalm uses
the phrase “inherit the land,” and
each time the Hebrew word eretz
refers unmistakably to the land of
Israel, not the whole earth.
Jesus might have been referring to
Isaiah’s prophecy that when the
earth is renewed “all the Gentiles
shall flow to the mountain of the house
of the Lord… that he might teach
[them] his ways” (Isaiah 2:2–3).
Many object that John’s Gospel
overrules these expectations of a
future for the land because John’s
Jesus says his body is the new
temple, and true worship would
no longer be restricted to Jerusalem
but would be wherever there is
“worship in Spirit and in truth” (John
2:21; 4:21–24).
The New Testament scholar
Richard Hays doesn’t think John is
supersessionist on the land promise
but that we should think of the
Gospels as speaking on different
levels. For, he points out, Mark’s
Jesus declares of the temple, “My
house shall be called a house of prayer
for all the nations” (Mark 11:17),
affirming Isaiah’s vision of an
eschatologically restored Jerusalem
and temple. In Matthew, Jesus
surprises Christians (most have
never seen this) by saying God still
“dwells in” the temple of his day
(see Matthew 23:21). So, the New
Testament’s composite picture of
Jesus referring to the temple is that
it’s both God’s house and also the
symbol of Jesus’s body as God’s
house. True worship, for Jesus, will
be everywhere in Spirit and in truth
and centred in Jerusalem in the
eschaton.
Gerald R. McDermott
is an Anglican theologian
who teaches at Reformed
Episcopal Seminary and
Jerusalem Seminary.
He is the editor of
‘Understanding The Jewish
Roots of Christianity’
(Lexham Press), and author of ‘Israel Matters:
Why Christians Must Think Differently About
the People and the Land’ (Brazos Press).
3 rd Quarter 2025 • ENHANCE 5

Festival Report
ELIM LEADERS’ SUMMIT 2025
Harrogate Convention Centre 13 th – 15 th May, 2025
Encouraging understanding
of Israel and the Church
Christian Friends of Israel
United Kingdom
This was the first year we exhibited our
CFI UK Resources at the Elim Leaders’
Summit, over three days at Harrogate
Convention Centre. Jacob and Kate Vince
drove from Eastbourne with the CFI UK
Resources and were joined by David and Julia
Soakell travelling from Middlesbrough.
The Elim leaders’ programme was very full, with many
understandably using the breaks to catch up with
one another. But traffic around the exhibitors’ stalls
increased over the three days. We were able to have good
conversations with strategic leaders, who sensed that there
is a great need for understanding and communication on the
subject of Israel and the Church. Indeed, one leader of a 24/7
prayer ministry had been seeking the Lord for an opportunity
to meet with a Christian ministry involved with Israel.
Several London-based ministers were interested to explore
opportunities for Jacob to lead a teaching weekend, but they
are yet to follow through. Others connected well with the
Northern Office and were interested in arranging a day of
prayer and teaching. Some existing CFI UK supporters were
keen to volunteer, potentially as Church Links. We also met
with the minister of the Elim church at Livingstone.
A good number of resources were sold, with an
understandable leaning toward theological books on
understanding Israel better; along with many popular
summary items and free literature, including brochures
for the upcoming 40 th Anniversary Annual Conference in
September and the 40 th Anniversary Explore Israel Tour at
the end of October this year. We also had good engagement
with other stall holders, including the Israel Ministry of
Tourism team who we know, and with whom we continue in
close contact regarding UK Government travel advice.
6 ENHANCE • 3 rd Quarter 2025

Event Report
TEACHING & PRAYER DAY
Livingston, Scotland – 3 rd June, 2025
Oasis Church Elim fellowship in Livingston, 8 miles outside Edinburgh
This was a thoroughly worthwhile start to the series of
exhibitions and festivals we plan to attend with our CFI UK
Resources Stall this year and we returned thankful to the
Lord for answered prayer.
A CFI UK Teaching and Prayer Day took place at
Livingston in April this year, arranged by staff team
member Philip Aitchison, with David and Julia Soakell.
We had been looking for a church venue in Scotland
accessible to Edinburgh and Glasgow for such an
in-person event.
Despite two other conferences in the area on the same day
and hence a smaller number attending than planned, we
remain expectant for lasting fruit. The event has already
proved to be a springboard for hosting one-off CFI UK online
events for those who attended and more; with others wanting
closer involvement, hopefully establishing a CFI UK prayer
group soon. We were pleased to sell CFI UK resources, gain
new supporters, and see others increase their subscriptions.
Jacob and Kate distributing free literature
Philip sharing his heart as CFI UK staff member in Scotland
Oasis Church Elim fellowship in Livingston, 8 miles outside Edinburgh
x.com/cfi_uk
youtube.com/cfiuk
cfi.org.uk
3 rd Quarter 2025 • ENHANCE 7

Hebrew Word Focus
Melissa Briggs
Sojourners or citizens?
‏ֵּגּ‏ ר
GER
Sojourner
My husband is a resident of the United
States of America – not a citizen, but a
legal alien.
He is allowed to live in the USA but does not have
the rights of a full citizen as I do. He cannot vote
in the American elections, sit on a jury, or run for
public office. But as a “Green Card Holder” he has a
legitimate right to work and live here (if he pays taxes
and abides by the laws).
The Bible says that similarly, we are not citizens of
this world, but citizens of heaven. We are strangers
and sojourners on earth, even though we live here
for the time being. We are in the world, but not of
the world. While we are thankful for the countries in
which we reside, and seek to be a blessing here, our true
allegiance is with the everlasting Kingdom of God.
I have dual citizenship in both the US and UK. And
while I am grateful for both passports, it is far more
important and precious to me that I have ‘citizenship
in heaven’. I agree with Paul
who wrote: “But our citizenship
is in heaven, and from it we await
a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly body
to be like his glorious body, by the
power that enables him even to subject all things to himself”
(Philippians 3:20-21).
A glorious future awaits those of us that refuse to
make this world our top priority but instead look to
the Kingdom of Heaven, “All these people were still living
by faith when they died. They did not receive the things
promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a
distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers
(sojourners) on earth. People who say such things show that
they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been
thinking of the country they had left, they would have had
opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better
country – a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed
to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them”
(Hebrews 11:13-16).
One of the main Hebrew words that is translated as
stranger, foreigner or sojourner is ר ‏.‏GER‏ֵּגּ‏ It is from the
root verb ‏ֵּגּור GUR which means to live, reside, or dwell
in a place. There are actually three words, all with
different connotations and instructions from the Lord,
that can get translated as ‘sojourner’ or ‘stranger’! We
can easily miss the nuances between these different
groups if we only use English translations. GER can
reference someone like a Bedouin who simply journeys
around the land, having no permanent home. When
Moses was temporarily living as a shepherd in Midian,
he named his son ‏ֹׁש ר ׁ ם ‏,‏GER-SHOM‏ֵּגּ‏ ְ meaning ‘a
8 ENHANCE • 3 rd Quarter 2025
Our citizenship
is in heaven
sojourner/stranger there’.
For the past several years we have lived in a rented
home. We do not own it, but it is our place of
residence. We cannot leave it to our own children as an
inheritance, yet we have been very blessed to dwell here
in the agreement we made with the owner.
There were of course seasons when the Israelites were
‘sojourners’ in lands that were not their own, including
their long stay in Egypt. David referenced this, “Hear
my prayer, Lord ... I dwell with you as a foreigner [GER], a
stranger, as all my ancestors were” (Psalm 39:12).
When the Israelites were settling in the land of Israel,
the Lord gave them instructions on how to relate to
non-Israelites in the land: “Do not oppress a GER; you
yourselves know how it feels to be GERIM [the plural of
GER], because you were GERIM in Egypt” (Exodus 23:9).
Now, does this mean there is never a time that the
Israelites were to go to war against foreigners in the
land? Certainly not! Even in that same chapter the
Lord says to the people of Israel, “See,
I am sending an angel ahead of you to
guard you along the way and to bring you
to the place I have prepared ... I will be an
enemy to your enemies and will oppose
those who oppose you. My angel will go
ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites,
Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and
I will wipe them out. Do not bow down before their gods or
worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish
them and break their sacred stones to pieces. Worship the
Lord your God.” (Exodus 23:20-25, condensed)
Some GERIM in the Bible chose the ways of God and
chose to be a blessing to God and his people (like Ruth
and Rahab). Others set their hearts against God and
his instructions and brought violence and strife. (This
topic remains very relevant and controversial today, as
the whole world weighs in on the current situation of
different demographics in the Holy Land!).
As sojourners in this life, we are called to embody
the values of the eternal Kingdom, and to serve as
ambassadors for our King. We should hold all that God
blesses us with here loosely, recognising that earthly
possessions are fleeting. A wise Christian lives each
day prepared to move when God leads and is ready for
heaven when our Father calls us home.
MELISSA’S NEW LEVEL 1&2 VIDEO COURSE IS NOW AVAILABLE!
Learn Biblical & Modern Hebrew at your own pace with prerecorded
lessons. Please contact Melissa for more details at:
www.explorehebrew.co.uk

Co-sponsored Events
The real commission on the legal
system and antisemitism in the UK
Held on 11 th May 2025, this
event was arranged by the
National Jewish Assembly
and co-sponsored by CFI UK.
Hosted by NJA chairman of the Advisory
Board, Gary Mond, were several panel
interviews, including Allison Pearson,
Daily Telegraph correspondent and joint
founder of the October Declaration,
Alex Hearn, newspaper columnist, and
Caroline Turner from the UK Lawyers
for Israel, amongst others. There were
impassioned contributions from deputy
Reform leader Richard Tice MP and Talk TV
presenter Andre Walker. The event was well
supported, informative and engaging, with
a comprehensive report of the conference
proceedings, drawing upon the contributions,
due to follow shortly.
The Builder’s Stone by Melanie Phillips
How Jews and Christians built the West - and why only they can save it!
This CFI UK co-sponsored event
on June 30 th , was arranged by
Technion UK, celebrating 100
years as a university in Haifa and
was attended by some 230 guests.
It featured Melanie Phillips in
conversation with Rabbi Shlomo
Levin. Memorable quotes included,
‘Christianity didn’t come from
nowhere, it sprang from Judaism’…
‘The idea of limited government
Christian Friends of Israel
United Kingdom
and civic equality under the law,
people don’t realise comes from
the Hebrew Bible’. ‘These values
are absolutely essential to the
government of western democracy,
civilised values, not just western
values. You put others first in order
to create community, that you take
personal moral responsibility for
your actions and don’t blame it on
anybody else.’ These values are
being undermined before our eyes
and right meaning people need to
rise up before it becomes too late
and see them reinstated and upheld
to the benefit of all.
Afterwards many purchased signed
copies of Melanie Phillips’ book,
‘The Builder’s Stone’ which we
hope to make available through CFI
UK resources.
3 rd Quarter 2025 • ENHANCE 9

Report Update
More momentous events in 2025
By Robin Lane
In our First Quarter 2025
magazine, we wrote about
the momentous year of
2024. Given the magnitude
of things that have happened
since, it now seems fitting to
write about the events of the
first half of this year.
January and February 2025 saw the
implementation of a much-delayed
first phase in a ceasefire agreement
between Israel and Hamas which
resulted in the release of 33 Israeli
hostages, 25 living and 8 dead.
So, as well as days of rejoicing
over the return of living hostages
to their families, one day toward
the end of those six weeks was
described as a day of deep national
grief for Israel.
That day, Thursday 20 th February,
saw the remains of four dead
hostages, said to be Shiri, Ariel, and
Kfir Bibas, along with Oded Lifshitz,
driven from the border of the Gaza
Strip to the L Greenberg Institute
of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir
for identification. Thousands of
Israelis lined the route in silence as
the bodies were driven past. But
the nation’s grief quickly turned
to anger when the woman’s body
was found to be that of someone
other than Shiri Bibas. Her body
was hastily returned by Hamas the
following day.
Israel refused to move into the
second phase of the agreement
and Hamas refused to extend the
first phase. So, Israel stopped the
flow of humanitarian aid into the
Gaza Strip on 2 nd March, seeking to
put pressure on Hamas, and then
recommenced airstrikes on 18 th
March, seeking to further increase
the pressure.
The fighting intensified on 16 th
May with the launch of Operation
Gideon’s Chariots to take over and
hold large parts of the Gaza Strip,
with the intention of pressuring
Hamas through the loss of
territory. But just three days later,
Israel allowed a resumption of the
flow of aid into Gaza, under very
heavy pressure from the United
States due to the risk of starvation
for Gazan civilians.
That increased the motivation to
bypass Hamas, and on Monday
26 th May the Gaza Humanitarian
Foundation started distributing
food in the southern part of the
Gaza Strip. Civilians were invited
to go to distribution facilities and
collect boxes of aid intended to
last a family about one week.
This led to a tremendous struggle
developing over the following
weeks as Hamas tried to discredit
the new system through the deaths
of civilians waiting to collect the aid.
Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheva
By אבישי טייכר ‏,צילום:ד”ר CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15485646
Twelve Day War
But Friday 13 th June suddenly
overshadowed that struggle,
when Israel launched a surprise
attack against air defences, nuclear
facilities and ballistic missile sites in
Iran. President Donald Trump had
given the Iranians a 60-day deadline
to progress negotiations over their
nuclear weapons programme, and
the Israelis attacked the day after
that deadline expired.
Twelve days of fighting produced
dramatic results, with 80 Iranian air
defence batteries destroyed, Iran’s
main nuclear facilities severely
damaged, at least 15 top nuclear
scientists killed, about 250 ballistic
missile launchers destroyed
(leaving 100) along with 1,000
ballistic missiles (leaving 1,500),
and more than 30 senior Iranian
military commanders killed.
The USA joined this effort on
Saturday 21 st June, by flying
B2 stealth bombers all the way
from their base in Missouri and
dropping a total of 14 Massive
Ordinance Projectiles on the
Fordow and Isfahan nuclear
development sites. Two days later,
Donald Trump declared a ceasefire
which held after a dubious start.
Israel suffered substantial damage
during those 12 days because
Iran’s ballistic missiles were far
more difficult to shoot down than
the rockets fired by Hamas and
Hezbollah. Hence 28 Israelis were
killed and just over 3,000 wounded
(most only lightly). And there
were several reports of miraculous
escapes, one in particular at
the Soroka Medical Centre in
Beersheva, which took a direct hit
on Thursday 19 th June. A doctor
told Kan News. “Just yesterday,
they evacuated the old surgical
building, which today took a direct
hit. It’s a great miracle. 1 ”
1. Iranian missile hits Beersheva hospital; 6
seriously wounded
https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/iranianmissile-hits-beersheva-hospital-6-seriouslywounded/
10 ENHANCE • 3 rd Quarter 2025

Special Report
Victims & Hostages
By David Soakell
On Tuesday 1 st July, Julia
and I had the honour
of attending a set of
talks regarding the Victims
and Hostages of 7 th October
2023, along with viewing an
exhibition of portraits by graffiti
artist Benzi Brofman, who was
at the Nova festival on that
fateful day in Israel.
The exhibition showed various
large and poignant portraits
alongside testimonies of the
victims and hostages - three of
whom are still thought to be alive.
Accompanying the portraits were
the harrowing stories of these
people. I had to force myself to
read some of the testimonies.
The event was hosted by ‘Leeds
Leads Against Antisemitism’ at
the synagogue in Leeds where
Julia and I spoke last year. As
mentioned, the exhibition was
followed by a series of talks from
those intrinsically involved in the
events of 7 th October and their
aftermath, with Rob Moss (left),
Adam Ma’anit (centre), and Steve
Brisly (on screen) interviewed by
Marshall (right).
Rob Moss is the uncle of former
hostage Emily Damari, a British
Israeli. Rob revealed how Emily
had to deal with her 15-month
captivity in Gaza – including how
she lost two fingers, witnessed
her dog being shot, and had to
hide her sexuality. But also, how
she helped lift fellow captives’
spirits. Adam Ma’anit lost both
his cousin and niece in the Hamas
terrorist attacks. He spoke with
much emotion, having to hold back
tears, yet determined to keep in
the public domain the awareness
and remembrance of those
lost, and others still in
captivity, along with their
conditions as individuals
and ordinary people.
Adam Ma’anit works for
the Board of Deputies,
and his wife Heidi has
been given the use of
the exhibition portraits
to keep the message
alive. These have been
seen in Brighton, London
and now Leeds. The
exhibition is available to be
hosted in other places, but is
overseen by Heidi, whose own
brother-in-law Tzaxhi and
niece were murdered, as it
highlights both victims as
a remembrance of each life,
but also of those still held
in cruel captivity in Gaza
by Hamas and other terror
organisations. On the live
video link, Steve Brisly shared
about his sister Leanne, who
moved to Israel after visiting
a kibbutz, having met and
then married Eli Shukri. They
were murdered alongside her
children. Steve famously spoke
outside 10 Downing Street as a
non-Jew and comes from a family
of ‘no faith’.
The three hostages featured in
the exhibition who are still alive
are, first Omri Miran from Nahal
Oz (48) who has a wife and two
children. He was originally kept
as a hostage with Keith Segal for a
time, and ‘sign of life’ was given in
February 2025. Second, Guy Gilboa
Dallal (22) who was just out of the
army and was at the Nova festival
- his first festival. And third,
Matan Angress who was severely
injured when pulled from a tank
by terrorists and will most likely
have a very badly damaged arm,
if indeed he is still alive. Please
do pray for all those still held
hostage; pray for all the families
connected, and for continued safety
at all these types of events. Also
that the connections made with
key people in the various regions
will grow stronger and provide
encouragement to the UK Jewish
community.
3 rd Quarter 2025 • ENHANCE 11

Resources www.cfi.org.uk/shop.php
For resources call: 01323 410 810
Postal savings on multiple items
HOW DOES JESUS FULFILL THE OLD TESTAMENT? – MICHAEL VLACH
A detailed explanation of how Jesus actually fulfils the Old Testament, focusing on messianic prophecies,
messianic roles, Israel’s exodus from exile, Mosaic Covenant ceremonies and feasts, as well as unfulfilled
prophecies. It challenges the view that fulfilment in Jesus means he “transforms” or “dissolves” Old
Testament promises into himself, a perspective known as metaphysical personalism.
By moving beyond vague interpretations of “fulfilment in Jesus,” this book provides a deeper understanding
of how Jesus completes what was originally promised in the Hebrew Scriptures.
B552 // PAPERBACK, 95 PAGES // £12.00 (INCL. UK P&P)
WAS JESUS A PALESTINIAN? – JACOB VINCE - Revised Edition
In light of recent attempts to appropriate Jesus of Nazareth’s nationality based on the ancient Gentile and
Jewish writings of Herodotus and Josephus, the author takes a comprehensive look at ascertaining Jesus’
ethnicity using these oft quoted historical sources, as well as the biblical record, and in so doing arrives at a
perhaps not unsurprising conclusion.
BT107 // BOOKLET, 32 PAGES // £4.50 (INCL. UK P&P)
EDUCATING FOR EXTREMISM – ROBIN LANE
Some of the information here is based upon a booklet prepared by the Zionist Federation in the UK for a
lobby of Parliament in 2020 which was conducted in partnership with Christian Friends of Israel UK.
That content has been extended significantly to bring the subject up to date with subsequent
developments through to June 2025.
BT136 // BOOKLET, 20 PAGES // £4.50 (INCL. UK P&P)
UK Events CFI UK is exhibiting at the following live events in 2025
Sunday 20 - Thursday 24 July 2025
Gordon Castle Estate Fochabers Village
Aberdeenshire, Scotland, IV32 7PQ
ROYAL CORNWALL EVENTS CENTRE, WADEBRIDGE
22 – 25 AUG 2025
LINCOLNSHIRE SHOWGROUND
Grange-de-Lings,
Lincoln, LN2 2NA
CRE 25: 15-16 Oct 2025
Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey
JACOB VINCE will give a presentation of:
Covenant Steps one year Bible reading plan
Wednesday 15 th October. Time: 12.00 – 12.25. Talk Area: 2
We will also give a short presentation on:
Why be friends of Israel?
Wednesday 15 th October. Time: 11.08 -11.13. Talk Area: 3
Contact: CFI Communications, PO Box 2687, Eastbourne, BN22 7LZ
Tel: 01323 410810 Email: info@cfi.org.uk Web: www.cfi.org.uk
@christianfriendsofisrael_uk
x.com/cfi_uk
youtube.com/cfiuk
cfi.org.uk