(Our blog is taken from our Jewish Brother Jacob’s A Little Learning Together, which he often includes with prayer request emails he sends out).
Please note: Jacob uses a couple of abbreviations. One is KG for Koine Greek, the type of Greek the Renewed Covenant Scriptures (RCS) is written in. KG is much more Hebraic & Jewish than Attic Greek, the Greek of the philosophers. Jacob uses RCS in short for Renewed Covenant Scriptures because it is a much more accurate term than “New Testament”.
Jacob explains this in his teaching. For more – and why Jacob uses the terms he does – after reading our blog, please scroll up to the window The Deeper Hebrew & Jewish Roots of the Bible from A-Z. Simply click or tap the title, then click or tap + or picture to open the window.
Please scroll down to G Glossary.
I’m Jacob Stone, all together I’ve been blessed to spend several months in Israel. Much of it has been in Jerusalem in both the Rova, the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, at the Western Wall, and, when it was relatively safe to do so, the Shuk, the Arab Market in The Old City.
I’ve eaten in, slept in, walked by, driven by, or taken buses by easily 20 to 25 places in Israel that suffered some form of terrorist attack; especially during the Second Intifada (‘Shake Off’) of the early 2000’s (Israelis call the Intifada the Matsav. the ‘Situation’). I’ve also been from the Golan Heights, right on the Lebanese border, down to the Red Sea at the southernmost end of Israel.
I’ve also personally seen how the Western media covered 4 different news stories in Israel; only one of which they covered accurately. What I saw in the other three cases was that they covered events with a preset Agenda. The media wrote or reported their story to match the preset Agenda – rather than the facts on the ground or the actual situation.
”The Palestinians Never Miss an Opportunity to Miss an Opportunity”
This is a famous quote by the late Israeli Prime Minister Abba Eban, who unfortunately has been all too right. The Palestinians have great potential – but very tragically for all, are too often their own worst enemy. Delving into that however is not the purpose of this email. God willing, we will try to cover that separately.
When Mark Twain Was Asked For Proof of God He Replied, ‘The Jews’
We also won’t delve into it here but suffice for now to say the Jewish People have a very unique history. The restoration of the Jewish People to their ancient Homeland of Israel – after a 2,000-year absence – is completely unprecedented. Jews had two commonwealths in ancient times in Israel for a total of 1,000 years.
Did you know there’s never been a country or state of Palestine – period. Even when Israel was under the control of various Muslim groups for a total of 1,200 years prior to World War I, these groups never established – or allowed fellow Sunni Palestinian Muslims to establish – their own state. Yet, Palestinians blame Israel and ‘the Jews’, for a situation largely caused by Muslims and the Palestinians themselves!
Historians & cultural anthropologists have no rational or logical explanation for the continued presence of the Jewish People as an identifiable people group, for being without its own Homeland for 2,000 years. Jews make up 2/10th of 1% of the world’s population (2% in the US). No people have given so much as you’ll learn below I hope – but been so reviled historically – and today. The UN has passed more resolutions against Israel since it’s reestablishment in 1948, than all other countries – combined.
This includes: Russia – and where are all the demonstrations today against what Vladimir Putin is doing in the Ukraine – China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Libya, Iraq – and everyone else?
Contributions Israel Makes to the World – That the Media & Academia Don’t Tell You
As you learn of these please keep in mind – Israel only has 10 million people, a number it just reached. 80% are Jews and 20% Arab (1-2% of the population consists of the Druze). Israel is currently no bigger than roughly the state of New Jersey.
#1 Do you like or love your technology – but don’t like Israel? I Hope you’re prepared to get rid of some of your Tech then! The only country outside of the U.S. that Microsoft developed software? Israel. Motorola, who now goes by the more ‘hip’ name Moto, was one of the early developers of cell phone technology. Some of this technology was developed in Israel.
#2 The Waze navigation app, instant messaging, firewall security software, Intel wireless computer chips, Windows NT operating system, voicemail technology, VOIP technology and the USB drive? Developed in Israel.
Don’t like Israel? Do you believe in ‘From the River to the Sea Palestine will be Free’? A poll showed 50% of the people chanting that had no idea what was being referred to. (It’s the Jordan River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west).
If you unfortunately agree with that, then the next time you have Tech trouble, try calling Hamas customer service for help…..
By the way. Israeli Arab Muslims serve in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces), as well as a number of volunteer organizations that handle mass casualty events after a terrorist attack. The Bedouins, who live in the Judean wilderness south of Jerusalem, living much as their ancestors did many centuries ago, are both Muslim and fierce defenders of Israel. Bedouins serve in the IDF – and are considered very valuable because of their ability to track potential terrorists in wilderness areas.
#3 If Israel was trying to commit genocide in Gaza (‘ Stronghold’), then why were easily 40% of the patients I saw in a hospital in Jerusalem – on multiple occasions – Arabs and Palestinians? A large percentage of patients in hospitals in other parts of Israel, are also Arab and Palestinian.
Why do Palestinians with security clearance prefer to go to Israeli hospitals rather than Palestinian ones? Because Palestinians receive better medical care in Israeli hospitals. Ever hear about this, from the media or academia?
Did you know Israel has a children’s hospital in Holon, south of Tel Aviv, that has an organization called Save a Child’s Heart? Israeli surgeons perform cardiac surgeries for underprivileged children – from around the world – including Palestinian children. Plus – almost half its patients come from Muslim majority countries. Many of Save A Child’s Heart patients also come from Africa.
Recently the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) brought 2 Muslim children from countries just north of Israel, to a hospital in northern Israel, after a mother begged the IDF to do so. The mother felt her child was not receiving the lifesaving treatment he needed; but, would receive it in an Israeli hospital.
Yahya Sinwar, who headed Hamas, had been in an Israeli prison. He had a brain tumor and his life was saved by an Israeli neurosurgeon. After he was forced to be released as part of a prisoner swap, how did Sinwar ‘repay’ the Israeli surgeon who saved his life? By masterminding October 7….
#4 Israel received the highest rating for political rights among all the countries in the Middle East, according to Freedom House, which evaluates democracy around the world.
Situated among 22 Muslim-majority countries in North Africa and the Middle East, Israel is the only democracy. Fateh, the Palestinian Authority that controls the Palestinian part of the so called ‘West Bank’, (the west side of the Jordan River), hasn’t held elections in 20 years.
Israeli Arab Muslims, who make up about 20% of the Israeli population, serve in the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. As Muslims pray five times a day, the Israelis built a small mosque in the Knesset for them. (Arab Christians – who are pressured and harassed by Palestinian Muslims, makeup 1-2% of the population).
#5 Jerusalem is the only city in the world with ancient sites holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Israel allows Christians complete freedom and administration of Christian holy sites. Muslims are allowed autonomy at theirs; unless they start rioting.
#6 Believe in rights for minorities, women, the gay community, and the environment? So does Israel! The IDF defends the Druze of northern Israel, who only make up 1-2% of the Israeli population. There’s even a group called Jews for Druze, which tries to help the Druze population.
The IDF recently defended Druze in southern Lebanon, after Muslims started attacking the Druze, murdering some of them.
Women serve in the Israeli Parliament, and the Cabinet. The legendary Golda Meir was Prime Minister in the early 1970’s. The outgoing deputy mayor of Jerusalem is a woman.
Israeli women pursue careers, are entrepreneurs, serve in the IDF, and make up the majority of higher education students. Woman in Israel have full reproductive rights. Women also can dress however they want; something women can’t do in Muslim majority parts of the world – like Gaza!
Gays rights are protected by the Israeli government. The government allows Pride parades even in Jerusalem, over the objections of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.
Try Googling ‘Gay Pride parades in Gaza’ – or any other Muslim majority area – and see what you get….
#7 The Environment – The Israeli company Netafim invented drip technology. This irrigates fields and crops etc, thru pin size holes in hoses. Water drips out, rather than air spraying. Irrigation is far more effective with drip technology. Water saving technology is crucial in arid climates. Israel exports this great water saving technology to six continents.
Israel is also a world leader in developing water recycling technology.
Israel’s Indo-Israel Agriculture Program trains 120,000 Indian farmers annually, in a variety of agricultural techniques.
Though Europe as a whole hates Israel, Europe imports $100 million dollars-worth of produce a year from Israel – call pesticide free!
Eviation is an Israeli company that’s developed an electric airplane.
#8 Israel proportionately exports more life-saving medical technology, than any other country its size.
An Israeli scientist discovered a natural bacterium to combat river blindness; helping to protect people in 11 African countries.
An Israeli company called Nano Retina is developing an artificial retina to help restore sight to the visually impaired.
Israel has also developed or is in the process of developing a number of other life-saving or quality of life improving devices.
Very recently Israeli scientists made a great breakthrough in the development of an artificial kidney.
#9 In the last 25 years Israelis have won three times more Nobel prizes per capita in science and economics than the next highest ranked countries. This includes two Israeli scientists who won a Nobel Prize for research and new treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and genetic disorders.
22 Muslim majority countries in North Africa & the Middle East have a total of one Nobel Prize Laureate.
The number of Nobel prizes won by Palestinians and Hamas? Zero.
#10 Business – Israel attracts one of the highest rates of venture capital on Earth.
Israel has one of the highest rates of entrepreneurship on Earth – this includes woman entrepreneurs.
#11 Israel has sent disaster relief teams to more than 140 countries – including those it has no diplomatic ties with.
After the terrible earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Time Magazine reported ‘The Israeli Hospital…. is the paramount medical center in Haiti… It receives cases other hospitals find too difficult to manage’.
After an apartment building collapsed in Miami in 2021, the Israelis sent a team to help with the recovery.
Completely under the radar, Israel years ago sent a team of trauma surgeons to teach those at the major hospitals in Boston, regarding the handling of mass casualties. Unfortunately due to too much experience, the Israelis are world leaders in this also.
What the Israelis taught those Boston hospitals no doubt saved lives after the terrible Boston Marathon bombing.
After 9/11, the Israelis sent a team of a dozen of its top anti-terrorism experts to train police departments in various U.S. cities. I heard the team speak in Boston, under obviously very very tight security.
#12 Israel is – far and away – the U.S.’s best foreign aid investment. How?
A recent article quoted a few top U.S. military experts who pointed out that the US receives multiple times the return on the 3 billion dollars plus sent to Israel annually. These military experts said that without Israel, the U.S would have to spend 9 billion dollars In building two more aircraft carriers for the Middle East.
As well as, the US having to station thousands of more troops in the Middle East to try to keep a lid on radical Islamic terrorism; something the Israelis are a tremendous help with. The U.S destruction of Iranian nuclear sites, was set up by the Israelis taking out Iranian air defenses
US military officials also said that without Israel, the U.S. would have to have multiple more numbers of the CIA, to try to get the intelligence the Israelis supply the US on the Middle East.
#13 Finally, do you believe in God? Western culture & society has been greatly influenced by Greek philosophy. The Biblical Book of Acts says that when the Apostle Paul – a Jew who learned about God in Jerusalem – was in Athens, Paul was greatly disturbed by how much idolatry there was. Acts 17:23 says that the Athenians had a statue to an ‘Agnosto Theo‘ ‘(an) unknown God’. (‘Agnostic’ comes from the Greek ‘without know(ing). An agnostic says, “I don’t know”, when it comes to God)
Knowledge of God, His Son Yeshua (the original Hebrew name of Jesus) and the Bible, came through the Jews and Israel.
So, if you believe in God and His Son at all, thank Israel and the Jews!
In Closing
Israel is by no means perfect. Though Israelis are a wonderful people, they can be maddening to deal with because they have no Western type common sense whatsoever. Neither Israelis nor Arab Muslims like to be told what to do by outsiders. The Israeli government could treat Israeli Arabs better and more equitably than they do.
That said; polls find that if they were a Palestinian state, a wide majority of Israeli Arab Muslims would choose to remain in Israel. Israeli Arab Muslims know they’d have a better life staying in Israel!
The Israeli – Palestinian situation is complex, to say the least. In my experience unfortunately the media and academia simply don’t present all the facts – most especially about the many many positive contributions Israel makes to the world!
I hope this has been educational, enlightening, and even eye opening to facts & truths one doesn’t normally hear about Israel!
To learn much much more about personal experiences – and real life for Israelis – and the Palestinians – that the media and academia doesn’t tell you, please visit our website.
Thank you!