One of the things that’s most challenging to communicate is how personal this war is to each Israeli.
Currently there isn’t a single Israeli in the land that doesn’t know at least one person that has been killed, injured, kidnapped into Gaza, or whose home has suffered from the brutal massacre of October 7 or from the daily and incessant rocket fire since this war broke out 10 days ago.
This has affected each and every one of us on a deeper and more personal level than we could ever describe. While the world speaks about a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, it fails to mention the humanitarian crisis in Israel this war has caused.
Over 100,000 Israeli families have been forced to leave their homes, some won’t even have a home to come back to.
Which is why our war relief efforts through our humanitarian outreach, which you are such an inseparable part of, are so crucial right now.
Last Friday we buried our beloved David. We all knew him since he was two years old, we saw him grow up and become a young man of God.
His family is very precious to us all here at Beit Hallel. David’s parents, Haim and Miriam Ratner are not only our dearest friends, they are also elders at Beit Hallel, and they are both part of our staff, serving as full-time ministers.
Haim is an amazing evangelist that also leads our prayer ministry, with a big heart for the elderly, while Miriam is also one big nurturing heart. She has been heading up our women’s ministry and leading so many to Yeshua.
The loss of their oldest son, David, is absolutely heartbreaking.
This is one of those moments when the war becomes extremely personal to us. The rockets launched from Gaza are aimed to kill me, my wife, my children, and my grandchildren. It is aimed at every single congregation member. The hatred that is behind it doesn’t discriminate.
Which is why we need your prayers more than ever before. We need your support and your clear stand for the nation of Israel as never before. For the Ratner family, as well as many other families that are losing their sons and daughters right now.
David’s last battle was incredibly courageous. For 10 straight hours he fought against terrorists and many of his friends owe him their lives. David was operating a Negev machine gun and because of that he was practically the first line of defense, shooting and absorbing most of the fire.
Many of his friends testified at his funeral how if it wasn’t for his courage, they wouldn’t be standing there. David was wounded two hours into the battle, and continued for 8 more hours to fight relentlessly, taking down terrorists, preventing them from advancing into Israel, thus saving hundreds of Israeli families unbeknownst to them. While David was wounded, bleeding yet still fighting, he didn’t stop encouraging his friends, saying: “Keep fighting! We’re going to make it back home!”
David fell as a hero, and we couldn’t be prouder of his testimony, both in life and in death.
He stood and fought until the very end, driven not by the hatred in front of him, but by the love inside of him — love for God and His people, for his nation and his home.
Our joint prayers are so important right now! We have heard so many testimonies, and so many more to come, because prayers save lives.
Your prayers will bring Israel closer to their destiny. It will help us see revival and Yeshua glorified in the nation of Israel.
How can You help as a Watchmen on the Walls of Jerusalem?
- Pray for Israel’s protection and salvation.
- Support Israel in these trying times.
- Donate to relieve the humanitarian crisis in Israel through our war relief fund.
