SUNDAY October 15- 2023- YEAR 2- Episode# 84 Good Sunday Morning with Fr Andre on KNUS 710 am: The Attack on Israel (Psalm 69)

Statement

Friday  October 13 -2023

Mission of Hope and Mercy

Observatory for Religious Freedom and Christian Persecution Desk in Lebanon: 

MEMO: ISRAELI- PALESTINIAN CONFLICT OCTOBER 8 - 2023

The Hamas Terrorist Attack against the Innocent

From the start of the hostilities on October 7th, 2023, Father Andre Mahanna, President of the Mission of Hope and Mercy, along with the Director of Strategic Communication, have conducted open meetings with security advisors in Lebanon. They have been in touch with various key Lebanese officials, US public officials, advocacy and research centers, and key Lebanese media desks in order to track the dangerous escalation happening in Israel and the Palestinian Territories and how it will affect the Christians and the innocent people in Lebanon. 

It is sad to say that all evil possibilities are on the table. No one almost is talking about peace anymore. It is obvious that this war is about the right to exist for Israel. Unfortunately, the cause of the people of Palestine has been severely damaged by the terrible evil terrorist attack of Hamas on on over 1200 innocent Israeli civilians who all have perished, hundreds of them in a cold blooded massacre. Over 50 children have been slaughtered by hamas and their affiliates. 

In the midst of this escalating situation between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, it is important to know that Hamas sympathizers and partners, in Lebanon and Syria are threatening to open all fronts against Israel. Since last night, rockets started to get launched against Israel from the Golan Heights and from the South of Lebanon. It is crucial for us to realize that for years now, the sovereign will of the majority of the people of Lebanon, has been totally oppressed. Almost no one in Lebanon at this point, not even the Lebanese Government who for over a year now did not succeed to elect a president, the only Christian president in the Middle East.

God help all the good and innocent people in the Region. Our concern at this point is this: the US and the West continue to fail to understand the complexity of the religious nature of the conflicts in Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Especially in the contests of the Ukrainian-Russian war, the Nigerian persecution and many other African nations of the Christians, and the Israeli-Palestinian-Iranian wars. 

It is time to admit and accept that at the bottom of all these fights, leading world humanities and governments have all failed in giving proper and deep consideration to religious and existential  identities and complexities of humanity in world Conflicts between people and nations. 

As a consequence to the failure of the West in not understanding nor wanting to accept, admit and treat with good faith the religious nature of of these problems especially in today’s geopolitical hot places in the world, today the US, the West from Australia, Canada, Europe, to the Middle East, Asia, Africa and all the world, will experience unfortunate waves of terrible antisemitism, the rise of religious dogmas that preach and practices terrorism, persecution of Christians, and the continuous rise of of false secular values that want to destroy every hope in having peace, justice, life and prosperity. All this might lead more and more to a Global War, nuclear by measures, massive by destruction, and evil by its nature. What we saw happened last Saturday is an insult to the most advanced military and security technologies. They were supposed to have prevented such a ferocious attack from happening and they failed. 

I have interviewed few expert friends of mine, another journalist earlier this week to discuss with them the possibility of the breaking through the fence and here what I gathered from them in my discussion:  

“Two perspective about the fence: 

The first one comes from an Israeli commander who served at the Kerem Shalom Battalion, who knows the area in detail.

His opinion was: Something here doesn't add up to me!!! This is a mystery that I can't find an answer to since yesterday?

I happen to know how things work in Gaza and on the border. I was the commander of the … in Refeh. He also worked in the Kissuf sector. This Israeli commander knows the perimeter fence very well. He for sure knows how the army works there. As a commander, he actually was in the Shatti refugee camp in Gaza. He worked in high place in Jibaliya refugee camp. This commander knows all about ambushes on the fence and deep in the area. As we say of someone who is so familiar with the region and its people: “he met Gazans, ate and breathed Gaza”.

So I asked to know how is this Obstacle built? 

His response was that the obstacle is built so that even a fox cannot pass it:

Set alerts according to 3 levels of pressure. She must alert when she is cut. There are 24/7 forces that are responsible for arriving within a few minutes, if not seconds, to the point where there is an alert in the fence. 

Every day do at least one penetration practice. Each subdivision has a standby squad whose role is to increase the force in an emergency situation. Observations scattered along the border cover every inch of it. The female observers are champions in identification. They don't miss. They detect movement even before it even approaches the obstacle - day and night. At problematic points (dead areas) they place a tank with observation and detection capabilities, and a terrifying firepower. In some cases snipers are deployed in the field.

Every day before dawn there is a "dawn alert" procedure. At this hour all the forces are awake (in this case also the hour when hundreds of terrorists entered Israel). The night shift alternates with the day shift. The commander of each force inspects the axis to make sure there were no infiltrations during the night. Trackers that move on the axis know how to recognize traces. They know who crossed the fence, how much and even when.

Each scenario has a clear procedure. For example, a procedure for infiltrating terrorists, a procedure for taking hostages. Everything is written in blood and has been proving itself for years.

There are several other layers of security that this is not the place to talk about. In short, we are talking about an obstacle that proves itself for years and years.

So how the heck does a Hamas tractor move towards the fence without anyone reacting to it?

How did the tractor manage to sabotage the fence for a long hour and open access to Israel without anyone reacting to it?

How did hundreds of Hamas terrorists and civilians cross the barrier without anyone on our side lifting a finger?

How did terrorists arrive on foot and in vehicles, armed from head to toe, to dozens of Israeli settlements, without any reaction from our side?

How did hundreds of terrorists stay in Israeli territory for long hours, shoot hundreds of Israelis, loot property, without there being even a single reaction on our side?

How did it happen that hundreds of terrorists kidnapped dozens of Israelis, (the first day there was news that the number of Israeli citizens who are missing is around 750 people). The terrorist of Hamas woke women, children, babies, old people from their beds, surprised soldiers, officers when they were not ready, and kidnapped them to Gaza, without anyone stopping them?

How is it that one bullet was not fired?

How did all this happen under our noses?

Where did an entire division go?

Where did 3 brigades go?

Who swallowed 9 battalions?

What happened to 36 companies?

Where did an entire regular infantry brigade go that usually outnumbers the elite?

Where were all the reserve battalions that augment the regular army?

Where did thousands of soldiers go???

Someone here needs to provide explanations!!

In fact, the Israeli Government has said today before this sow started, that they will investigate all of this but this is not the time. Now is the time they return the hostages to their homes and secure the citizens of Israel and take out Hamas terrorists. 

That is one opinion. And the second is from a former General as well and we have common friend and his comment on the same question about how is it at all possible to break through the fence into Israel with all the security and technology that there is in place? Remember we are talking about a fence that cost around one billion and hundred million dollars.  

His comments could be summarized with the following: “No…yes, there was a cyber attack but this goes much higher up. The guess of our former general is that at this point only if there was some type of a stand down order given. 

The former general is very familiar wit the border. He has visited the bunkers. He has been in the towers, along the fence, at the key gates entering Gaza, in the prison in Ashkelon and have walked the streets of Yderot. 

When I asked him about the first opinion to whether or not the fence was really this secure he responded: this assessment above is accurate but there are physical patrols and other tactical surveillance capabilities that even a good hacker couldn’t keep from working. The only way for this to happen at this scale is someone very close inside the inner circle had to have issued some type of order. The Israeli government should investigate. That will start the process of getting to the bottom of this. 

Both opinions concluded saying in a very alarming way that “in the meantime, we’re moving toward WWIII and the USMIL is woefully unprepared.” 

My question here is this: are we even prepared as Americans to understand the gravity of this existential danger on us? Our children? And Our future?  

On the other hand, the world saw how the terrorist attackers were using in the face of these most advanced technologies of weapons and security systems, very traditional iron tools such as knives and swords, just as if the world is still living in the times of barbarism and archaic human history. 

This is an insult, a sarcasm, and an evil cult that wanted to slaughter and kill in a cold blooded way people treating them like animals. This is disgusting and unacceptable. 

The worse part will be if the West continues to abstain from admitting to understand the religious roots and the hate indoctrination and complexity which is a world wide threat and they are not lifting a finger to do something about it. 

It is a fact, today more than anytime before: the future of peace, life, freedom, faith, families and prosperity sits on the personal conscience of al world and government leaders. They must listen to the initiative of Peace from Heaven. To kill in the face of killers will produce more evil. It will not end it.because evil too rises from death in order to kill. This is totally the opposite of what Christ does and did: he died once and for all so that all of us will have pardon of sins and eternal life.

This is the best time in the US that we rise in a revolution of love and pardon, and to reawaken all the values of our judeo-Christian faith of Faith, Hope and Love and to stand against all those  who oppress the true faith in God, the God of life, Justice, Peace, Righteousness and of Mercy. 

This is now the time for us as people of faith in the United States to rise to our spiritual destiny and to seek now the deepest and most authentic religious values of our Judeo-Christian faiths in God to stand united in the face of terrorism and the existential hate against the jews and to stop the persecution against Christians. It is time for wonderful Muslim leaders and community in the USA to once again and in a heroic way to stand against the use of violence in the Name of God.

This horrific terrorist attack done by Hamas must be rejected by all: jews, christians and muslims in the US. And al of us as the Children of Abraham should walk, pray and work together to stop antisemitism for it is not a joke, it is deadly, to stop the persecution against the Christians for it killed in 2000 years over 80 million christians in the world and to fight against Islamophobia and all cultures of hate for all of us are the children of Abraham, and al of us we deserve to live in Peace, Love and Co-existence together as the Children of the God of Love and Life. 

On Saturday October 7th, Hamas, Kataeb Al Qassam, and Palestinian militants numbering over 2000, launched an unprecedented military attack against Israel. This heinous assault was called: TOUFAN EL AQSA- (the Flood of Al Aqsa). The assault came as the Israeli people were celebrating the Liturgical Festivities related to the conclusion of the annual cycle of the public reading of the Torah called: Simchat Torah, and the feast of the Sukkot, which commemorates the dependency of the people of God, who liberated them from slavery and from the hand of Pharaoh. This feast is known in the New Testament to be also be celebrated by Jesus and the apostles.  There, it was called the Feast of the Tabernacles. During this time, the Jewish people turn away from materialism, go on pilgrimages, and practice pardon and hospitality. 

The Mission of Hope and Mercy vehemently denounces the use of violence against innocent people in Israel. One day ago, the Israeli military found over 100 dead, mutilated bodies of people who were all executed by Hamas. Approximately 44 babies and young children were found either beheaded or shot and mutilated. This is horrifyingly inhumane. Committing massacres during sacred times (or any other time) cannot be the way Palestinian people who claim just cause would like to defend their national and human rights of existence. 

It is a well-known reality that the solution for the Israeli-Palestinian wars and conflicts cannot be addressed nor solved without looking at the religious-ethnic complexities of the history of the people, or without facing the deep religious injuries for both groups head on.  

This war is existential and the danger has risen to an apocalyptic scale. There are those seeking extermination of whole groups of other people. We must avoid this extreme evil at all cost.

We weep for the human loss of life; for the over 1200 Israeli citizens who were massacred by Hamas. We weep for the innocent victims among the Palestinian people who are also suffering as a result of the terrorist attack initiated by Hamas. Once the evil terrorists are totally taken out, it is our hope that Israel and the Palestinian people both know that the future of the peace process for the world is now literally depending on their courage and spiritual strength. We need them to take the Christ Option and not the Samson Option: Christ said: “Father, Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”, while Samson brought down the Temple on himself and his enemies. 

We raise prayers to Almighty God to heal the wounded, to free those who were captured, and to console the families who have experienced heavy losses in this conflict.

We urge the leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia, leaders of the nations of the Middle East and the international community to continue their commitment to win peace. The terrorism of Hamas must be condemned by all. Reasonable and accountable diplomatic recognition between the Arab world and Israel must include practical laws and concrete measures which disallow God’s will being used as justification for killing others, and it must include the right of the Jewish people to live and exist in peace and freedom.  That right must be protected, and all forms of terrorism and hate ideology must be crushed. 

We invite the leaders of the Arab world to hear the pleas of the majority of the people in the Middle East who fervently desire to live the reality of equal rights, equal opportunities and equal protection for all the children of Abraham. 

The Middle East cannot be antisemitic. The Middle East can no longer harbor terrorism nor be the place for evil ideologies that use God in order to kill their fellow human beings. People in the Middle East want to love one another and abide by law and order.  

We ask all members of the Abrahamic Accord to bring real achievements and to work on a true Divinely inspired, accepted peace in the region. It is our hope, that despite this assault, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the leaders of the Middle East can find immediate diplomatic solutions and implement measures in order to protect the security of Israel and to solve the rightful problems of the Palestinian people. 

The timing of this assault was religiously and politically motivated by hate.  It is not acceptable. This is terrorism and it is not a right of defense.  It is pure evil. This attack does not please God and cannot be justified. It is an insult to religion, to religious freedom and to human rights. This cannot happen again. 

Politically, this assault is a dark slap to the Israel-Saudi Arabia dialogue during which they committed to finding diplomatic solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A few weeks ago, the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Ben Salman told the world that in the heart of the dialogue with Israel is his care and commitment to solving the Palestinian problem and to insure the rights and the protection of the Palestinian people. Such an assault is alarming to the entire Arab World. It negatively impacts the integrity, the sincerity, the honor and commitment of the Arab world to peace, coexistence and religious freedom.  Religious terrorism such as that practiced by Hamas, poses a threat to Islam itself more than any other religion in the Middle East or the world. 

We pray, in this context, for wisdom and that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the members of the Arab world governments, who have the moral authority and noble characteristics made of bedrock Arab values of faith, honor, trust, hospitality, respect and education will give a proper response to address the consequences of this terrible attack.

We invite all people to pray today. Let us pray for peace and healing. May God inspire all active religious leaders, members of civil society, human rights groups and people of faith from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim world to confirm healing and peace and to fight and stop all forms of terrorism. 

May Almighty God bless us all, protect us from all evil, forgive us our sins, and bring us all to everlasting peace and life.