The Deadly Consequences of Compromising

Israel experienced the deadliest month in two years. Sergeant Almog Shiloni, 20, from Modi’in, killed in Tel Aviv, and Dalia Lemkus, 26, who was stabbed to death at the entrance to Alon Shvut on Monday 10 November 2014, were the tenth and eleventh Israelis to be murdered in the past six months.

Dalia Lemkus escaped with her life from a stabbing attack in Gush Etzion in 2006, but fell prey to a different terrorist in the West Bank on Monday night. Dalia’s family made aliyah to Israel from South Africa over 20 years ago and has become a prominently active family in the community.

This is how she described the attack in 2006:

“I stood on February 28, 2006 at Gush Etzion Junction when a terrorist came and began to stab those standing at a hitchhiking station,” Lemkus said at the time of the incident. “I was one of two people stabbed. Luckily I was not badly wounded, and with the help of God, the other wounded victim will recover.”

In response to an article she had read, about restraining orders being issued to right-wing activists, Lemkus wrote:

“Instead of fighting the settlers, the IDF and the state have to fight the terrorists in Gaza. Instead of evacuating settlers defending the country and serving in the army, the state should evacuate terrorists who fire on the IDF and kidnap soldiers and civilians.”

“Expel and punish the people who endanger us,” Lemkus said, “no matter what the price, on their part, is. They must pay the price for their terror. It is the only way to stop terrorism.”

Unfortunately, 8 years later Dalia Lemkus and many others had to pay the heavy price by losing their lives because of a lack of a coherent strategy by politicians to fight terrorism. The question should also be asked if Operation Protective Edge was not stopped too soon. It seems that Hamas is using the calm in Gaza to attack Israeli citizens by other means. The IDF lost its deterrence and Hamas took the initiative. It is imperative that deterrence should be restored as soon as possible.

Israel’s leaders should understand that Western leaders do not understand the Islamic ideology. This is the reason for the poor suggestions and decisions made on Israel by leaders of Western countries. They only make matters worse. It is delusional to think that peace will come to the Middle East just by negotiating with the Palestinians. History shows that Palestinian leaders only use negotiations to extract more concessions.

Unfortunately, Moshe Dayan was a great military leader, but his compromise to allow the government of Jordan to administer the Temple Mount lead to the current situation in Jerusalem. The sovereignty of Jerusalem is under attack.

It is time for Israel as a nation to turn to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for advice and leadership as the sages of Israel does. It is also time for Israel to honour their part of the covenant with God and to settle the land and not divide it to please the world. Today we all know that such a gesture motivates terrorists to expand their borders of evil even further.

Although we live in prophetic times and could expect these things to happen, we also need to boldly resist evil. The duty for us as gentiles is not to only pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but also to obtain knowledge and speak out against the false narrative created to attack Israel.

Dark days are coming, but God chose Israel to be the light to the world. I pray that the nation of Israel will realise in these trying times that God will never forsake them if they trust Him with their whole heart.

Zechariah 12:2-3 says, “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.”

Israel’s BIGGEST and true ally has the following promise:

“The Lord also will roar from Zion,

And utter His voice from Jerusalem;

The heavens and earth will shake;

But the Lord will be a shelter for His people,

And the strength of the children of Israel.” Joel 3:16