Two Are Better Than One

Dear Friend of The Fellowship,

It has been called the worst flare-up of violence in Israel since Operation Protective Edge, Israel’s 2014 war against Hamas.

In recent days scores of rockets and mortars fired from Gaza have struck targets in southern Israel. One mortar even fell in the yard of a kindergarten had it been fired just minutes later, the children might have been there and been injured... or worse. Once again, we see God’s hand protecting Israel and her people.

There have been periods of conflict in Israel of such intensity that we think of them as “wars” - the 2006 Lebanon War, 2012’s Operation Pillar of Defense, 2014’s Operation Protective Edge, and others. But the sad fact is, Israel has been at war since 1948, the year the Jewish state was founded.

This war may be carried out with less intensity, but it is brutal nonetheless, and is never-ending. It’s the vicious campaign of continual attacks against Israelis and it reminds us that Israel has no choice but to remain ever vigilant and to defend herself when necessary.

Sadly, the feeling of being surrounded by enemies dedicated to your destruction is a feeling that all Israelis - from ordinary citizens to high government officials - must learn to live with in order to survive.

But, even as we cope with this reality and remain prepared for the possibility of an all-out war, as an Israeli the feeling of being surrounded by enemies is not foremost in my mind. Rather, I feel surrounded by friends - friends like you who have taken a bold stand for Israel and the Jewish people by partnering with The Fellowship and faithfully praying for the Jewish state.

That support not only saves lives and gives hope, it acts as a continual reminder to Israelis that we are not alone in our ongoing struggle for peace and security. For that, I am so deeply grateful. Whenever I think of you, I am reminded of the biblical verse: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

Thank you, my friend, for standing with us, and for helping us up in our time of need.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President and Founder, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews^® of Canada

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