By: Jürgen Bühler, ICEJ President

Israel is now locked in an intense war with Hamas and other Iranian-backed terror militias. Israeli President Isaac Herzog just described the massive assault by heavily armed terrorists against innocent civilians the worst pogrom against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Israeli forces are hitting the Hamas strongholds in Gaza, even as key members of the international community warn Iran and Hizbullah in Lebanon not to get involved.

This current conflict is the most challenging time for Israel in more than a generation, especially given the complex layers added when you consider the 150 hostages being held in Gaza. It may take weeks for Israel to vanquish this threat, but we are confident the nation will emerge victorious.

Meantime, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is on the frontlines of this battle on your behalf by reaching out with emergency assistance across the nation, and especially to the shattered residents of the Israeli border communities.

Over recent days, the ICEJ aid team has been in contact with our long-time partners in the Land to assess the most urgent needs. We already have been able to supply food and water to IDF soldiers and first responders operating along the Gaza border. There is now a central distribution center set up in Jerusalem to make the task easier, and with your help we can have a real impact in bringing relief aid to the troops and civilian home-front in that critical region.

We also are involved in the mass evacuation efforts to take traumatized Israeli civilians from the worst-hit border communities and give them respites away from the fighting.

Kibbutz Be’eri was particularly devastated by the mass terror assault, as over 100 dead bodies have been discovered there since the terrorists were finally cleared out. The survivors are so shaken they are unable to organize funerals for their loved ones and have asked the government for help.

What makes this all so surreal is that the ICEJ brought over 600 Christians on a solidarity visit to this very kibbutz just two days before the Hamas invasion. While there, we dedicated the new “Christian Embassy Nature Park” and planted trees and tulips only 150 meters from the Gaza border to re-green burned parts of the Be’eri Forest. Yet this very spot is where scores of terrorists broke through the security fence and carried out the massacres at Kibbutz Be’eri and the nearby music festival close to Re’im. So, we feel a special obligation to help the stunned residents of Be’eri to recover and rebuild their lives.

Now is the time to stand with Israel! As Christians, we often say we “love” Israel, but the Church needs to turn that into real action as never before.

We urgently need you to:

1) Pray for Israel. We are holding our Global Prayer Gathering every day at 4:00 PM (Israel time) until Israel wins the victory! Join us at http://on.icej.org/ICEJGlobalPrayer

2) Stand up for Israel in your nation, either by voicing your support through the media, lobbying your government, or holding public rallies.

3) Donate to help us with the emergency relief and evacuation efforts. Besides the shaken residents of the Israeli border communities, there also are many new Jewish immigrants living in absorption centers in the western Negev who we are helping to move to safer parts of the country. ICEJ staff also will continue to distribute food, clothing and other relief aid to Israeli civilians and soldiers. In addition, we are rushing to place more life-saving bomb shelters to the Israeli towns and villages close to Gaza.

The ICEJ is on the frontlines of Israel’s battle on behalf of Christians everywhere! Make sure to do your part as well.

Please give your best gift today at:  give.icej.org/crisis

ICEJ Aid Team deliver much-needed supplies to a Jerusalem Distribution Center