Inside Israel News
Week of May 6, 2025
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Fires in Central Israel Contained
Last week, central Israel was ablaze with massive fires that took over thirty hours to contain through the nonstop help of firefighters, soldiers, police, and aircraft. Many communities were evacuated, trains stopped, and the main highway connecting Jerusalem to Tel Aviv was closed as were other main roads. No lives were lost thanks to the heroic work of rescue services. The fires destroyed 2,470 acres of forest, woodland, and open areas.
Please pray there would be no more fires.
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Syrian Druze Leaders Allowed to Visit Israel
Recently, 650 Druze clerics from Syria crossed the Israeli border on foot to celebrate at the tomb of Jethro, the holiest site for Druze. It is located near a small village called Hittin, west of Tiberius. Druze communities are found in the north of Israel and in southern Syria and southern Lebanon. Their religion is monotheistic, and they are loyal to Israel and serve diligently in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), often achieving high rankings. While in Israel, many were reunited with relatives, some of whom have not seen each other in many years and some meeting for the first time. Israel has helped the Druze community in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime by providing aid packages to the minority group.
Please pray for peace and safety along Israel’s northern border with Syria and for the Druze community that lives on the Syrian side of the border.
Israel Celebrates Independence Day
Israel just celebrated its seventy-seventh Independence Day. It is a joyous celebration usually met with lots of barbecue and picnics. With the special day comes new growth statistics as Israel’s population just surpassed ten million. By the time Israel celebrates its 100th birthday, the population will be over 15 million! There are approximately 7.7 million Jewish people (about 77 percent of Israel’s population) and about 2.1 million Arabs (roughly 21 percent) living in Israel. Israel’s population grew by 135,000 people over the last year. 174,000 babies were born, 50,000 people died, and 28,000 new immigrants arrived. (These numbers are also affected by incoming foreign residents as well as Israelis leaving Israel for other countries.) Israel has a high annual growth rate (exceeding global averages) of 1.4% which is caused by a combination of high birth rates, Jewish immigration to Israel, and high life expectancy.
Currently, there are an estimated 15.8 million Jewish people in the world, and about 45 percent of Jewish people live in Israel. Roughly 80 percent of Jewish Israelis were born in Israel. Over one third of the population is under 20 years old, whereas 9 percent is 70 and older. Israel is a young, dynamic, and growing country!
Please pray for Israel’s continued growth, achievements, and safety!
Chosen People Ministries—Israel Holds Reunion for Israelis who Traveled in Japan
As Israelis love to travel, many have Japan as their destination of choice—both for its exotic sites as well as its safety for Israelis. Chosen People Ministries opened a guest house for Israeli travelers called Beit Samurai and has been full for months now. At Beit Samurai, excited, young Israelis love to have conversations with our staff, and usually those conversations lead to spiritual questions. The staff and volunteers at Beit Samurai are amazed by the questions and conversations of travelers and pray for them as they continue their journeys or head back to Israel.
One of the leaders of Beit Samurai recently made a trip to Israel, and our ministry center in Tel Aviv decided to host a reunion for those who stayed at Beit Samurai. The spontaneous reunion was met with much excitement to see old friends, eat Japanese snacks, and share stories of their travel memories. When the Israeli travelers met our Israeli staff, an immediate connection was made and they continued the dialogue of who is Jesus, what is sin, why do I need forgiveness, etc. The staff in Japan was so natural in presenting the gospel that when the travelers came to our center, they knew it was a safe and welcoming place to talk about their curiosity of the truths of Jesus the Messiah.
Please pray for each person who came and for their conversations to sink deep. Please pray they stay in touch and come to future events at our ministry center in Tel Aviv!
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