A Soldier's Story

An Arab pastor, the frequent guest speaker at a Tel Aviv Messianic congregation, is seen here blessing the IDF soldiers from congregation who are about to enter the 2008-09 Gaza War.


Over the past 9 years of receiving the weekly prayer requests from the ministries of Israeli Jewish believers, we have seen countless requests for prayers for the children of ministry leaders and congregants serving in the Israeli army right out of high school.

Sometimes these prayers were expressed with anxiety that only a parent who sees their... See More child going into an extremely dangerous assignment knows. We've had prayer requests for children being sent into some of the most dangerous terror nests in the Palestinian territories, and prayer requests for children sent into combat zones, like Lebanon and Gaza.

One thing I know about all the believing parents who ever requested prayer for their children, they believed with all their hearts that the Israeli military is the most ethical, moral fighting force in the world. I believe that as well.

Much of the world believes the myth of Israeli Defense Forces as dirty, rotten b%st#rds killing everything that moves. Those are lies from the accuser of the brethren, and if you believe the terrorist propaganda over what the Body of Messiah in Israel testifies to be the truth, then you need to do some serious soul and fact searching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuCzHQB1sks&feature=player_embedded

Please watch this video which corresponds with the testimony we have received from the believers of Israel for many years concerning the military their children serve in.

Also, we recommend you read the book by Mosab Hassan Yosef, "Son of Hamas".

The son of a founder and spiritual leader of the Hamas terror group, Mosab became a counter-terrorism spy for the Israelis after witnessing for himself the difference between Hamas and the Israeli military. His story is one that Christians who sympathize with Hamas need to read. FACEBOOK: Son of Hamas

Serious Ramifications in the Beer Sheva Verdict Extend to the Messianic Jewish Community throughout Israel

The mob scene outside the Beer Sheva congregation on Dec 24, 2005

There are serious ramifications to the verdict handed down in the case of the Beer Sheva Messianic congregation that was overrun by an angry religious mob in 2005. The mob was stirred up by the anti-missionary group Yad L'Achim with the cooperation of the chief rabbi of Beer Sheva Yehuda Deri. The crowd was under the false understanding that the congregation was about to commit an illegal act by baptizing 10 busloads of Jewish children under the age of 18.

Judge Iddo Ruzin did not think this was grounds to hold Rabbi Deri and Yad L'Achim responsible for what happened that day, December 24, 2005. When justice is not upheld crimes increase. It is that simple. Judge Ruzin has in effect declared 'Open Season' on people who were already targets of widespread and often violent religious persecution. What this will mean for the Jewish believers in Jesus in Israel is EVEN MORE acts and attacks of persecution by religious opponents who know they are not going to be held accountable for their crimes.

Police Speaking to Agitators in the Mob

This is the same judicial issue involved in the case against Jack Teitel who attempted to murder the Ortiz family and who did murder at least two Palestinians. When Israeli judges balk at prosecuting the religious criminals brought before them, it only emboldens the religious to increase the 'quality' and quantity of their crimes.


Ami Ortiz was blown to bits opening a package bomb delivered by a man who has confessed to police that he was with Yad L'Achim and was trying to kill Ami's father for his faith in Yeshua/Jesus.

THE AMERICAN CHRISTIAN SUPPORTERS OF ISRAEL MUST NOT REMAIN SILENT IN THE FACE OF THIS TRAVESTY OF INJUSTICE AGAINST OUR ISRAELI SPIRITUAL BROTHERS & SISTERS. You may think you are doing enough by defending Israel against her enemies in the world, but you are doing NOTHING if you will not rise up and defend the Body of the Lord in Israel against legally unhindered religious persecution. If you think it is okay with the Lord to shut your eyes to this injustice and do nothing, say nothing, then you are about as deceived as you could possibly be.

We hope that an appeal will be filed and that the Israeli Believers will not just accept this unjust verdict. Whatever the community in Israel decides, the Christian community must pull its head out of the sand and rise to the defense of the Body in Israel. That much is clear. Like Mordechai told Esther, Don't even think you can just go on enjoying your sweet life in the palace while your family is destroyed by the order of the palace! If the American Church does not arise on to demand justice and safety for the believers of Israel, then God will raise up deliverers elsehwere and the American Church will just have to bear the disgrace of being salt that has lost all savor.

The mob scene inside the Beer Sheva congregation on Dec 24, 2005

Here is the notice sent by the pastor of the Beer Sheva congregation of the verdict rendered by Judge Ruzin.

A verdict has been handed down by Judge Iddo Ruzin in our lawsuit filed against the Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yehuda Deri, and against the anti-Messianic organization, Yad L'Achim. The judge did exactly what we have been praying and hoping . . . that he would not do! Judge Ruzin has determined that the two defendants are innocent of any wrong-doing concerning the events before, during, and after 24 Dec 2005, and that we did not produce sufficient evidence to prove any personal liability on their part in our civil suit against them.

Judge Ruzin has ordered that we pay 1000 ILS to each of the defendants, and that we pay the legal fees of each of their advocates, which will come to tens of thousands of shekels. (We have not yet been notified of this amount.)

We express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you for your encouragements, prayers, praises to God, and financial contributions throughout this lawsuit to date. We believe, with many of you, that we were led by the Lord to enter into this lawsuit, and we have sought to honor the name of Yeshua. We believe that, at least in this latter regard, we were successful: even the judge in his decision referred to the Lord as "Yeshua", and not by the acronym commonly used by many in this land. We understood from the outset that there was a risk involved in taking these particular defendants to court for what we still know they are liable.

We would greatly appreciate you prayerfully considering assisting us with further donations to help us with the large financial burden we are now obligated to pay. If we decide to file an appeal of this decision, we will do so only after consultation with other Messianic leaders from around Israel, just as we did before going to trial.

Glory to the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel,

Howard Bass - Pastor - Kehilat Nachalat Yeshua (under amutat Nichalim BaNegev)
Olavi Syvanto - Elder, and Board Member

Adv. Marvin Kramer
Adv. Kevork Nalbandian
We always believed, and still believe and accept, that the verdict is the Lord's, and it is for us to discern what He is saying to us through it.

The Gaza Flotilla and the Maritime Blockade of Gaza

The following was emailed to me by Eddie and Jackie Santoro of Zion's Glory a couple who minister in the Jerusalem area associated with Tikkun Ministries. They thought it was important to pass along and so do I. The email reads:

I woke up this morning to the horrible news of the tragic loss of life as Israel stopped the "humanitarian aid flotilla" as it attempted to break Israel's blockade on Gaza. The entire operation was a deliberate provocation against Israel and its primary goal was to cause the very events that occurred. The Israeli soldiers boarded the boats peacefully and acted in self defense when the "peaceful activists" attacked the soldiers as they came aboard.

Attached is the official Israeli Government justification, based on international law for this morning's action against the flotilla. We felt it is very important for those who love and support Israel to be aware of this legal justification as the resulting international attack and condemnation will be very strong. Please pass it on to as many as possible as there will be few voices supporting Israel at this time.

Although Israel was legally and morally justified in exercising its right of self defense against both the flotilla and against the precedent that allowing it would have established, this whole situation is at best a public relations nightmare for our nation and could be far worse. Please be in prayer that righteousness and justice would prevail.

We are living in a day in which we see the prophetic word of the Lord being fulfilled. The nations are turning against Israel and bad is being exalted as good and wrong as right.

Following is the official diplomatic release by the government of Israel giving the legal justification for this morning's action.

We send you our love from Zion,
Eddie and Jackie


The Gaza Flotilla and the Maritime Blockade of Gaza
Legal Background – 31 May 2010

1. A maritime blockade is in effect off the coast of Gaza. Such blockade has been imposed, as Israel is currently in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza, which has repeatedly bombed civilian targets in Israel with weapons that have been smuggled into Gaza via the sea.

2. Maritime blockades are a legitimate and recognized measure under international law that may be implemented as part of an armed conflict at sea.

3. A blockade may be imposed at sea, including in international waters, so long as it does not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral States.

4. The naval manuals of several western countries, including the US and England recognize the maritime blockade as an effective naval measure and set forth the various criteria that make a blockade valid, including the requirement of give due notice of the existence of the blockade.

5. In this vein, it should be noted that Israel publicized the existence of the blockade and the precise coordinates of such by means of the accepted international professional maritime channels. Israel also provided appropriate notification to the affected governments and to the organizers of the Gaza protest flotilla. Moreover, in real time, the ships participating in the protest flotilla were warned repeatedly that a maritime blockade is in effect.

6. Here, it should be noted that under customary law, knowledge of the blockade may be presumed once a blockade has been declared and appropriate notification has been granted, as above.

7. Under international maritime law, when a maritime blockade is in effect, no boats can enter the blockaded area. That includes both civilian and enemy vessels.

8. A State may take action to enforce a blockade. Any vessel that violates or attempts to violate a maritime blockade may be captured or even attacked under international law. The US Commander's Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations sets forth that a vessel is considered to be in attempt to breach a blockade from the time the vessel leaves its port with the intention of evading the blockade.

9. Here we should note that the protesters indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade by means of written and oral statements. Moreover, the route of these vessels indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade in violation of international law.

10. Given the protesters explicit intention to violate the naval blockade, Israel exercised its right under international law to enforce the blockade. It should be noted that prior to undertaking enforcement measures, explicit warnings were relayed directly to the captains of the vessels, expressing Israel's intent to exercise its right to enforce the blockade.

11. Israel had attempted to take control of the vessels participating in the flotilla by peaceful means and in an orderly fashion in order to enforce the blockade. Given the large number of vessels participating in the flotilla, an operational decision was made to undertake measures to enforce the blockade a certain distance from the area of the blockade.

12. Israeli personnel attempting to enforce the blockade were met with violence by the protesters and acted in self defense to fend off such attacks.

ACTION ALERT: A Purim Letter Writing Plea

A few days ago I received this informative bulletin and letter-writing action request from David and Leah Ortiz from Ariel. I would encourage you all to read the briefing on how the religious Jewish terrorist that almost took the life of their son on Purim 2008, has confessed to police that he was associated with the anti-missionary group Yad L'Achim. The Jerusalem Institute of Justice which defends the Messianic Jewish community in Israel has filed a request with the Israeli Attorney General to outlaw the Yad L'Achim group as an officially designated "terrorist organization." It sure is.

At the end of this brief, the Ortiz family asks for Messianics and Christians to join in the effort to make Israeli and government officials of other nations aware that we support the request for official acknowledgment that Yad L'Achim is conducting itself as a dangerous stalking and terrorist organization against believers in Yeshua/Jesus who just want the freedom to practice their faith without persecution.

You will find information on how you can be involved in letter writing to Israeli officials as well as other government agencies in several nations. This appeal was not timed to coincide with Purim - unless it is Divine timing we are witnessing - but in response to breaking developments in the Ami Ortiz bombing case. Like the story of Esther upon which the Purim holiday is based, we are challenged to rise up and take action with the government authorities to turn back the threat against our brothers and sisters in Israel. "...and who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Please read, pray and act now on behalf of all the Jewish believers in Israel, and for those who are also being spied on in nations as anti-missionaries seek to block Messianic believers from Israeli citizenship.

Thank you and God bless you as you stir yourself like queen Esther to "Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to destruction. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9

Donna Diorio,
Israelprayer.com

Romans 8
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Messiah who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Messiah? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

" For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.


Shalom to all! We are grateful to God who gives victory in the midst of every battle! We haven't written in a while, because we weren't at liberty to reveal some important information concerning our case until now.

YAKOV TEITEL - YAD L'ACHIM

Recently it has been revealed that in one of his interrogations, Yakov "Jack" Teitel, the perpetrator of the crime carried out in our home on March 20, 2008, worked for the anti freedom of religion organization called Yad L'Achim. This organization has a department which it calls itself the "counter-missionary" or "anti-missionary" department. They refer to Gentile Christians and Jews who believe that Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah, as "missionary cults", and admit on their website that they are committed to rescuing Jews who fall into our "net". Here are some quotes from their website:

"COUNTER MISSIONARY DEPARTMENT

“Ironically, Jews who live in Israel are the most vulnerable to missionaries. That's because missionary groups see making inroads in the Jewish homeland as a special achievement and therefore invest tremendous energy and resources there. The missionary infrastructure in Israel is based mainly on a few large Christian cults and dozens of smaller ones.

“In our battle against the missionaries we are even more motivated. We see the saving of each and every Jewish soul from Christian cults as a sacred mission. This is what drives Yad L'Achim's relentless efforts against the mission and its members.

“HOW DOES THE DEPARTMENT WORK?

“We fight the missionaries in a variety of ways, some of which, due to their sensitive nature, can't be described in detail.

“One of our most important functions is to track the activities of missionaries and respond to them in appropriate ways. We are updated every time the missionaries schedule a conference, open a new center or schedule a baptism for Jews in the Kinneret and have a variety of means - all of them legal - to foil them. When we receive a report of a family that has gotten caught up in a cult we intervene with tried and tested methods.

“SCOPE OF MISSIONARY ACTIVITY IN ISRAEL

“There are more than 100 missionary congregations operating in Israel. Indeed, every city has a missionary congregation that runs programs and activities aimed at luring Jews.

“The annual budget of the missionaries in Israel is in the millions of dollars, often funded from foreign sources.

“Under the guise of assisting the public, they open community centers, as well as drug-treatment facilities, that serve to advance their cause.

“The missionaries have at their disposal kibbutzim, convention centers, youth hostels, coffee houses, publishing houses and much more to spread their poisonous message."

The head of the anti-missionary department of Yad L'Achim is a Chabad Rabbi, Alex Artovsky, Soviet Union born, who has been questioned by the police many times on charges of harassing and intimidating Messianic Jews. You can read about him on the Roshpina website - he is an example of the type of people who work for the organization.

RESPONSE AND MORE FACTS

With the revelation of the admission of Jack Teitel that he was active in Yad L'achim for five years, carrying out various missions for them, it became incumbent on us as a community to respond as there had been no mention of this in the newspapers or publicly by the police.

The information was given to a reporter from the Ha'aretz Newspaper, and an article was written that was scheduled to appear in Hebrew on the front page of the paper. The article appeared in English in the English edition of Haaretz, but the editors of the Hebrew edition kept on postponing the Hebrew article for a week, every day with a different reasonable sounding excuse, until they declared that the article was old news and had already been published in English anyway.

It was very suspicious - perhaps they received threats from Yad L'achim that they would sue if the article appeared in Hebrew? Could someone have been paid off, or was someone pulling strings? Was the paper afraid of being blacklisted or of backlash? For sure, it was not business as usual when it came to this news item.

When Teitel confessed to working for Yad L'achim, there were no further attempts to gain more detailed information by the police, and according to Yad L'achim's own statement, they weren't questioned by the police in connection with Teitel either.

At the same time, Caleb Myers of the Jerusalem Institute for Justice has drafted a petition to the Israeli Attorney General, requesting that Y'ad L'achim be dismantled, based on concrete proof of their illegal activities in connection with the harassment and persecution of Messianic Jews, and their connection with Jack Teitel. The petition can be viewed on his website.

We advise strongly that you read Caleb Myer's document. The research is extensive and he's been able to detail the organization's activities in a very detailed way.
Note: The incidents cited in this report are just a partial report of the activities of Yad L'achim against believers, because many of their attacks on the Messianic community go unreported as the believers are often afraid, or don't take the time and effort to notify the authorities. Unfortunately, they know that nothing will be done as a result which has been the case time and again.

Here is a link to an Israeli internet news service report about Caleb's petition.

Yad L'achim was founded in 1950 and at first it's purpose was to help Jews who were streaming into the re-established State to "find a suitable religious framework", according to their website. However, very quickly it turned into an organization that focuses on destroying Jews who believe in Yeshua, and to dismantle mixed marriages of Arabs and Jews.

Caleb Myers states in his petition to the Attorney General,

"According to the Organization's own publications, both on its website
http://yadleachim.co.il and on the Chabad site http://www.chabad.info/, it is
involved, among other things, openly and directly, in tracking, supervising and
collecting information about members of various religions and faiths, including
Messianic Jews, tourists, residents and citizens alike, who are perceived by its
activists as "dangerous missionaries".

"Yad L'achim are active world-wide to the point that they were invited by the Chinese government to participate in a conference on "how to help fight cults" - read the head and founder of Yad L'achim, Rabbi Dov Lipschitz shocking comments.

From 1999-2009 the State Department has been reporting on the undemocratic and often violent actions of Yad L'achim's activities in Israel.

Another shocking thing about Yad L'achim and it's associates, is that it receives tax-deductable status from democratic countries like the United States, that stand on the pillars of personal freedoms, one of which is the freedom of religion.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

So once again we are turning to you, for prayer and to exercise the power of the pen for this petition to succeed.

It is reasonable to assume that Yakov Teitel found out about our family through records in Yad L'achim's office during the five years that he worked for them. We don't want more Teitel's to harm believers in Israel, which will surely happen if we don't take action based on the facts that have been revealed to us.

As you pray for these matters, would you consider these following actions: (Isaiah 1:17; Prov. 31:8&9)

1. Write to the Israeli Attorney General, Yehuda Weinstein, to consider Caleb Myer's report and the request to disband Yad L'achim in Israel with the utmost seriousness. You can state that you are supporters of Israel and that you are seeking it's welfare and benefit. For example, "As people that support and believe in the State of Israel, in seeking it's benefit, we urge the attorney General to disband this organization so Israel can continue to be a light to the nations by it's example of freedom and democracy in the Middle East, which includes, especially, the freedom of religion."

In reality, especially for those of us who live in Israel, organizations like Yad L'achim and their associates dedicate themselves full-time to be predators, seeking every opportunity to hinder, harass, persecute and murder the Body of Messiah, as in the confession of one of their foot soldiers, Yakov Teitel. These predators shouldn't be allowed any longer to carry out their illegal activities without any fear of due process of law.

Letters can be sent only by fax - the number is- 011-972-2-6467001, or by post:
Mr. Yehuda Weinstein
Attorney General
Ministry of Legal Affairs
29 Salah A-Din St.
Jerusalem
Israel

2. Write to Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu with the same message, and to urge him to not let Teitel's connection with Yad L'achim to be swept under the rug, so that justice can truly prevail in Israel. bnetanyahu@knesset.gov.il

3. Write to your Senators, Congressmen, or government officialsin light of Caleb Myers petition to the Israeli Attorney General, and the harassment and intimidation of Yad L'Achim, and their connection with Yakov "Jack Teitel"who was responsible for the bombing and attempted murder of Ami Ortiz, to take away the tax deductable status of Yad L'achim in the U.S. and wherever they have chapters.

4. Write to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, to ask for Yad L'achim's offices to be closed in the U.S. and/or their tax deductible status taken away.
800 North Capitol Street NW
Suite 790
Washington, DC 20002

5. For those living outside of the United States, you could write to your Parliament members and representatives, and a possibility is to write to the World Evangelical Alliance to come on board to write to the Israeli government to stop the activities of these types of organizations that infringe on the freedom of religion of Messianic believers in Israel.

Caleb Myer's report can be sent to them as well.

Your letters don't have to be long, anything that you can manage will help.

Also to be noted - Yad L'Achim are not representative of the Orthodox Jews in Israel who are mostly law-abiding citizens.

Thank you for walking with us in rank, heart to heart, towards the mark. (1Chron. 12:33; Phil. 3:14)

Yours in the Messiah
Leah

PS. Please pray for Howard Bass' trial on March 9th - the head of the counter-missionary department of Yad L'Achim, Alex Artovsky, will be questioned on the stand as to his alleged involvement in the riot that took place in the congregation in Beer Sheva in 2005. Closing statements will also be given, please pray for Howards lawyers, Marvin Kramer and Kevork Nalbandian.

See the video of the attack here.

ex po se' Part 2 Threats Precede Violence

Week 2, Part II of my lengthy article, ex po se' The Terror Bombing of Israeli Messianic Teen Ami Ortiz was emailed to my Arrows from Zion mailing list. It is also online at my israelprayer.com website where the full version can be downloaded in a PDF or a partial version (less many pictures) is published on the web....

If you have contacts with other Christian and Messianic LEADERS outside of Israel - please send it to them.

Part 2 Threats Precede Violence

Threats to the Ortiz family had begun months before the bombing as fliers were distributed in the streets of Ariel with photographs of David Ortiz and other Messianic believers warning:

“Citizens of Ariel, Beware!
These people are Christian Missionaries
that masquerade as Jews
and belong to a cult called Messianic Judaism."

Like other Messianic Jews throughout Israel, the Ortiz family was used to being targeted by hate speech and also used to exercising prudent caution for the sake of personal security. Several congregation facilities and other properties of believers have been fire bombed over the past decade and threatening speech has almost always preceded the violence.

...continued at the website Israelprayer.com

Expose: The Terror Bombing of Israeli Messianic Teen Ami Ortiz

I have a new 5-part article posted on my web site, Israelprayer.com. Here is the introduction:

ex⋅po⋅sé

The Terror Bombing of
Israeli Messianic
Teen Ami Ortiz

by Donna Diorio
December 31, 2009 - January 1, 2010



Across Israel – for those who have heard the reports – there is shock and disbelief that a terror attack on a 15-year old Jewish boy in Ariel in March 2008 may have been a case of Jewish terrorism. It is a hard concept for Jews to accept – a horrific act of Jew-on-Jew terrorism.

Having been the victims of such acts throughout the annals of history, to believe that Jews could become exactly like their persecuting enemies is almost unthinkable to most Jews. The unthinkable is not softened by the cold insistence from some that the targeted family is “not really Jewish” because of their faith in Yeshua (Jesus).

Yaakov Teitel, an ultra-Orthodox settler, appeared for the first time in open court December 10th to stand trial for multiple murder and attempted murder charges including the Purim 2008 attack on a Messianic Jewish family which seriously wounded David and Leah Ortiz’ youngest child, Amiel.

The case places several sensitive and controversial issues in public view from the troubling rise of a new Jewish extremism within the settlements to the appalling state of civil and religious freedom protection for Messianic Jews in Israel. It is a case that Israeli authorities might be anxious to see quietly brought to a swift end with the conviction of a deranged “lone wolf” with no greater implications unpacked.

But that is not the truth of this case, as we have learned from 21 months of following the case via weekly input from the Ortiz family.

This article seeks to shed light on why the police theory that Teitel acted without accomplices cannot be correct. It contains details recorded in the real time of the unfolding of events from March 20, 2008 to the present. If the whole story is not told, the trial could actually circumvent justice bringing only one perpetrator to accountability. That would leave his compatriots free to continue their misguided religious mission to exact ‘God’s vengeance’ on those whom they consider detestable enemies.

Donna Diorio
December 9, 2009
the day Jack Teitel went on trial for the attempted murder of Ami Ortiz.

ex⋅po⋅sé noun
1. A public exposure or a revelation,
2. A formal exposition of facts.

Index: Full PDF version

Part I –Purim 2008: Haman Visits Ariel An act of religious extremism targets Israeli Jewish believers in Jesus on Purim. ‘Wicked Haman’ is finally busted in October 2009.
Part II – Threats Precede Violence Hate speech, harassment and violence lay the buildup to attempted murder against targets with the Messianic community of Israel who are stalked and spied on.
Part III – The Family Grapples with the Unthinkable That is, the Ortiz family, the family of indigenous believers in Israel, and the greater family of Israeli Jews – citizens and officials.
Part IV – Meanwhile in the Real World What must we do to safeguard innocent people from those willing to commit religious terrorism? Counter terrorism experts are telling, but is anyone listening?
Part V – Israeli Justice on Trial What is at stake in the trial of Yaakov Teitel is a hidden spiritual truth. It is one of those trials of God that we often don’t recognize as from Him until after our choices are made and the test is over. In this trial, Israel is also choosing in measure her own future – “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged.”

Gag Order Lifted: Ami’s Assailant Arrested

The gag order has finally been lifted and the arrest of the American born ultra-Orthodox man who placed the bomb-laden Purim package at the doorstep of the Ortiz home has also confessed to multiple terroristic murders and attempted murders.

Here are the news reports in the top three online English edition newspapers, with Haaretz giving far more coverage out of the gate than Jpost or Ynet - to the late breaking Sunday edition headlines out of Israel.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in to the breaking news.

These first reports are indicating that Yaacov Teitel acted alone without the knowledge of others. I am a little concerned that he has confessed to so many incidents and they are painting him as a lone wolf who had no contacts with other radical elements - especially that he confessed to the Tel Aviv gay attack and the police are saying they have nothing to tie him to it.

Also so many people are painting a picture of him as being mentally ill - which is kind of their classic response, isn't it? That was used on the guy who killed all those Palestinians at a historical/religious site and also of the guy who killed Rabin, if memory serves. Conveniently insane. Time will tell what holds up under more intense scrutiny, but for now we are happy for this matter to have surfaced in the public.

Please continue to pray for the Ortiz family as the media turns an eye to them once again, and for what will become the prosecution of these cases. --Donna Diorio www.israelprayer.com

Linked to the stories online

Alleged Jewish terrorist arrested for murder, series of bomb attacks
By Amos Harel Haaretz Correspondent 11-1-09

ALSO VIDEO: Ortiz family home security video of the Purim-bomb basket being place inside the gated entry way.

Yaakov "Jack" Teitel, 37, is suspected of killing two Palestinians, for rigging the package bomb which left the child of a Messianic Jew seriously wounded, for attempting to kill left-wing professor Ze'ev Sternhell, and for his alleged role in a series of warning attacks against Israel Police at the time of the Gay Pride Parades.

Jewish extremist arrested for alleged series of hate crimes
By Yaakov Katz Jerusalem Post Nov 1, 2009 16:44 | Updated Nov 1, 2009 19:03

The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Israel Police have arrested an American-born Jewish settler who is allegedly behind an unprecedented series of deadly terror shootings and bombings spanning over a decade, in which two Palestinians were killed and Israel Prize Laureate Prof. Ze'ev Sternhell was injured. According to the Shin Bet, he also planted a bomb at the entrance to house of a messianic family in Ariel, seriously wounding their son, then-15-year-old Ami Ortiz.

Settler suspected of multiple hate crimes
Ynet reporters 11-1-09

Authorities believe Yaakov Teitel of Shvut Rachel murdered two Arabs, planted pipe bomb which injured Hebrew University's Prof. Ze'ev Sternhell, as well as multiple explosive devices in other incidents. Lawyer: He's mentally unstable

Netanyahu: ‘Minority’ of violent far-rightists must be stopped
By Haaretz Service 11-1-09

Following the arrest of a West Bank settler suspected of multiple murders and bomb attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel must fight the terror posed by violent extreme rightists, whom he termed a "marginal minority."

‘State must make an example of Teitel'
By Ben Hartman and JPost staff Nov 1, 2009 18:31 | Updated Nov 1, 2009 22:01

The Ortiz family of Ariel on Sunday urged authorities to "make an example" of Yaakov Teitel, a right-wing Jewish extremist arrested for allegedly sending the messianic Jewish family a bobby-trapped package in 2007 that left son Ami Ortiz critically wounded.

Who is suspected Jewish terrorist Yaakov Teitel?
By Chaim Levinson, Haaretz Correspondent 01/11/2009

Yaakov Teitel, who was arrested last month for suspected murder and a string of alleged murder attempts, was born in Florida in November 1972, the son of Mordehai (Mark) and Devorah (Dianne), American ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Relatives: Teitel wouldn’t destroy his family’s life
Roee Mandel Ynetnews 11-1-09

Friends, relatives describe Shvut Rachel resident who admitted to killing Palestinians and placing bomb outside Professor Sternhell's home as being reserved, moderate, but say he was deeply affected by injury of brother-in-law in terror attack

Shvut Rachel residents: We are not a community of terrorists
By Chaim Levinson Haaretz Correspondent 11-1-09

Residents of the West Bank outpost Shvut Rachel were shocked to learn that their neighbor Yaakov Teitel had been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a string of violent attacks against targets as disparate as Palestinians, the gay community, Messianic Jews and prominent left-wing figures.

Teitel’s lawyer: He is mentally unstable
By Yaakov Lappin JPost Nov 1, 2009 20:01 | Updated Nov 1, 2009 20:04

From the moment he arrived in Israel, Yaakov Teitel believed he was receiving a series of unmistakable signals and instructions from God to carry out his acts. Teitel told his investigators that he had dreams warning him that if he did not carry out the attacks, he would die. He viewed events like rocket attacks on Sderot as divine punishment for past transgressions by Israel. And he launched bomb attacks on police targets in order to persuade them to refrain from securing gay pride marches in Jerusalem.

More as information becomes available