SIMCHAT TORAH: Simchat Torah is a Hebrew term which means "rejoicing with the Torah." This celebration occurs at the conclusion of the seven day holiday of Succot and marks when the yearly cycle of reading the Torah is completed and started anew. The concluding section of Deuteronomy, and the opening section of Genesis, is read in succession on Simchat Torah after a festival parade of the Torah scrolls, amidst singing and dancing. It is one of the most joyous days in the Jewish calendar. In 2007, Simchat Torah began at sunset October 4th.

"AMEN" FOR ISRAEL, SAY CHRISTIAN ZIONISTS: Over 7,000 Christians from across the world flocked to the Holy Land last week to celebrate the Jewish festival of Succot and to show support for Israel. Some pilgrims toured army bases and donated gifts to Israeli soldiers, while others gave money to buy mobile bomb shelters for communities near the border with Gaza, which are often targeted by rockets from Palestinian terrorists. (Reuters)

JERUSALEM MARCH DRAWS 80,000: Tens of thousands of Jews and Christians walked side by side in the annual Feast of Tabernacles Jerusalem March. The run-up to the parade was marred by a Chief Rabbinate order banning Jews from the event, for fear of missionary work. But that did not stop some 80,000 participants - 7,000 of them Christians - from enjoying the festivities together. ( J.Post) "The redeemed of the Lord will come with singing to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads." Isaiah 35:10

PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN FOUND DEAD IN GAZA: The body of a Christian official who was kidnapped over the weekend was discovered in Gaza City early Sunday. The man was identified as Rami Ayyad, 31, director of The Teacher's Bookshop, which is operated by the Palestinian Bible Society. Ayyad had received several death threats in the past from radical Muslims. His bookshop and the Palestinian Bible Society has been the target of repeated assaults over the past two years. Attacks on members of the 2,500-strong Christian community in the Gaza Strip has increased in recent months since Hamas took full control of the area. ( J.Post) Continue to pray for the safety of Arab Christians living in the Gaza Strip and under Islamic Rule.

PALESTINIANS ADMIT SETTING UP NATIVITY CHURCH SIEGE: Palestinian terrorist commanders have disclosed the government-level conspiracy in 2002 to paint Israel in a bad light in the Christian world. They baited the Israeli army to lay siege to Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus. As Israeli forces advanced on wanted Fatah terrorists in Bethlehem, most of them made a dash for the Church of the Nativity. They took 94 hostages with them and held them for over a month with the Israeli army surrounding them, but refusing to storm the compound. During that time, Arab spokesmen and the international media repeatedly pointed out the Israeli military was laying siege to one of Christianity's holiest sites. One Fatah commander said that is precisely what Arafat and his regime wanted and had conspired to do. (Israel Today)

AL-DURA'S DEATH WAS STAGED BY GAZA CAMERAMAN: The September 2000 death of Palestinian child Mohammed Al-Dura in the Gaza Strip was staged by a Gaza cameraman, the Government Press Office recently reported. Images of Mohammed Al-Dura's death in which the boy and his father cower in front of a wall amid a furious exchange of fire between Israeli and Palestinian forces at a military junction in Gaza were shown around the world. Israel was accused of murdering a small child by the world press. The boy's image was falsely burned into the Arab memory as a symbol of the brutality of the Zionist state, said one GPO leader. (Haaretz) "Lord, you have heard their insults, all their plots against me." Lam. 3:61

IRAN WORRIED OVER SYRIAN AIR DEFENSE FAILURE IN IAF STRIKE: Iran is scheduled to invest more than $750 million in sophisticated Russian-made radar equipment in the near future. The problem is Teheran is now unsure the devices are going to work by the time the goods are delivered. Iran is especially concerned over the failure of Syria's air defense systems to detect the Israel Air Force non-stealth aircraft that carried out an attack inside Syria last month. This same type of equipment is designated to protect Iran's nuclear facilities against assaults from the air. Israel was able to disrupt Syria's radar and air defense systems and render them ineffective during the IAF strike. (Haaretz)

ARABS HARDEN POSITION: The PA officials and the wider Arab world are hardening their position ahead of a US-hosted peace summit with Israel scheduled for late November. US President Bush, Israeli PM Olmert and Palestinian leader Abbas have billed the gathering as the start of a final push to a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. But PA officials said recently, Abbas will now participate in the summit only if solutions to all Arab demands can first be worked out with Israel prior to the conference. The Saudi Arabian government has issued similar pre-conditions to attending the summit. Syria has said it will participate in the peace talks only on Israel agreeing to surrender the entire Golan Heights. (Israel Today) "On Mount Zion there shall be deliverance....The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions." Obadiah 1:17

FATAH THREATENS "CATASTROPHE" IF SUMMIT "FAILS": Senior Fatah terrorists threaten a new intifada if the PA's demands are not met in the November peace summit. They insist on Israel's withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders and the destruction of the Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria. The PA also refuses to back down on the "right of return for millions of Arabs who claim descent from those who fled Israel during the War of Independence in 1948-9. For Israel to agree to this outlandish demand would destroy the Jewishness of the State of Israel." (INN)

INCREASING NEO-NAZIS IN GERMANY: Two Greek men and a Greek woman were attacked days ago in an east Berlin gas station by a group of skinheads who beat and kicked them, shouting abuses. The men had to be hospitalized. A week earlier an African youngster was beaten up in Berlin, and a week before that four Czech and Hungarian youngsters were attacked by a neo-Nazi gang in Wismar, a port town in the northeast. Some 500 racist attacks were registered in Germany over the past year, a 33% increase from the previous year. (Haaretz)

ACNE DRUG CAN RELIEVE STROKE DAMAGE: A common antibiotic called minocycline, used in acne treatment, has been found to greatly reduce brain damage incurred by stroke victims when administered within 24 hours following a stroke. Dr. Yair Lempel and researchers at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon say their discovery is a significant breakthrough as the widely used antibiotic is already known to be safe. ( J.Post)

Joint Meeting between the Succot Celebration and the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem: We had a wonderful evening celebrating together with the ICEJ on Friday 28th September, making a powerful statement of our unity and purpose in serving the God of Israel and our Messiah in these days. Despite the opposition experienced beforehand, the Conference Centre was packed full with the remnant of the nations together with the remnant of Israel in solidarity to worship the Messiah. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Review current events taking place in the Middle East, updated weekly, and summarized for your reading convenience at: www.jnnnews.com . Be sure to click on the report of Uncle Sam,  Wake Up America,  on the lefthand side. Filled with facts, this is a visual expose on radical Islam. It's devastating. Turn the volume up as well.

Visit the new www.greetingsfromjerusalem.com site to purchase Messianic and Judaica gifts, a wide assortment of books, praise and worship music, videos, jewelry and other study materials. This is a tangible way to show support and solidarity with the people of Israel. People in North America can purchase on-line now.

Special Request: If you are visiting Israel soon we have an urgent need to receive supplies of vitamins and toiletries at The Joseph Storehouse. If you have spare luggage capacity we would be really grateful if you would bring some with you. Please visit www.visionforisrael.com for more information.

Blessings from Jerusalem,
Barry Segal with the Editorial Staff