by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. The 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon seems to be holding albeit initial exchanges of fire between the IDF and Hezbollah. Lebanon is responsible for ensuring Hezbollah keeps its part of the deal by withdrawing north of the Litani River. While awaiting Hezbollah’s significant moves to implement the ceasefire, the…
The Land Promised – Numbers 14 Rebellion and Punishment of the 40-Year Wandering
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Last November 27, a 60-day ceasefire that would result in a Hezbollah retreat to north of the Litani River as per 2006 UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and withdrawal of the IDF from southern Lebanon has been agreed upon by Israel and Lebanon with the backing of the US, France…
The Land Promised – Numbers 11 – 13
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Over-all, Israel continues to fight a multi-front war against Hamas in Gaza, Judea and Samaria (West Bank), Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran-backed Shiite militias in Syria and Iraq and Houthis in Yemen while waiting for Iran’s expected direct retaliatory move which seems to have been postponed. Fighting continues in Jabalia and…
The Land Promised – Numbers 1 – 10
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Temporary ceasefire with hostage-prisoner exchange negotiations seem to be at a standstill in Gaza with Hamas (and Islamic Jihad). In Lebanon, intense international efforts and pressure is being exerted on Hezbollah and Israel to agree to a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Israel continues to attack from the air, land and sea the…
The Land Promised – Leviticus 27
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. The November 5, 2024 US elections have come and gone and despite its results Hamas reportedly continues to be defiant and has reportedly rejected a limited hostage exchange and a short ceasefire proposal. Qatar has now quit acting as a mediator, halted all mediation efforts and has asked the Hamas…
The Land Promised – Leviticus 26:14-46
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Hostage exchange and ceasefire talks are going on concurrently for the Hamas war in Gaza and the Hezbollah war in Lebanon. Even while it made its retaliatory strike against Iran last October 26, Israel has continued to hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Hezbollah has apparently decoupled the ceasefire talks from…
The Land Promised – Leviticus 26:1-13
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. After the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) and the following Simchat Torah, Israel made its retaliatory response to the October 1 ballistic missile attack by Iran. The attack involved 100 warplanes and hit several Shiite militia areas in Syria and Iraq as well, aside from different military sites…
The Land Promised – Leviticus 25:23-55 and Sukkot
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. As Israel began to start its observance of the 7-day Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) last Wednesday, October 16, two events occurred: for the first time, US long-range B2 stealth bombers struck 5 underground, hardened missile and weapons storage sites of the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen; and the top leader of…
The Land Promised – Leviticus 25:8-19, Yom Kippur and the Jubilee Year
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Israel has now been at war for over a year. It now fights on multiple fronts: against the remnants of Hamas in Gaza; Hamas and other terror groups in Judea and Samaria (West Bank); against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, against various Iran-sponsored Shiite militias in Syria and in Iraq, against…
The Land Promised – Leviticus 25:1-7
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. The US Department of Justice announced last September 3 the “unsealing of terrorism, murder conspiracy, and sanctions-evasion charges against senior leaders of Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization” (https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-terrorism-charges-against-senior-leaders-hamas). The Hamas defendants are held directly responsible for the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in southern Israel which resulted in the…