Dear friends,

You've all probably heard about the persecution of the believers in Arad. You've received numerous letters, pictures and video clips describing the undergoing of the believers; the daily harassment, the name-calling, the offense to Yeshua’s name, etc., but there is another point that’s never discussed.

The Haredim and all the other oppressors are attempting more than just to stop the so-called “missionary activities”. They want to make sure that people like myself – native Israelis who were born and raised in Jewish homes, and came to believe in Yeshua as the promised Jewish Messiah – will be forced to change the “Nationality” clause on their ID cards to “Christian” instead of “Jewish”; now notice that it isn't under the category of “Religion”, rather of “Nationality”, implying that all Israeli nationals must be Jewish, and that Christians and other non-Jews are a part of other nations, some which, by the way, don't exist. The religion status, of course, will be influenced too, considering the fact that the Jewish nation, and I quote, “has puked them out of it”. They actually want to deny me my God-given, government-sanctioned right to choose my own religion and also my right to be an equal part in the country I was born in.

The authorities, on their part, are allowing us to be treated, already, before the clause was even changed, like personas non grata in our own country. We aren't allowed the basic civil right of an individual to be protected by the law enforcement agencies from lawbreakers. Our children are denied the most basic human right to be safe and protected from war mongers in their own country. It’s impossible to even explain what it is like!

But do we despair? No. Because no matter what the good Lord has planned for us, we are able to talk about our Lord to an ever-increasing number of people. The news broadcast on Channel 10 in Israel was aired on prime time in the highest rated news show in the country. Everybody saw it! Yeshua got prime time on Israeli TV! The first of many!

Continue to pray for the workers in the field here! It isn't easy, I can tell you that for sure!

Pray for our unity, we certainly need that! Our lines are very weak; only few dare to carry the torch.

Love,

Rebekah Frei