Weep With Those Who Weep
Photos by Tom Price
Today marks a year since Hamas’ savage rampage on Israeli towns near the Gaza border. In one area alone, Kibbutz Kfar Aza, the terrorists brutally murdered 64 people and took 19 hostage. In January 2024, several Calvary Chapel pastors toured the devastation firsthand and reassured the Israelis they met that American evangelical churches continue to pray for and support them. The emboldened pastors returned to not only share these heartbreaking accounts with their congregations but also to encourage them that God is moving on the hearts of His chosen people. Today, as you read their encounters, continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Israel Lender leads a team of pastors through Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where 64 Israelis were tortured, mutilated, and murdered. He was there when it happened, hiding with his wife and a few children for 36 hours in his attached safe house. Since the terrorists used his house as a command center, they did not set his place on fire to force him out, as they did with so many others.
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.” Deuteronomy 7:6
A security camera in Northern Israel caught a Russian-made missile, launched by Hezbollah, in midflight as it zoomed dangerously close by.
Please, please tell the world what you have seen here,” pleaded Amanda Damari, the Israeli mother of 27-year-old Emily Damari who had been brutally kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7 from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. “We see on the news that the American students are chanting, ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’ Don’t they realize that means the annihilation of all of us Israeli Jews?” Amanda asked a sympathetic group of American pastors.
At Kibbutz Kfar Aza, many young victims of the terror were tortured before being executed. Sixty-four of the residents were murdered; 19 were kidnapped.
The Kibbutz, less than two miles from the Gaza Strip, had suffered greatly during Hamas’ surprise attack when 64 were murdered and 19 taken hostage. A group of pastors, mostly from Calvary Chapels, traveled to the Kibbutz to see the devastation that initiated the Israel-Hamas war. Their goals were to let Israelis know that the American evangelical churches support Israel despite Hamas-backed protests happening on U.S. college campuses, and to bring back firsthand reports to their congregations.
Kibbutz member Israel Lender is overcome with emotion as he shows the pastors a poster honoring his friends—the members of the civil guard who fought to defend the Kibbutz and lost their lives.
Sixty-six-year-old Israel Lender, who lived through the October 7 attack, escorted the group of American pastors around the Kibbutz to tell the story of the massacre. The pastors were compelled to wear body armor and helmets in case of a Hamas rocket barrage. As Israel explained the chain of events, his voice cracked with emotion still reeling from the loss of many lifelong friends.
“Hamas was worse than animals,” Israel said with disgust. “Animals kill out of necessity to eat, but the terrorists killed with joy.” From his safe room, Israel had heard the laughter and jubilation that Hamas militants shouted during their savage rampage.
Pastor Joe Pedick (left) of Calvary Chapel of the Harbour in Huntington Beach, CA, videos Israel as he shares the horrors perpetrated by the Hamas terrorists.
Betrayal & Terror in the Kibbutz
Kibbutz Kfar Aza had been a model of brotherhood with their Palestinian neighbors in Gaza. Some of the Jewish residents had been dubbed “Peaceniks.” Israel explained: “We wanted to show the world that we could live side by side in harmony with Palestinians in a two-state solution.” They had petitioned the Israeli government to grant access for Palestinians in Gaza to attend festivals and do work with them. The residents of the Kibbutz learned on October 7 how misguided their intentions had been.
Pastor Phil McKay (left) of Calvary Chapel Reno Sparks, NV, grieves alongside Amanda Damari, whose 27-year-old daughter, Emily, was taken from the Kibbutz and is still held hostage. Amanda asked the pastors to please tell the world what they saw and learned.
While the Kibbutz residents offered their hands in friendship, their Palestinian “guests” were giving away precious details to Hamas terrorists. After breaching the gates, the killers first deployed to the armory to cut off Kfar Aza’s access to its guns and ammunition. The terrorists were equipped with maps drawn by the Palestinian “guests” who had been welcomed with open arms at the Kibbutz. The terrorists knew how many people were in each house and who would be home on a Saturday morning.
Infant Kfir Bibas was the youngest of the 240 hostages taken to the Gaza Strip as captives. On January 18, balloons were released in Tel Aviv to mark Kfir’s first birthday. Last October 7, Kfir was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Ox along with his 4-year-old brother Ariel and their parents, Shiri and Yarden.
“The attackers were armed with AK-47s, rocket-propelled grenades, explosives, and huge hunting knives,” Israel added. The terrorists followed their maps to systematically torture and murder everyone they could, regardless of sex or age. The well-planned attack kept rescuers at bay by positioning groups of fighters on the roads leading to the Kibbutz, as fighting lasted many hours. Some terrorists had flown in on hang gliders over the fence dividing Israel from Gaza that was later breached with heavy industrial equipment. Other Gaza citizens learned of the breach and swarmed to the Kibbutz, stepping over decapitated bodies to gather the spoils. There were celebrations around the world over the following days by people who regard Israel as an occupier of Palestine, and Hamas as liberators. They regaled the great victory over “Zionist colonizers.”
Reven Yablonka points to the photo of his kidnapped son, Hanan, who has been a hostage since October 7
Hidden inside the safe room of his home, the terrorists did not discover the presence of Israel and his family. Other residents were burnt out of their safe houses and then tortured when the flames and smoke were too much. The Israelis fought back with weapons they had in their homes. But they were outgunned and outmanned. Homes were gutted by fire and grenades, leaving apocalyptic ruin.
Pastor Ken Graves of CC Bangor, ME, prays that Hanan would be released and for the Lord’s mercy on Reven as he longs for his son’s freedom.
“The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you.” Deuteronomy 7:7, 8a
As Israel recounted the terrible events, Pastor Ken Graves from Calvary Chapel Bangor, ME, strained to hear every word. As he learned of the betrayal perpetrated by the “friends” from Gaza, he seethed with anger. “Treachery and evil,” emitted the disgusted Maine pastor in his deep gravelly voice. “I am overcome with desire for vengeance,” he admitted quietly. “But vengeance isn’t ours,” Ken reminded himself, calming his rising rage. “God says that vengeance is His.”
Sderot ambulance drivers (left and center) share the horror of October 7 when they were under heavy fire from terrorists as frantic calls were coming into the emergency center for shooting victims. One driver was shot, though not fatally. Pastor Lloyd Pulley (right) listens attentively.
Bravery of Rescue Workers
After having their hearts grieved at the Kibbutz, the pastors journeyed to the Israeli town of Sderot, also close to the Gaza border, and met the ambulance drivers who had rescued folks while under attack. Pastor Lloyd Pulley of CC Old Bridge, NJ, sat with the drivers. “These were real heroes who saved many lives, running toward danger, not from it,” Lloyd commented. “We were honored to meet the ambulance workers who dodged bullets to do their duty.” One driver sustained a gunshot wound but kept on driving people to safety. Lloyd was reminded of the heartfelt anguish he experienced after the attack on the World Trade Center (9/11). Talking with one family who had five members kidnapped, Lloyd realized that the wounds Israelis were feeling are even deeper. He declared, “I want to share with everyone the travesty of what the nation has suffered.”
Marcus McClure (right in both photos), who organized this pastors’ trip to Israel, encourages an Israeli soldier at a volunteer-run camp. The president of Inspired Travel, Marcus assures another soldier that his love for Israel is deep in his heart.
Awakening Hearts
In what has been dubbed “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv, the theme music to the movie Schindler’s List was played skillfully in the background on a concert piano belonging to a musician who had been kidnapped. An older Israeli man approached Pastor Ed Rea of Packing House Redlands, a Calvary Chapel in Redlands, CA. He asked if Ed was one of the American pastors he had read about who were in Israel to encourage Israeli families. The man shared that he was an atheist but then asked, “How could God allow such a terrible thing to happen to innocent people?” Ed assured the man, “God is loving and just and will make everything right someday soon.” He shared Ecclesiastes 3:11b: He [God] has put eternity in their hearts. An attempt was made to share the Gospel, but the man rejected it and walked away.
Pastor Ed Rea (left) of the Packinghouse Calvary Chapel interacts with an Israeli in Hostage Square who stated he was an atheist but asked how God could let the October 7 massacre occur. Ed assured the man that the Lord is loving and just and would make everything right in His timing; he also shared the hope of the Gospel. The man declined the Good News, thanked the pastors for coming to Israel, and walked away.
Pastors Phil and Ken pray for an Israeli psychologist who is helping citizens deal with the trauma brought upon them on October 7.
Pastor Joe Pedick, from a Calvary Chapel in Huntington Beach, CA, was amazed at how open to the Gospel the Israelis were now, compared to other visits. He was asked by a Jewish woman why the pastors made the journey to Israel. Joe explained from Genesis 12:3: “God says that He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel.” Joe later recalled, “She asked if she could record our conversation so she could share it with family members.” As he took her to other Scriptures, especially Ezekiel 39 and the suffering Messiah prophesized in Isaiah 53, she said she sensed God’s presence as they spent time in conversation.
Children and teens are brought from school to visit Hostage Square in Tel Aviv as a reminder of their standing in the world arena.
A long symbolic Shabbat table with seating for every hostage still in captivity remains empty at Hostage Square.
The team visits the Alma Center, which tries to alert the country that Hezbollah continues to mount a serious threat on its northern border with Lebanon. With binoculars, they peer across the border, from which 50 rockets were launched that day toward Israel, where 80,000 folks have left their homes because of the continuous threat of rocket attacks.
Samuel Smadja (right), owner of Sar-El Tours and co-pastor of the Messianic Assembly in Jerusalem, interviews Pastors Ken Graves and Lloyd Pulley for the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The Calvary Chapel pastors from America shared why it was important for them to journey to Israel at such a time as this.
Lt Colonel (Reserve) Sarit Zehavi (right), founder of the Alma Center, indicates how deep the rockets have penetrated Israel. The Center also collects information about Palestinian propaganda written for children which portrays Jews as evil creatures who must be exterminated. They also possess a Hezbollah film that describes the game plan to wipe out the Jewish nation.
Pastor Phil McKay of CC Reno Sparks, NV, was interviewed by Samuel Smadja for the Trinity Broadcasting Network while in Jerusalem. Asked about the visit, Phil replied that he sensed that God is sifting the heart of the Church while bringing us closer to the return of King Jesus. “The Lord is challenging Christians on the issue of God’s chosen people.” Phil continued, “I think much of the Church in America has been infiltrated and deceived by the [spiritual] enemy. God is giving the Church an opportunity through this terrible ordeal to wake up out of its slumber before the Rapture (Romans 13:11).”
An Israeli woman warmly thanks Greg Opean (left), assistant pastor at the Packinghouse Calvary Chapel, for making the effort to go to the Kibbutz where the unthinkable occurred. All Israelis were grateful for the encouragement and visit from the American pastors.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.” For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good. Psalm 122:6-9
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