Chris Katulka: Thanks for joining us for The Friends of Israel Today. I'm Chris Katulka, your host and teacher. Hey, listen, foiradio.org is where you need to be because that's where you can connect with us here at the Friends of Israel Today radio program. We have nearly a decade of content on the site that has insightful biblical teaching about Israel and the Jewish people and various interview guests. And again, all this is very important because we look at what's going on globally and specifically at what's going on in Israel from a biblical worldview. Again, that's foiradio.org. Now, earlier this month, Israel celebrated its Independence Day. 77 years since May 14th, 1948 when David Ben-Gurion declared independence. Now this is a significant moment in history and actually, recently rare handwritten diary entries by Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion were found. And so we're going to highlight Israel's Independence Day and on top of that, kind of couple it in with kind of the thoughts and feelings that David Ben-Gurion was feeling that day. 

But first in the news, according to the Jerusalem Post, after a Houthi missile struck Ben-Gurion International Airport earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel would respond just as it has in the past against the Iranian backed Houthis in Yemen.

Well, here's my take. While many attacks on Israel go largely unnoticed by the world thanks to its world-class defense systems like the Iron Dome, this strike broke through, wounding several Israelis and shattering the illusion of invincibility. It serves as a stark reminder that behind Israel's technological shield lies a nation under constant threat, facing an unrelenting existential battle for its survival.

Chris Katulka: On May 14, 1948, a momentous event in both world and redemptive history occurred: the Jewish people declared independence, establishing the modern State of Israel. It was a fulfillment of ancient prophecy, a response to recent catastrophe, and the fruit of decades of political labor. As Israel celebrates its 77th Independence Day, we reflect not only on the public triumph of that day but also on the private burdens of leadership revealed in newly discovered diary entries by Israel’s founding Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion.

Published by The Jerusalem Post on April 28, 2025, the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute and Ben-Gurion Archives revealed a rare handwritten excerpt from May 14, 1948—Ben-Gurion’s personal reflections on the day Israel was born. While the original diary remains missing, the Institute located a handwritten copy through a joint archival initiative. This discovery, which was unveiled ahead of Israel’s 77th Independence Day, provides a raw and unfiltered view into the heart of the man who shouldered the weight of an entire nation’s rebirth.

Ben Gurion wrote, "In the afternoon, at four o’clock, Jewish independence was declared and the state was established. Its fate is in the hands of the security forces.” This sentence doesn’t say much to us, but it captures both celebration and anxiety of Ben-Gurion. While the world may have seen the formal announcement as a euphoric triumph, Ben-Gurion himself stood at a precipice, aware of the war that was looming on all sides.

Israel’s first Prime Minister voiced frustrations in the same entry, citing disagreements with the General Staff of Israel at that time. They rejected his proposal for a more aggressive campaign to secure the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem road, a vital artery for the state’s survival. As he once felt during the UN vote in 1947, he noted that while the nation rejoiced, he mourned among the celebrants. His leadership bore the cost of prophetic vision—seeing not only the promise but also the potential peril.

Eitan Donitz, the CEO of the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute, aptly remarked: “Regarding his words from that moment it’s not just encountering a historical document,” Donitz writes, “it is a living human experience.”

Now, there’s a misconception that we have to talk about here: that Israel was created solely because of the Holocaust. While the Holocaust played a role in catalyzing international sympathy, the movement to see the Jewish people return to their ancient homeland predates it by decades, better yet, I should say millennia.

For thousands of years Jewish people have prayed prayers to return to their ancient homeland. However, it wasn’t until Theodor Herzl organized the first Zionist Congress in 1897 that Jewish prayers were met with real political advocacy for a Jewish homeland. 20 years after Herzl’s first Zionist congress the Balfour Declaration by the British government declared support for establishing "a national homeland for the Jewish people" in Palestine in 1917 after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. This was reaffirmed in 1920 at the San Remo Conference, where allied powers formally adopted the tenets of the Balfour Declaration.

These diplomatic milestones laid the legal and moral foundation for Jewish statehood well before the horrors of Hitler. The Palestinians themselves acknowledge the power of the Balfour Declaration.

How? In 2016 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas demanded an apology from Britain during a United Nations speech for the Balfour Declaration because of its role that it played in helping to create the Jewish State. You know what’s amazing? The British refused, stating, “We are proud of our role in creating the State of Israel.”

While legal justification existed, the human cost of founding Israel was staggering. More than 250,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors remained displaced throughout Europe, living in camps in Germany, Austria, and Italy. Many longed to reach the Promised Land but were barred by British immigration quotas.

When the gates finally opened on May 14, 1948, more than 140,000 Holocaust survivors made aliyah—they immigrated to Israel. They joined another group of Jewish people fleeing persecution: the Jews of the Middle East and North Africa. From Iraq to Yemen, Jews were subject to riots, expulsions, and property confiscations. In Iraq, the Farhud massacre in 1941 killed nearly 180 Jews. By 1951, 120,000 Iraqi Jews had fled. In total, nearly 850,000 Jewish people from Muslim lands were uprooted and found refuge—where?—Israel, the Jewish state.

The fledgling Jewish state was overwhelmed—facing invasion from five Arab armies, internal resource shortages, and an unrelenting influx of traumatized refugees. In this moment of celebration, David Ben-Gurion's mindset—as captured in his handwritten diary—was not one of triumph but of sober urgency. He recognized that Israel’s birth came not with peace, but with a fight for survival. He understood that this new nation was not just a political entity but a lifeboat for a people battered by genocide and exile. His concerns about military strategy and internal divisions weren’t pessimistic—they were prophetic. For Ben-Gurion, independence meant responsibility, and his sober reflection—“Its fate is in the hands of the security forces”—was grounded in the brutal reality that Israel had to protect the remnant of the Jewish people that survived the Holocaust and the genocide of the Middle East or risk losing them again. 

While some survivors were physically broken, their spirits helped build the foundation of Israel’s future. Highly educated immigrants—professors, doctors, engineers—helped create Israel’s hospitals, universities, and cultural institutions. Others fought in the War of Independence, just months after surviving concentration camps.

Chaim Tsabag, a Holocaust survivor, once said: “We ate only pita and drank water. We worked long hours and feared Arab attacks.” The contrast between Israel in 1948 and the thriving nation it is today is staggering.

And yet, the struggle continues to echo in Ben-Gurion’s voice. His diary shows a man deeply aware of the gravity of the moment—not just politically, but spiritually. "The land rejoices and there is profound joy – but again I am mourning among the celebrants." 

Now listen, Israel’s Independence wasn’t just political history—it’s actually biblical prophecy in motion. The prophet Ezekiel, writing from exile in Babylon, was given a vision unlike any other. In Ezekiel 37, God leads the prophet to a valley filled with dry bones—lifeless, scattered, forgotten. Then the Lord asks, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel wisely answers, “O Lord God, You know.”

God commands him to prophesy over the bones, and as Ezekiel speaks, he hears a noise—a rattling sound. Bone comes to bone. Tendon and muscles form. Skin stretches over the newly assembled bodies. But then we read something striking: “But there was no breath in them” (Ezekiel 37:8).

That’s where we are today, my friends. Living between verse 8 and 9.

Verse 8 shows us what we are witnessing right now: the physical restoration of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland. Bone has come to bone. Muscle and flesh are forming. The modern State of Israel is not a coincidence or a mere political arrangement—it is the visible unfolding of God’s promises to His people. Since 1948, millions of Jewish people from all around the world have returned to Israel. The land is blooming. The language has been revived. The economy thrives. The people are home. And yet… the breath has not entered them.

Verse 9 begins a second phase of restoration: “Then He said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath... and say, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’” This is when the Spirit of God breathes life into the nation. It is a picture of a national revival—when the Jewish people will not only be restored physically, but spiritually, through their faith in their Messiah–Jesus.

People often ask me, “Where are we on God’s prophetic timeline?” And my answer is always the same: We are standing between verses 8 and 9 of Ezekiel chapter 37. We are living in the space between the rattling of the bones and the rushing of the wind of the Spirit. We are watching prophecy unfold, but the best is yet to come.

To live in this moment is a profound privilege. I hope that you hear that, Christian. To live in this moment is a profound privilege. I hope that you hear that as a follower of Jesus. To live in this moment is a profound privilege. Why? Because we have a front row seat to the faithfulness of God in real time. Every plane that lands in Ben-Gurion Airport filled with Jewish immigrants, every new neighborhood in Jerusalem, every Hebrew-speaking child in Tel Aviv is a testimony that God's Word does not return void.

But we must also pray. Remember, the bones have come together, but they still await the breath of life that can only be found in Jesus. And so we, as believers in Jesus, pray for the peace of Jerusalem—not just politically, but spiritually. We long for the day when the whole house of Israel will not only stand—but live.

Come, breath, from the four winds. Breathe, O Spirit of God.

When we come back I’ll conclude my thoughts on the recent release of Ben-Gurion's diary entries from May 14, 1948 and the celebration of Israel’s 77th Anniversary of their Independence Day.

Steve Conover: Are you a new listener to our program? If you are, welcome. We're glad you're here. The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry exists to fuel your passion for the Word which should overflow to a compassion for God's Chosen People, the Jewish people.

Chris Katulka: Whether you're new to our program or have listened for years, we want to encourage you with our resources to help you see why God called us to support the Jewish people in Israel and worldwide. We have a free download, a digital version of our booklet, Whose Land is it Anyway? that we'd like to send you free today. Whose Land is it Anyway? takes the Jewish and Arab claims to the land and helps make sense of the common arguments surrounding the struggle. Whose Land is it Anyway? is an easy-to-read apologetic that will give you a clear answer as you think about Israel's right to the land.

Steve Conover: To get your free digital copy of Whose Land is it Anyway?, visit foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org.

Chris Katulka: As Israel celebrates its 77th Independence Day, we do not merely commemorate the past—we honor a legacy that continues to shape the present and guide the future. The rediscovered diary entries of David Ben-Gurion is more than just a historical relic; it is a vivid reminder of the heavy burdens,and  agonizing decisions, and unwavering determination that marked Israel’s emergence on the world stage. 

See, this deeply personal reflection from Israel’s founding prime minister invites us into a sacred moment of vulnerability. It exposes the cost of leadership and the tension between joy and responsibility. While crowds danced in the streets, Ben-Gurion contemplated war, political division, and national survival. It’s a sobering insight that reminds us: behind every miracle is a multitude of sacrifices.

The founding of Israel was not simply the result of post-Holocaust guilt or geopolitical calculations—it was the realization of a dream carried in the hearts of Jewish people for millennia. From Herzl’s vision and the ink of the Balfour Declaration to the ashes of Auschwitz and the deserts of the Negev, Israel’s rebirth tells a story of hope resurrected.

Ben-Gurion’s sober reflections affirm the prophetic gravity of that day in 1948. As he mourned among the celebrants, he almost seemed to embody this biblical role of a leader who stands in the gap—both a prophet and a builder, a statesman and a shepherd. His diary helps us understand the miracle of Israel not only as a geopolitical reality, but even more importantly, as the unfolding of God’s promises to His people.

Today, as we see Israel flourish in technology, innovation, culture, and spiritual revival, we must also remember the dust and struggle from which it was born. Israel is a modern nation that’s rooted in ancient promises. Its survival is nothing short of remarkable; its success is a tribute to those who labored in the shadows of history to make it possible.

And ultimately, Israel’s rebirth is not merely the result of human determination—it is the evidence of divine faithfulness. Remember what the prophet Zechariah declared, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of Hosts (Zechariah 4:6). The same Spirit that guided Abraham’s journey, inspired Moses on Mount Sinai, and whispered hope to Ezekiel in Babylon, stirred the hearts of a scattered people and brought them home.

To God alone be the glory for Israel’s rebirth—for the preservation of His people, the restoration of His land, and the future revival of their spirit. As we celebrate 77 years of independence, we praise the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose covenant endures forever.

May we, too, be inspired by the perseverance, vision, and courage of those who built the foundations of the modern Jewish state. Let Ben-Gurion’s words echo in our generation today, not just as a record of the past, but as a call to continue building, protecting, and cherishing the land of people of Israel.

Happy Independence Day, Israel–and as the Israeli people like to say–Am Yisrael Chai—the people of Israel live!

Chris Katulka: I've got a question for you. If somebody asked you, are we living in the last days, would you know how to give them a biblical answer? Well, every year The Friends of Israel hosts our National Proclaim Conference at key locations in the United States. This is a two-day conference aimed to help you understand prophecy and the Bible. This year we're learning all about Living in the Last Days. This month, May 16th and 17th, we'll begin our proclaim conference in Northern California. We'll be heading to beautiful Redding, California and would love for you to come and join us. I'll be there along with Steve Conover, my co-host and the executive director here at The Friends of Israel. You can learn more about this free conference and other locations at foi.org/proclaim or go to our website, foiradio.org. That's foi.org/proclaim or foiradio.org.

Steve Conover: Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life and ministry of Holocaust survivor, Zvi Kalisher.

Mike Kellogg: It is 63 years since Israel became a state. Much time has passed, and after everything I endured in my life, I am humbled and amazed I am still alive.

I grew up in Poland and have been without parents since the age of 10. Realizing the Nazis were going to invade Poland, my mother brought me to a Polish orphanage. I was very blond and did not look Jewish. She told me, “Be strong. You are no longer a child. You are a man.” And with those words, she left me. I never saw her again. Soon the orphanage was disbanded, and I was alone. I had no money, no food, and nowhere to go. Often I was jealous of those who had died. But I remembered my mother’s words: Be strong.

 

For six years I lived on the edge of death. When I arrived in Israel, I thought I would have rest. I wondered, How am I still alive? Who was on my side, protecting me from all the dangers I faced? In Israel, however, the situation was also dangerous. It was 1948. We were a mere half-million people. And when we declared our independence, eight Arab countries descended on us like locusts, determined to destroy us. We went from the ship into the army. My job was with the strike-force, clearing minefields. I was told, “You have only one chance. If you make a

mistake, you are no more.” I was very careful. I never made a mistake. And I kept asking myself, “Who is on my side? Why am I not dead yet?” One evening, on Israel’s first Independence Day, I was in Tel Aviv. An older lady approached me and gave me a Bible. “Read this, soldier,” she said, “so you will know who is on our side.” It was the first time in my life I ever opened a Bible. And this is what I read: “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me” (Ps. 27:10). I had finally received the answer to my question. The Lord was on my side. I began to read the Bible. I have had many troubles in life, but the Bible has been my greatest comfort and showed me the way to redemption. So I came to know my Savior. I never dreamed I would live long enough to grow old. I have a wonderful wife, three sons, one daughter, and 16 grandchildren; and they all love the Lord and are active believers.

We started a congregation a number of years ago with a handful of people, and today we are almost 300. One of our sons is the pastor, and some of our grandchildren minister there in music. After the long via dolorosa I passed through in the Holocaust, it is my greatest joy in life to see my family serve the Lord. It is my greatest joy to see what the Lord has done for us here in Jerusalem. And today we are able to help others. I am also thankful to The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, which has been with us from the beginning. As it is written, “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Ps. 126:5).

Chris Katulka: Hey, thanks for joining us for today's episode of The Friends of Israel Today. Don't forget to get your free digital download of our popular booklet, Whose Land is it Anyway? on our website, foiradio.org. Again that’s foiradio.org. People, listen, next week you gotta come back! We’re headed to the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, for a 4-part series. So be sure to join us next week. As mentioned, our web address is foiradio.org. Again, that’s foiradio.org. Our mailing address is FOI Radio PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Write in, please, we want to hear from you. Again, that's FOI Radio PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. You can call our listener line. That’s 888-343-6940. Again, that's 888-343-6940. Today's program was engineered by Bob Beebe. Edited by Jeremy Strong, who also composed and performs our theme music. Lisa Small is our executive producer. Sarah Fern is our associate producer. Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold. And Steve Conover is the executive director of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Finally, I'm Chris Katulka, your host and teacher. The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Passion for God's Word. Compassion for God's Chosen People.