The Arm of God

God’s protective grace over Israel was clearly manifested on April 13, when Iran carried out its first direct assault on the Jewish state, launching an unprecedented barrage of 170 suicide drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles. Iran claimed it attacked to retaliate for an April 1 Israeli airstrike in Syria that killed General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, an Iranian senior commander associated with Hamas’s October 7 massacre in Israel.

Videos posted by Israelis and Palestinians on social media captured the dramatic scenes of Iran’s arsenal illuminating the night sky. The Israel Defense Forces disclosed that among the intercepted weapons were Iranian Emad ballistic missiles, each equipped with a 1,100-pound warhead attached to a 36-foot-long fuel tank.

Yet, Israel’s military reported a near-perfect defense, intercepting 99% of the incoming threats, with only a minimal number of missiles breaching the country’s sophisticated air-defense systems, which include the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Spyder, and Arrow.

After the final missile was neutralized, Professor Maximilian Abitbol, a physicist and expert in Israel’s defense technology, conducted intensive calculations to verify the statistics and concluded that a 99% interception rate is not only extraordinary but also highly improbable statistically.

“What happened in Israel on last Motzaei Shabbat [Saturday night] was not less than the scale of the splitting of the Red Sea,” he wrote. “On a scientific level—it simply cannot happen!! Statistically.” He noted that such performance from defense systems, never previously tested under real-time conditions, is astonishing. Manufacturers typically guarantee a success rate of up to 90%.

Abitbol suggested the outcome was nothing short of miraculous and that even 90% protection “would have been a miracle.” He added, “The rescue that took place for the people of Israel on Motzai [sic] Shabbat is simply impossible naturally. I believe that this miracle saved the lives of many people from Israel.”

God’s protection clearly manifested itself that April night when He all but neutralized the wrath of Iran’s arsenal. Abitbol and others recognized the divine intervention. In a situation rife with potential disaster, the outcome was miraculous.

This divine safeguard traces back to the covenant God made with Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you” (Gen. 12:3). This promise encompasses not merely the fates of Israel’s allies and adversaries but also a profound assurance of God’s ongoing protection.

The purpose of this divine pledge is to enable Abraham’s descendants to fulfill their redemptive role in God’s plan—to bless all the earth’s families. Those who honor this covenant with Israel are promised blessings in return, while those who reject it court divine disfavor. It should be noted that the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Jordan played a significant role in repelling Iranian missiles from striking Israel; and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates provided intelligence on the attack. Israel was not alone.

Throughout Jewish history, God’s protective hand has been evident in pivotal moments: guiding the Israelites out of Egypt, sustaining the Jewish people through the Babylonian exile, shielding them from the malice of Haman in Persia, leading their resistance against Antiochus of Greece, and delivering them from the perils of Nazi Germany.

Iran and its proxies are no different from Israel’s historical enemies who all wanted to wipe Israel off the map. But with each episode of antisemitism, the protective arm of God emerges—a testament to His enduring commitment to safeguard His people, just as He promised Abraham.