We’ve Acted—Now We Ask You to Pray: Standing for Peniel School and Religious Freedom in Israel
Recently, a quiet but deeply troubling decision has come to light in the city of Tiberias, Israel. The Peniel Messianic Primary School, a faith-based school that has served the local community for over 35 years, is now facing forced closure, a decision that could affect not only the education of children from Messianic Jewish and Christian families, but also the future of religious freedom in Israel.
This school is unique. It is the only primary school in Israel that provides children from Messianic and Christian backgrounds with an education that fully adheres to the Israeli curriculum while remaining rooted in the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments. More than 500 children have graduated from Peniel since its founding, and the school has operated with integrity, academic excellence, and respect for Israeli standards.
Yet, despite its long-standing contribution to society, the school has been targeted for closure.
Why This Matters
For many families, Peniel is more than a schoo, it is a lifeline. Without it, parents will be left with no suitable alternative that respects their faith while meeting academic requirements. And beyond the immediate impact on these children and families, this decision sets a dangerous precedent: that faith-based education, especially for minority religious communities, can be disregarded or shut down.
This is not just an internal issue for Israel. It is a matter of global Christian concern, and it calls for the prayer and action of believers around the world.
What We’ve Done
With the backing of more than 2,600 signatures from around the globe in our recent petition, we submitted the formal petition to Israel’s Minister of Education, Mr. Ofir Kisch, and Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely, Israel’s representative to the United Kingdom. Our letter was signed by Pastor Daniel Yahav, who oversees the Peniel Fellowship and school, and Paul Smith, Director of Prayer for Israel (PFI).
The letter respectfully urges the authorities to reconsider this decision in light of Israel’s commitment to democratic values, religious freedom, and educational plurality. We appealed not in anger or accusation, but with hope for dialogue, justice, and understanding.
We’ve taken the first step. Now we ask you to join us in the next one: prayer.
How You Can Pray
Please lift this situation up in earnest, praying for:
- Divine intervention: That the hearts of decision-makers will be softened and guided by wisdom (Proverbs 21:1).
- Protection for the Peniel community: That students, parents, teachers, and leaders will experience God’s peace and strength during this uncertain time.
- A just outcome: That this school may continue to operate freely and faithfully, serving families who seek to educate their children according to their faith.
- Messianic Religious freedom in Israel: That believers Jewish and Gentile alike may worship and educate freely in the land where faith first took root.
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” – James 5:16b (NKJV)
Thank You
We are deeply grateful to every one of you who signed, shared, and stood with us. Your support has already helped bring visibility and weight to this issue. But we know that our greatest strength is not in numbers, but in prayer, because we serve a God who hears and acts.
Let us continue to pray, speak truth in love, and trust that God will work all things for good.
With heartfelt thanks and hope,
The Team at Prayer for Israel
