Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on the public to pray this Shabbat (Sabbath) in synagogues for the safety of IDF soldiers and US troops.
"In synagogues this Shabbat, we will pray for the welfare of IDF soldiers and American soldiers," he said. "US troops are fighting shoulder-to-shoulder alongside Israel with great dedication and sacrifice to help protect the State of Israel and the welfare of the entire world."
Smotrich added that prayers should be recited when the Torah scroll is removed from the Ark, for the safety and success of the soldiers, and that worshippers should pray that, "the Master of the World should grant them success and that not a hair on their heads will be harmed, amen."
He also published an updated version of the traditional Prayer for the Welfare of IDF Soldiers that now includes "our brave friends, the soldiers of the United States Army."
The prayer calls for Divine protection for the troops serving "on land, in the air, and at sea," and asks for decisive victory over their shared enemies.