ISRAEL WATCH: 8.1.20 - The Israeli flag was flown on the Temple Mount: First time since the 1967 Six-Day War

The Israeli flag was flown on the Temple Mount: First time since the 1967 Six-Day War - by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - www.breakingisraelnews.com Thus said the lord of Hosts, the God of Yisrael: Mend your ways and your actions, and I will let you dwell in this place. Jeremiah 7:3 (The Israel BibleTM) by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz | Jul 31, 2020 | Jerusalem A major step towards fixing the broken heart of the Jewish people on the Temple Mount was made on Tish B'Av, the day commemorating the destruction of the Temples: the Israeliflag was displayed for the first time since Israel conquered its holiest site in the 1967 Six-Day War. Despite coronavirus restrictions and threats of Muslim violence, almost 1,000 Jews ascended to the Temple Mount on Tisha B'Av. Among them was Chaim Brosh, a leader of theStudents for the Temple Mount organization. As he was waiting to enter the Temple Mount Compound, Brosh saw that some friends had an Israeli flag. He has wanted to display an Israeli flag on the Temple Mount for many years so he thought that he would try tofulfill his dream. Jews undergo scrupulous security checks before entering which include checking any bags or items carried onto the mount. Religious items and books are confiscated as are any items displaying Israeli nationalism. Brosh folded up the flagand put it in his pocket, hoping the police would not notice. Normally, Jews are restricted to a limited clockwise route and required to move quickly. To honor the day of mourning for the Temples, Brosh requested and, surprisingly,was granted permission to make a counter-clockwise circuit. In the first part of his tour of the site, Brosh withdrew the flag from his pocket and held it up for all to see. "A policeman approached me and asked me to put the flag back into my pocket," Brosh said. They did not arrest me or even confiscate the flag." A similar attempt on Jerusalem Day in 2018 ended in Muslim violence and the police arresting the Jews. "This is the first time that a Jew has waved an Israeli flag on the Temple Mount and the police did not arrest him," Brosh emphasized. When the IDF conquered the Temple Mount in 1967, Motta Gur, the commander of the IDF forces that unified Jerusalem, had an Israeli flag hoisted over the Dome of the Rock.Moshe Dayan, who personally oversaw the war in Jerusalem, immediately ordered the flag to be removed. Brosh continued his tour of the site and once again displayed the flag. Two Waqf representatives approached Brosh and began to berate him but the Israeli police distancedthem from the group of Jews. This is also highly uncharacteristic of normal procedures in which Jewish religious rights are usually forfeit to appease Muslim aggression. "It could be that the policemen were affected by the holy day or it could be they were affected by the anniversary of the expulsion of Gush Katif," Brosh said. "No personin uniform wants to think that he is the oppressor of his own people." "It is important to note that this was a decision by the policemen on-site," Brosh said. "On a different day, with slightly different conditions, the policemen on duty mightnot permit a flag or any other deviations from the status quo. The Muslims had threatened mass riots on Tisha B'av and this did not materialize. So there was a lot of police at a high level of readiness and very little threat." The situation is still not in accordance with Israeli law which mandates equality of religions at the site. When Brosh exited the site, he was ordered to a hearing and adistancing order was issued against him. In addition, ten Jews were arrested on Tisha B'Av for praying at the site. Two Muslims were also detained after chanting derogatory slogans against the Jews, the Ynet news site reported. Michael Miller, a tour guide at the site and an activist of the Students for the Temple Mount movement, "Three years ago, this would not have happened," Miller said. "They used to pat Jews down and do body searches. And the police would have jumped all over a Jew who triedto wave the flag. The situation for Jewish rights has certainly improved." "This is kind of religious," Miller said. "It means that we are back. The timing is significant. While the Israeli government is saying they will grant sovereignty to Judeaand Samaria, which they probably won't do, they are intentionally ignoring the holiest site; the Temple Mount. What good are Judea and Samaria if we toss away the Temple Mount?" The Jordanian Foreign Ministry published a statement condemning what it called a violation of Israel's agreement with the Waqf Islamic trust that manages the Temple Mount,according to Hebrew-language media. The statement alleged that Jerusalem had given approval for "hundreds of extremist Jews to break into Al-Aqsa under the protection of the Israel Police." It should be noted that Al Aqsa is the silver-domed mosque at the southern end of the compound and no non-Muslims are permitted to enter the building. Israel Watch: The Cedars of Lebanon - Jim Fletcher - Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com The beautiful country to the north of Israel-along the Mediterranean-is one known to biblical students of Israel. Lebanon, that grand land that produced the cedar for Solomon's splendid FirstTemple, has unfortunately been on the frontlines of terror for generations. In 1982, a tragedy that will last generations occurred when President-elect Bachir Gemayel was assassinated on the orders of Syrian dictator Hafez Assad. The 34-year-old attorney was on goodterms with Israel, and in particular, in his memoirs, Israeli legend Ariel Sharon lamented the damage this caused to the region. He had worked very hard to establish a relationship with a sane Lebanese government. Today of course, Lebanon remains in the grip of terrorists. In the 1970s and 1980s, the PLO decimated the country. Now, Hezbollah is established and has political seats in the government.The "military wing" (terrorists) have stockpiled weapons from Iran and others and estimates are that many tens of thousands of rockets are stockpiled. Hezbollah routinely threatens war with Israel and this week, the IDF moved to bolster its defenses. Accordingto the Jerusalem Post: "The Israeli military deployed troops to Division 91 of the Galilee Division and 210 Bashan Division along with artillery and intelligence troops. Iron Dome missile defense batteries werealso on alert as well as Israel Air Force jets. "IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, who met earlier in the day with US Army General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley who landed in Israel to discuss Iran andits proxies like Hezbollah, will remain at the IDF's Kirya Military Headquarters on Friday due to the tensions. "Hezbollah has pledged in the past to retaliate for any fighter that is killed by alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria and the IDF on Friday warned Beirut that it 'holds the Lebanese governmentresponsible for all actions emanating from Lebanon.'" I do believe that a potential Hezbollah conflict, on a wide scale, would have Bible prophecy implications, since such a confrontation would involve war-like conditions. If Hezbollah can threatenTel Aviv and Israel's "breadbasket" in the area between the mountains and the sea, Israel would necessarily have to meet such a threat robustly. We will watch this latest escalation. War with Lebanon in 2006 left Israel with a bad taste in its mouth, but recent comments by American officers familiar with the region left no doubt thatsuch a war today would end badly for Hezbollah. No doubt it would, but taken collectively, all these enemies require a level of preparedness that few countries can achieve. Israel can, but we must intercede in prayer for the Jews of Israel. I noticed a small-but-important item this week from the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center: "Palestinian sources reported the detention of Adnan Ghaith, the governor of the PA's Jerusalem district, at his home in the Silwan neighborhood of east Jerusalem (Wafa, July 19, 2020). OnJuly 19, 2020, sources also reported the detention of the head of Palestinian general intelligence for the Jerusalem district, Jihad al-Faqih, while he was on his way home to the town of Qatana northwest of Jerusalem (official Fatah Facebook page, July 19,2020)." For anyone that's visited Jerusalem, you've seen or perhaps even driven through Silwan (I would not). It is located beneath (on a hillside) the City of David, an archaeological area adjacentto the Old City. What the above paragraph illustrates for you, I hope, is just how close Israel's enemies are to her. Imagine that you live in Dallas and over in Plano, a deranged and vicious enemy lives.This is what Israel deals with on a daily basis. Much is being made of the regional threats to Israel now, including Turkey, Iran and even certain African states. Then there is the terror threat from within Israel. As always, I advocate being cautious when predicting that Gog and Magog is ready to break out, but pray like never before for the safety and security of Israel. More than a few of us feel the Messiah's footsteps approaching, and I think that's legitimate, given the increasing pressure on Israel (which will spill over post-Trump) and the insanity thatthe global community has plunged into. Look up, saints!