MIDEAST UPDATE: 9.23.23 - Standing With Israel Is Not a Jewish Problem. It Is an American Problem

 Standing With Israel Is Not a Jewish Problem. It Is an American Problem – By Hal Lindsey - https://harbingersdaily.com/standing-with-israel-is-not-a-jewish-problem-it-is-an-american-problem/ As World War II still raged, thoughtful men and women were thinking about the radically realigned postwar world soon to come. There was special focus on the world’s Jews anda possible homeland for them. In April of 1943, a relatively obscure US Senator from Missouri drew a direct link between that problem and the United States. “Today — not tomorrow — we must do all thatis humanly possible to provide a haven and place of safety for all those who can be grasped from the hands of the Nazi butchers.” He added, “This is not a Jewish problem. It is an American problem — and we must and we will face it squarely and honorably.” Two years later, that Senator — Harry S. Truman — would take over as President of the United States. His presidency was marked by major events and major decisions. Those includedthe end of World War II, history’s only use of atomic weapons in war, the formation of the United Nations, and the beginning of the Cold War. But from a biblical perspective, the biggest had to do with his old commitment “to provide a haven and place of safety” for the Jewish people. Isaiah 66:8 speaks of a nation being born in a day. In retrospect, we can see that as a direct reference to the birth of modern Israel on May 14, 1948. Life Magazine describedit. “In the all-Jewish city of Tel Aviv, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion ended nearly 2,000 years of Jewish longing for a homeland with a great blow of his fist upon the speakers’ table. ‘The name of our state shall be Israel,’ he intoned, and a new nationwas born.” Just eleven minutes after the nation’s rebirth, President Harry Truman became the first world leader to officially recognize it. Truman later said, “I had faith in Israeleven before it was established. I knew it was based on the love of freedom, which has been the guiding star of the Jewish people since the days of Moses.” This began an extraordinary relationship between the United States and Israel. Not coincidentally, the US then entered an era of prosperity unprecedented in world history.When God first told Abraham about the land, He also said in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” But today, Republicans and Democrats are openly questioning the special relationship between Israel and the United States. Some question US aid to Israel, not understandingthat Israel is a strategic outpost of democracy in the Middle East. Help for Israel is help for us. For instance, in 1981, the Israeli Air Force destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor. In 1991, US forces would face Iraq on the battlefield. Because of Israel’sintervention ten years before, the US did not face a nuclear Iraq. Deuteronomy 11:12 calls Israel “a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it.” Zechariah 2:8 says that whoever touches Israel, touches the apple of God’s eye. It is crucial that Americans continue to stand with Israel. ------------------------------ Netanyahu�s Week of Diplomacy � By Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/worldview-with-amir-tsarfati-netanyahus-week-of-diplomacy/ Greece and Israel teamed up the middle of last week for a long-range air strike drill over the Mediterranean. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) and the Hellenic Air Force practicedlong-range flights, aerial refueling, low altitude runs, and live fire actions. While the goal was mutual learning, it was understood that the focus for the IAF was preparation for a potential strike on Iran. Israel�s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began a visit to the U.S. on Monday in California where he met with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. Their primary topic wastechnology with a heavy focus on artificial intelligence (AI). They also took time to discuss anti-semitism on Musk�s social platform X (formerly Twitter) and the judicial reform that the prime minister is leading in Israel. From the west coast, Bibi flew to New York for the General Assembly of the United Nations where he held conversations with numerous world leaders. While there, he met withthe new president of Paraguay, Santiago Pe�a, who committed to opening their embassy in Jerusalem by the end of 2023. Netanyahu met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, promising continued assistance on humanitarian issues. In their first ever face-to-face meeting, Israel�s prime minister spoke with Turkey�s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about putting the two countries� shaky past behind, insteadlooking forward to cooperation on energy, technology, innovation, AI, and cyber security. Then, yesterday afternoon, Prime Minister Netanyahu met with U.S. President Joe Biden. They discussed numerous issues, including their joint stated commitment to not allowIran to develop nuclear weapons. But chief among their topics was the normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which the U.S. is helping to broker. A sticking point for the Biden administration has been the Palestinian issue. Netanyahu promisedto compromise on a limited basis. A key issue for Saudi Arabia has been their desire for a defense alliance with the U.S. similar to that enjoyed by Japan and South Korea. This week, the Biden administration agreed to that. Saudi Crown Prince MBS Says Every Day Brings Normalization with Israel Closer In a truly amazing interview with Brett Baier of Fox News, Saudi Arabia�s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denied reports that normalization talks with Israel had stalled. �Every day we get closer. It seems it�s for the first time a real one � serious. We get to see how it goes,� said the de facto leader of the nation. Much will depend on negotiations over the Palestinians. MBS said that he wanted to see �a good life for thePalestinians�, but he stopped short of demanding a two-state solution. While most of the negotiations are taking place behind closed doors, there is the occasional leak. One such bit of leaked news is momentous if true. The Saudis are very concerned over the possibility of Iran going nuclear, with MBS saying that if it were to happen thenSaudi Arabia would �have to get one, for security reasons, for balancing power.� Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that a secretive deal is being discussed between Israeli officials and the Biden administration for the establishment of a U.S.-run uraniumenrichment facility in Saudi Arabia as part of the normalization deal. Palestinian Bomb Plot Fails � Twice A device that exploded near a tree in Tel Aviv�s Hayarkon Park on Friday was likely intended for pickup and use in another location. No one was injured in the premature explosion.Two Palestinian suspects were later arrested with one of them admitting to being part of the plot. Two days earlier during a protest along the separation fence with Gaza, a group of Palestinians attempted to throw a bomb over the barrier. The device explodedprematurely killing five and wounding 20 others. It seems the ruthlessness of the terrorist element is only surpassed by their incompetence. U.S. Completes �Not Ransom� Payment for Hostages The �prisoner swap� between the U.S. and Iran was completed on Monday. This is despite Iran canceling the security clearance of several of the most experienced inspectorsof the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This is despite Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu�s visit to Tehran on Tuesday, leading to the minister�s declaration that relations between Russia and Iran are �reachinga new level�. This is despite the pledge that the United States does not pay ransom for hostages, which is a huge relief to us all because the alternative would be insanity. This is despite Iran disrespectfully insisting that the �not ransom� money, whichwas funneled through Qatari banks, be paid in euros. Mysterious Objects Fall from the Iranian Sky On Monday, objects began falling from the sky in and around the city of Gorgan in the north of Iran. Some of these mysterious meteors exploded when they hit the ground, causingminimal damage and injuring two people. Speculation ran rampant with possible explanations running from enemy attack to extra-terrestrial beings. After letting the confusion mount for a while, the Defense Ministry finally fessed up. �In the process of testing defense and drone systems in a desert region, one of thesesystems suffered a technical defect and deviated from its main path,� admitted a ministry spokesperson. The Brief War You May Have Never Heard Of Hostilities broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Azeri autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh. A large contingent of Armenians lead a separatist movementbent on breaking away from Azerbaijan. This has led to years of tension which occasionally breaks out in outright war, as it did Tuesday. The Armenians and the Azeris both rushed troops to the border. Then, when seven Azeri soldiers were killed in an Armenian landmine explosion, Azerbaijan declared war. Theyimmediately began shelling the city of Stepankart in Nagorno-Karabakh. Eventually, 27 were killed and 200 were injured by the Azeri artillery. Then, as quickly as it began, the war was over with the Azeris as victors. Russian peacekeepers mediated a deal inwhich the separatist Armenians would lay down their weapons and leave Karabakh. Peace has returned to the region, at least until the hostilities break out again. China Breaching Taiwanese Airspace Again Once again, China is asserting their dominance in the South China Sea. In a single 24-hour period from Sunday to Monday, they sent a record-high 103 warplanes toward Taiwan.While turning back before actually reaching the island, many still crossed into the nation�s airspace. Wild Weather Continues Huge storms continue to pound parts of the globe. In Spain, flooding has hit Madrid, Sierra de Yeguas, and Espinardo. In other parts of the world, dangerous waters have coveredparts of Cape Town, South Africa; H�rault, France; Kenton, UK; Taif, Saudi Arabia; and Bahla and Samad al-Shan, Oman. In addition, there was a massive dust storm in Yobe, Algeria, and tornados in Beijing and Suqian City in China and in rural Kansas. Majornatural disasters are to be expected as the world�s birth pangs increase. ----------------------------------