WORLD AT WAR: 9.2.23 - Gog Coalition Building

 Why Help Ukraine? - By Hal Lindsey - https://www.hallindsey.com/ww-8-27-2023/ With the murder of yet another perceived rival in Russia, Vladimir Putin has again proven that he belongs among the ranks of history’s most evil men. But it should be notedthat none of the others on that list had the world’s largest nuclear arsenal a button away. On August 8, 2008, Russia invaded Georgia. There were the usual press statements from various nations condemning Russia, but little action. In the United States, George W.Bush was in the last days of his presidency while dealing with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Instead of getting tough with the Russian aggressor, the Obama Administration entered office a few months later calling for an immediate resetof the US relationship with Russia. Putin’s aggression received the world’s approval, and he never forgot it. Russia supported Bashir al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War, heavily contributing to the violent catastrophethere. More than a half million people died. Thirteen million were displaced from their homes with half of those having to leave for other countries. In early 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula, and then annexed it. Despite previous US promises to protect Ukrainian sovereignty, the Obama Administration refusedto provide meaningful support. No US President wants the United States to directly confront Russia with troops. But Obama’s appeasement of Russia kept him from even sending the kind of weapons Ukraine needed. That failure made future aggression by Putin inevitable. Even with a huge Russian invasion force amassed on Ukraine’s border, President Joe Biden continued his former boss’s policy of giving limited military aid to Ukraine. WhenRussia invaded, he and most other observers seemed to expect Ukraine to quickly fold. But instead, something amazing happened. The Ukrainians refused to be trampled over. They stood up against what some believe to be the second most powerful military on earth.Their bravery and selfless determination while confronting such an overwhelming force stunned the world. Faced with Russia’s ugly, unprovoked invasion and Ukraine’s amazing response, the US and Europe finally began to send real help. And now, some suggest that the US should stop its support of Ukraine in order to provide help to Maui… as if we can’t do both. Of course, we must help our own people in Maui.And, without a doubt, we need to secure our own border. But at the same time, we must also stand with the people of Ukraine. Doing so makes the world safer for ourselves and for future generations. I do have a caveat here. We need to look carefully at the level of spending. Remember President Eisenhower’s farewell address warning about the “military-industrial complex.” We need to closely monitor every dollar spent on Ukraine. Some politicians and bureaucrats take their marching orders from people who derive power and wealth from the creation of weapons. The US must send what Ukraine actually needs — not just throw moneyat them. Act strategically. I also recognize that Ukraine is not perfect. But with all their flaws, they are doing something strong and heroic. We can’t send troops because that would lead to nuclearwar. But we don’t need to send troops. Ukrainians are already doing the job. We just need to hang in there with them and help them finish it. Russia and its primary ally, China, have shown that they will be as aggressive as they are allowed to be. Appeasement does not work! If we don’t stop them in Ukraine, we willhave to stop them somewhere else — maybe here. And if the confrontation involves any NATO nation, we will find global thermonuclear war suddenly staring us in the face. --------------------------  Worldview with Amir Tsarfati: A Critical Point In Israel’s History – By Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/worldview-with-amir-tsarfati-a-critical-point-in-israels-history/ (Galilee, Israel) — This is a very critical point in Israel’s history. My country is facing the deepest political and judicial crisis since its formation. In the next 3-4 weeks, the very left-leaning Israeli Supreme Court will convene to discuss two issues that are far beyond its mandate. Depending on what they decide, the countrycould be sent reeling. First, it will discuss canceling the ability for a parliament vote to change a Basic Law. As a country without a constitution, it is the Basic Laws that are the foundation for the way our government conducts business. In the past, theseBasic Laws have always been under the purview of the Knesset. The Supreme Court is looking to steal this power for themselves. Second, the court will determine whether to allow a process that will declare Netanyahu as unfit for office, thereby nullifying the recent vote of a majority of the Israelis.For those of you in America, think of when Congress tried to do the same thing to Donald Trump when he was president, and what your court system is trying to do to him now. If Netanyahu is removed from office, the typically quiet conservatives will go ballistic.I don’t know what to expect then. But even amid these crises in our own countries and abroad, the Lord’s church must not give in to the deception, chaos, and lawlessness that we see all around us. To do sooften leads to anger, despair, and depression. We must remember that God is in control. We must keep one eye on the world, but the other squarely focused on the Word of God. It is from the latter that we may experience comfort, hope, and peace during society’sinsanity. I am determined in 2024 to help you keep your proper focus by giving you the news from Israel, the Middle East, and the world, but to do it through the lens of Scripture.Behold Israel CONNECT will be the hub from which we are able to reach around the globe with God’s truth and with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for us as we seek to bring this vision into reality. Israeli Secret Service Proves Iran Complicit in Smuggling of Explosives Bound for Israel Shin Bet, Israel’s secret service, announced on Thursday the arrest of four Arab-Israelis for smuggling Iranian-made explosives into central Israel. The deadly devices weresmuggled from Iran via Hezbollah and across the border. “This affair once again illustrates the efforts of terrorist elements from Hezbollah and Iran to exploit the Arab citizens of Israel for security activities against the state,” said a Shin Bet seniorofficial in a statement. Terrorist Incidents in Israel A stabbing attack left one man injured and a terrorist dead. The incident took place at a light rail station in Jerusalem last night. The terrorist, who was shot by a BorderPolice officer, was identified as a 14-year-old boy from a Jerusalem neighborhood. Now the Palestinians are sacificing their children to murder innocent civilians! A few hours later, an explosive device intended for a bus full of Jewish worshippers detonatedby an IDF military vehicle outside Joseph’s Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack which wounded three soldiers. Then, earlier today, Thursday, a Palestinian truck driver purposely rammed fouroff-duty Israeli soldiers, killing one and injuring the other three. The truck driver was shot dead after a pursuit. Israel to Roll Out Laser Defenses In one year, Israel is expected to become the first country in the world to have partial laser protection against missiles, rockets, and other flying weapons. In two years,the hope is that there will be total protection. Not only will this be highly effective, but it will also operate at a negligible cost compared to the $50,000 per shell Iron Dome. The low-level battle with Iran through Syria and Lebanon continues. On Monday,an Israeli sea strike hit Iranian targets at the Aleppo airport in Syria. That same day, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the UN Secretary General, “The potential for a violent escalation on Israel’s northern border is growing, as a result of flagrantviolations by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.” Iran is pushing hard for Hezbollah to act against Israel. Meanwhile, Hezbollah pretends to be on the defense. Also on Monday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said, “For any Israeli assassination against a Lebanese,Palestinian, Iranian person or anyone else, that is carried out on Lebanese territory — there will be a severe reaction and we will not be silent about it.” Maybe if you quietly stayed on your side of the border, you and your crew wouldn’t have to worry aboutit. Israel’s Soaring GDP According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Israel’s economy just keeps going up. Currently, the country’s GDP per capita is $55,540, well ahead of most of WesternEurope, as well as Japan. Two decades ago, it was only $12,000. The Lord has brought His people back into the land and has caused them to flourish! God is good! Libyan Foreign Minister Meets with Israeli Counterpart and Reaps the Whirlwind It’s a tale that only works in the Middle East and with Israel being involved. Last week, Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush spent time with Israeli Foreign MinisterEli Cohen at a meeting hosted by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. What a wonderful occurrence between two countries who are at such odds, right? Not if you are Libyan. Mass protests filled the streets, and Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibahquickly suspended al-Mangoush. As the protests grew, the foreign minister hopped a private plane and fled to Turkey. On Monday, the prime minister fired al-Mangoush, but it doesn’t look like she is going quietly. The now former foreign minister claims that,in fact, it was the prime minister who requested she meet with Foreign Minister Cohen, and she says she has proof. This should be fun to watch! Airplane Full of Israelis Allowed to Make Emergency Landing in Saudi Arabia An Air Seychelles flight carrying 128 Israelis was forced to make an emergency landing in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday. In days past, this would have led to a very tensesituation. Instead, the passengers were welcomed and given rooms at an airport hotel. The next day, a replacement aircraft carried everyone home to Tel Aviv. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recorded a video after the incident in which he said, “I greatlyappreciate the good neighborliness.” Just one more reason we in Israel are so thankful for the Abraham Accords of the previous US administration. Saudi Arabia Using China as Pawn in US Nuclear Negotiations How do you get the boy to ask you to the school dance? You start flirting with his biggest enemy. Saudi Arabia has been trying to include US backing of their nuclear development,including the building of a nuclear power station into the negotiations over normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. But the Washington has been dragging its feet, instead focusing on forcing Palestinian issues. So, on Friday, Riyadh announced thatit is considering an offer from China to build the power station, later adding that they are also entertaining bids from Russia and France. In an extremely shrewd move, they are also offering significant financial assistance to the Palestinians. Not only willthis potentially lead to the US backing off on some of the measures they are insisting upon, it may also help relations with the Palestinians and the Arab world if Saudi Arabia leaves them out of the three-way negotiations with the US and Israel. Ukraine Breaks Through Russian Line of Defense Chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, announced that Ukrainian troops have broken through Russia’s first main line of defense. Said Milley, “It is stilltoo early to judge the success or failure of the attack…. It is clear that so far partial success has been achieved.” Tuesday night saw an extensive Ukrainian drone attack on six areas in Russia. Four IL-76 transport planes were damaged at the airbase in Pskov.On the Russian side, they continued their beatdown of Kiev, launching their largest ever air attack on the city using drones and cruise missiles. Another Coup in Africa Moments after it was announced that Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, a 14-year incumbent, had been reelected, soldiers appeared on the television screen and announcedthe cancellation of the elections and the dissolution of the government. Bongo was placed under house arrest, and an interim military junta led by General Brice Oligui Nguema was established in his place. Three countries north of Gabon, the military juntain Niger has ordered the ambassadors of Nigeria, Germany, the US, Côte d’Ivoire, and France to leave the country immediately. The situation is still fluid and very dangerous in that unstable country. In good African news, Sierra Leone announced that it iswilling to establish an embassy in Jerusalem. Dozens Arrested for Arson in Greece’s Wildfire Conflagration As deadly wildfires rage across the nation of Greece, Greek authorities have arrested 79 people on arson-related charges. More than 1.3 billion square meters have burned sofar, making it the largest ever in an EU country, and the death toll from the flames is nearing two dozen. ----------------------------- Gog Coalition Building: Protests Erupt In Libya After FM Meets With Israel To Discuss Normalization � By Mark Hitchcock - https://harbingersdaily.com/gog-coalition-building-protests-erupt-in-libya-after-fm-meets-with-israel-to-begin-normalization-talks/ In a previous article, I addressed Israel�s efforts to build upon the historic Abraham Accords. During the Trump administration, agreements were forged and finalized, normalizingIsrael�s relations with Bahrain, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan. As I discussed earlier this month, Israel is very anxious to expand this list to include Saudi Arabia. At the same time, massive protests erupted in Libya this last week after the country�s foreign minister, Najla al-Mangoush, met with Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen, seeminglyto begin talks about brokering peace. This created a massive uproar in Libya. What�s fascinating to me is considering this in light of Ezekiel chapter 38. The passage examines the nations that will attempt a future invasion of Israel, and also mentionsseveral countries that will be on the sidelines that are not going to get involved. This includes the young lions of Tarshish, which I take to be the nations in Europe today, and Sheba and Dedan, these are more moderate Arab states with which Israel is nowgaining normalized relations. Libya is being rocked by protests because they don�t want peace with Israel. The reason that is significant is due to the fact that Libya is one of the nations mentioned inEzekiel chapter 38 as joining the coalition of nations, which includes Russia, Iran, and Turkey, to invade Israel. The passage reads, �And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog�� Gog is the leader of the invasion. The land ofMagog is the underbelly of the old Soviet Union, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakstan. It could even include other nations, like Afghanistan, and some believe it could include Ukraine. The chapter continues, �And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooksinto thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia [modern-day Iran], [Kush, which is the modernnation of Sudan�the name was just changed in 1935], and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer [part of modern day Turkey], and all his bands; the house of Togarmah [also in the modern day nation of Turkey] of the north quarters, and allhis bands: and many people with thee.� The BBC reported that �Libya�s [Prime Minister] has suspended his foreign minister after she met with her Israeli counterpart.� �Libya � a strong backer of the Palestinian cause � does not recognise Israel, and the meeting has sparked protests in the majority Arab state,� the article explained. The brief meeting between the Israeli Foreign Minister and the Libyan Foreign Minister happened last week in Italy. �Israeli FM Eli Cohen said the �historic� meeting was �the first step� in establishing relations with Libya,� the article continued. �Israel is working to build closer tieswith Arab and Muslim-majority countries which do not officially recognise it. However Libya�s presidential council, which represents its three provinces, said it was illegal to normalise relations with Israel. The Speaker�s Office in parliament accused NajlaMangoush of grand treason�� Due to this accusation, the Libyan Foreign Minister has had to flee the country. Where did she flee to? She fled to Turkey, another of the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledged that after his re-election, he would continue to deepen ties with Libya. Libya�s leaders were among the first nations to congratulateErdoğan upon his re-election. Najla al-Mangoush�s escape to Turkey again shows the close connection between these nations. �In his statement on Sunday, Mr Cohen said he met Ms Mangoush last week on the sidelines of a summit, and that they discussed �the great potential for the relations� betweenIsrael and Libya,� the BBC detailed. �Protests broke out in the capital Tripoli and some other cities following news of the meeting. Roads were blocked, [tires] burnt and demonstrators waved the Palestinian flag�� Libya has been a country in chaos since Muammar Gaddafi�s regime was overthrown 12 years ago, during a period known as the Arab Spring. Since that time, Libya has been a nationin a civil war between two parties; however, they seem to be united in not wanting to normalize relations with Israel. In fact, they said this week that it�s considered a violation of Libyan laws, which criminalize normalization with the Zion entity. While this is taking place, the country has a great deal of Russian mercenaries within its borders. Remember Yevgeny Prigozhin? He was the head of the Wagner group. Severalweeks ago, I discussed the Wagner group�s very short-lived coup attempt. Following that event, Prigozhin traveled about for a while, and just this last week, he appears to have been assassinated on an airplane that was sabotaged and bombed. The Russian Wagner group has had troops in Libya since 2019. There are two thousand Mercenaries within the country today. A fascinating article came out a few weeks ago in Foreign Policy magazine that said, �Libya Could Be Putin�s Trump Card.� The Wagner group, which works under the auspicesand the authority of the Russians, has overtaken the oil facilities in Libya. Libya has 40% of Africa�s total oil reserves, with 48 billion barrels of reserves�53 trillion cubic feet of gas. The Wagner group can obstruct output to the EU. The EU, of course, is protesting what Russia is doing in Ukraine and is trying to get away from Russian oil. One of their sources of oil is Libya, but now that the Wagnergroup has taken this over and can cut off the spigot, they�re now in NATO�s backyard. As the winter comes up, concern is mounting in Europe about where they are going to get enough gas. The winter gas supply could end up being a great crisis. The Foreign Policy article says, �Wagner�s dug-in posture in Libya is consistent with Russia�s broader resolve: to pressure European NATO member states into different politicaloutcomes by controlling proximate energy sources�� They are able to impose a lot of pressure on Europe, especially this winter, if they cut off this gas from Libya. We have two things moving in this Gog Magog invasion on parallel tracks. When the Gog Magog Invasion occurs, Israel will be living in security. With the Abraham Accords, Israelhas normalization agreements with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan. Additionally, Israel already has peace with Jordan and Egypt. At the same time, you have the Gog coalition building. The one outlier in all of this is Sudan. Sudan is mentioned in Ezekiel 38 as an ally of Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Libya, but Sudan is one of the nations that�s normalizedrelations with Israel. Sudan is still very enmeshed with Russia. They want to give Russia a port on the Red Sea. When the dust settles, Sudan will be a part of this coalition as well. The nations are shaking out just as we would expect them to be shaking out. These events in Ezekiel 38 are imminent and will happen soon. We need to keep our eyes on what�shappening.