WORLD AT WAR: 4.6.24 - The Cancerous Tumor Of Hamas Has To Be Removed

 For Israel to Be Safe, The Cancerous Tumor Of Hamas Has To Be Removed – By Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/amir-tsarfati-for-israel-to-be-safe-the-cancerous-tumor-of-hamas-has-to-be-removed/ This has been a very disappointing week as Israel has watched the United States separating itself from us. Through ultimatums, threats to withhold arms, vote abstentions,and condescending rhetoric, the Biden administration has made it clear that it believes that “peace at all costs” between Israel and Hamas is necessary for a November reelection. This is in spite of a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris survey that showed Americans overwhelmingly back Israel. Nearly four out of five questioned expressed support for Israel overHamas. More than two out of every three believe that Israel is seeking to do all it can to minimize casualties. Of course, you wouldn’t know that if you follow the news or pay attention to the words of the party in power in Washington. If those are your sourcesof information, you’d think there was a pro-Palestinian protest on every street corner populated by concerned citizens heartbroken over the genocide the evil Jews were perpetrating on the helpless Gazans. There is no mention of massacres or torture or systematicrapes or women and children being held hostage. This is all part of the drift that I warned you about months ago back in the halcyon days when everyone supported Israel avenging October 7. “Go get them,” they said. “Theymust pay, and you must make yourself safe!” So, Israel did. But now that these people see what Israel has to do to make itself safe, they are all screaming, “Wait! We thought you’d just go in and arrest a few leaders. Maybe bomb a few buildings. You know,like you used to do in the good old days.” What they failed to realize – and, quite honestly, what Israel had failed to realize, also – was that the old way of doing things was nothing but dealing with the symptoms of the disease. For Israel to be safe, thecancerous tumor of Hamas has to be removed. The difficulty has been that the cancer spread throughout Gaza, garrisoning in civilian and humanitarian centers, like schools and hospitals, and burrowing in a vast and intricate underground tunnel system. Israel was confronted with a new form of urban warfare that had never been experienced before. The leadership of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was confronted with the dualcharges of destroying Hamas while protecting the human shields behind which the enemy had hidden. They have succeeded on both counts to an amazing degree. It is not just me saying this. Last week, I linked you to a Newsweek opinion article written by John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute (MWI)at West Point and codirector of MWI’s Urban Warfare Project entitled, “Israel Implemented More Measures to Prevent Civilian Casualties Than Any Other Nation in History”. This week, Mr. Spencer followed up with another article called, “Israel Has Created aNew Standard for Urban Warfare. Why Will No One Admit It?” He writes, “In my long career studying and advising on urban warfare for the U.S. military, I’ve never known an army to take such measures to attend to the enemy’s civilian population, especially whilesimultaneously combating the enemy in the very same buildings. In fact, by my analysis, Israel has implemented more precautions to prevent civilian harm than any military in history.” Still, the U.S. attempts to dictate how Israel should prosecute the war. Vice President Kamala Harris warned, “Any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake,” adding that Washington had been “very clear in terms of our perspective on whether or not that should happen.” Perhaps most telling of all was the recent United Nations Security Council decision, led by Russia and China. It demanded a ceasefire in Gaza. There was no condemning of Hamasfor initiating the war, and the mention of a hostage release was not linked to the ceasefire. Essentially, it was handing Hamas a victory in the war, telling Israel that the fight is over and to go home. Rather than vetoing the resolution, the U.S. abstainedfrom the vote. Nothing could have more clearly communicated this administration’s view of Israel. As a result, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a state delegation that was scheduled to leave for America. What would be the purpose? It used to be, “As America goes, so goes the world.” Now that is reversed. As I look around the globe, I see the Palestinian flag flying over the town center in Luton, UK.In the British parliament, 130 MPs sent a letter to the foreign minister urging for an arms embargo against Israel, citing the country’s non-compliance with the ridiculous UN Security Council ceasefire resolution. In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez agreedwith the leaders of Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia to work towards the recognition of a Palestinian state. The global trend is away from Israel, and I fully expect this U.S. administration to follow lockstep behind. Gaza The end of last week saw furor over a story alleging the rape of Palestinian women by IDF troops in their operation targeting Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Soon, word spreadthroughout the gullible branch of the international community that the Israelis were no different than Hamas. Meanwhile, anyone with common sense smelled a rat. Sure enough, on Sunday night Al Jazeera had to retract their gleeful reporting of Israeli sexualabuse admitting that the accuser, a woman named Jamila al-Hissi, had made up the accusations in order to “arouse the nation’s fervor and brotherhood.” Great journalism there, Al Jazeera. The battle in Shifa hospital continues. Again, it’s not where the IDF wants to fight. It is where Hamas is forcing them to fight. The terrorists intentionally chose the battlefieldhoping for the maximum number of civilian casualties. This is the same reason that the IDF was forced to break into the Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis and is possibly also operating at Nasser Hospital. At Al-Amal, large numbers of terrorists have been killedor captured, and the IDF is now working on leveling the ground around the facility. Lebanon and Syria Airstrikes continue by the IDF against terrorist outposts and warehouses in Lebanon and Syria. Tuesday night, jets hit a building in southern Lebanon killing seven, includingmembers of the al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya terrorist group who had been planning to infiltrate Israel for an attack. In response, Hezbollah fired 30 rockets at the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. Most were downed by the Iron Dome or fell harmlessly. However, threehit their marks, with one resulting in the death of 38-year-old Zaher Bashara. Earlier in the week, the IDF launched a Saturday night strike destroying a Hezbollah weapons storage location in Baalbek in the Beqaa Valley. The terrorist group retaliatedby firing 50 Katyusha rockets toward an IDF base in the Golan Heights with little effect. The rocket launches alerted the IDF to the launchers’ location, and the Hezbollah soldiers consequently received a loud and fiery recognition of their actions. Russia On Friday, four Tajiki Muslims entered the Crocus City concert hall outside of Moscow and opened fire with automatic weapons. By the time they were through, 137 people weredead and more than 180 are still in the hospital. It is unimaginable the fear the victims endured. Immediately, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility, releasing a video of their actions inside the hall. Despite the admission ofISIS-K, Moscow knows a good opportunity when it sees it, and is now desperately looking for any links the perpetrators may have had with Ukraine. All four suspects have already pled guilty before a court. At the hearing, each showed signs of torture, and videoshave leaked clearly showing members of the Russian Spetsnaz brutally extracting the confessions. Imagine the uproar if it was an Israeli torturing a Muslim suspect. But no Jews; no news. Hope In the Lord Because I read the Bible, I have confidence that it will not go badly for Israel right this moment. That difficult time will come, but it is not now. You see, my hope is inthe Almighty God who has given us His plans for the world in general and Israel in particular. We will survive this war, and we will end up safer than we were before. This will happen. I have no doubt because my hope is in the Lord. As believers, we carry a different perspective from the world. We do not allow ourselves to be bogged down in fears, conspiracies, speculations, and “What ifs”. Because ourHeavenly Father is all-powerful and in control, we have the blessed luxury of dwelling above the fray. Sure, we may physically experience pain, struggle, deprivation, and violence. But because we have the example of our Savior on the cross, we can emulateHim, keeping that attitude of “This, too, shall pass and in the end there will be glory.” Much of the world will memorialize the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this weekend with Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. It is a time to recognize that our forgiveness,our hope, and our eternity rest in the work that our Messiah accomplished by dying on the cross and three days later emerging alive once again from the tomb. We believers who are in Israel still have a few weeks until Passover and then the Feast of First Fruits.It is at this time that we will remember Jesus offering Himself as the sacrificial lamb for our sins, then rising again as the first fruit of the resurrection. If you do not have the hope, peace, and eternal life that come from having received the free giftof salvation that Jesus’ sacrifice has provided, what are you waiting for? Let today be the day you receive Him as your savior. Let today be the day of your salvation. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 KJV – “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrectionof the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” ----------------------- Israel’s Battles Are Not Limited To The Physical – By Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/amir-tsarfati-israels-battles-are-not-limited-to-the-physical/ Shalom from the lush Jezreel Valley! Looking from my home to the vast swaths of farmland below, it is hard to believe that my country is at war. It is beautiful, serene, pastoral – until an Israeli Air Force fighter jet flies at low altitude over my head coming in for a land at the nearby airbase. On the one hand is a magnificent colorful bounty filling the land. On the other is war. That has been the juxtaposition of Israel for millennia. Because of the unique nature of this nation, however, the battles are not limited to the physical. Yes, there is the war in Gaza, the constant skirmishing with Lebanon andSyria, and the indirect conflict with Iran through its proxies, which sometimes, like last week, becomes very direct. It is this action of blood and bombs that gets the headlines, leads to protests, causes the United Nations to pass silly resolutions, andis turned into political fodder for upcoming elections. And it is right that this violent conflict receives its proper attention. Lives are being lost on both sides of the battlelines and humanitarian suffering is rife due to the disregard which Hamas feelsfor their own people, using civilians as human shields and turning hospitals and schools into military bases. The other war, however, did not begin on October 7. True, it has been exacerbated since then, but it is a battle that has been going on since the early church. This is a spiritualbattle for the legitimacy of the Jewish people and, since 1948, the State of Israel. It is astounding to me how many Christians believe that God is done with the Jews. Whether it is because of their idolatrous past that led to their exile or because therewere a group of them 2000 years ago who were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, they feel that God finally had enough of that rebellious people and kicked them to the curb in favor of the church. And, once again, this is nothing new. The whole reasonPaul wrote Romans 9-11 was to address this exact fallacy. It’s also the reason why several years ago, I wrote the book Israel and the Church. We are on the front lines of a serious battle. We are not warring in Gaza or up in the north. We are fighting the spiritual battle that the enemy has been waging against Godand His chosen people for time immemorial. I invite you to join us in this battle. Invest time to learn how we can be sure that just like a father will never abandon his children, our God will never reject the people He loves – referring both to the holy peopleof Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6) and the holy people of the church (1 Peter 2:9). Then, armed with this knowledge, take what opportunities God presents to let those around you know that, yes, God has brought His people, the Jews, back to the promised land justas He said He would in Ezekiel 36-37, restoring them as a nation. And, yes, the Lord has a future plan for Israel that will include a mass revival (Romans 11:25-29) and a reconciliation with the One whom they pierced (Zechariah 12:10). Our God is faithful, and we must not allow the enemy to besmirch the character of our Lord by saying that His eternal love is only temporary and His promises are dependentupon our behavior. Jeremiah 31:3-4, 6 KJV – “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry… For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Ariseye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God.” Israel The IDF is on its highest alert this weekend due to a convergence of events on Friday. 1) It is the last Friday of Ramadan. 2) It is Lailat al-Qadr (“Night of Power”), whichcelebrates the night the Quran was given. 3) It is Iran’s Quds Day (“Jerusalem Day”), a once-a-year show of support for the Palestinians. 4) Iran has already vowed to avenge the attack on Damascus, as described below. Individually, each is excuse enough for a terror attack. Taken together, they are an ominous warning. The commander of the Israel Defense Force’s (IDF) military intelligencesaid today, “We are not convinced that the worst is behind us. We are facing some very loaded and complicated days.” After the horrific events of October 7, we now recognize that we can no longer take any chances. We will not be caught off-guard ever again! It was a difficult week for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on two fronts. First, Sunday saw him at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem where he underwent surgery fora hernia. The procedure went well, and he was released on Tuesday. Second, a four-day rally protesting his government turned into a small riot on the third night as those gathered tried to break through police barricades to the PM’s house. The emotion of themoment was heightened by the presence of some family members of hostages. A vast majority of Israelis are strongly united against the common enemy of Hamas. However, these protesters are a very vocal minority who are heavily funded by outside sourcesthat are looking for more pliable leadership in Israel. The IDF Home Front Command is preparing to launch a media campaign to prep Israelis for war against Hezbollah. The terrorist group has at least 100,000 fighters on its rosters,many with battle experience from the Syrian Civil War, and is expected to fire up to 5000 rockets per day at Israel. The government is building up massive emergency supplies of fuel, food, and medical gear and is fortifying the electrical grid. The Bank ofIsrael has told smaller banks to prepare for a high cash demand in case of a run on currency. Amazingly, despite these bleak forecasts, the past couple of weeks have seen the Israeli stock market soaring as high as it’s ever been. A UAV struck an Israeli naval base in Eilat, damaging a building but causing no injuries. Apparently fired by the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, the drone traveled through Jordanianairspace and past Israeli defenses before hitting the site. Lebanon and Syria Among the numerous Israeli airstrikes against Lebanon and Syria, there is one that stands out in significance. On Monday, six F-35 aircraft launched more than 20 missilesat the residences alongside the Iranian embassy in Damascus. Eight Iranians were included in the 16 people killed. Among those casualties was Gen. Mohammed Reza Zahedi, commander of the elite Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic RevolutionaryGuard Corps (IRGC), who was responsible for all the shipments of weapons and precise ordnance to Hezbollah in Lebanon. This surgical strike, which left the nearby French embassy untouched, sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East. On Tuesday, both Iran and Hezbollah vowed severe retribution in the next 48 hours. I, along with most of my fellow Israelis, will sleep better once that window of time haspassed. If you want to learn more about the attack, watch my ten-minute Breaking News Update from Monday or my hour-long “Q&A with Amir Tsarfati: Israel-Hamas War” from Tuesday, during which I answer 28 questions from viewers of the live stream. The latterwill give you much in-depth information that you won’t hear from your mainstream media sources. Friday saw another blow for Hezbollah as one of its most senior commanders, Brig.Gen. Ahmad Jawad Shahimi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike near Aleppo, Syria. Shahimi wasresponsible for coordinating arms smuggling between Syria and Hezbollah. Gaza The fight at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City is over. More than 900 suspects were found, of whom 513 were confirmed to be members of Hamas or Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Manyweapons were confiscated, and infrastructure destroyed. The battle in Khan Yunis continues with the beginning of this week seeing the Israeli Air Force attacking more than 25 terrorist targets, including military equipment warehouses and other infrastructure. Tragically, seven workers for the World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian relief group, were accidentally killed by an Israeli airstrike. Prime Minister Netanyahu wasquick to apologize for the incident, adding, “This happens in war. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence.” The PM is right. In war, there are tragic accidents. We are heartbrokenfor the families of those who lost their lives. USA There were some encouraging words coming from Washington for a change this past week. First, on Tuesday, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby tolda press conference that the US government has not found “any incidents where the Israelis have violated international humanitarian law.” While not an affirmation, at least it’s not a criticism. The previous day, American and Israeli officials came out of jointvirtual talks claiming agreement on their shared objective “to see Hamas defeated in Rafah.” Where they differ is that the Biden administration wants plans to relocate all noncombatants before an assault. Israel has said they will consider the issue. Turkey There are certain stories that I think make those in the West gasp and shake their heads in wonder, while we Middle Easterners just nod and say, “Yep, that’s business as usual.” Last week, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared Israel’s prime minister and cabinet to modern-day Nazis and said that he would “send Netanyahu to Allah.” Thisweek, Erdogan is reaching out to Israel in the hopes of improving relations between the two countries. What changed? The Turkish president’s party got trounced in the elections, with the secular main opposition party gaining huge victories in many of the majorcities. If it sounds cynical to you for me to label Erdogan’s criticisms of Netanyahu as simply political bombast, then maybe you’ll believe Turkey’s deputy ambassador to Israel.He said, “Erdogan’s harsh rhetoric against Israel stems from Erdogan’s political considerations in the local elections in Turkey.” Interpretation – “The president needed his party to do well, so he threw you Jews under the bus. But now that the elections areover, let’s be friends.” It’s so typical, but some credit must be given. Politicians around the world do the very same thing. It’s only us Middle Easterners who have the chutzpah to come right outand admit to it. North Korea Kim Jong-un has a new toy. On Tuesday, the Respected Comrade supervised the launch of North Korea’s Huasong-16B hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile. Hopefully,the hermit leader will be careful with it so that he doesn’t accidentally shoot someone’s eye out. Taiwan Yesterday, the biggest earthquake Taiwan has experienced in a quarter of a century rocked the island nation. Measuring 7.2 magnitude, the temblor killed nine and injured morethan 900 with at least 50 others missing. Many buildings in the eastern shore city of Hualien sustained major damage. --------------------------