WORLD AT WAR: 9.14.24 - DANGEROUSLY CLOSE!

Why Is the Media Accommodating Hamas�s Propaganda Strategy? � By Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/amir-tsarfati-why-is-the-media-accommodating-hamass-propaganda-strategy/ (Galilee, Israel) � As I work on this, it is still Wednesday. In other words, today is 9/11. I can still remember being in the Twin Towers on September 10, 2001, asking my friend who accompaniedme what would happen if a plane were ever to strike the buildings. Isn�t it interesting that I was in-country when America was viciously attacked, but I was out of Israel on October 7, 2023, when my country was brutalized. Thinking back 23 years, I can recall the day after the towers came down. Sorrow, anger, shock, vengeance � all were in the hearts and minds of the people. The same emotions filled the populationhere in Israel eleven months ago. Although I missed the day of the invasion, I was home soon after and have been riding the aftermath rollercoaster ever since. Just as the memory of 9/11 still haunts so many over twenty years later, I know the specter of 10/7will plague the minds of Israelis for decades to come. A major reason that Hamas was able to hit Israel so hard was that we didn�t take their cunning and their ruthlessness seriously enough. We didn�t know the details about the miles of tunnelsunder Gaza nor the immense size of the weapons cache smuggled in from Egypt through the Philadelphi Corridor. We learned our lesson on the military side. We are also learning our lesson on the political side. This past Friday, the German newspaper BILD published a document that appears to have come from the computer of Yahya Sinwar. In it, we find a ceasefire strategy that shows the manipulativeand disingenuous of Hamas�s claims to want to return hostages and end the war. The article detailed six key points: 1) Blame Israel: Hamas is committed to blaming Israel for every failed hostage negotiation. Thisis going according to plan. Despite Hamas rejecting every deal that doesn�t include a complete Israeli surrender, the media lays the responsibility at the feet of Netanyahu without fail. Just last week, the BBC was found to have breached journalistic rules1500 times in the past months, pushing their agenda of anti-Israel propaganda in order to brainwash the people. 2) Preserve Military Power: Hamas is not thinking about giving up. They are ready to fight tothe death of the last of their human shields. But they may be facing trouble very soon now that the IDF has closed the underground armament highway from Egypt through the Philadelphi Corridor. In fact, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed a letter yesterdayfrom the recently exterminated Khan Yunis brigade commander Rafa Salama to Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar in which he reported that 70% of Hamas�s weapons had been destroyed, 95% of its rockets were ruined, and 50% of his operatives had been killed or wounded.Worse yet, 60% of his terrorists who were still of able body had fled, leaving him at only 20% strength. In summary, Hamas is not negotiating from a position of strength. 3) Use Hostages for Pressure: This is where Hamas is finding its most success, both in Israeland abroad. Last Friday, 25,000 demonstrators marched in Tel Aviv demanding that Netanyahu sign a hostage deal. This is despite the fact that there is no hostage deal. I understand the pain of the families of the hostages. But we cannot just cut and run outof Gaza. Hamas must be broken, or there will soon come a day when the butchers will pour over the border again, slaughtering more people and kidnapping more hostages. 4) Prolong the Negotiations: Hamas does not want a deal. They thwart every attempt. That is becausethe greatest weapon they have is public opinion. The longer they can extend the talks � despite the suffering of their own civilians � the more the pressure will build against Israel�s government to either cave or to throw Netanyahu out of office. 5) Use Arab Forces as a Buffer: This is a strategy in which they envision placing Arab troopsalong the border between Israel and Gaza. Doing this will allow Hamas to buy time and regroup, as they prepare for a future confrontation. 6) Keep Raising the Price for Hostages: Like going to a retailer who ups the price every timeto reach for your wallet, Hamas continues to raise their demands with each negotiation. Again, this is because they have no interest in returning the hostages. They are just pawns in Hamas�s terrorist game. This was made quite clear this past week when RAdm.Daniel Hagari of the IDF showed the horrific conditions in which six hostages were kept for the last 11 months. When it became evident that the hostages were about to be rescued, Hamas put a bullet into the back of each innocent�s head. To Hamas, Israeli hostagesare no different than their own civilians � they are just cannon fodder to be used then disposed of when their usefulness is at an end. This is what Israel is dealing with. Anyone who believes that Netanyahu or his government can just negotiate their way out of this conflict has absolutely no understanding of the true situation. Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant clearly indicated the changing attention of the Israeli Defense Forces from south to north when he told troops, �The center of gravity is moving northward,we are near to completing our tasks in the south, but our mission here is not yet done.� A second indication of this shift also came Tuesday when US CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and others to discussLebanon. Israel will not be safe as long as the terrorist group Hezbollah has thousands upon thousands of rockets pointed toward the border. In preparation for the coming attack, the Israeli military has been daily destroying Hezbollah�s ability to launch their missiles. This included an unusual strike in the heart of Syria lastThursday into Friday. The target was an Iranian research facility that worked with drones and chemical weapons. There were three waves to the attack at Masyaf. The first destroyed access roads to the targeted facility. The second wave took out the anti-aircraftbatteries. The third wave brought commandos in helicopters. They took out a number of people at this Iranian research facility, confiscated computers, then destroyed the compound. When they left, they brought some prisoners with them to be interrogated. Ifyou want to find out more about this, watch my Breaking News Update from this morning. Unfortunately, there are many more sites to hit and so many more rocket launch locations to go, as evidenced by the 60 rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon in a single hour just yesterday.This shift of focus to the north will be the first time that my region in Jezreel will be seriously affected by the war. My family and I are preparing for some difficult times ahead. Still, we are anticipating the beginning of the northern battle, becauseonce it starts, we will be that much closer to it being over with. It is then we can experience peace again, reestablish tourism, and no longer fear being attacked in our own homes. New Eastern Front in Israel Even as the IDF gears up for the north, a new front is rearing its ugly head. Citing Iran�s Ayatollah Khamenei�s statement that the West Bank will be armed like Gaza, Israel�s Foreign MinisterIsrael Katz wrote on X, �The Iranian terror octopus is working to establish an eastern terror front against Israel and moderate states in the region.� Many don�t realize that 50-60% of those living in Jordan are Palestinian. So, it was no wonder that whena Palestinian opened fire at the Allenby Crossing between Israel and Jordan on Sunday, killing three Israeli civilians, there was great celebration in Jordan with the passing out of sweets and the setting off of fireworks. You�ve read in this newsletter many times about the terrorist threat in the West Bank. Where do you think their weapons came from? You need only look to the east. In fact, just this past Sunday,police foiled an attempt to smuggle 74 handguns into Israel from Jordan. Then, the next day near the Na�aran settlement in the West Bank�s Jordan Valley, the IDF located and confiscated more handguns, along with a shotgun. Sadly, when the terrorists don�thave guns, they make do with what they have. The day after the attack at the Allenby Crossing, a 58-year-old Palestinian drove his tanker truck into a bus stop killing 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Geri Gideon Hanghal. Fellow soldiers, along with a civilian, ensuredthat the perpetrator would never have the opportunity to hurt anyone ever again. Bad Day in Gaza Yesterday was a difficult day in Gaza. A Yanshuf (Black Hawk) helicopter on an evacuation mission crashed near Rafah, killing Sgt. Maj. (res.) Daniel Alloush, 37, and Sgt. Maj. (res.) TomIsh-Shalom, 38, and injuring seven others. While these Israelis gave their lives to aid someone else, Hamas is sacrificing other people�s lives to aid themselves. An Israeli news station reported Tuesday that the terrorist organization has profited by at leasta half billion dollars by stealing humanitarian aid, then selling it to civilians who are in need. That right there is the epitome of the Hamas mindset. An interesting idea is being discussed that could eventually bring normalization to the region. One of the strongest relationships for Israel to come from the Abraham Accords is the one theyshare with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While Prime Minister Netanyahu demands open-ended control of the Philadelphi Corridor and the border with Egypt, he is open to discussions that might place an Emirati-controlled buffer between Gaza and Israel. Itwill be interesting to watch if the Emiratis and other Arab states warm up to the idea. The United States Election Tuesday saw the first post-convention debate between the presidential candidates. On one side was former president Donald Trump. On the other side were current vice president Kamala Harrisand the two moderators from ABC. I will not give my opinion as to who I thought won the verbal contest, because I�ve got no business declaring winners. I am an Israeli. I have no vote. I will tell you, though, that the world is closely watching the United States. I know that all of Israel is monitoring it, because we know that our future will be affected by the outcome.Harris claimed in the debate that she has always been a big supporter of Israel, then immediately followed by saying that too many innocent Palestinians are being killed and we need a two-state solution. Oy! When Trump was asked what he would do, he respondedby saying that if he were president October 7 never would have happened. And he�s probably right. Still, as an Israeli, I would have liked to hear him say that he�s going to let us fight this war to the end. So many parts of this globe will feel the effects of the November election. My prayer is that the church pours out in droves, prays on their way to the election booth, then votes the way theHoly Spirit is leading. If that is done, then good cannot lose. Erdoğan is Still being Overly Chatty President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey has a vision of making his country the center of Sunni Islam. To become so, he needs to somehow find a way to matter on the world stage. Thus, thepresident is using his platform to try to rally Muslim nations together against Israel. At a recent event, he blustered, �The only step that will stop Israel is the alliance of Islamic countries.� He went on to complain about Israeli expansionism, which isunderstandable when you consider all the colonies Israel has established around the world. Oh wait, there are no colonies. Maybe the president needs to look up the word �expansionism� in the dictionary. I do not think it means what he thinks it means. Allthat being said, President Erdoğan has developed a passionate hatred for Israel and will do what he can to help destroy the nation. According to the prophecies of Ezekiel, Turkey must rise up and join an alliance with Russia and Iran and others. Together,they will strike Israel. Unfortunately for them, their attack will not quite go as they planned. Got Any Extra Missiles? If you happen to have any ballistic missiles laying around, I hear Russia will be more than happy to take them off your hands. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed Tuesday that Iranhas sent more than 200 short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. In return, Russia provided Iran with technological information that just maybe could have been nuclear in nature. As part of a food-for-arms deal, North Korea has sent millions of rounds of ammunitionand artillery shells to Russia, along with a hefty supply of ballistic missiles. So, if you have any spare rockets, give Putin a call. I hear that with every hundred missiles you send, you get a free set of hand-painted matryoshka nesting dolls. What a deal! -------------------------------- Dangerously Close! - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2024/09/07/dangerously-close-by-daymond-duck/ On Aug. 25, 2024, Michael Snyder (endoftheamericandream.com) posted the following: One day in the not-too-distant future, someone in the Middle East is going to push things too far, and it will set off a tsunami of destruction that will shock the entire planet. Israel isarmed to the teeth, and Israel�s enemies are armed to the teeth. An all-out war in the Middle East should not be an option for anyone, but we are now dangerously close to such a conflict. I know that Snyder was writing about a war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and I totally agree with him, but as I was thinking about it, I thought we are dangerously close to: •Iran getting nuclear weapons. •The U.S. losing its sovereignty. •A worthless peace treaty that divides the Promised Land. •A global economic collapse. •Russia using nuclear weapons. •Another fake pandemic. •A global currency and the Mark of the Beast. It gives me the impression that we are living in perilous times (II Tim. 3:1). Here are recent reports on why I believe the end of the age is close: One, concerning the ongoing threat of war between Iran�s proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel:on Aug. 28, 2024, the UN Security Council met to extend UNIFIL�s mandate in southern Lebanon for another year. At the meeting, Israel�s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, presented evidence that Hezbollah is launching rockets into Israel from locations next to UN bases in Lebanon. Danon had a message for the UN: •The UN is allowing Hezbollah to use UN soldiers as human shields. •The UN has 10,000 peacekeeping soldiers from 40 nations in Lebanon at a cost of more than half a billion dollars a year. (My note: They have been there since 2006, they are supposed to disarmall armed groups, they haven�t done it, and they haven�t done anything to bring peace.) Danon had a message for Lebanon�s Ambassador: •You and your government have a choice to make. Confront Hezbollah or watch as your country is dragged into chaos and destruction. The time for action is now. Do not let Hezbollah and Irandictate your future. If you fail to act, the devastation that follows will be on your hands. Danon had a message for Hezbollah: •Withdraw now, or you will bear responsibility for the pains and ruins of Lebanon. The choice is yours! (More: The U.N. SecurityCouncil passed a resolution with a demand that Israel and Hezbollah halt all hostilities. They warned that further escalation �carries the high risk of leading to a widespread conflict.�) (More: On Aug. 30, 2024,Hezbollah said it will freeze its plans to attack Israel until further notice.) Two, concerning a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia (which some think willlead to a covenant of peace in the Middle East): on Aug. 28, 2024, Worthy News reported that �The administration of outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden still believes it can broker a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia before the NovemberU.S. presidential election.� Three, concerning the destruction of Damascus, Syria, in one night: on Aug. 31, 2024, it was reportedthat several Israeli security experts said Israel has not been able to decrease the flow of Iranian weapons to Hezbollah through Syria, so Israel may have to expand its attacks on Syria. Four, concerning tours on the Temple Mount and Jews worshiping there: on Aug. 26, 2024, Israel�sHeritage Ministry announced plans to launch guided tours of the Temple Mount. On Aug. 28, 2024, Jordan asked the UN Security Council and global community to immediately halt Israel�s actions that it says are illegal and disruptive to the historical and legal statusquo at Jerusalem�s sacred sites. Five, concerning the effort to destroy Israel due to increased terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria(Israel): on Sept. 3, 2024, Israel�s security forces announced that they will begin treating Judea and Samaria as a combat zone. Six, concerning wars and rumors of wars and Russia�s threat to use nuclear weapons: on Aug. 28,2024, it was reported that: •In response to Ukraine�s advancement into Kursk (Russian territory), Vladimir Putin is deploying another 30,000 troops to the front line, and he is bringing in troops, tanks, and trucks fromBelarus. •Ukraine warned Belarus that �all troop concentrations, military facilities, and supply routes in Belarus will become legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.� •North Korea has greatly increased its shipments of mobile rocket launchers, missiles, and other weapons to Russia. (More: On Sept. 1, 2024,Russia�s foreign minister said Russia will amend its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons in response to what it regards as Western escalation in the war in Ukraine.) Seven, concerning the decline of America: on Aug. 23, 2024, it was reported that: •Experts on the US Congressional Commission on the National Defense Strategy released a 312-page assessment in late July, warning that the US military lacks both the capabilities and the capacityrequired to be confident it can deter and prevail in combat. •According to the report, in a hypothetical future conflict with China, the latter (China) would likely be aided, at least economically and possibly also militarily, by the likes of Russia,Iran, or North Korea. This would make the odds of a US victory increasingly slim, military experts predicted. •Unclassified public wargames suggest that, in a conflict with China, the United States would largely exhaust its munitions inventories in as few as three to four weeks, with some importantmunitions (e.g., anti-ship missiles) lasting only a few days. According to the article, former Pres. Trump is claiming that the U.S. is running out of weapons and ammunition because our government is sending our stockpiles to Ukraine and not replacingthem (and it is based on a congressional report). Eight, concerning the decline of America: on Aug. 30, 2024, more than 30,000 Shiite Muslims (Muslimsthat believe what the terrorists Mullahs in Iran believe) marched through the streets of Dearborn, Michigan, waving Muslim flags (on U.S. soil), shaking their fists and protesting the death of Iranian Pres. Raisi (the butcher of Tehran). Shiite Muslims call Israel the Little Satan, and they call America the Great Satan. They force people to convert to their brand of Islam, and the report said Michigan officials were seemingly complicit with what these demonstrators were doing. (More: On Aug. 29, 2024,it was reported that the Deputy Federal Chairman of the German Police Union (DPolG) said he can no longer remain silent, Germany�s open-border policies have unleashed a wave of Islamic violence on Germany, the people are no longer safe, and Germany�s governmentofficials are whitewashing the problem.) Nine, concerning wickedness at the end of the age: on Aug. 27, 2024, Israel freed an Oct. 7, 2023hostage who was being held in a booby-trapped tunnel in Gaza. The hostage told Israeli officials he was shot in the leg when he was captured, he was taken to Gaza, and the bullet was removed without him receiving a painkiller. He also said he was next to one of the other hostages when he died, probably because they denied him essential medicine. Ten, concerning pestilences: a study in the EU found that deaths among children 12-15 years oldhave increased by 335% since Covid vaccinations were authorized in week 21 of 2021. Eleven, concerning world government and the loss of our freedoms: on Sept. 1, 2024, Emmitt Barry,Worthy News Correspondent, wrote that over the past month, there has been a notable assault on free speech, evidenced by, •The detention of Telegram�s head in France, •The banning of the platform X in Brazil, •Heavy fines imposed in Germany, and •Revelations of active censorship by the Biden administration on Facebook and Instagram. (My opinion: We are dangerouslyclose to the destruction of democracy in America, and the current administration, FBI, CIA, and others are doing everything they can to stop the MAGA movement. If they succeed, there may never be another fair election in America. For whatever it is worth,there is widespread agreement that the assassination attempt on former Pres. Trump looks suspicious.) (More: On Sept. 1, 2024,there was a report (Dave Hodges, Hal Turner) that federal troops are being deployed to New York City because former Pres. Trump will be sentenced to prison, arrested, and jailed on Sept. 18, 2024. This appears to be an attempt to keep him from campaigningand cause him to lose the election. The arrest and prosecution of J6 protestors at the capital was a clear warning to those who believe the election was stolen. (My opinion: I don�t knowif Trump will be jailed or not, but if he is, I am wondering if he will have Secret Service protection in jail. The assassination attempt looks suspicious as well as the death of Jeffrey Epstein while he was in prison. Pray that all of this is wrong and nothinghappens.) Twelve, concerning the decline of America and a global economic collapse: on Aug. 31, 2024, it wasreported that: •Approximately 126 nations will attend the BRICS Municipal Conference in Russia in October. All countries have indicated interest in joining the bloc and abandoning the US dollar. •As nations investigate alternative currencies and economic relationships, the US dollar�s dominance � long regarded as the world�s reserve currency � is at risk, as per the Dinar Chronicles. (My opinion: It is my understandingthat the impact may not be immediate, but it will eventually weaken the already fragile U.S. economy.) Here is my daily update on the Israel-Hamas war: Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024 (Day 327) The two-hundred seventy-second day of the resumed war. Day 114 of the attack on Rafah. •Hamas official Khaled Mashal called for a resumption of suicide bombings in the West Bank. Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024 (Day 328) The two-hundred seventy-third day of the resumed war. Day 115 of the attack on Rafah. •Israel said they have found more than 150 tunnels on the border between Gaza and Egypt and have destroyed about 80% of them. •12 Israeli ministers called upon Netanyahu to stop letting the Red Cross visit Hamas terrorists in Israeli jails until Hamas starts letting the Red Cross visit the Oct. 7, 2023 hostages. Friday, Aug. 30, 2024 (Day 329) The two-hundred seventy-fourth day of the resumed war. Day 116 of the attack on Rafah. •2 separate terrorist attacks by Muslims in Israel injured 3 Jews. •Israel struck several Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. •The Iran-backed Houthis attacked another ship in the Red Sea (there were no injuries or significant damage). Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 (Day 330) The two-hundred seventy-fifth day of the resumed war. Day 117 of the attack on Rafah. •Israel reported that about 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel. •Israel has now killed 26 terrorists and detained more than 30 suspects in the West Bank (in Israel). Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 (Day 331) The two-hundred seventy-sixth day of the resumed war. Day 118 of the attack on Rafah. •It was reported that the bodies of 6 hostages were recovered from a 65-foot-deep tunnel in Rafah a few days earlier, and they had all been recently murdered. Forensic experts said all ofthem had been shot in the head multiple times, and they were killed about 2 days earlier. Israel has now recovered the bodies of 12 hostages in the last 2 weeks. •Netanyahu said those who murder hostages don�t want a deal. •World leaders and others continue to push for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages, but Hamas rejects every offer. •In a drive-by shooting, Palestinian terrorists shot and killed 3 Israeli police officers in Israel. Monday, Sept. 2, 2024 (Day 332) The two-hundred seventy-seventh day of the resumed war. Day 119 of the attack on Rafah. •Israel�s ambassador to the UN sent a letter to the UN Security Council requesting that they urgently convene to condemn Hamas in the strongest possible terms and to address the dire situationof the 101 hostages still held in captivity in Gaza. •Hamas released a video of the 6 hostages and their last message to the world before Hamas murdered them. •Netanyahu vowed that Hamas would pay a heavy price for killing the 6 hostages. •Biden and Harris will offer a final take it or leave it deal to Hamas today that could be the end of ceasefire negotiations if Hamas rejects it. •The Iran-backed Houthis attacked 2 more ships in the Red Sea (there were no injuries and only minor damage). Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024 (Day 333) The two-hundred seventy-eighth day of the resumed war. Day 120 of the attack on Rafah. •Israel instructed her diplomats to urge Israel�s partners to act against Hamas and Iran for killing the 6 hostages because murdering them crosses a red line and is a shocking war crime bya murderous terrorist organization. •Israel killed a Hamas commander and 8 terrorists near a hospital in Gaza City (the commander had been filmed killing a hostage in front of his 2 sons). •The U.S. Justice Dept. announced the unsealing of terrorism, murder conspiracy, and sanctions-evasion charges against six senior leaders of Hamas. •It was reported that the Iranians are delivering money and weapons to the West Bank, and Israel�s leaders are preparing for a major terrorist attack in Israel. •Even though Israel has killed thousands of terrorists in Gaza, Hamas has recruited and deployed about 3,000 new terrorists in northern Gaza. Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024 (Day 334) The two-hundred seventy-ninth day of the resumed war. Day 121 of the attack on Rafah. •Israel�s national min. said he is against a ceasefire agreement with Hamas because he doesn�t believe Israel should negotiate with murderers. FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go toHell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and Jesus is the only way to get there; John 14:6). Finally, are you Rapture Ready? If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus isthe virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this. ---------------------------- The Jewish Nation Lives: The Futility of Attempts to Annihilate Israel – Ty Perry - https://harbingersdaily.com/the-jewish-nation-lives-the-futility-of-attempts-to-annihilate-israel/ From Egypt’s Pharaoh to Persia’s Haman to Germany’s Hitler, many a world leader has attempted to destroy the Jewish people, defying God’s declaration that He will “curse him who curses” Israel(Gen. 12:3). Even today, motivated by a satanic hatred, many say, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more” (Ps. 83:4). Modern Israel’s history has been a fight for survival. Though often battered and humbled by brutal assaults, the Jewish nation lives, demonstrating the futility of attempts to annihilate it. War for Independence (1948) On May 14, 1948, Britain’s 31-year mandate over Palestine, as it was then known, came to an end; and Israel gained its independence. Six months earlier, the United Nations gave part of thearea to the Jews and part to the Arabs. The dream for a revived Jewish nation in its Promised Land became a reality. No sooner was the State of Israel born than its neighbors—Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, and Iraq—banded together to invade it. Their goal: Wipe the Jewish state off the map. But theycould not. Israel’s War of Independence lasted ten months and went down in history as the country’s bloodiest conflict. Of its 650,000 Jewish citizens in 1948, 6,373 (approximately one-third of whomwere Holocaust survivors) perished. But the little Jewish nation pulled through, defeating massive, well-equipped Arab armies. Six-Day War (1967) Yet the Arab nations persisted in refusing to accept the Jewish state’s existence. For them, the 1949 armistice lines merely marked where their next attacks should begin. In May 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, advised by false intelligence from the Soviet Union, began moving 80,000 Egyptian troops, 550 tanks, and 1,000 pieces of artillery intothe Sinai Peninsula. On May 23, he cut off Israel’s shipping lanes by blocking the Straits of Tiran, a direct violation of UN Security Council resolution 118. This was, by all definitions, an act of war. By early June, five Arab nations had allied against Israel and assembled their armies on Israel’s borders: 80,000 Egyptian troops; 60,000 Jordanian troops, plus Iraqi forces; 50,000 Syriantroops; and a combined Arab air force of some 600 planes. On June 5, 1967, Israel’s air force, flying low to avoid radar detection, made its way to Egypt. Before Egypt’s air force could get its jets in the air, Israel bombed Egypt’s runways and tookout two-thirds of Egypt’s air force, the largest in the Arab world—all in merely four hours. What Egypt had promised would be “the extermination of Zionist existence” was anything but. Though Egypt’s forces outnumbered Israel’s by three to one, its army retreated in defeat. Israeltook control of the Sinai and opened the Port of Sharm el-Sheikh, reopening the sea lanes. The defeats of the other Arab armies came in quick succession. Most significantly, on June 7, Israel pushed Jordan’s forces out of eastern Jerusalem, taking control of the Temple Mount. Thiswas the first time in 2,000 years that a united Jerusalem lay in the hands of a sovereign Jewish nation. Jordan’s assault on Israel was over. In merely six days, Israel not only defeated its powerful Arab neighbors, but it also captured militarily strategic territory (the Golan Heights from Syria, Judea and Samaria from Jordan,the Gaza Strip and Sinai from Egypt), making it far easier for Israel to protect its people. Yom Kippur War (1973) Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is Judaism’s holiest day of the year. In Israel, everything shuts down as Jewish people fast and pray. Israel’s Arab neighbors, still incensed at their defeatsix years earlier, chose this day to launch a war that nearly destroyed the Jewish state. Though Israel knew war lay ahead, a series of intelligence failures, false alarms, and a sense of national hubris caused the government to doubt its imminence. By October 5, 1973, however,it became clear the Egyptians were planning an attack. Prime Minister Golda Meir, under pressure from the United States not to launch a preemptive strike, mobilized an insufficient number of troops. On October 6, 1973, Syria and Egypt, backed by the Soviet Union and nine other nations, attacked. Some 1,400 Syrian tanks assailed Israel’s 180 tanks. Israel had a mere 500 soldiers stationedalong the Suez Canal when 600,000 Egyptian soldiers struck. In the north, Syria overwhelmed Israeli forces. A staggering 40,000 Syrian troops flooded the Golan Heights, their 1,500 tanks far outnumbering Israel’s pitiful 177. At Israel’s helm were Prime Minister Golda Meir and Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan. But even these bold, competent leaders feared Israel’s demise was at hand. Riddled with anxiety at thecatastrophe, Dayan even considered a nuclear option. Thanks to help from the United States, Israel was pulled back from the verge of defeat and turned the tide against the Arab invaders, pushing the Egyptians out of the Sinai and all the wayback to the Egyptian capital of Cairo. In the north, Israel recaptured Mount Hermon in the Golan and advanced to 25 miles outside Damascus. The war officially ended on October 28, 1973. Though technically it was a victory for Israel, the victory came at enormous cost. Israel lost 2,656 soldiers, three times the casualties of the1967 war. First Intifada (1987) Twenty years after the Six-Day War, peace was no more in reach than it had been in the 1960s. In December 1987, an Israeli in Gaza was murdered. The next day, an Israeli truck driver accidentallycrashed into a row of cars at a Gaza checkpoint, killing four Palestinians and seriously injuring seven. A rumor spread in the Palestinian territories that the crash was an intentional response to the Israeli murdered in Gaza. Protests sprang up throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip, demonstrationsunlike any Israel or even the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) had ever seen. What was supposedly a nonviolent intifada (Arabic for “shaking off”) against Israel quickly became violent. The Palestinians began rioting and attacking not only Israeli soldiers and civiliansbut also fellow Arabs accused of collaborating with Israel. In fact, by 1991, “the number of Arabs killed for political and other reasons by Palestinian death squads . . . exceeded the number killed in clashes with Israeli troops.” Still, Israelis were the main target. More than 700 attacks targeted Israeli soldiers and civilians in the first four years of the First Intifada. Israel suffered not only at the hands ofthe Palestinians, but also at the hands of the international news media, which majored in turning little Israel into the big, powerful “occupier” of “Palestinian land” and making the massive, aggressive Arab nations the victims. The narrative had changed. Second Intifada (2000) In September 2000, Ariel Sharon, then opposition leader in Israel’s Knesset (parliament), and six members of the Likud Party visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Israel had cleared the tripwith the Palestinian Preventive Security organization, which assured the Israelis that no problems would ensue as long as the delegation did not enter any mosques. The promise proved false. Arab radio broadcasts claimed Sharon had intruded on Muslim holy sites. PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat incited Palestinians to “move immediately to stop these aggressions and Israeli practicesagainst holy Jerusalem.” A wave of violence followed that became known as the Second Intifada. From 2000 to 2005, Arab terrorists unleashed random, bloody attacks on Israeli civilians throughout the country. Israelis feared going out in public and riding buses, which suicide bombersroutinely blew up. Arabs murdered 1,137 Israelis during the Second Intifada. Hamas War (2023) October 7, 2023, will forever be engraved on the hearts of the Jewish people. That was when Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip invaded Israel and murdered, raped, mutilated, immolated, andbeheaded more than 1,200 of the most vulnerable Israelis. In a well-coordinated attack two years in the planning, Hamas infiltrated Israel by land, sea, and air. Some terrorists paraglided into an outdoor music festival being held in the Negev Desert,where they slaughtered more than 360 young people and took at least 40 hostages. Throughout the day, Hamas launched thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel and took some 240 hostages, 32 of them children, the youngest only 9 months old. Not since the Holocaust haveso many Jewish people been killed in a single day. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the nation, “Citizens of Israel, we are at war. Not an operation, not a round [of fighting], at war!” That war meant a ground invasion of Gaza. Unlike any other country, Israel warns its enemies that it’s about to strike and urges civilians to seek safety. It urged the Palestinians to fleeto the southern part of the Gaza Strip, while the Jewish state tried to eliminate Hamas. Israel began its ground invasion on October 27. Yet one of the toughest fronts Israel faces is the war in the media. Hamas intentionally hides in densely populated civilian areas, and it built a 300-mile labyrinthine maze of tunnels underthe Gaza Strip. The IDF discovered that Hamas’s primary base of operations was underneath the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Hamas deliberately uses civilian areas—such as schools, mosques, and hospitals­—as shields, forcing Israel to bomb these sites, so Hamas can claim Israel is committing war crimes against Palestiniancivilians. For Israel, the public-relations battle is as intense as the physical fighting. At the time of this writing, Israel continues to wage war against Hamas. And Hamas joins the millions of others who, for millennia, have tried to destroy the Jewish people. However, despiteall their attempts, including those today, the Jewish people live on. A song frequently sung at Israel solidarity events is “Am Yisrael Chai,” Hebrew for “The people of Israel live.” And they will continue to live because almighty God has decreed it (Jer. 31:35–37).And what He has decreed, no one can reverse (Isa. 43:13). -------------------------------- Echoes Of Ezekiel 38 - Turkey Calls for Islamic Alliance Against Israel � PNW Staff - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=7288 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday called on Islamic nations to ally against "the growing threat of expansionism" from Israel. He made the remarks a day after the death of a dual U.S.-Turkish citizen during a protest near Nablus (Shechem) in Samaria. The Israel Defense Forces is investigating allegations that AysenurEzgi Eygi, 26, an activist with the anti-Israel International Solidarity Movement, was shot by Israeli forces. "The only step that will stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry and Israeli state terrorism is the alliance of Islamic countries," Erdoğan said at an Islamic schools' association event nearIstanbul. Erdoğan has become increasingly hostile toward the Jewish state and closer to Hamas since the terror group's Oct. 7 massacre in Israel. The Turkish president and his ruling Justice and DevelopmentParty (AKP), along with Qatar, are state supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas is the Palestinian branch. In his speech, the president claimed that Jerusalem aims to conquer Muslim territory, including Turkey, and quoted claims that Hamas was not only defending Gaza but his country and other Islamiclands. "Israel will not stop at Gaza. After conquering Ramallah, it will want the lands of Syria and Lebanon. They will raise their eyes to our homeland, between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Theystate this openly in every map they show," he said, referring to the "Greater Israel" map displayed by some Israeli leaders. "This is why we say that 'Hamas opposes in the name of the Muslims.' This is why we say that 'Hamas does not only defend Gaza, it defends on the Islamic lands, on Turkey,'" Erdoğan asserted. The Turkish leader went on to state that the latest steps Ankara has taken to improve relations with Egypt and Syria are aimed at "establishing a front of solidarity against the growing threatof expansion" on the part of Israel. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was in Turkey last week for the first presidential-level visit in 12 years amid warming relations between Cairo and Ankara. In July, Erdoğan said thathe was ready to host Syrian President Bashar Assad for talks on renewing relations between the two countries that were severed in 2011 after the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War. Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz criticized the Turkish leader's comments in an X post on Saturday evening, saying that he "continues to throw the Turkish people into the fire of hatredand violence for the sake of his Hamas friends. "Today, he calls on Islamic nations to form an alliance against Israel, claiming 'Israel wants to conquer countries in the region, including Turkey.' This is a dangerous lie and incitement.Israel is defending its borders and citizens from the murderers and rapists of Hamas, and from the Shi'ite axis of evil led by Iran. Erdogan and the Muslim Brotherhood alliance have been working for years alongside Iran to undermine moderate Arab regimes inthe Middle East. Erdogan should be silent and ashamed." This is not the first time Erdogan has spewed such rhetoric about intervening in Israel. Last year at this time the Turkish leader delivered a speech at an anti-Israel rally in which he toldattendees that Israel was responsible for war crimes and framed Hamas as "freedom fighters." He then went further to suggest that Turkey may need to intervene in Gaza, saying Turkey can "come at any night unexpectedly," to an ecstatic reception from the hundreds of thousands of attendeeswho chanted in response: 'Turkish military to Gaza.' Some experts warn that Erdogan is trying to appear as the champion of Islam, much like Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989. As such, Turkey has emerged as one of the primary antagonists of Israelin the Middle East over the past few decades. Historically, Turkey has been an ally of Israel and the U.S., and one of the more "moderate" Muslim nations in the world, with a Western-style democracy. Both of those concepts appear to havebeen thrown to the wind in recent years. Turkey's friendlier posture towards Israel began to shift in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At this time, Islamic factions in Turkey gained a firmer foothold in Turkish politics, eventuallyleading to the election of now-President Erdogan to the Prime Minister's office in 2002. Erdogan is a fundamentalist Sunni Muslim through and through. He disdains democracy. One of his primary goals is to re-establish Turkey as the leader of a revived Ottoman Islamic Empire. Sincecoming to power, Erdogan has systematically silenced, jailed, or executed most of his opponents in the military, media, business sector, and academia. The rise of Turkey as a global power and its hostility towards Israel aligns with certain key Bible prophecies related to what will take place in the Middle East before the return of Jesus.In Ezekiel 38-39, Ezekiel specifically predicted that Turkey would become one of the primary geopolitical enemies of Israel in the last days, along with Russia and Iran. There have been several meetings of the leaders of Russia, Iran, and Turkey over the past few years as they draw closer into an alliance. While Turkey is still part of NATO, it has all butgiven up its push to become part of the European Union after decades of failure to be accepted. If Turkey were to become involved in a conflict with Israel, it would put the United States and NATO in a difficult position of supporting Israel while one of its own members attacks the state. Erdogan knows that going after Israel gets him votes and makes him popular in the Muslim world. While Erdogan may be all words at this point, the expected shift of world opinion against Israel, especially in the Muslim world, will continue to gain momentum. Ezekiel warns that this invading coalition, referred to as the Gog/Magog Coalition, is brought into the region with a 'hook in the jaw,' implying that there are some underlying circumstancesthat will force them into the region, almost against their will. Much of the speculation over the years has been that it would be Israeli oil discoveries or natural gas that would lure them, or even a retaliatory strike after Israel takes out Iran's nuclearprogram. The Gaza invasion and worldwide opposition could soon provide that hook that forces this coalition to march. An expanded war including Hezbollah could draw in Iran and eventually their ally Russia. Just as Ezekiel warned us 2,600 years ago. -------------------------------------