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Israeli News

Here are some stories from or about Israel that I feel may have prophetic significance. It is for each of you to read and pray about these things. Learn more about Israel here.

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• Journalist: Brace for guerilla warfare in Golan (December 31, 2006) - Israel's poor performance against Hizbullah last summer boosted support for President Bashar Assad 's popularity among the Syrian people who are ready for confrontation with Israel, a senior Syrian journalist told Ynet. "There is no doubt that the Lebanon war and the Israeli defeat are a source of encouragement, and also a source for recruiting the Syrian people who see itself as a pioneer and example to other Arab people. It is looking at how the Lebanese defeated and expelled the Israelis from their land while its land remains occupied. "The Syrian people understood the possibility that a war will break out, even at the price Damascus and Syrian cities being bombarded," a senior Syrian journalist told Ynet. His words reflect the Syrian regime's mood as Israel continues to shun Syrian peace overtures. Assad has been signaling willingness to talk peace with the Jewish state, but on the other hand, the journalist says, "The principle is that so long we haven't freed our land in a peaceful path, we are entitled to do so militarily. The Syrian people in the occupied Golan Heights have the right to return to their homeland." He said that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's ruling out of talks with Syria is a sign that, "Israelis are not serious about talks with Syria … one time they demand that Syria sever its ties with Israel, another time to sever ties with Hizbullah – and another time with Hamas. All this show that the Israelis look for excuses in order not to deal with the real issue – fully withdrawing from the Golan Heights." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Iran: Mahdi will defeat archenemy in Jerusalem  (December 31, 2006) - A triumphal religious prophecy has appeared on an Iranian official state media website, heralding the return of the Shiite messiah. According to the website, "Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) will appear all of a sudden on the world scene with a voice from the skies announcing his reappearance at the holy Ka'ba in Mecca." The Islamic Republic of Iran broadcasting (IRIB) website said in a program called 'The World Towards Illumination,' that the Mahdi will reappear in Mecca and form an army to defeat Islam's enemies in a series of apocalyptic battles, in which the Mahdi will overcome his archvillain in Jerusalem. The series has been regularly updated throughout November and December. "The Mahdi's far sightedness and firmness in the face of mischievous elements will strike awe. After his uprising from Mecca all of Arabia will be submit to him and then other parts of the world as he marches upon Iraq and established his seat of global government in the city of Kufa. “Then the Imam will send 10 thousand of his forces to the east and west to uproot the oppressors. At this time God will facilitate things for him and lands will come under his control one after the other," the website declared. "After his appearance the Imam would remain in Mecca for some time, and then go to Medina... a descendant of the Prophet's archenemy Abu Sofyan will seize Syria and attack Iraq and the Hejaz with the ferocity of a beast… finally Imam Mahdi sends troops who kill the Sofyani in Beit ol-Moqaddas (Jerusalem), the Islamic holy city in Palestine that is currently under occupation of the Zionists," the IRIB added. more... | Iran | Israel | Islam |
• US Pollster Blames Jewish State for Bethlehem’s Ills (December 29, 2007) - A widely publicized report by a Washington-based pollster blames Israel’s separation barrier for Bethlehem’s ills, though the city’s problems began well before the wall was even conceived. Zogby International stated in its findings that Bethlehem “has been fast losing its indigenous Christian population since the construction of the Israeli wall plunged Bethlehem into economic crisis.” The poll was commissioned by Open Bethlehem, a private non-profit organization run by John Zogby, brother of the man who founded the powerful Arab–American Institute lobby. Both are the sons of Lebanese Catholics. The organization, which is campaigning to make Bethlehem an international city, is backed by Catholics, former US president Jimmy Carter, and Arabs. Zogby wrote that US Christians “are likely to be shocked by the discovery that seven out of ten Christians in Bethlehem believe Israel treats the town’s Christian heritage with brutality or indifference.” Most major news services have disseminated the poll without noting the historical discrepancies and omission of recent events, particularly Muslim violence against Christians and the fleeing of Christians since the Palestinian Authority [PA] took control of the area. In 1948, Christians comprised some 90% of the city’s population. Dropping steadily over the years, the Christian population still stood at 60% in 1990, at the beginning of the first intifada. The exodus of Christians increased sharply after the PA took control of the city in 1995, when former PA chairman Yasser Arafat changed the city’s borders to include an additional 30,000 Muslims. In today’s Bethlehem, Muslims outnumber Christians 6–1. The Zogby poll summary does not discuss this historical backdrop. It instead quotes several remaining Christians about alleged oppression, ignoring Muslim harassment and even suggesting that it does not exist. It is equally significant that the Zogby poll makes no mention of the most recent anti-Christian crusades carried out against the population by their Muslim neighbors. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Olmert Recognizes PA Flag (December 29, 2006) - For the first time in the history of the State of Israel, the red, black, green and white flag of the Palestinian Authority stood next to the official state flag of Israel bearing the blue Jewish Star flanked by two stripes on its field of white, last Saturday Night. It was the first of several surprises. The meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas came days earlier than expected, with government spokesmen saying security concerns had advanced the meeting and delayed the announcement. Several agreements were ironed out within that first meeting. These included the release of $100 million in frozen tax money for the PA, loosening of travel restrictions on PA Arabs in Judea and Samaria and increasing the number of permits for them to work inside Israel's pre-1967 borders. In addition to the usual smiling photo ops, both men seemed intent on creating a message of unity, warmth and formal diplomacy. The Jewish Prime Minister addressed Abu Mazen – Abbas’s nom de guerre – as “Mr. President.” Until now, Abbas has been referred to as the PA Chairman. With that appellation and a kiss on each cheek, Olmert launched a new era of diplomatic relations for the PA leader, prompting the New York-based Jewish Daily Forward to comment that it appeared to be a meeting of two heads of state. more... | Israel | Islam | Way to make them feel confirmed Olmert. It wasn't even until Israel became a nation that anyone wanted the desolate area. Then as prophesied, the desert bloomed for Israel. Ezekiel 36 Then all of a sudden the Muslim nations rose up against Israel. Now they claim it was their land. Meanwhile, they destroy any artifacts under the Temple Mount that could validate the Jewish origins there so they can re-write history and get rid of the Jews. They hate them with a satanic hatred. It will only get stronger until Christ returns and wipes them out. Bottom line is that the land is in the hands of who God wants to have it and who both politically and militarily own it. For the first time in history I'm aware of, the world is trying to force a nation to give back land won in a war. The land was given to them originally by God thousands of years ago and more recently after the holocaust. More info here.
• 'Israeli weapons transfer to be used against Jews' (December 28, 2006) - Weapons transferred yesterday with the help of Israel to militants from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party will be used in attacks against the Jewish state, a senior Fatah militant told WND. Also, a leader of the Popular Resistance Committees, a major Palestinian terror group suspected of attacks against U.S. Middle East targets, told WND his organization has infiltrated Fatah and likely will obtain some of the new arms. According to reports here, Egypt yesterday transferred 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 20,000 magazines and two million rounds of ammunition to Fatah security organizations in the Gaza Strip to bolster the groups in clashes against rival Hamas factions. Hamas and Fatah have engaged in heavy firefights since Abbas earlier this month called for new Palestinian elections in a move widely seen as an attempt to dismantle the Hamas-led PA. The Egyptian weapons were delivered yesterday with the help of the Israeli Defense Forces and with authorization from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, according to Israel's Haaretz daily newspaper. Israeli and Palestinian security officials confirmed the Egyptian weapons shipments to WND. According to the officials, four trucks filled with Egyptian weapons were transferred into Israel through a major border crossing in coordination with the IDF. The Israeli army then escorted the arms to a Gaza Strip checkpoint, where they were received by PA security personnel affiliated with Mahmoud Dahlan, a Fatah strongman in Gaza. Israel's Defense Ministry said Olmert approved the Egyptian weapons shipment to bolster peace in the region. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Well duh!!! I can't believe they're giving arms to Muslims intent on taking their land in order to "bolster peace in the region." Giving weapons to Muslims thirsty for Jewish blood is always a great way to bolster peace. Are they completely blind? Yes. God has blinded them. Romans 11:8 Apparently beyond just understanding God's plan for them. Their blindness has extended to eliminate any common sense too. They're giving the guns to the people who will kill 2/3 of them immediately following the abomination of desolation.
• Olmert: Assad up to His Neck in Terror Activity (December 27, 2007) -  Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told European Union and other ambassadors Wednesday [December 27] that “Israel is certainly interested in conducting negotiations for peace with Syria,” but added that Damascus’ actions indicate that its peace overtures are “not serious.” The prime minister added that Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime supports Hizbullah, destabilizes Lebanon, protects Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders, and maintains close ties with Iran, which calls for Israel’s destruction. Olmert said that there is no reason for Israel to give up on its principles when the Syrian president is “up to his neck in terror-supporting activity.” Turning his attention to the Palestinians, the prime minister told the ambassadors that the international community supports the implementation of the Road Map and the Quartet’s guidelines. “These guidelines obligate the Palestinians to execute their commitment, denounce terror, and fight it–as a basic condition for negotiations,” he said. “These guidelines must be upheld.” Olmert also updated the ambassadors on Israel’s gestures aimed at strengthening moderate Palestinian Authority elements. | Israel | Islam |
• IDF: Hizbullah almost at full strength (December 21, 2006) - Predicting that it is "just a matter of time" before Hizbullah attacks Israel, a high-ranking officer from the Northern Command revealed to The Jerusalem Post Wednesday that the Lebanese guerrilla group had nearly returned to full strength and was almost at the level it was before this summer's Lebanon war. Syria, the officer said, had used the past four months since the end of the war to transfer - sometimes on a daily basis - truckloads of advanced rockets and weaponry to Hizbullah in Lebanon. The weapon transfers, he said, were not even executed covertly, but were conducted "out in the open" for the entire world to see. "Hizbullah needs to legitimize its existence, and therefore will continue to fight," said the officer, adding that if and when Hizbullah attacked, it would be up to the country's diplomatic echelon to determine Israel's response. The IDF, the officer said, was busy training brigades and battalions in urban warfare centers in the North and the South in preparation for the possibility that a new round of violence would erupt. The officer said that while there was no clear intelligence indicating that war was on the horizon, the possibility of one was the "working assumption" for the Northern Command. "We have a wide arsenal of potential responses," said the officer. "From another Operation Change of Direction [name of the IDF operation during the Lebanon war] to limiting a response to shooting the guerrilla who attacks." The Navy has also been training for another war and on Tuesday night conducted a number of simulations during a visit by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz to one of its missile ships. The officer said that while it was possible that Hizbullah would attack Israel in the near future, it was also possible that Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's government would succeed in enforcing both order in Lebanon and UN Security Council Resolution 1701. "If the Lebanese government does not implement the resolution then we are most probably on our way to another round with Hizbullah," he said. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Iran's oil revenue running dry, Iran's economic woes could make the country unstable (December 25, 2006) - Iran is suffering a staggering decline in revenue from its oil exports, and if the trend continues income could virtually disappear by 2015, according to an analysis published this week in a journal of the National Academy of Sciences. Iran's economic woes could make the country unstable and vulnerable, with its oil industry crippled, Roger Stern, an economic geographer at Johns Hopkins University, said in the report and in an interview. Iran earns about $50-billion (U.S.) a year in oil exports. The decline is estimated at 10 to 12 per cent annually. In less than five years exports could be halved and then disappear by 2015, Mr. Stern predicted. For two decades, far longer than its designation by U.S. President George W. Bush in January 2002 as part of the “axis of evil,” the United States has deployed military forces in the region in a strategy to pre-empt emergence of a regional superpower. Iraq was stopped in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, but a hostile Iran remains a target of U.S. threats. The U.S. military exercises have not stopped Iran's drive. But the report said the country could be destabilized by declining oil exports, hostility to foreign investment to develop new oil resources and poor state planning, Mr. Stern said. Mr. Stern's analysis, which appears in this week's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, supports U.S. and European suspicions that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons in violation of international understandings. But, Mr. Stern says, there could be merit to Iran's assertion that it needs nuclear power for civilian purposes “as badly as it claims.” He said oil production is declining and both gas and oil are being sold domestically at highly subsidized rates. At the same time, Iran is neglecting to reinvest in its oil production. “With an explosive demand at home and poor management, the appeal of nuclear power, financed by Russia, could fill a real need for production of more electricity.” more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Given Ahmadinejad's belief that the end of times and Muslim domination of the world is at hand, is he thinking about the future of their country as a distinct nation and trying to preserve it, or is he utilizing all his resources now to advance the cause of Islam across the world and wipe out Israel? You be the judge, but an unstable Islamic nation bent on world domination while pursuing nuclear technology and chanting "death to Israel" and "death to the USA" while promising to "wipe Israel off the map" catches my attention. Especially in light of Bible prophecy which states that Persia will be part of the coalition that attempts to destroy Israel. God will stop them for now though. It will be interesting to see it come together. Keep watching!
• Syrian guerrillas 'to launch resistance within months' (December 11, 2006) - Baath official tells WND new militant organization ready to attack if Israel doesn't vacate strategic land. If Israel does not vacate the Golan Heights within months, a guerrilla organization allegedly formed in Syria will soon launch "resistance operations" against Israeli positions and Jewish communities in the Golan, an official from Syrian President Bashar Assad's Baath party told WND in an exclusive interview. "If in the coming months an agreement is not forged between Israel and Syria [for an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan], the Committees will begin attacks," said the official, who spoke on condition his name be withheld during an in-person interview with WND and with the G. Gordon Liddy national radio show. The official was referring to the Committees for the Liberation of the Golan Heights, a Hezbollah-like guerrilla organization Baath party sources claim was formed in Syria to attack Israeli positions in the Golan. The Baath official told WND Syria learned from Hezbollah's military campaign against Israel that "fighting" is more effective than peace negotiations with regard to gaining territory. Hezbollah claims its goal is to liberate the Shebaa Farms, a small, 12-square-mile bloc situated between Syria, Lebanon and Israel. The cease-fire resolution accepted by Israel to end its military campaign in Lebanon this past summer calls for negotiations leading to Israel's relinquishing of the Shebaa Farms. The Baath official told WND Syria's new Committees for the Liberation of the Golan Heights was formed this past June and that the group consists of Syrian volunteers, many from the Syrian border with Turkey and from Palestinian refugee camps near Damascus. He said Syria held registration for volunteers to join the Committees in June. The official said attacks by the Committees may include the infiltration of Jewish communities in the Golan, rocket attacks against Israeli positions or raids of Golan-based Israeli military installations. He said all attacks would be launched from the Syrian side of the border. The Golan Heights is strategic mountainous territory captured by the Jewish state after Syria used the terrain to attack Israel in 1967 and again in 1973. The Heights looks down on major Syrian and Israeli population centers, but there are a few areas where the Israeli and Syrian sides are level. Military officials here long have maintained returning the Golan Heights to Syria would grant Damascus the ability to mount an effective ground invasion of the Jewish state. The Heights has a population of about 35,000 – approximately 18,000 Jewish residents and 17,000 Arabs, mostly Druze. The Arab residents retain their Syrian citizenship, but under Israeli law they can also sue for Israeli citizenship. About a dozen officials from Assad's Baath party live and operate in the Golan. WND first reported in June on the alleged formation of the Front for the Liberation of the Golan. One month later, a man identified as the leader of the Front gave an interview to state-run Iranian television. Israel is taking the information seriously. Amos Yadlin, head of the IDF's intelligence branch, told the Knesset in October that Syria is indeed in the early stages of forming a Hezbollah-like group.  more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Would Israel attack Syria preemptively if they believe this will happen or because it begins to happen? If so, we may see Isaiah 17 soon. They've threatened to before.
• Modern day Gog and Magog (December 10, 2006) - Similarities between Ezekiel's prophecies, today's Mideast reality uncanny. Current world events are beginning to increasingly resemble the 2,500 year old bible prophecy made by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Ezekiel foresaw the rise of Russia (or Turkey, depending on the interpretation) in a coalition with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries (Sudan, Ethiopia and Libya). The coalition is foretold to attack Israel from the north in a bid to destroy it during the earth's "last days," commonly known as the "war of Gog and Magog." Throughout history it was thought that the prophecy had been put on hold, until perhaps today when it seems frighteningly more feasible. In Joel C. Rosenberg's book "The Ezekiel Option," the author points to Ezekiel's prophecies in chapters 36-37, which have largely come true. Rosenberg then asks the obvious question: If prophecies such as "the rebirth of the State of Israel, the return of the Jews to the Holy Land after centuries in exile, the re-blossoming of desolate desert land to produce abundant food, fruit and foliage, and the creation of an exceedingly great army" materialized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, then why shouldn't the next prophecies come true in our lifetime?  more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Keep watching!
• U.S. And U.K. Leaders Agree On Two-State Solution (December 8, 2006) - United States President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair told reporters in a joint news conference Thursday that they are both committed to a Palestinian state next to Israel. Both leaders agreed that the two-state solution is in the best interests of both Israelis and PA Arabs, they said. One obstacle to that goal, said Bush, is achieving a PA unity government that would be willing to meet the Quartet (U.S., Russia, European Union and United Nations) demands. Those demands include official recognition of the State of Israel, renouncing violence and agreeing to uphold peace agreements with Israel signed by the prior PA administration. Hamas, which now leads the Palestinian Authority, rejects these points. The second obstacle, said Bush, is reaching a successful conclusion to the negotiations over a prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas in order to free IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit. The soldier was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists or their allies in a cross-border raid in June. | Israel | Islam | America | Don't expect America's hedge of protection to stand much longer at this rate. Read Koenig's book, Eye To Eye, where he goes over some history of political events coinciding with hurricanes Andrew and Katrina to the day. Zechariah 12:2,3 "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."
• Haniyeh Vows To Never Recognize Israel (December 8, 2006) - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed on Friday that his Hamas-led government will never recognize Israel and will continue to fight for the liberation of Jerusalem. "The world arrogance (US) and Zionists... want us to recognize the usurpation of the Palestinian lands and stop jihad and resistance and accept the agreements reached with the Zionist enemies in the past," Haniyeh told thousands of Friday prayer worshippers in a speech at Tehran University. The United States is pressing the Hamas-led Palestinian government to recognize Israel, renounce violence and form a national unity government with the moderate Fatah party in a bid to revive the peace process with Israel. "I'm insisting from this podium that these issues won't materialize. We will never recognize the usurper Zionist government and will continue our jihad-like movement until the liberation of Jerusalem," he said. Haniyeh arrived in the Iranian capital on Thursday for a four-day visit for talks with Iranian leaders including hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." The Palestinian prime minister is on his first tour abroad since his Hamas-led government took office in March. more... | Israel | Islam | Maybe we should believe them?!!! Look at the story above. They are fighting for something the other side doesn't want. The other side wants no Israel, not half of Israel. Their whole claim to the land is a false claim proven by historical documents that show it wasn't until Israel became a nation that Islam got up in arms and tried to wipe them out and move in (sometimes by pushing their own people) to usurp their land. And on top of that, at no time in history has any nation been forced to give up land won in a war like Israel is. But the world blindly appeases those that yell the loudest and can harm them the most. Out of fear the whole world believes simply because it is yelled the loudest and longest. I guess Hitler was right. Evil is very intelligent, and the master of evil desires humanities souls. Pray for the Muslims because they are in the thick of his deceptions and very strongly blinded to reality through brainwashing at very young ages to fulfill the Koran's stated goal of Islamic world domination at any price.
• Nasrallah: Weapons Aimed At Israel Only (December 8, 2006) - Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday said that his organization's weapons would be used against Israel, and Israel only. In a speech made to thousands of supporters in central Beirut - his strongest-ever attack on the government - Nasrallah vowed to bring down the Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. "We will not lift our weapons in the face of anyone. We don't need weapons to defeat you," Nasrallah said, adding that Hizbullah would use its arms only against Israelis. "We will defeat you with our voices," he said. He accused Saniora of conniving with Israel during the recent war, alleging he ordered Lebanese soldiers to seize weapons being delivered to Hizbullah guerrillas. "Didn't the prime minister of Lebanon work to cut off the supply lines?" Nasrallah said. He said members of the government, whom he would not name, had asked American envoys to get Israel to destroy Hizbullah. "Those are the ones responsible for the war, not the resistance," Nasrallah said. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Dore Gold: Israel must prepare for different reality (December 7, 2006) - Will Baker-Hamilton report change US view of Israel? Former UN ambassador says 'willingness of report's author to talk to Iran, Syria is a very alarming development'. Maj. Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan: Israel shouldn't worry about report but rather lack of leadership and vision. The Baker-Hamilton report  handed over to US President George W. Bush on Wednesday is being considered with the utmost severity in America. The majority of the report deals with Iraq, but a significant portion addresses the Israel-Arab conflict, which the report sees as the heart of the Mideast unrest. So how will the report affect Israel? Former UN Ambassador Dore Gold says, "Israel will have to prepare for completely different reality." Maj. Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan states that "the report shouldn't worry Israel. What should worry Israel is a lack of leadership and vision." "The Baker-Hamilton report is indicative of a growing trend in both American parties," said Gold. "This approach sides with a US withdrawal from Iraq . Within two years American presence in Iraq will be minimal. "Another thing, and this is more important, the very willingness of the reports' author to start a dialogue both Iran and with Syria , is an alarming development. It's alarming because the United States isn't requiring any preliminary conditions for this dialogue, and there is no mention of the Iranian nuclear program which continues to advance. "The recommendation in this report, to talk to Syria and Iran despite the fact that they're responsible for the growing instability in Iraq, will only encourage them to continue employing their policies." Gold says that "the report proves that Israel has been unsuccessful in conveying a clear message to the US elite regarding the Iranian threat. How can the United Stated see Iran as a stabilizing force in Iraq when Iran is funding and supplying arms to terror factions, both in Iraq and in Lebanon." Gold said that things will change both in short and long terms. more... | Iran | Israel | Islam | America |
• Olmert: No negotiations with Syria any time soon (December 7, 2006) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert referred Thursday to the Baker-Hamilton report, which called for an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, and said, "We have a different opinion, and to the best of my knowledge President Bush also has a different opinion on the matter." Olmert said he objected to its attempt to create a connection between the Iraqi issue and the issue of the Middle East. According to him, as far as he knew, Bush also did not agree with the committees report. Speaking at the Editors' Conference in Tel Aviv, Olmert added: "I don't know what the president decides to do with the report, I can only say that the views I've heard from the president and senior administration officials on the Syrian issue were that they did not see a possibility for an American-Syrian negotiation or an Israeli-Syrian negotiation. I count on his judgment and responsibility." The PM mentioned that at least two Israeli prime ministers had advocated partial or complete withdrawal from the Golan Heights in the past. However, he said that "in my view, Syria's subversive operations, its support for Hamas – which may be what's preventing real negotiations with the Palestinians – do not give nuch hope for negotiations with Syria any time soon." "The question what we'll give to the Syrians interests me less than the question what they'll give to us," he stated. In response to whether he agreed with estimates that there would be a war with Syria in the coming summer, Olmert said that he did not think Syria was interested in any military action, and added that Israel felt the same way. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Initiative – Middle East Peace Conference without Israel (December 7, 2006) - According to Thursday's issue of the conservative Washington Times' Insight magazine, the White House was looking into proposal by former Secretary of State James Baker to hold a Middle East peace conference without Israel. According to the report, the United States government was going to consider the possibility of having a second Madrid Conference in which Arab states would participate, including Syria and Iran , but with without Israel being invited to participate. As reported by the magazine, officials said the conference would be promoted as a forum to discuss Iraq's future, but actually focus on Arab demands for Israel to withdraw from territories captured in the 1967 war. A source in the US government was quoted in the report as saying, "As Baker sees this, the conference would provide a unique opportunity for the US to strike a deal without Jewish pressure. This has become the hottest proposal examined by the foreign policy people over the last month." Other sources in the government told the magazine that the proposal was supported by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Under Secretary of Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, and National Intelligence Director John Negroponte. Also, government sources were quoted as saying Baker's proposal to exclude Israel from a regional peace conference was receiving a lot of support due to Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to Saudi Arabia last November, during which sources in the country made it clear that Israel, and not Iran, was the cause of instability in the Middle East. A US government source claimed that Cheney's original goal of the trip – to enlist Saudi Arabia's support in Iraq - was never even discussed. In addition, the source said that instead, the Saudi's demanding an initiative to end Israel's attacks on Gaza and Cheney merely agreed. more... | Israel | Islam | America | Is America signing her own death warrant? There seems to be a distinct shift happening away from Israel. America is not in prophecy either because she is irrelevant or she has integrated into the world governance and is indistinguishable from it. Either way, for the believer, this is a sign of the times and just how close we are getting to our Lord's return. Keep watching!
• Baker Report Demands Israel Give Away Golan Heights (December 7, 2006) - The comprehensive report, which primarily addresses the situation in Iraq, was prepared by Baker and a former Democratic congressman, Lee Hamilton. It states that if the United States does not take a more leading role in the Mideast Israel-Arab conflict, there is no hope of America achieving its goals in the region. According to former Israeli UN Ambassador Dr. Dore Gold, the report indicates that American involvement in Iraq will diminish in the coming two years. He called the American demand that Israel retreat from the Golan Heights "worrisome." Speaking with reporters today, Olmert implied that he would be willing to withdraw from the Golan - but that Syria is not interested in peace. He said that previous Prime Ministers - he mentioned Barak, Netanyahu, and Sharon - were willing to consider such withdrawals, but that the question "is not whether Israel would be willing to withdraw, but what Syria would give in return when and if we enter into negotiations with them." Olmert said that negotiations with Syria are currently not on the agenda because of "Syria's undercutting behavior and its support for Hamas." Asked specifically about the Baker-Hamilton report, Olmert said that Israel objects to any linkage between the Iraqi problem and Israel. Appearing unruffled by the report, Olmert said that he believes that President Bush does not agree with its conclusions. The Baker-Hamilton report calls for a peace conference mimicking the Madrid model - a regional summit that would be aimed at solving the conflict between Israel, the PA (Palestinian Authority), Syria and Lebanon. In addition to an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan, the report calls upon Israel to recognize the establishment of a Palestinian state. The report demands that Syria halt its interference in Lebanon’s affairs, as well as cease its pro-terrorist policies on behalf of ongoing Hizbullah anti-Israel operations in southern Lebanon. It calls on Israel to withdraw from the Golan in exchange for a comprehensive peace treaty with Damascus that would enjoy American backing. The authors say that the U.S. would provide security guarantees and an offer of troops in the Golan to help compensate Israel for the loss of the strategically vital area. more... | Israel | Islam | America | If America participates in dividing Israel, watch out as any protection we currently have will be removed. Genesis 12:1-3
• Terrorists rejoicing over new Iraq 'plan' (December 6, 2006) - Reaction to Study Group: 'Allah and his angels' responsible, 'era of Islam and of jihad' declared A high level U.S. commission's recommendations for an eventual withdrawal from Iraq and for dialogue with Iran and Syria proves "Islamic resistance" works and America will ultimately be defeated, according to senior terrorist leaders interviewed by WND. The militants, from the largest Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, welcomed the policies outlined by the Iraq Study Group, which they claim recognizes Islam is the "new giant of the world." The group is led by former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker. "The report proves that this is the era of Islam and of jihad," said Abu Ayman, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad in the northern West Bank town of Jenin. The Islamic Jihad terror group is responsible for every suicide bombing in Israel during the past two years. "[With the Iraq Study Group report], the Americans came to the conclusion that Islam is the new giant of the world and it would be clever to reduce hostilities with this giant. In the Quran the principle of the rotation is clear and according to this principle the end of the Americans and of all non-believers is getting closer," Abu Ayman said. According to Abu Abdullah, a senior leader of Hamas' so-called military wing, Baker's report is a victory for Islam brought about by "Allah and his angels." "It is not just a simple victory. It is a great one. The big superpower of the world is defeated by a small group of mujahedeen (fighters). Did you see the mujahedeens' clothes and weapons in comparison with the huge individual military arsenal and supply that was carrying every American soldier?" exclaimed Abu Abdullah, who is considered one of the most important operational members of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades, Hamas' declared "resistance" department. "It is no doubt that Allah and his angels were fighting with them (insurgents) against the Americans. It is a sign to all those who keep saying that America, Israel and the West in general cannot be defeated on the ground so let us negotiate with them," Abu Abdullah said. Abu Abdullah said following a withdrawal from Iraq, the U.S. will be defeated on its own soil. "America must understand that with anti-American governments in Latin America and with Islam growing and reinforcing, including in the U.S. itself, the next step would be a total defeat on their (American) land, not a relative one like they are facing in Iraq," he said. Abu Nasser, the second-in-command of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group in the West Bank, called the Iraq Study Group report a "great victory" from which other jihadist organizations can learn. "The Iraqi victory is a great message and lesson to the revolutionary and freedom movements in the world. Just to think that this resistance is led by hundreds of Sunni fighters who defeated hundreds of thousands of Americans, British and thousands of soldiers who belong to the puppet regime in Baghdad. What would be the situation if the Shiites will decide to join the resistance?" commented Abu Nasser. The Al Aqsa leader said his group learned from the "Iraqi resistance" that jihad will ultimately destroy Israel. The Al Aqsa Brigades is the declared "military wing" of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. "If Israel will not start negotiating its withdrawal we are ready to launch the new stage of the intifada," Abu Nasser said. Islamic Jihad's Abu Ayman said after the U.S. "defeat" in Iraq is finalized, insurgents there should move to the West Bank and Gaza to help destroy Israel. "We hope that after chasing the occupation from Iraq, these jihad efforts and experiences will be transferred to Palestine, and yes, I mean that we expect these fighters will come to Palestine as part of a big Islamic army." See Ezekiel 38,39. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America |
• Rabbis Urge Israelis To Revolt Against Government (December 6, 2006) - A group of prominent rabbinic leaders in Israel and abroad yesterday issued a call for Israeli citizens to launch a democratic uprising to bring down the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. "Out of love for each and every Jew, we call on the people of Israel and its leaders to begin a democratic uprising to immediately replace this government, which constitutes an ominous threat to the nation of Israel," the Rabbinical Congress for Peace, a coalition of over 1,200 rabbinic leaders and pulpit rabbis, said in a statement. Among the Rabbinical Congress members who signed the statement were Mordechai Eliyahu and Abraham Shapira – both of whom served as chief rabbis for the state of Israel – and Rabbi Meir Mazuz, head of the Tunisian Jewish community in Israel and one of the country's most well-respected rabbis. The rabbis were responding to a national address last week commemorating the death of Israel's founder and first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, in which Olmert stated he is willing to give up most of the West Bank in exchange for "real peace." During the speech, Olmert called for immediate negotiations with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Olmert said he would release "many, many" Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal. The Rabbinical Congress for Peace labeled Olmert's national address a "crime." "In his deplorable speech, Olmert in essence announced a 'liquidation sale' and collective suicide of the people in Israel including the release of thousands of the most dangerous terrorists from Israeli jails. Israeli citizens must launch a democratic uprising and protest to bring down the government immediately," the rabbis said in a statement. more... | Israel | I think once the Gog/Magog invasion happens, the majority or at least a lot of Israelis will be this fervent in their religion. If God saved you with fire and brimstone from heaven as prophesied, would you wake up to the fact that the Bible is real and so is their national identity connected with God and their ancestors? I don't think the liberal Jews see the world that way now, but perhaps after they see God save their collective butts there will be stronger calls from Israel to rebuild the temple and that will be obliged. Then, a few years later, the man of sin will stand in the Holy of Holies and declare himself to be god.
• Strengthening the European Neighbourhood Policy - Foreshadowing of the covenant with many? Prophecy News Watch (December 6, 2006) - The European Commission today tabled proposals on new ways to strengthen the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The first 18 months of implementation of the ENP have shown good results. The new position paper aims to increase the impact of the policy, by proposing ways to help partners willing to reform to do so faster and better, and provide incentives to convince those who are still hesitant. The new proposals are accompanied by progress reports on Israel, Jordan, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia, Ukraine and West Bank and Gaza Strip which started to implement their ENP Action Plans in 2005. The Communication will feed into work during the incoming German Presidency in the first half of 2007. European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner said: "I believe that our Neighbourhood Policy is bringing real benefits to Israel and today we are offering to the country even more attractive incentives. They will bring the Policy into sharper focus, concentrating on key areas of mutual interest like people to people contacts, deepening economic and trade relations and stronger co operation on energy and transport. The Neighbourhood Policy has made a positive start, but the EU can do much more. We must rise to the challenge of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity of our neighbours." Today's progress report on Israel takes stock of achievements since the Action Plan was formally adopted in April 2005. Implementing the Action Plan has better defined the path and framework of EU-Israel relations while deepening and strengthening co-operation in a wide spectrum of areas. EU-Israel cooperation has developed in the areas of political dialogue, anti-terrorism, promotion of trade and investment, justice and security, science and technology including space cooperation, as well as higher education. Furthermore technical workshops have been organised on a large number of specific subjects relating, for example, to preventing terrorist financing, promoting judicial and police cooperation, protecting the environment, and combating racism/xenophobia/anti-semitism. From 2007-13 the budget foreseen for the countries of the ENP is €12 billion, 32% more in real terms than in the last budget period. To maximise the impact and leverage of this EU funding the Commission will propose the creation of:

  • A Neighbourhood Investment Fund, to which Member States will also be invited to contribute, which would be used to leverage additional lending from the European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other development banks. The contribution from the Community Budget would be €700 million. It is estimated that this fund could encourage lending of several times the amount of grant funding. If Member States were to match the EC contribution, the Fund could generate a considerable amount of concessional lending.
  • €300 million will also be set aside for a Governance Facility, to provide additional support on top of normal country allocations to acknowledge and support the work of partner countries who have made most progress in implementing their Action Plans.

  Today's Communication also proposes:

  • A clear perspective for all ENP partners, eastern as well as southern, of deep economic and trade integration with the EU, going beyond free trade in goods and services to address non-tariff barriers and achieving comprehensive regulatory convergence.
  • Substantially improved visa procedures for certain types of visitors.
  • Ad hoc or regular ministerial and expert level meetings with ENP partners on subjects like energy, transport, the environment and public health. This multilateral approach can usefully complement the bilateral work on which the ENP is based.
  • Strengthened political co operation, more systematic association of ENP partners with EU initiatives (foreign policy declarations, positions in international fora as well as participation in key programmes and EU agencies).
  • A more active role for the EU in conflict-settlement efforts in the region.
  • A strengthened regional approach in the east based on existing Black Sea co operation.

  | Israel | Islam | EU/UN |

• Important Mideast declaration signed at Tampere EU conference (December 6, 2006) - The European Union and Mediterranean countries reached agreement in Tampere on Tuesday on a joint declaration on a number of issues, including the Middle East peace process. The statement confirms that the partners are committed to a just, comprehensive, and sustainable solution in the conflict between Israel and the Arabs. The text was accepted unanimously, although Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said that lengthy discussion was needed first. In addition to the EU countries, signatories included Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. Signing on behalf of the Palestinians was former cabinet minister Nabil Shaath, who is a close advisor of President Mahmoud Abbas. The declaration was approved at the end of the two-day Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (EUROMED). The text on the Middle East was fairly general in its language. Foreign Minister Tuomioja said that it is not intended to substitute any other initiatives and actions that have been taken on behalf of peace. "It nevertheless offers us important political framework for 35 states", Tuomioja noted at the end of the meeting on Tuesday. He praised the discussions held on the Middle East, which began at Monday evening’s working dinner, as "very good and constructive", although they were also time-consuming. Israel and the Palestinians began a cease fire in Gaza on Sunday. In the statements issued in Tampere, the ministers called for revitalised efforts to promote the peace process in the whole Middle East. Both Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mussa and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem of Israel’s arch-enemy Syria, expressed their support for recent developments. "We hope that the cease fire will be achieved also for the West Bank", Moualem said. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Signs of a move for peace. It will come. It will be shaky, but I think the missiles will stop for a time and the temple will be rebuilt. It will probably only happen after God wipes out the Gog/Magog invasion and the world will be too concerned about going against Israel to keep up what's been happening since Lebanon and before. Keep watching!
• Declassified IDF Photos and Footage Expose Hizbullah Tactics (December 6, 2006) - The IDF has decided to release photos, documents and videos proving Hizbullah's intentional use of civilians to shield its weapons, missile-launchers and surveillance equipment. Photos at link | Israel | Islam | Why do civilians get  caught in the crossfire in Israel? Because they make themselves or the terrorists make them be in the crossfire. Either way, it's set up to prevent attacks or make Israel look bad to the world if the attacks kill civilians. Either way Israel looses ground and that's the whole idea. Wear them down and run them out.
• Follow God Or Vanish, Ahmadinejad Tells West (December 6, 2006) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Western leaders to follow the path of God or "vanish from the face of the earth". "These oppressive countries are angry with us ... a nation that on the other side of the globe has risen up and proved the shallowness of their power," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the northern town of Ramsar, the semi-official news agency Mehr reported Wednesday. "They are angry with our nation. But we tell them 'so be it and die from this anger'. Rest assured that if you do not respond to the divine call, you will die soon and vanish from the face of the earth," he said. The outspoken president also maintained Iran's defiance over its controversial nuclear programme, saying it was on course to fully master nuclear technology. "Thank to God's help, we have gone all the way and are only one step away from the zenith. "We hope to have the big nuclear celebration by the end of the year (March 2007)," Ahmadinejad said, echoing comments he has made on numerous occasions in recent months. A defiant Iran has refused to suspend its uranium enrichment work, a process that the West fears could be extended to make nuclear weapons. Iran however insists its nuclear programme is solely aimed at generating energy. France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Wednesday after a Paris meeting on Tehran's nuclear programme that the UN Security Council is agreed "there will be sanctions" on Iran, though their extent is yet to be decided.| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | How does their achieved victory with nuclear energy equate to crushing their enemies? I thought the developing of nuclear energy was to be for peaceful purposes. It seems to me that he's boasting of how it will help crush their enemies. It sure sounds like he knows something we don't, eh? I wonder what he sees Iran's "zenith" as being? Could it be an attack on Israel?
• Hamas Chief Promises War Even if PA State is Established (December 5, 2006) - Khaled Meshaal, the Damascus-based leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, makes no bones: Either Israel leaves all of Judea, Samaria and Gaza and agrees to the 'right of return' - or war. Meshaal is officially the head of the diplomatic desk of Hamas, but is recognized as the #1 man in the terrorist organization. The target of a failed Israeli assassination attempt a decade ago, Meshaal told a Lebanese newspaper this week that Hamas will not hesitate to resume its armed warfare against Israel. Specifically, he threatened, "If within six months, the international community does not come up with a plan for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders [i.e., on all the land liberated by Israel in the Six Day War - ed.] and for the return of the refugees, the Palestinians will turn to an armed struggle against Israel." "We can have an intifada even when running the Palestinian Authority," Meshaal said, explaining that the ceasefire was not designed to bring peace, but is rather another stage in the war with Israel. "The current calm [cease-fire in Gaza - ed.], just like the escalation [before that], is part of the way we manage the conflict with Israel." Many Israeli military men and analysts have said that Hamas is using the current truce in Gaza to rearm and regroup towards the next round of fighting. Hamas Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniye, visiting in Syria, echoed Meshaal's position in a speech at a refugee camp. He said the Palestinians will not give up on "even one grain of sand of Palestine," and that Syrian President Assad promised him that all the Palestinian [terrorist] prisoners incarcerated in Israel would be freed. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Maybe if Israel gives away more land they'll ease up? That seems to be the solution provided by the world and even Israel's faithless leaders. If they would only turn to God. Well He promised He would protect them from Gog/Magog. Let's hope they come to Him before He allows 2/3 of them to be killed after the abomination of desolation. They are blinded until the fullness of the Gentiles. Romans 11:25-2
• Hizbullah and Hamas Beating the War Drums (December 4, 2006) - By most accounts, the difficulties encountered during the Second Lebanon War will dwarf the next battlefield scenario, with the IDF’s General Staff and Shin Bet warning that Gaza-based terrorists have prepared themselves by importing tons of military grade explosives into Gaza, along with millions of rounds of ammunition, automatic weapons, anti-tank rockets and much more. The right-wing “doomsday prophets” as they were dubbed by the “peace camp” politicians are now sadly sitting back trying to understand how the obvious was and is still ignored. Since the IDF’s unilateral retreat from southern Lebanon in May 2000, Hizbullah has turned itself into a formidable army, backed by Iran and Syria, supplied with many Russian-made advanced weapons. On the southern front, the government’s insistence on carrying out the Disengagement Plan of August 2005 has created a similar scenario. With IDF forces out of Gaza, the Rafiah border crossing to Egypt has served as a conduit for advanced weaponry, permitting Gaza to become a miniature Lebanon. Even after the increase in Kassam rocket fire into the Sderot and western Negev areas, the government refuses to order a major military operation into northern Gaza, giving terrorists even more time to prepare for the next war. Displacing some 10,000 Gazan Jews in the Disengagement, while morally apprehensible to some, was not the worst of the government’s fears with Shin Bet Director Yuval Diskin warning Gazan realities vis-א-vis weapons stockpiles is cause for true concern. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert by intelligence community accounts is permitting terrorists additional time to stockpile arms and prepare for a war by insisting the ceasefire be honored despite the firing of Kassam rockets from Gaza. Olmert is overruling the IDF’s General Staff and the most senior intelligence community officials by insisting the ceasefire be honored while terrorists continue setting up in Gaza. more... | Israel | Islam | This is a good overview of where Israel's at right now. I would recommend everyone read the whole thing through.
• Netanyahu: Gaza turning into second Lebanon (December 4, 2006) - Opposition Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, following a short period of silence, that "the desire to restore calm in Sderot does not match the desire for a one-sided ceasefire." The faction members called on the government to prevent Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from returning to the Palestinian Authority territories, if he leaves to Damascus or Tehran as planned. "It is completely obvious that Haniyeh's coordination talks in Damascus and Tehran will deal with the terror activity against Israel," the faction said in a statement. Since the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was declared, Netanyahu refrained from publicly criticizing the government, a role which was taken by other right-wing politicians and spokespeople. During a Likud faction meeting, the chairman criticized the ministers. "Hamas continues to fire rockets, and if it doesn’t stop there will be tragic outcomes which we have already witnessed," Netanyahu said. He added that "the restraint policy will lead to a dangerous situation in which Gaza will become a second Lebanon, as Hamas will be strengthened and because of the unilateral ceasefire. It is strengthening Hamas and weakening the moderates." The Likud leader warned: "Likud's policy will be different and will work to topple the Hamas government and to launch talks with a moderate government in the Palestinian Authority based on mutuality. There is a need to carry out a consistent operation to defeat terror in Gaza, to seal the Philadelphi route and prevent arms smuggling into Gaza." more... | Israel | Islam |
• Stroke rehab in a glove (December 3, 2006) - Every year, over 700,000 people in the US suffer strokes - that's one person every 45 seconds. It is the single most common cause of severe disability, with 25 percent of stroke victims recovering with minor impairments and 40 percent experiencing moderate to severe impairments requiring special care. An Israeli company has developed an innovative new exercise device that can help rehabilitate stroke patients suffering from impaired hand functions, and for children born with motor or developmental disorders that impact hand functionality. The HandTutor, created by MediTouch, actively involves the patient in the rehabilitation process. It is made up of two components - a specially designed glove that includes embedded sensors that monitor the location and movement of the fingers, and proprietary software. In the first step, the HandTutor gathers a precise picture of the patient's current hand performance, and in the second, uses this information to create a personal training program specially tailored to improve his sensory-motor performance. Unlike existing products on the market, MediTouch's glove, which is expected to go on sale in the US in the first quarter of next year, is designed for home use enabling patients to carry out vital rehabilitation work every day, rather than just on visits to their physiotherapist. more... | Israel | Technology |

November 2006

• 1,400 Terrorists for Gilad Shalit? (November 28, 2006) - Reports of an imminent prisoner-exchange deal are once again in the air. This time, they speak of up to 1,400 Arab terrorist prisoners going free in three stages, in return for Gilad Shalit. Egypt's Minister of Intelligence, Omar Suleimon, is scheduled to arrive in Israel within the next two days to finalize the details of the agreement. Egypt figures heavily in the deal: the abducted soldier Gilad Shalit is scheduled to be transferred to that country, and from there to Israel, as part of the deal. The agreement under consideration stipulates the following three steps: An unknown number of Palestinian terrorists currently incarcerated in Israel for various crimes will be set free, immediately after which Corp. Shalit is to be transferred to Egypt. A second group of terrorists will then be freed, followed by Shalit's return to Israel. In the third stage, Israel will free a final group of terrorists. Just yesterday, speaking at a memorial to David Ben-Gurion in Sde Boker, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert implied that terrorists would be freed only after the kidnapped soldier is returned home. "I hereby declare," he said, "that when Gilad Shalit is released and returned to his family, safe and sound, the Government of Israel will be willing to release many Palestinian prisoners – including ones who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms – in order to increase the trust between us and prove that our hand is truly extended in genuine peace." more... | Israel | Islam | I'd say I can't believe it, but it's typical. 1,400 terrorists to "increase the trust between us and prove that our hand is truly extended in genuine peace." I want Gilad returned as much as anyone, but what they're doing is releasing 1,400 people who will most likely participate in more attacks against Israel again. I know Israel listens to what their enemy says, they don't want peace, they want Israel gone and now it appears that Israel will help them attain that goal.
• Olmert’s Speech Angers Many, Even in Kadima (November 28, 2006) - “How can it be that the Prime Minister, the leader of our party, talks about a new, broad diplomatic plan without even consulting with his own party members?” So say at least two Kadima members. The News First Class Hebrew Web site reports on two Kadima Knesset [Parliament] Members who have scathing criticism for their party leader and prime minister. “Because there’s a cease-fire for a day and a half, we have to go and promise a Palestinian state and the release of terrorist prisoners?” rails one of them, preferring to remain anonymous. Another Kadima MK said he categorically opposes Olmert’s plan as it was articulated yesterday, noting that other MKs feel the same way. Olmert said the Arab side must give up its demands for the “right of return” of millions of Arabs to Israel–but this followed a list of far-reaching Israeli concessions that he offered. Arab spokesmen refused Olmert’s demand to give up the “right of return.” Hamas deputy leader Abu Marzouk, based in Damascus, said, “We reject any deal that does not recognize the right of return...The Palestinian people will never give up this sacred right. Our people have been fighting for 58 years to achieve the right of return for all those who were expelled from their homeland.” MK Tzvi Hendel, of the National Union Party, was disgusted by Olmert’s offer to destroy more Jewish communities. “I have no expectations,” he said, “from a man who is so devoid of morality that in the middle of a terrorism war, and amidst threats of murderous terrorism from every direction, he is not embarrassed to promise the enemy the expulsion of the residents and the establishment of a terror state.” Hendel said he expects Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) and Eli Yishai (Shas) “not to betray their voters, and to immediately quit the Olmert government.” Speaking at a memorial to David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, Olmert said he believes Ben-Gurion would have supported his plan. But MK Gilad Erdan of the Likud said it is more likely that Ben-Gurion is actually turning over in his grave “at the military and diplomatic blindness shown by the Prime Minister.” MK Erdan said that Olmert “continues to ignore the warnings of the security leaders, choosing instead to deal with withdrawals and retreats instead of strengthening Israel’s strength and deterrence power.” MK Yuval Shteinitz (Likud), a former Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, condemned Olmert for offering to make an agreement with a group that has broken all agreements in the past. “The speech symbolizes the end of Israel’s determination to fight terrorism,” said Shteinitz, a former left-wing professor. “Olmert promises land to Hamas, which has murderously violated all the previous agreements and truces without changing its principles and charter.” On the other hand, far-left Meretz MK Chaim Oron said, “Finally, the mantra that ‘we have no partner’ has been replaced. The Government of Israel must act to strengthen the PA’s national unity government that will arise and conduct a real dialogue toward a permanent arrangement that will bring an end to the cycle of bloodshed in our region.” Internal PA negotiations for a unity government have been stuck for months. The Labor Party welcomed Olmert’s speech. Faction whip MK Yoram Marciano said, “Labor supports Olmert’s diplomatic initiative and peace moves, as…expressed [in his speech]...In response, the Palestinian Authority must stretch out its arm in peace and lay down its arms in order to create a life of hope and peace between the two nations.” | Israel | Islam | I guess I'm not alone in thinking this is a bad idea.
• DEBKAfile Exclusive: Hamas hardliner Khaled Meshaal’s deposits in Cairo a list of tough, non-negotiable ultimatums for a ceasefire and Palestinian unity (November 26, 2006) - Meshaal’s consent to finally travel to Cairo last week raised some hopes that he had come around to accepting a Palestinian unity government and discussing the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilead Shalit. He soon dashed those hopes. Our sources learn he has left Cairo leaving behind a list of tough demands and headed for Yemen to lead a secret Hamas conference called to plot the next Palestinian-Israeli war. These demands are disclosed here by our military sources: 1. To procure Shalit’s release, Israeli must free 1,400 jailed Palestinians in three stages, including all Hamas, Fatah and other terrorists, such as Marwan Barghouti, who was convicted to six life sentences for murdering six Israelis. For the first batch of 400 women and minors, the Israeli soldier will be handed to Egypt. After the second batch of 500 (including the murderers) is released, Shalit’s parents and Israeli representatives will be allowed to see him. 2. Israel must halt all military operations in the Gaza and West Bank, including preventive detentions. 3. For his consent to a Palestinian unity government, the Hamas politburo chief wants a mechanism for opening the Palestinian Liberation Organization umbrella to Hamas membership and appointing him permanent chairman in place of Mahmoud Abbas. Meshaal will thus acquire total control of the Palestinian movement and its resources worldwide. 4. Hamas will retain treasury, interior and foreign affairs in the unity government. 5. Within six months, Israel must withdraw to the June 4, 1967 borders and an independent Palestinian state established, else the Palestinians will wage a third intifada. DEBKAfile’s military sources seriously question the wisdom of prime minister Ehud Olmert’s alacrity in accepting Mahmoud Abbas’ assurance of a missile ceasefire binding on all the terrorist groups. Olmert, foreign minister Tzipi Livni and defense minister Amir Peretz, who decided on acceptance, must have realized that the ceasefire on offer would not hold. First, because Meshaal instructed Hamas to hold out for its extension to the West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip; and, second, because Hamas transferred a large quantity of Qassam missiles to the Iran-sponsored Jihad Islami and the Fatah al Aqsa Brigades and other terrorist branches. They were directed to keep the missiles coming and so make a sham of the purported ceasefire declared for 06:00 hours Sunday, Nov. 26. By precipitately pulling the Israeli units away from their successful counter-missile operations in N. Gaza, the Olmert government made way for the missile crews to return to their firing sites and keep up the barrage against Israeli civilian locations without pause. Thirteen were fired – most exploding in Sderot before 10:00 am Sunday. Their pretext? A number of suspected terrorists was detained in Hebron, West Bank, early Sunday. Olmert responded by urging “restraint” to give the Palestinians another chance. | Israel | Islam |
• Ahmadinejad Predicts Collapse of Israel, U.S., U.K. (November 26, 2006) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted the collapse of Israel, the U.S. and Britain, attacking what he called their "oppressive behavior." "The Zionist regime is on a steep downhill towards collapse and disgrace," Ahmandinejad told supporters at a rally of Basiji militia forces near Tehran today. In a reference to the U.S. and U.K., he said "the collapse and crumbling of your devilish rule has started." The speech was carried live on state television. Iran doesn't recognize Israel, and Ahmadinejad drew international condemnation after saying in October 2005 that Israel should be "wiped off the map." The U.S. and Iran have had no diplomatic ties since 1980 following the seizure of diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. The U.K., which has an embassy in Tehran, is among the three European countries pushing for sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. The Iranian president also called on neighboring countries to drive out "foreign occupiers," in a reference to U.S.-led forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. "The people of the region are well able to establish regional security," the president said in the speech near the shrine of the Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. "The presence of foreigners is the source of discord and conflict." Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, whose visit to Tehran yesterday was postponed because of the curfew imposed on Baghdad since Nov. 23, will fly to the Iranian capital tomorrow, state television reported separately today. The Iraqi president's trip to Iran is aimed at "expanding bilateral ties in business, trade and transport affairs," the report said. Iraq security will not be the main issue discussed in this meeting, the Iranian Foreign Ministry's press office said on Nov. 21. | Iran | Israel | Islam | America | He sure is being cocky, like he knows something we don't. He's expecting the 12th Mahdi and the end of the world. The world sees room for negotiations. Perhaps the world should understand more of the destiny surrounding the 12th Mahdi.
• Abdullah: Possibility Of Three Civil Wars In Mideast (November 26, 2006) - Jordan's King Abdullah said Sunday the problems in the Middle East go beyond the war in Iraq and that much of the region soon could become engulfed in violence unless the central issues are addressed quickly. "We could possibly imagine going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands," he said, citing conflicts in Iraq, Lebanon and the decades-long strife between the Palestinians and Israelis. | Israel | Islam | The world is hoping for a superhero to come and save them from the mess that is the Middle East. As the Bible says, Jerusalem is a burdensome stone to the nations of the world, yet they cannot come against her without being dashed to pieces. Zechariah 12:3 There will be someone who will solve the problems, at least on the surface. The need for a political savior has arisen, who will step forward and amaze the world?
• Chirac, Prodi call for European push on Middle East peace (November 25, 2006) - Italian Premier Romano Prodi and French President Jacques Chirac pressed for a greater European role in Middle East peacemaking at a summit Friday and called for the formation of a Palestinian national unity government. The two leaders, meeting in the Tuscan town of Lucca, said such a move would help end the recent bloodshed in the Gaza Strip and open the door for peace efforts, such as the initiative launched last week by Spain, France and Italy - the three largest contributors to a UN force in Lebanon. "We will work on this so that concrete solutions for the dramatic situation in the Middle East start from Gaza," Prodi told AP. Chirac and Prodi reaffirmed their support for the peace initiative announced last week, and Chirac indicated it would be expanded to include Britain and Germany. More details were to be discussed next month in Brussels. The plan has five components - an immediate cease-fire, formation of a Palestinian national unity government that could gain international recognition, a prisoner exchange, talks between Israel's prime minister and the Palestinian president, and an international mission in Gaza to monitor a cease-fire. Prodi and Chirac both voiced their horror at the shocking assassination Tuesday of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. Prodi said the two countries shared the same strategy on Syria, even if some of the tactics were different. While Chirac has largely cut off dialogue with Syria, Prodi urged keeping lines of communication open. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | This plays right into prophecy of the revived Roman empire coming forth in new form, the beast with seven heads and 10 horns. Read Recommendation 666 by Herb Peters for more on that prophetic development. Who in Europe will head this venture to bring peace to the Middle East? Keep watching!
• Israeli Prime Minister Accepts Gaza Cease-Fire Offer From Palestinian President (November 25, 2006) - Palestinians and Israelis are to lay down their arms in Gaza at 6 a.m. Sunday, after militant factions in the coastal strip agreed to stop all attacks on Israel and Israel reciprocated by pledging to end an extended offensive against rocket squads. The truce announcement held out the promise of a possible resumption of long-stalled peace talks, and was a significant achievement for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as he tries to put together a more moderate government to replace the one currently led by Islamic Hamas radicals. The sides announced the impending truce after Abbas telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert late Saturday to tell him he had arrived at an agreement with Palestinian factions to stop all violence from Gaza. Abbas asked that Israel, in turn, stop all military operations in Gaza and withdraw all its forces, and Olmert agreed, spokespeople for both leaders said. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Bush warns Syria, Iran after Lebanon killing (November 21, 2006) - US President George W. Bush accused Syria and Iran of fomenting violence and instability in Lebanon, as he condemned the assassination of Lebanese cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meanwhile made a hasty telephone call to Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, amid signs of US concern over the fate of the Beirut government which emerged from Lebanon's 'cedar revolution.' "Today we saw again the vicious face of those who hate freedom," Bush told American troops in Hawaii during a trip home from Asia. "We strongly condemn the assassination today in Lebanon of Pierre Gemayel." Bush did not apportion direct blame but called for an investigation into "those people and those forces" behind the killing of the anti-Syrian Christian leader. "We support the Siniora government and its democracy and we support the Lebanese people's desire to live in peace and we support their efforts to defend their democracy against attempts by Syria, Iran and allies to foment instability and violence in that important country," said Bush. The killing came against a backdrop of global calls, so far resisted by the United States, for a dialogue with Syria and Iran over chaos in Iraq. But Bush's tone, further bolstered in a written statement on the killing, appeared to cast further doubt on already slim chances of such a diplomatic opening. "Syria's refusal to cease and desist from its continuing efforts to destabilize Lebanon's democratically elected government" was a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, Bush said. "We also demand that Syria treat Lebanon as a genuinely sovereign neighbor, establishing full diplomatic relations with Lebanon," he said. The president said the assassination made it even more important for the United Nations Security Council to seek justice in the killing of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri last year. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | EU/UN | Islam | America |
• Terrorists give order: Jews must evacuate (November 21, 2006) - The only way to stop the regular rocket fire on Sderot, an Israeli city of about 20,000 nearly three miles from the Gaza Strip border, is for the Jewish state to evacuate the entire city, Hamas announced in a statement today. "Only the departure of residents from Sderot will stop the rocket fire," Abu Abaida, spokesman for Hamas' so-called military wing, said in a statement to reporters. "There are no limits on our rocket attacks and we will prove that in coming days. We advise residents of Sderot to evacuate," the Hamas spokesman said. Asked by WND if his statement was rhetoric or whether the Hamas leadership actually sanctioned a call for Israeli residents to evacuate, Abu Abaida replied, "We are very, very serious. The evacuation can be done in the next days or even up to several weeks, but it must be done. And after that, we will stop all rocket fire unless the Zionists continue more military operations in Gaza" Abu Abaida said Hamas is seeking to impose "a new equation in which the Zionists understand that for every incursion into Gaza, we will use our rockets to bombard your towns and cities until more and more are forced to evacuate. Our rockets have already improved, as Sderot residents know. We keep working on (the rockets) to improve deadliness, force and distance." Indeed, Israeli security sources said Palestinian rockets fired in recent weeks at Sderot have been packed with more explosive material than ever before. Israel had promised not to tolerate 'a single rocket attack' Since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza last summer, hundreds of rockets have slammed into Sderot and other nearby Jewish communities fired by Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip. Then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, whose administration carried out the Gaza withdrawal, promised the Israeli public the Jewish state would "not tolerate a single rocket attack on Israel after the disengagement goes through." Sharon said if Israel needed to invade Gaza, the international community would understand. Today, Yaakov Yaakobov, a Sderot resident and factory worker, suffered serious injuries in a rocket attack that scored a direct hit in the building in which he was working. He later died of his wounds. Yaakabov's wife, speaking to reporters in a hospital waiting room, said her two sons had not attended school in weeks because they have been afraid of rocket attacks. She called on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to "wake up, because Sderot is crying." more... | Israel | Islam | It seems they've been tolerating the rocket issues instead of dealing with them. I think it's been adequately proven that they can't trust the Muslims.
• Nine Qassam missiles fired from Gaza Monday - two hit Sderot center. One missile hit Kibbutz Beeri offices causing heavy damage (November 20, 2006) - Another exploded in Kibbutz Nirim and a third south of Ashkelon. No injuries. Three Israeli civilians were wounded in Sderot Sunday when 10 missiles were fired. Monday, matriculation students were bused to Beersheba high schools out of missile range. Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu calls for a double military operation without time limit in northern Gaza, main source of Qassam fire, and Philadelphi route, to stem rising influx of Palestinian weapons. No confidence motions filed in the Knesset for government’s failure to halt the Qassam offensive against southwest Israel. Ministers meeting in Jerusalem Sunday heard a charge from Internal security minister Avi Dichter that the government had never explicitly ordered the army to liquidate the Qassam threat. Israeli forces called off a raid after hundreds of Palestinians formed a human shield around the home of the targeted local Popular Resistance Committees chief Muhammad Barud in the N. Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. | Israel | Islam |
• Prodi Heads to Eygpt to Push for ME Peace Plan (November 20, 2006) - Italian Premier Romano Prodi was heading to Cairo Monday for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarark as Italy pushes for a European peace plan for the Middle East. Prodi was scheduled to arrive in Cairo in the early evening. The two men were scheduled to hold a joint news conference after their talks, aides to Prodi said. The Italian premier will meet with the Egyptian prime minister on Tuesday. Last week, France, Italy and Spain presented a Middle East peace initiative, asserting that Europe must move to the forefront of efforts to try to end years of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN |
• Iran Slowly Securing Its Grip Around Israel (November 20, 2006) - A nuclear threat is only one of several Iranian problems facing Israel as the Islamic Republic increases its influence in Gaza and Lebanon. Bush says he would "understand" an Israeli attack on Iran. The Iranian government is sending money to Gaza, gradually extending its influence over the region surrounding Israel. The Islamic Republic has donated $120 million to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, according to an announcement last Thursday by PA Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar. The PA official met in Tehran with Ali Larijani, the head of national security in Iran. Palestinian Authority terrorists in Gaza have become major beneficiaries of Iranian largesse recently, according to the AFP news service. “Iran has handed out, until now, over $120 million and says it will supply more aid. Its support is very important for us,” said the PA foreign minister. PA terrorists have significantly stepped up their Kassam rocket attacks against southern Israeli communities recently. Sderot residents have said the rockets are increasing in accuracy, and now contain more explosives as well as ball bearings to maximize damage upon impact. Meanwhile, international efforts to stop Iran’s nuclear development activities have slowly ground to a halt. Despite threats by the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic if it did not end its uranium enrichment program by the end of August, the program continues uninterrupted, and no action has been taken against Iran. U.S. President George W. Bush said Sunday night he would "understand" if Israel attacked the Islamic Republic, but that America would not help the Jewish State to do so. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | The world is aligning against Israel and quiet about Iranian influence and Muslim terrorism. It's clear that Iran is funding terrorism, but they defiantly continue because nobody can afford to stand against them right now. At least that's how it would seem. We will see their defiance crescendo in the near future when they attack the nation of Israel along with Turkey, Russia, and other Muslim nations. Read Ezekiel 38,39. It will be God who puts a stop to their attack, and I think that will play right into the antichrist's hand, playing the great bringer of peace on the world stage. He will fool the majority of the world though.
• Syria on the Move in Lebanon and Iraq (November 19, 2006) - Syrian-backed Hizbullah may be poised to stage a revolution in Lebanon, while back-room US-Syrian negotiations deal with pressuring Israel to give up the Golan Heights. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem began a visit to Iraq on Sunday. The visit will include meetings with US officials in Iraq, during which Moallem will relay Syria’s demand that Israel retreat from the Golan Heights in return for Syrian cooperation in Iraq. The insurgents that have plagued US troops in Iraq have for the most part entered the country from Syria. According to preliminary reports, former American Secretary of State James Bakar’s soon-to-be delivered recommendations on Iraq policy include engaging Syria and Iran in negotiations in order to enable the US formulate an exit strategy. London’s Sunday Times, which has in the past proven the veracity of its Syrian sources, quotes Syrian Baath Party official Ayman Abdel Nour saying that Bashar al-Assad’s “top demand” from the US and Britain is that Israel be pressured to withdraw from the Golan. "Syria will not do anything unless it has secured guarantees from Washington and London that every action Damascus takes to help them will be reciprocated. It will be a step by step scenario: these actions for those actions,” he said. The Syrian demands also include a staged withdrawal of US troops from the region. more... | Israel | Islam |
• 'Innocent Citizens' Protecting Terrorists? - No Such Thing (November 19, 2006) - Beit El's Rabbi Melamed: "Those who protect terrorists are not innocent." He was referring to last night's incident in which Arabs gathered at a terrorist's home to prevent Israel from bombing it. The IDF called off a planned aerial strike on the home of a leading terrorist commander in northern Gaza last night, after hundreds of Arabs gathered around the building, defying Israel to bomb it. Chanting, "Death to America and death to Israel!" in scenes broadcast on Palestinian Authority television, many of the Arabs said they would be willing to give their lives in the struggle. However, their bravado was, unsurprisingly, not tested, as the IDF called off the strike because of the protest. "The attack plan was canceled because of the people there," an IDF spokesman said. "We differentiate between innocent people and terrorists." Rabbi Zalman Melamed, however, says that there were no innocent people there to be differentiated. "We must do whatever we can to prevent hits on our citizens," he told Arutz-7 today. "From an ethical point of view, there would have been no problem to hit the building, even with all the people there. Their presence there was part of the war against us. From a practical/diplomatic standpoint, of course, we have to measure our steps carefully." The question of "innocent citizens" arises, says the Dean of the Beit El Yeshiva Institutions, "only when you have armies fighting each other on the battlefront, and the citizenry is detached from the forces. But in this case, in Gaza, where the terrorists and citizens are intertwined, there is no difference between them." more... | Israel | Islam |
• Israeli Minister – Forget Peace, Declare War! (November 19, 2006) - Minister for Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman on Saturday [November 18] said that Israel needs to wake up and declare war on the “Palestinians,” who do not truly desire peace with the Jewish state. Lieberman noted that the Oslo Accords and Road Map peace processes are in tatters because of the Palestinian Arabs’ refusal to honor their commitments, and insisted that for Israel to continue to adhere to those defunct scraps of paper is a mistake that threatens the nation’s future. Instead, said Lieberman, Israel needs to retake control of the Gaza–Sinai border, liquidate the Hamas leadership, and trash any diplomatic efforts based on the idea that Mahmoud Abbas’s [Abu Mazen’s] PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] is a capable and relevant partner for peace. | Israel | Islam |
• Annan urges Syria and Iran to help Lebanon (November 19, 2006) - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan pressed Syria and Iran yesterday to help promote the stability of Lebanon after the resignation of six of its government ministers. Annan spoke by telephone with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Syrian head of state Bashar Al Assad about developments in Lebanon and the need for governments in the region and around the world "to promote the stability and the unity of Lebanon", UN chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Annan urged the two presidents to counsel Lebanon's leaders "to exercise patience and resolve their differences through dialogue", Dujarric said. Five ministers from Shiite groups Hezbollah and Amal quit the Lebanese Cabinet a week ago when talks over giving the opposition a greater say in government collapsed. A sixth minister, loyal to pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, resigned on Monday. Meanwhile, Lahoud said the country would have a "national government" no matter what the cost. He said the situation was "delicate because what is happening violates the Taif agreement and the constitution". The Taif agreement ended Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war. "I promise you that Lebanon will witness the establishment of a national government no matter what the cost and if that does not happen the price will be high, especially for future generations," Lahoud said in a statement.| Iran | Israel | Islam | We see in Ezekiel 38,39 that Persia (Iran) is one of the attackers. Their increased involvement in Lebanon to the North of Israel, where Muslim Russian and Turkish "peacekeeping troops" are being positioned, falls right in line with Bible prophecy in this regard. Also, Isaiah 17 says Damascus will be a ruinous heap. In verse 9, it talks about the strong cities being forsaken, left because of the children of Israel. Israel has been discussing pre-emptive attacks against Damascus, Syria because it houses so many terrorist leaders and is responsible for much of the weapons smuggling going on. Israel has good reasons to attack Damascus, mainly all the threats coming from Damascus about Israel's demise: Oct. 11, Sept. 21, July 12, and Israel's warning and threat to hit Damascus specifically on July 1. It's all in Bible prophecy about the end times and it's being reported in the news today. Keep watching!
• Use of human shields continues in Gaza (November 19, 2006) - Palestinian residents flocked to the home of a Hamas operative Monday to prevent the Israeli army from carrying out an airstrike. It was the latest instance of Palestinians volunteering to serve as human shields to protect a home of a targeted terror operative. The protest began shortly after Wael Rajab received a phone call from the army ordering him to leave his home. In recent months, the army has frequently issued such warnings ahead of airstrikes against weapons-storage sites and other militant targets, saying it wants to avoid casualties. The army had no immediate comment on Monday's incident. But military officials have said they do not yet know how to deal with the issue. Fearing terrorists will continue to exploit civilians as human shields around terror targets in the Gaza Strip, a high-ranking officer said Sunday that the IDF was prepared to launch ground raids into the Palestinian territory to demolish buildings that could not be destroyed in airstrikes. Late Saturday night, hundreds of Palestinians, including women and children, surrounded the home of Mohammedweil Baroud - head of the Popular Resistance Committees' (PRC) Kassam rocket cell - after he received a warning from the IDF late Saturday night giving him 30 minutes to leave his house in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. Out of fear that innocent bystanders would be injured, the IDF called off the air strike. Calling residents ahead of airstrikes on suspected weapons-storage and manufacturing sites is a routine tactic the IDF employs in the Gaza Strip and also used over the summer during the month-long war in Lebanon during which thousands of targets were struck by Israeli missiles. The incident in Beit Lahiya on Sunday however, was the first time Palestinians have tried to prevent such an air strike and represents, officials said, a change in tactics to try and prevent the IAF missile strikes. | Israel | Islam |
• Report: Olmert orders killing of Hamas politicians (November 19, 2006) - In order to stop Kassam rocket attacks, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has ordered his security chiefs to target the Hamas political leadership, the British Sunday Times newspaper reported on Sunday. The Times said that according to Israeli security sources, a decision to assassinate leading Hamas politicians was made by Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz. According to the report, Israel was determined to ensure the political leadership in Gaza, the West Bank and abroad would "no longer escape responsibility" for the rocket attacks. | Israel | Islam |
• Spain, France and Italy push Middle East peace initiative that does not require Hamas government recognition of Israel (November 18, 2006) - The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, a Palestinian national unity government, exchange of prisoners, talks between Israeli prime minister and Mahmoud Abbas and an international team of ceasefire monitors. There is also a European offer to host a new peace conference. Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero hopes to bring the UK and Germany aboard before the December EU summit. DEBKAfile: The three largest European contributors to the expanded UN force in Lebanon are pushing to expand their role to the Israel-Palestinian front. The European monitors at the Rafah crossing between Egypt Sinai and Gaza have not prevented the smuggling of tons arms and hundreds of million dollars destined for Hamas fighting forces - largely from Iran. Senior Israeli officials are not inclined to take the European initiative seriously at this point. The Hamas prime minister said noncommittally it was worth studying. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Of course anything coming out of Europe dealing with Israel seems to be completely biased. How can you pander to two sides when one doesn't want the other to exist and are indeed fighting to remain in existence with what is rightfully theirs by all counts. Don't fall into the deception being repeated like a mantra. Both Biblically and historically as well as militarily, the land is Israel's. Article: Whose land is it?
• European trio presenting new Mideast peace plan (November 17, 2006) - Spain, France and Italy offered a Middle East peace initiative yesterday, asserting that Europe must take a lead role in trying to end years of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed they called intolerable. The five-point blueprint closely mirrors a deal the moderate Palestinian president is offering Hamas to form a national unity government and makes no explicit reference to requiring Hamas to recognize Israel -- a key sticking point blocking the resumption of Western aid to the impoverished Palestinians. It was not immediately clear whether the initiative, put forward by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, was an effort to get the aid flowing again without such a declaration from Hamas. Mr. Zapatero announced the plan at a summit with President Jacques Chirac of France. Italy is also on board, Mr. Zapatero said, and Spain hopes to win the endorsement of Britain and Germany and the broader European Union in the run-up to a December summit in Brussels, Belgium. "We cannot remain impassive in the face of the horror that continues to unfold before our eyes," Mr. Zapatero told a news conference in this coastal city near the border with France. The Israeli government declined to comment on the new plan. The plan has five components: an immediate cease-fire; formation of a national unity government by the Palestinians that can gain international recognition; an exchange of prisoners, including the Israeli soldiers whose capture sparked the war in Lebanon and fighting in Gaza; talks between Israel's prime minister and the Palestinian president; and an international mission in Gaza to monitor a cease-fire. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN |
• Israel secretly studies 'bold' peace bid (November 1 6, 2006) - Bedevilled by the continuing scourge of homemade Qassam rocket attacks, Israeli officials are believed to be exploring a new diplomatic overture that calls for the surrender of large swathes of the West Bank to a new Palestinian leadership in exchange for a decade-long ceasefire. The plan, still in the formative stages, was outlined yesterday in the Hebrew daily Ma'ariv as a "bold and original" initiative that would enable the creation of a provisional Palestinian state as a first step toward normalization with Palestinians and the wider Arab world. Israeli President Ehud Olmert secretly presented the concept to President George W. Bush during a meeting at the White House Monday, the Ma'ariv report said, citing unnamed political sources in Washington and Jerusalem. Palestinian and Israeli officials refused comment on the initiative, which Ma'ariv described as "consensual realignment" — a term that implies Israel now is willing to involve Palestinians in a negotiated withdrawal from parts of the West Bank, where more than 250,000 Jewish settlers live on land conquered by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War. But Ghassan Khatib, a senior Palestinian political figure, told the Toronto Star that diplomats working beneath the radar have begun "an exchange of views about the potential of moving forward on the basis of a long-term ceasefire of 10 or even 15 years." Leaders of the militant Hamas movement have for many years spoken of such a long-term hudna, or ceasefire, but only on the condition of a full Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 armistice lines — terms deemed unacceptable to the Israeli leadership. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Iranian Paper: Great War to Wipe Out Israel Coming (November 15, 2006) - Iranian newspapers Kehyan and and Resalat have urged Muslims around the world to prepare for a 'great war' to destroy the State of Israel. The newspapers published the editorials, translated from Persian by MEMRI , the Middle East translation service, to mark 'Quds' day on October 20, an Iranian 'holiday' calling for the "liberation" of Jerusalem and war against Israel. "Hizbullah destroyed at least half of Israel in the Lebanon war... Now only half the path (to its destruction) remains," an editorial in the conservative Keyhan newspaper declared. Messianic nukes? Awaiting the Iranian messiah / Yaakov Lappin A glimpse into the apocalyptic ideology gripping the Iranian government "It was proven that, by means of an offensive operation that need not be equal to Israel's moves, it is possible to neutralize the Zionist navy," the article said triumphantly. It continued: "Just as in one 33-day war more than 50 percent of Israel was destroyed, and the hope of its supporters for the continued life of this regime was broken, it is likely that in the next battle, the second half will also collapse." "On that day... Jordan will not be able to prevent the Jordanian Islamists from operating through the long Jordan-Palestine border, and the millions of Egyptian Islamists... will not let the Sinai-Israel border remain quiet, and the Syrian Golan Heights will not remain as a (mere) observer of the battle. That day is not so far off." The Resalat newspaper struck a similarly bellicose tone with an editorial entitled "Preparations for the Great War." "The great war is ahead of us, (and will break out) perhaps tomorrow, or in another few days, or in a few months, or even in a few Years... Israel must collapse," the newspaper said. It added: "For the first time in the 60 years of its disgraceful life, the Zionist regime - the West's beloved in the Middle East - tasted the taste of defeat, and the citizens of this regime trembled at the menace of Hizbullah's missiles… The nation of Muslims must prepare for the great war, so as to completely wipe out the Zionist regime, and remove this cancerous growth. Like the Imam (Ayatollah) Khomeini said: 'Israel must collapse.'" | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• The New Truth Herb L. Peters -FulfilledProphecy.com (November 14, 2006) - This morning I heard a Fox news reporter call it "fingerprints of 41." Later I found a Fox news article that was also saying the same thing -- the Middle East policies of the 41st presidency of George Bush Sr. are back Read about it here. The UK's Independent is seeing the recent changes in Washington the same way. In fact, according to their report, the real reason Tony Blair may be calling for Syria and Iran to be included in the international community's so-called "comprehensive" peace scheme called for in U.N. Resolution 1701 is because of the influence of former Secretary of State James Baker and the new Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. As you may know, both men are former members of the old Bush Sr.'s Administration Read about it here. Friends, a major shift in America's policies towards Israel is taking place. The so-called "ideological" support for Israel is being swept aside and the so-called "more rational" approach to Israel is reappearing. In fact, I suspect that is what the EU's Javier Solana meant when he said, "there will be a new truth, a new roadmap that will allow the international community to cooperate with the Palestinian authorities" Read about it  here. With American power committed to salvaging a victory out of Iraq, America's new strategic partner -- the EU -- has quickly stepped into the vacuum. With Resolution 1701 providing legitimacy and their new structures within NATO providing the ability, the EU is now attempting to rise to their historic opportunity in the Mediterranean Basin. We students of Bible prophecy have long wondered how it would happen -- how America would ever step aside in the Middle East and allow Europe to step in. Now we know. It's the new truth. | Israel | EU/UN | NewWorldOrder | America |
• Ahmadinejad: Israel’s destruction near (November 13, 2006) - According to the Iranian media Monday, Iranian President Mahoud Ahmadinejad declared that Israel was destined to ‘disappearance and destruction’ at a council meeting with Iranian ministers. “The western powers created the Zionist regime in order to expand their control of the area. This regime massacres Palestinians everyday, but since this regime is against nature, we will soon witness its disappearance and destruction,” Ahmadinejad said. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Palestinian FM accepts Arab Proposal For Peace Conference (November 13, 2006) - Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar accepted an Arab proposal on Sunday for a peace conference to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Arab diplomats said. ''The ministers call to convene a peace conference attended by Arab parties, Israel and the permanent members of the UN Security Council in order to reach a just and comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict on all tracks according to international resolutions and the principal of 'land for peace','' the officials said. | Israel | Islam | Israel has stated they are not giving up Jerusalem and Muslims won't accept peace without going to pre-1967 borders, which means Israel giving up Jerusalem. However, there will be a false "peace" that will put the Jewish and Muslim temples next to each other on the Temple Mount. I could be wrong, but I think this will only happen after the Gog/Magog armies are stopped in the mountains of Israel. If you read through Isaiah 17, you will see a sequence of Damascus destruction and the cities forsaken "because of the children of Israel." Then at the end of the chapter, God rebukes many nations "chased as chaff of the mountains before the wind." I believe we can then expect someone like Javier Solana to step in and do some amazing political shenanigans to accomplish the apparent peace.
• 'Israel Must Prepare For Full-Scale War' (November 13, 2006) - Israel has to prepare for a full-scale war, in which Syria will be an important player, an Israeli military official told the British Sunday Times. "The challenge from Iran and Syria is now top of the Israeli defense agenda, higher than the Palestinian one," another official said. The recent war with Hizbullah and the threat that Iran could achieve nuclear weapons capability have led Israel to reexamine its defense strategies, and focus on the region's two major supporters of terrorism, IDF sources have said recently. One conclusion is that Israel has allocated too much time and energy to addressing the terror threat posed by Palestinian groups in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. According to London's International Institute for Strategic Studies, both Iran and Syria have ballistic missiles whose range extends over most of Israel, including Tel Aviv. Funds have reportedly been approved for the construction of appropriately equipped shelters. Eyeing Syria, the IDF has formed a new infantry brigade, known as Kfir (young lion), as a countermeasure against Syria's commando forces, which are considered "better" than Hizbullah guerrillas, a military source informed the Times. The IDF is also reportedly integrating three elite brigades in preparation for them cooperating on deep cross-border operations into Syria and Iran. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Hmm... And it just so happens that Israel is looking at having to go to war with Syria and Iran! On top of that, we have Russian-Muslim and Turkish "peacekeeping troops" piling up on the Northern border of Israel in Lebanon. There were also the Iranian Republican Guards that were found dead in Lebanon during the earlier war this year. Given Isaiah 17, Ezekiel 38, and Ezekiel 39 I think this is a pretty big coincidence, eh?!
• Olmert: 'I am ready for territorial compromises' (November 13, 2006) - "I don't intend to go into details about the upcoming contact with the Palestinians," Olmert said just before landing in the US. Olmert also repeated his refusal to specify what Israel's "many options" on the growing Iranian crisis were. Olmert reiterated the statements he gave Saturday in an interview to Newsweek-Washington Post that Iran would agree to compromise on its nuclear program only if it had a real reason to fear reprisals for failing to comply. Olmert added that he was under no diplomatic pressure to meet with Bush, but thought it appropriate to do so on his way to the 2006 General Assembly in Los Angeles. Before leaving for Washington on Saturday night, the prime minister reaffirmed his commitment to territorial withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. "You can read my lips: 'I'm ready for territorial compromises‚ and I haven't changed my mind," Olmert said in the Newsweek interview. In the interview, Olmert breathed new life into the realignment plan, which would see Israel retain highly populated settlement blocs within Judea and Samaria and relinquish isolated areas. Until now, analysts had assumed that Olmert had dropped the plan. But on Saturday he said it could still be on the table, with some modifications. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Bush Prepares Switch on Iraq and Downgrading of US Ties with Jordan and Israel (November 12, 2006) - Monday, Nov. 13, former US secretary of state James Baker and ex-Congressman Lee Hamilton will present their recommendations on Iraq to President Bush in the Oval Office. Their audience will include an array of top administration officials: Vice President Dick Cheney, national security adviser Stephen Hadley, secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte and CIA Director Gen. Mike Hayden, as well as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace. Incoming defense secretary Robert Gates will attend as a member of the bipartisan committee. Absentees will include outgoing defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who stepped down after the Republican’s lost the Nov. 7 midterm to the Democrats over the Iraq war, and the commanders directly running that conflict, Generals John Abizaid and George Casey. The timing and composition of the conference indicate that the larger decisions are already in the bag with regard to the new US policy on Iraq and a fresh approach to the radical side of the Middle East led by Iran and Syria, mainly at the expense of Jordan and Israel. Monday’s White House conference will be concerned mostly with tying up the last ends and deciding who performs which part of the revised strategy. DEBKAfile’s Washington sources report that Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, who is due Monday will be one of the first foreign White House visitors to hear an update on the new policy. He will find he is required to listen rather than speak. Bush will use the occasion to inform him where America’s Iraq policy leaves Israel and the Palestinian dispute. Most of all, the US president will be looking ahead to Wednesday, Nov, 15, when he stops over in Moscow for unscheduled talks with Vladimir Putin. Air Force One was originally supposed to refuel in Moscow and continue without delay to Hanoi for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this week. And the Russian president would not normally have come to the airport to greet him. But the US president has decided to seize on the chance of persuading Putin to jump aboard the new American format on Iraq, Iran and the Middle East, on none of which the two leaders saw eye to eye before. The first sign of Bush-Putin collaboration is in the air. more... | Israel | America | Looks like the effects of the election are happening quickly. The world is blindly walking right into the trap of the principalities and powers have set for them. It will be interesting to see just how far this policy change goes to parting ways with Israel. Genesis 12:3 "And I will bless them that bless thee [Abraham/Israel], and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." I think America has been blessed for her support of Israel and I'm wary of any change in that. Watch for America's fall as soon as support for Israel ends or switches sides.
• Iran in UN protest over Israel 'military threats' (November 12, 2006) - Iran has complained to the United Nations over a "series of threats" after an Israeli official refused to rule out a military strike against the Islamic republic, the IRNA agency reports. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, submitted the complaint to Secretary General Kofi Annan and the Security Council on Friday following the comments by Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Ephraim Sneh. "The letter, underlining threats from Sneh and other Israeli officials, regards these statements as illegal, ridiculous and a sign of the Zionist regime's criminal policies and terrorist intentions," the state agency said. Sneh had told the Jerusalem Post on Friday he considered military action against Iran as a "last resort. But even the last resort is sometimes the only resort." His comments were seen as the clearest statement yet by an Israeli official that military strikes against Iran over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities were not excluded. more... | Iran | Israel | I can't believe this, ok I can. What a bunch of manipulative whiney babies. Let me remind everyone of the kinds of comments from Ahmadinejad about wiping Israel off the map that may lead Israel to leave war with Iran on the table of possibilities. I'll bet this whining is looked at with sincerity in the UN though. As sick as this kind of stuff makes me, it fits with Bible prophecy yet again. The whole world is uniting against Israel calling good bad and bad good. Another clue of Satanic influence is how he is always 180 degrees out of phase with the Truth. Like Hitler knew well though, if you say it loud enough and long enough, people will believe you. I hope this newsletter is presenting the Truth being declared in that same fashion and encourage you to share it with anyone you know that might be interested in watching too.
• Loose Ends Herb L. Peters -FulfilledProphecy.com (November 11, 2006) - Loose ends appear to be coming together. Once again there are news reports saying a Palestinian coalition government many be on the scene by the end of the year. But, what struck me the most about this report is the way it ended. The report says: "Peace and security will not be realized under occupation and settlement and the inclusion of noble Jerusalem into Israel," Mr. Abbas told a crowd of thousands of Palestinians Read about it here. The reason these words interested me is because there is another way they could have been said. They could have just as accurately been stated: You [Israel] will not have your cry for "peace and safety" answered until you get off the lands you captured in the Six Day War and give up East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. If you recall, the EU's Javier Solana has made returning Israel to the pre 1967 borders the cornerstone of his comprehensive peace agreement for the Middle East. And President Bush has brought in former Secretary of State James Baker to help formulate his Administration's new directions in the region. Baker, under the Bush Sr. presidency, showed himself to be on much the same page as that of Solana. In fact, Solana has stated that his own introduction into the Middle East peace process began at the 1991 Madrid Conference. It was this international conference at Madrid that set the idea of trading land for peace in motion. And Baker, following the Madrid Conference, set a course in American's foreign policy in the same direction. In fact, I write in detail about this in my book. That's why Baker being back on the scene may be an important part of bringing the loose pieces of Bible prophecy together. As far as a coalition Palestinian government is concerned, that's important too. You see, for a peace deal to be reached, there first has to be a Palestinian government in place with which Israel can make an agreement. And, by January 1, 2007, it looks like it will be there. Loose ends are coming together. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN |
• Israel Develops Laser to Destroy Roadside Bombs (November 8, 2006) - Rafael and American defense contractor General Dynamics have produced and deployed the system called Thor. It uses the concentrated energy of a high-powered laser to clear unexploded bombs and improvised explosive devices. “The directed energy from the laser may also be used to ignite combustible materials, as a standoff cutting torch, and for other combat purposes,” General Dynamics said in a statement about the project ahead of US moves to purchase and deploy the system in its army. Thor combines the Israeli-produced high-energy laser with the Browning M2 12.7-mm machine gun, made by General Dynamics, to destroy explosive devices. The weapon is used with a remote operator control station or mounted on a vehicle or bomb-squad robot. The Thor system includes sensors that work either in day or nighttime conditions to detect the hidden explosive charge. The developers report that the Thor system has already been deployed in combat operations. “Thor has demonstrated combat effectiveness in operational engagements, bringing an additional precision fire gun platform to the fight, while at the same time filling a unique tactical mission role,” Rafael announced. The developers explain that the directed energy from the laser is capable of rapidly clearing unexploded devices by inducing a low-order burning or deflagration reaction in the explosive material from a safe distance. “The kinetic energy from the 12.7mm bullet fired by the M2 functions as a standoff disrupter, destroying fusing, thick-cased munitions, and booby traps, [and] also enabling distancing explosive hazards away from the force route. The M2 machine gun ultimately provides accurate, direct fire upon enemy forces and targets in either an offensive or defensive role.” The Armament Development Authority is supported by Israel’s Ministry of Defense and designs, develops, manufactures, and supplies a wide range of advanced defense systems. more... | Israel | Technology |
• IDF girds for possibility of war with Syria, Hezbollah in 2007 (November 6, 2006) - Syria and Hezbollah are likely to start a war against Israel next summer, according to General Staff assessments that have been gathered during a series of meetings in recent weeks. While there is no specific estimate concerning the timing of a potential attack, all preparations are being made to ensure maximum preparedness in advance of summer 2007. Since the lessons of the war in Lebanon have not yet been finalized in reports, it was decided to consider 2007 as an interim period, and to make decisions concerning a multiple-year force build-up only at the end of that year. Meanwhile, two important interim decisions were made during the recent deliberations: The development, within three years, of a system capable of intercepting 220 mm. and 302 mm. surface-to-surface rockets, of the sort that Hezbollah used to target Haifa and other towns during the recent war; and to wait to make a final decision with respect to cancellation of the Merkava tank production line. The rocket interceptor system will be developed on the basis of existing missiles, and according to future developments of these platforms. Regarding the Merkava, an analysis of the use of tanks during the fighting in Lebanon in the July-August campaign, and particularly the performance of the Merkava Mark-4, suggests that if properly deployed, the tank can provide its crew with better protection than in the past. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |

October 2006

• Iran Vows To Hit Back If Israel Attacks (November 11, 2006) - Iran's armed forces on Saturday vowed to hit back against any military strike after a top Israeli official refused to rule out attacking the Islamic republic over its disputed nuclear program. "The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will firmly respond to any military and threatening move," Brigadier General Ali Fazli, spokesman for Iran's latest round of 10-day war games, said. "The Iranian armed forces, which realize the different threats, have the capacity and capability to confront them," he added. Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh had told the Jerusalem Post on Friday he considered military action against Iran as a "last resort. But even the last resort is sometimes the only resort." His comments were seen as the clearest statement yet by an Israeli official that military strikes against Iran over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities were not excluded. "The enemies of the Islamic republic are too weak and too abject to be a threat for a powerful Iran," added Fazli, who did not specify what the nature of Iran's response would be. Iran has been showing off its military prowess in recent days in the 10-day "Great Prophet II" war games, which have seen its fire its Shahab-3 longer range missile for the first time in maneuvers and test-fire new weaponry. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Olmert Expresses Sorrow At Death Of The Civilians In Beit Hanoun (November 8, 2006) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed sorrow at the death of Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun, as did Defense Minister Amir Peretz. The two offered the Palestinian Authority urgent humanitarian aid and immediate medical treatment for the injured and Peretz authorized the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Yusef Mishlav to send humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population. | Israel | Islam |
• Hamas Urges Attacks On U.S. Targets (November 8, 2006) - Hamas' military wing called Wednesday on Muslims around the world to attack American targets following reports that an Israeli tank strike killed 18 people in the Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. The Hamas-led Palestinian government distanced itself from the call, saying its fight was with Israel. Hamas militants have historically directed their suicide bombings and rocket attacks only against Israeli targets. "America is offering political, financial and logistic cover for the Zionist occupation crimes, and it is responsible for the Beit Hanoun massacre. Therefore, the people and the nation all over the globe are required to teach the American enemy tough lessons," Hamas' military wing said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. But Ghazi Hamad, spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian government, said the group had no intention of attacking American targets. Hamas' political wing, led by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, tries to distinguish itself from the military wing. But the two entities both report to the group's exiled leadership, based in Syria, and frequently coordinate with each other. more... | Israel | Islam | America | The first thing I thought of when I read this was that they were trying to make America distance itself from Israel. If we fear their fearlessness and hatred of Islam, then their threats might push us from supporting Israel. It seems like a big bite to take (attacking America) for something America had nothing to do with. Perhaps they feel their threats may affect the newly elected government officials? Of course, I could just be reading into it, but it doesn't make sense.
• Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal says militants will reply to Israeli tank shelling in deeds, not words (November 8, 2006) - Palestinian militants had abandoned their truce with Israel and would resume attacks on the Jewish state, the chief of the Hamas group, Khaled Mashaal, said Wednesday, hours after Israeli tanks killed 18 civilians in Gaza. "The armed struggle is free to resume, and the resistance will be dictated by local circumstances," Mashaal told a news conference in the Syrian capital of Damascus, hours after Israeli tanks bombarded the residential district of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. "Our reponse will be by deeds, not words." "The truce (with Israel) ended at the end of 2005," Mashaal said. The cease-fire that Hamas and a second militant group declared with Israel early last year had expired on Dec. 31, but it had continued to be honored, with some infractions. Mashaal's statement Wednesday made it clear that from now on, the gloves were off and Hamas guerrillas would strike at will. Two other militant groups based in Syria issued supportive statements, with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine saying it would now be appropriate to "step up suicide operations" against Israel. Israeli tanks blasted buildings in Beit Hanoun in the early hours of Wednesday morning, killing at least 18 members of an extended family, including eight children, as they slept, Palestinian health officials said. The attack was condemned by the Palestinian Authority's leaders — President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh — who declared three days of national mourning. It was also protested in Brussels, where the European Union termed it "a profoundly shocking event," and Moscow, where the Russian Foreign Ministry said Israel's actions "go beyond the declared goal of averting the shelling of Israeli territories from Gaza Strip." The Israeli army said it was investigating the incident, but that so far it believed its tanks had fired on areas from which rockets had been fired in recent days at the Israeli cities of Sderot and Ashkelon. Israel ordered a halt to artillery fire, pending the investigation, but said it would continue operations against Palestinian rocket squads. Mashaal appealed to all Palestinian factions, including Hamas' rivals, to resume attacks on Israel. more... | Israel | Islam | I don't know the details of this incident yet, but I know Israel isn't desiring to incur the wrath of Islam and wouldn't purposely do this. We must also remember the depravity of those who use women and children as human shields to prevent being killed and if they are killed, they can use it as propaganda to show how the Jews kill women and children. They've done it before, should we be surprised if they're doing it now? This tactic works in favor of the terrorists because they have no real regard for human life. That is clear in some of their willingness to blow themselves up and take as many with them as possible. The whole culture is being brainwashed from childhood. Don't believe me? Watch it for yourself here. This kind of stuff is recorded off their TV stations. Do a search for yourself and discover the truth of the matter.
• Mashaal Threatens To Kidnap More IDF Soldiers (November 7, 2006) - Hamas Damascus-based leader Khaled Mashaal threatened on Tuesday that Hamas would kidnap more IDF soldiers if Israel does not free all Palestinian prisoners. In an interview with Hamas radio station Voice of al Aksa, Mashaal added the kidnappers would stick to their demands. The Hamas leader-in-exile also called for an establishment of a Palestinian Authority unity government on the basis of the prisoners' document but stressed that such a government must not adhere to the demands of the international quartet.| Israel | Islam | With this kind of rhetoric coming out of Damascus from many voices along with the fear of Syria and Hizbullah starting another war, we could see a pre-emptive attack by Israel against Damascus and the leaders it houses. Could this be the destruction of Isaiah 17? We'll have to wait and see, but at this rate if it is, we won't have to wait long.
• Ethiopia: African Union Blasts Israel For Attacking Palestine (November 7, 2006) - The African Union (AU) Monday condemned the recent attacks by Israeli forces in the Northern Gaza Strip of Palestine. Describing the attack as a "dastardly act", AU Commission has called upon the United Nations Security Council to take required measures to stop the attacks by Israel. The Commission also appealed to the parties in the Middle East conflict to return to the negotiating table so as to facilitate the implementation of the Roadmap Peace Plan for national sovereign independence of the Palestinian State. "The AU has learnt with deep regret of the recent attacks by Israeli Forces in the town of Beit Hanoun on 31 October 2006," said an AU statement. Over 300 civilians were killed and injured, including children, women and elderly people in the attack. "The AU once more calls upon the Government of Israel to immediately cease all such acts of aggression, which are a blatant violation of the established principles of international law," the Commission said. According to the AU, the Israeli attacks on Palestine also breached all agreements reached between the two parties besides undermining the ongoing peace process for national sovereignty of the State of Palestine. | Israel | Islam | The world is united against Israel even though they're just protecting themselves. The way I see it, things can go several ways. A miraculous peace deal will come about sometime next year, or the Russia, Turkey, Iran alliance will attack Israel from the North, or a combination of both playing off each other. For instance, if Russia, Turkey, and Iran attacked Israel as in Ezekiel 38,39 before the year is out, then the world, and Muslims, might be a little more ready to allow Jews to cohabitate the Temple Mount. We could also see peace without the Gog/Magog attack, which would come later. Either way, I expect the EU to come in as a mediator in the Middle East with Javier Solana heading it all. The calls for peace are ringing all over, yet there's a subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle hatred of Israel underlying much of this "peace." It won't be until the antichrist declares himself God that the Jews will really get it though. Until then I believe they will think he's on their side.
• DEBKAfile: Israel began pulling troops out of an area on the northern edge of divided Ghajar village Tuesday in an unpublicized deal with UNIFIL DEBKAfile (November 7, 2006) - Israel-Lebanese border villages were not given notice of the move. The patch of land was quietly handed to the United Nations Interim Force, UNIFIL which set up positions and checkpoints on the spot. The withdrawal was finalized at UNIFIL headquarters in Ras Naqoura between Lebanese and Israeli army officers and the peace force commander, French General Alain Pellegrini. Israeli military sources were furious over the secret pullback when its security applications could be grave for the Israeli border population. They said that the UN force cannot be trusted with border security in a strategic area opposite Metullah when it refuses to raise a finger against Hizballah’s barefaced replacement of its former fortifications and lookout posts opposite Israel. Our political sources report prime minister Ehud Olmert hurried the concession along in secret ahead of his trip to Washington Sunday to meet President George W. Bush. He is keen to show how closely Israel is abiding by UN resolution 1701 unlike Hizballah. Pellegrini voiced hope for an agreement “very soon for full IDF withdrawal from Lebanese territory,” including the northern part of Ghajar village. An Israeli military official said the withdrawal had begun from “open areas north of Ghajar, but the IDF deployment in the village itself had not changed.” The UN-drawn “blue line” runs through the village, dividing it between Lebanon and Israel although most of its inhabitants have opted for Israeli citizenship. During the Lebanon War, Israeli troops moved into the Lebanese side of Ghajar to keep Hizballah from taking up strategic positions there. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | How right they are to be upset. Even the "peacekeeping" troops from Russia are Muslim, not to mention the Turkish forces planned for the region along with those responsible for firing the rockets in the first place. Now that the radical Muslims in the Middle East have declared an end to the cease fire over the Israeli bombardment, this isn't the time to pull your only trustworthy defense out of the area, any little area.
• 'War within 10 months' (November 6, 2006) - Syria and Hezbollah are likely to start a war with the Jewish state within 10 months, according to an assessment presented to the political leadership here by the Israeli Defense Forces. IDF leaders did not release the specific timing of what they said are expected clashes, but they urged Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government in meetings the past few weeks to allow the IDF to prepare for a possible major conflict, according to senior military officials. The officials said the assessments, compiled by the general staff of the IDF, are based on intelligence information and what they said is the ongoing estimate by Syria and Hezbollah that military confrontations achieve results. They said Hezbollah considered itself victorious against Israeli troops in Lebanon in July and August. Explained a military official: "While Hezbollah took some major hits, the group's rocket infrastructure is still in tact; they are capable of firing more rockets into Israel. The war ended without Hezbollah having to return (Eldad) Regev and (Ehud) Goldwasser (the two soldiers it kidnapped in July, originally prompting the confrontations)." The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said a cease-fire imposed in August by the United Nations "achieved a political win for Hezbollah." "It recognized Hezbollah's claims to the Shebaa Farms (a small piece of territory held by Israel but claimed by Lebanon and Syria) and called for future negotiations. It also restricts Israel's ability to stop Hezbollah from rearming and regrouping, which is what they are currently doing," the military official said. Military officials here said the past few weeks Syria and Iran have been smuggling weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon. They said the smuggling is taking place in front of a contingent of 20,000 international troops stationed in Lebanon. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Syrian FM Walid Mualem threatens to start “countdown to war” with Israel failing progress on peace track DEBKAfile (November 6, 2006) - DEBKAfile cites Mualem’s words at a joint news conference in Damascus with Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Steore Monday, Nov. 6, as an explicit threat of war to be launched against Israel at a time of Syria’s choosing. The Syrian minister welcomed a debate going on in Israel about whether to resume negotiations with Damascus on the Golan Heights, which Syria lost to Israel in the Six-Day War. He went on to say: “We now have a window of opportunity of several months. If there is no progress, the countdown will begin for a new Syrian-Israeli war.” On Nov. 3, DEBKA-Net-Weekly 276 revealed that on Oct. 30 British PM Tony Blair had sent his senior political adviser Nigel Sheinwald (picture) on a mission to Damascus, hoping to turn the coming British exit from Iraqi towns round as leverage for a comeback to the Arab world and make up for his failed Iraq policy. One of the items in the British official’s briefcase for his meeting with president Bashar Asad and Mualem was a secret message from Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert: an offer to start peace talks. It was posted through Blair. The Syrian president sent a return message to the British prime minister: Tell Olmert I’m ready to talk. This move connected with a broader deal: Damascus would break away from its pact with Tehran in return for normal relations with the West. Israel-Syrian talks would kick off this process. Both parties agreed that the Sheinwald mission and the business they discussed would be kept secret. No sooner had the British emissary flown out of Damascus, when the Syrians leaked word of his visit together with the Syrian president’s rejection of Olmert’s offer to talk, barring a prior Israeli commitment to cede the Golan. This was not what the Syrian president had told his British vistor. When Sheinwald arrived in London, he found out that Asad had been stringing him along before killing the Blair initiative stone cold. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Syria Threatens War With Israel (November 5, 2006) - A senior Syrian government minister said on Sunday that if Israel does not enter negotiations over the surrender of the Golan Heights, his nation may resort to armed conflict against the Jewish state. Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal as said at the opening of a three-day media forum in the demolished former Golan town of Quneitra that unless Israel agreed via negotiations to return the territory it captured in the 1967 Six Day War, Syria could turn to "other means ... beginning with legitimate resistance." Bilal's statement coincided with assessments by Israel's General Staff that Syria and Hezbollah could launch a coordinated assault on the Jewish state as early as next summer. According to Ha'aretz, the Israel Defense Forces are actively preparing for such a development. Following Israel's 34-day war with Hezbollah last summer, the Syrian leadership made statements suggesting that it viewed such a conflagration as a way to focus greater international attention on its efforts to regain the strategic Golan Heights. | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I haven't really brought it up lately, but remember the destruction prophesied to Damascus in Isaiah 17 which hasn't happened yet. We don't know for sure if this destruction is from God, or if it's through another nation like Israel. If it's through Israel, the stage is definitely being set for a pre-emptive strike by Israel against Syria. Keep watching!
• Why Israel Will Go to War Again – Soon (November 3, 2006) - There will soon be another war in the Middle East, this time a renewal of the conflict between the Israel Defence Force (IDF) and Hizbollah. The conflict is inevitable and unavoidable. It will come about because Israel cannot tolerate the rebuilding of Hizbollah's fortified zone in south Lebanon, from which last year it launched its missile bombardment of northern Israel. Hizbollah has now reconstructed the fortified zone and is replenishing its stocks of missiles there. Hamas is also creating a fortified zone in the Gaza Strip and building up its stocks of missiles. Israel, therefore, faces missile attack on two fronts. When the Israel general staff decides the threat has become intolerable, it will strike. What happened in south Lebanon earlier this year has been widely misunderstood, largely because the anti-Israel bias in the international media led to the situation being misreported as an Israeli defeat. It was no such thing. It was certainly an Israeli setback, but the idea that the IDF had suddenly lost its historic superiority over its Arab enemies and that they had acquired military qualities that had hitherto eluded them was quite false. Hizbollah suffered heavy losses in the fighting, perhaps as many as 1,000 killed out of its strength of up to 5,000 and it is only just now recovering. What allowed Hizbollah to appear successful was its occupation of the bunker-and-tunnel system that it had constructed since June 2000, when the IDF gave up its presence in south Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. Although the IDF had got into south Lebanon, the casualties it had suffered in entering the fortified zone had alarmed the government and high command, since Israel's tiny population is acutely vulnerable to losses in battle. Israel's plan was to destroy Hizbollah's tunnels and bunkers, but the sending of a United Nations intervention force did not allow the destruction to be completed before the IDF was forced to withdraw. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Think Again: Democrats go European (November 2, 2006) -  Israelis would like to believe that American support for the Jewish state is strong, bipartisan, and will ever remain thus. Contrary to that happy scenario, Israel definitely has a dog in next week's American midterm elections. Deep ambivalence toward Israel has infected the Democratic Party. A Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll comparing voter attitudes on the war in Lebanon and toward Israel shows Republicans to be far more supportive of Israel than Democrats: 54% of Democrats advocate that the United States adopt a more neutral - i.e., less pro-Israel - stance to the Middle East, as opposed to only 29% of Republicans. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans felt the Israeli bombing in Lebanon was fully justified, as opposed to only 29% of Democrats. A recent Zogby poll showed that almost exactly the same number of Americans believe that an "Israel lobby" influenced America's entry into the deeply unpopular war in Iraq. Those who hold this view are found overwhelmingly in the Democratic Party. Key Democratic constituencies are deeply ambivalent about Israel. African Americans are three to four times as likely to hold anti-Semitic views as whites, and that may be reflected in the votes of the Congressional Black Caucus on Israel-related issues. Past labor leaders, like Lane Kirkland, were strongly internationalist in outlook. Today, however, the union movement is primarily concerned with globalization, and has become increasingly isolationist in orientation, with a concomitant resentment of any military or foreign aid spending that reduces domestic spending. more... | Israel | America |
• Homosexuals suspected of vandalizing synagogue (November 2, 2006) - Worshippers who arrived to services early Thursday morning were shocked to see the windows smashed and grafitti on the walls of the synagogue reading "If we can't march in Jerusalem, you won't walk in Tel Aviv." Searches are being conducted in the area for the vandals, who left behind considerable damage but no casualties. Rabbi Yitzchak Bir, a "gabai," who is in charge of the synagogue said: "It's bewildering that this synagogue of all places was vandalized, a vibrant synagogue which serves all the young people in the area," he said. "I think that had such a thing happened in London or any other place in Europe, the State itself would have wreaked havoc and call for a stop to this lawlessness and vandalism," he added. Rabbi Yosef Gerlitzky, the Chabad emissary in Tel Aviv and Rabbi of the synagogue told Shturem.net: "It's shocking. This synagogue has been serving the community for over 70 years. We have social services that help out impoverished and needy residents both religious and non-religious. "Before every holiday the synagogue and Chabad House in it distributes hundreds of food packages to needy families. It organizes a day camp during the summer so young children won't have to roam the streets and get into trouble. It conducts daily activities for senior citizens. Most of all during the war in Lebanon two months ago, the synagogue provided Sabbath meals for dozens of families who fled the north and found refuge in Tel Aviv. How can they stoop so low. It is just beyond me." more... | Israel |
• Iran-Hamas Summit in Coming Weeks (November 1, 2006) - A Palestinian Authority-Iranian summit is to take place in the coming weeks with Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh traveling to Iran to meet with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The meeting was confirmed by Haniyeh’s office. This will be the first official visit of the Hamas leader to Iran, though Hamas terror chief Khaled Mashal (pictured above) met with Ahmadinejad previously. Iran has been a major backer of Hamas throughout the period since the terror group won the PA elections. During that time, most of the PA’s Western funding sources have withheld funding pending a Hamas recognition of the Jewish state. The top Hamas official will also be visiting Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Qatar, and Lebanon. Analysts are concerned that the Iranian-Hamas summit will increase the coordination between the two entities, both publicly seeking the liquidation of the Jewish state. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Olmert holding back 'crucial' military operations (November 1, 2006) - Defense officials warn Israel faltering as Gaza quickly arms for war. Hamas could establish in the Gaza Strip a military division of nearly 10,000 troops with an operational force similar to Hezbollah in Lebanon if the terror group continues to strengthen at its current pace, according to information released yesterday by the Israeli Defense Forces. A senior military leader here told WND the IDF, concerned about the massive amount of weaponry recently smuggled into the Gaza Strip and the regular firing of rockets at nearby Jewish communities, presented battle plans last week for approval by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for a large-scale Gaza offensive. The leader said Olmert and his security cabinet only approved a series of isolated operations, which do not differ from current actions in Gaza. He said Olmert has been restraining the IDF from carrying out what the army believes are operations "crucial" for Israel's security. The official said the IDF wants Olmert to approve a major Gaza offensive aimed at blocking Egypt-Gaza smuggling routes, confiscating weaponry already transferred into Gaza, halting the rocket-firing at Jewish communities and badly damaging Gaza's terror infrastructure. "Olmert only approved small-scale operations. Most (approved measures) are defensive, although there are a few offensive isolated assaults but not what it needed to stop Gaza from sinking to the brink of war," the official said. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Israel May Rethink Truce Commitment (November 1, 2006) - Israel warned on Tuesday that it might rethink its adherence to the cease-fire resolution that ended Lebanon war this summer, following a United Nations report that Syria was smuggling arms to Hizbullah in Lebanon. The second Lebanon war: JPost.com special report It's the first time since the war that the UN had made such a clear statement with regard to the failure to disarm Hizbullah. The report flies in the face of the commitment Syrian President Bashar Assad made to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that Damascus would comply with the arms embargo against Hizbullah and would support UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for it to be disarmed. "If Lebanon cannot implement its side of the resolution, obviously Israel would be entitled to rethink the implementation of our commitments," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. He said the arms embargo was a critical element of Resolution 1701 and that the smuggling constituted a "core violation." more... | Israel | Islam |
• Report: Iran, Syria are Russia's top military clients (October 31, 2006) - Iran and Syria are the leading defense clients of Russia in the Middle East, according to a new report. The Congressional Research Service said Iran and Syria were the biggest Middle East importers of Russian weapons from 2002 through 2005. In a report, CRS said the orders marked Russia's return to the Middle East weapons market, Middle East Newsline reported. "The principal purchasers of Russian arms were: Iran [$1.7 billion], Syria [$800 million],Yemen [$500 million], Libya, and Israel [$300 million each]," the report, entitled "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations 1998-2005," said. Later, industry sources said the Israeli purchase from Russia comprised the procurement of Il-76 air transports. They said the cargo aircraft were relayed to India as part of Israel's airborne early-warning and control system project, valued at $1.1 billion. China, a missile and light arms exporter, was also cited as a leading supplier to the Middle East. CRS said that from 2002 through 2005, Egypt was the leading purchaser of Chinese systems, with orders that totaled $400 million. Iran and Saudi Arabia followed with $300 million and $200 million, respectively. "The value of China's arms transfer agreements with Iran rose from essentially nil in 1998-2001 to $300 million in the 2002-2005 period," the report said. The United States was cited as the leading supplier of military platforms and systems to the Middle East in 2002-2005. Egypt was the leading client of the United States, with $5.2 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia and Israel, with $4.2 billion and $2.5 billion, respectively. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Is it any wonder Russia is so supportive and protective of these two? They're even all prophesied to attack Israel together! If that isn't a hint at how close we are, what about the fact that Muslim Russian troops along with Turkish troops are being sent to Israel's Northern border right now.
• Mideast peace at critical stage, warns EU's Solana (October 30, 2006) - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned that the Middle East has reached a critical point but that ending the Israeli-Palestinian crisis could provoke movement on many stalled fronts. "The Middle East is going through a very crucial moment, in several directions," said the European Union's top diplomat as he left Cairo at the end of a six-day tour to assess developments in the region first hand. "We think that the centre of gravity, in order to solve the problems of the Middle East, has to be given a push on the Palestinian-Israeli track," he told reporters travelling with him. "Without solving that we will have very little chance," he added. During his trip, Solana spoke with leaders in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, with most discussions focusing on how to get the Jewish state and the embattled Palestinians talking again. Achieving that, EU officials say, could be a key that unlocks other parts of a vastly complicated Middle East puzzle stretching from Egypt up to Lebanon, over to Syria and then across to Iran. Domestic concerns for Israel and the Palestinians are severely hampering progress, however. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government has been badly weakened by its 34-day summer war against Shiite Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, which coincided with a second front in the poverty-hit Gaza Strip. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana |
• Egypt moves 5,000 troops near Gaza border (October 28, 2006) - Egypt moved 5,000 more security forces near the Gaza Strip border on Saturday after an Israeli report said Israel may bomb tunnels used for smuggling weapons into Palestinian territories, an Egyptian official said. "They requested reinforcements after the Israeli report and also citing fears of Palestinian militants breaching the border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt," the official told Reuters in Cairo. The 5,000 Egyptians were members of the police's central security force. They joined about 750 border guards already deployed along the area known as the Philadelphi Corridor, fearing the possible operation's impact on civilians living on the Egyptian side of the border. The Israeli daily newspaper Maariv reported on Friday that precision-guided weapons would be used to penetrate deep underground in the hope of destroying the tunnel network that the Jewish state says riddles the area, which is 14 km (8.6 miles) long and approximately 100 metres (330 feet) wide. The decision to use "smart" bombs may be a substitute to reoccupying the entire region, the newspaper said. Israel says it has been unable to control weapons smuggling into Gaza since it withdrew its forces from the coastal strip last year. "We are following the situation with extreme concern and we have not received any warnings from the Israeli side about this operation," one Egyptian official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Expert: Prepare for War (October 27, 2006) - Middle East experts give their forecasts for the coming months in the region, warn of 'terrible deterioration' on Israel's northern border. The coming months will present Israel with strategic threats from three different directions, Dr. Boaz Ganor, founder of the Institute for Counter-Terrorism told Ynetnews. The first threat, stemming from the Shiite alliance of Iran and Hizbullah, will result in "terrible deterioration" on Israel's northern border, according to Ganor. "The year 2007 is going to be a critical year, as the international arena will do its utmost to narrow down the nuclear capabilities of Iran. It could be done by using more affirmative sanctions, or even a military campaign," Ganor said. "And the ramification of such an attempt, even if it's only sanctions, will cause a terrible deterioration of the situation on the northern border, where Iran will use its proxy Hizbullah to retaliate against Israel, and make clear that Israel has to pay for any activities against Iran," Ganor added. Turning to the Palestinian arena, Ganor said that "the Palestinians are now at the stage of shaping their self-identities," a process he described as ultimately "positive." They are torn between "terrorism and violence against Israel, definitely the concept used by Yasser Arafat under the Oslo accords," as well as today's "Islamic radical terrorist organizations," and the "alternative option, which is actually being represented by (PA President Mahmoud Abbas) Abu Mazen," based on the idea that "terrorism and violence will never fulfill the Palestinian national interest." "The problem is that this is not a smooth process. It involves battles within the Palestinian arena. And I think in the coming months this may spill over into Israel," Ganor said. Ganor then pointed out the "third process, which I have to admit that many Israelis, including decision makers and security services in Israel underestimate, is the threat of global jihadists against Israel," posed by al-Qaeda and its affiliates. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Solana: Time To End Occupation (October 27, 2006) - The European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said following a meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah Thursday that “the Palestinian people have suffered and suffered a lot, and it is time that the occupation that started in 1967 is over.” "That is the objective of the Road Map," he said, referring to an internationally drafted plan which seeks to create a Palestinian state living in peace alongside a secure Israel, but has been largely dormant since its inception in 2003. Abbas called on the international community to act toward resuming talks between Israel and the PA, this as part of his ongoing efforts to schedule a meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Turning his attention to the Gilad Shalit kidnapping affair, Abbas said, “efforts are continuing in this matter, as are efforts to resolve the Palestinian political crisis.” However, the Palestinian president said of the situation in the PA that, “our options are limited and we must act in a level-headed manner to bring about a solution.” Abbas said the Shalit affair may spark renewed diplomatic talks and the implementation of the Road Map, adding that he hoped for a Palestinian government that would act in accordance with international law. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Clearly Solana has been sucked into the mantra of occupation as well.
• Europe's Unsolicited Advice (October 26, 2006) - You have got to hand it to Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief. He may be no friend of Israel, but he certainly can keep a straight face while saying the most ridiculous of things. And so it was that at a meeting today with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Solana repeated the mantra that the Europeans have been reciting ad nauseum in recent years: Israel must abide by the so-called road map to peace. Now, Solana is no fool. He reads the newspapers. He surely knows that in the intervening years since the adoption of the road map, a few things have changed here in the Middle East. Israel withdrew unilaterally from Gush Katif and received terror in return, Hamas has come to power in the Palestinian Authority, and Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit remains in captivity somewhere in Gaza. So for Solana to declare that Israel must nonetheless fulfill its obligations under the road map only underlines once again just how unjust, and downright absurd, the European position on the Middle East truly is. Because essentially what Europe is saying to Israel is: we don't care if the Palestinians keep trying to kill you, just shut up and retreat. Sorry, Javier, but the days when Europe can force Jews to flee are over. This land belongs to us, and we have no intention of leaving – so start getting used to it. Or, better yet, take your unsolicited advice elsewhere. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Brings a song to mind... "I see your true colors shining through..." He's not standing with Israel, that's for sure.
• DEBKAfile reports: Shock in Jerusalem over crude insult to Israel’s leaders from Russia’s Vladimir Putin (October 25, 2006) - In a televised phone-in Wednesday, Oct. 25, Putin offered the view that the sex scandal surrounding President Katzav and the corruption charges against PM Olmert were provoked by “Israel’s actions in the Lebanon.” He added: “Many see the events as defeat. That immediately triggered attacks against the president, the prime minister and the chief of staff.” Putin’s words are seen as a gratuitous and unprecedented affront to Israeli leaders and a breach of normal courtesies between governments. During a joint Kremlin appearance with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert two weeks ago, the Russian president was caught on microphone coarsely commenting: “Say hello to your president – he really surprised us.” Later he claimed he thought the microphones had been switched off. But reporters quoted him as adding a further off-color comment: "We did not know he knew how to deal with 10 women.” The Russian president’s follow-up remarks Wednesday, Oct. 25, suggest his earlier comments were meant to be heard. They also reflect negative fallout from the Putin-Olmert talks in Moscow. DEBKAfile’s Moscow sources report that the Russian president felt Olmert had misrepresented the outcome of their Kremlin talks when he informed his cabinet that they had reached complete understanding on the Iranian nuclear question and agreement to coordinate security aspects. But Putin became angry when the Israeli prime minister contradicted a statement by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to the Kuwaiti news agency on Oct. 20. Referring to the Iranian nuclear issue, Lavrov said Russia would oppose any attempts to penalize Iran through the UN Security Council or take the nuclear program as a pretext to topple the Iranian regime. On Oct. 22, Olmert, challenged by his ministers about the Lavrov interview, replied: “I heard quite different things from Putin.” The Russian president has now made it clear that he will not put up with contradictions of his positions or those of his foreign minister by the Israeli prime minister or anyone else. | Gog/Magog | Israel | This shows the reality of Russian relations with Israel. Is it any surprise that Russia  will be part of the prophesied attack against Israel?
• Spain: Mideast 'Roadmap' Not Working (October 24, 2006) - One of Europe's foremost voices on the Middle East said Tuesday the "road map" for peace between Israel and the Palestinians is doomed, and that a major new initiative is needed to resolve the conflict. Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos told a parliamentary panel that Europe has a historic opportunity to take the lead in pushing for fresh talks, and hinted that it was too late to revive the U.S.-backed blueprint for peace known as the "road map." He said Europe must lead the effort to push both sides back to the table, working in conjunction with the United States. "Everyone agrees that sooner or later there will be a peace conference," he said. "I can say that the government is discussing and sharing ideas and proposals, even with the United States, in reference to paths for the future of the region." The road map, launched in 2003, envisioned a Palestinian state alongside Israel but stalled almost from the outset because neither side met their initial commitments. Relations between the Israelis and Palestinians soured further following the election of a Hamas-led Palestinian government earlier this year. Hamas has refused to rescind its call for Israel's destruction. "It is necessary that this diplomatic initiative be led by the European Union, not with small, gradual steps, but with a major initiative that has great scope," said Moratinos, a former EU envoy to the Middle East who is considered to have excellent contacts throughout the region. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | This plays right into what Herb Peters has said recently. With America wrapped up in Iraq, Europe now has the opportunity to step into the Middle East political scene with they're own brand of peace-dealing. Expect Javier Solana to become prominent in that endeavor and even pull it off soon. This plays right into Bible prophecy and will eventually allow for the rebuilding of the Jewish temple. For more information on the confirmation of the Barcelona covenant for seven years between Israel and Europe, visit Herb Peters website, www.FulfilledProphecy.com
• Solana Set for Tough Talks with Israeli and Palestinian Leaders (October 24, 2006) - European Union foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana heads for the Middle East on Wednesday in a renewed bid to revive long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks. EU diplomats said Solana was braced for difficult discussions in both Israel and the Palestinian territories but insisted that the 25- nation bloc was determined to try and bring Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. 'The Middle East situation is difficult but we have to keep our presence in the region and step up the pressure for peace,' an EU diplomat told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. Solana is also scheduled to meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora before heading for Jordan and Egypt. The EU chief diplomat faces an uphill struggle in his bid for peace in the region. Prospects for a revival of Middle East peace talks look bleaker than ever following Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's addition of the ultra-conservative party Israel Beitenu (Israel Our Home) party of former Soviet immigrant Avigdor Lieberman to the country's ruling coalition. An EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the composition of the ruling Israeli coalition as 'very worrying', saying it would make any peace talks with Palestinians even more difficult. Solana's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also looks set to be fraught given continuing in-fighting between Fatah and the militant Hamas group. The 25-nation bloc is still hoping that Abbas will be able to forge a government of national unity including Fatah and Hamas representatives, a move which could allow a resumption of blocked EU aid to Palestinians. 'The EU does not want the Palestinian Authority to fail or collapse but to transform,' said the EU diplomat. The EU and the US cut off all direct aid to the Palestinian government following the election victory earlier this year of Hamas. The group is classified as a terrorist organization by both Brussels and Washington. However, the EU is currently channelling badly-needed humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank and also paying allowances to Palestinian health workers. EU officials say aid to the Palestinian Authority will resume once Hamas recognizes Israel, renounces violence and agrees to abide by past peace treaties. In Lebanon, Solana will voice support for Premier Seniora and also meet Nabih Berri, the leader of the Lebanese Shiite group Amal and a key Hezbollah ally. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | I don't expect it will take him too long to work it out. I wouldn't be surprised if the upcoming seven-year period of his ENPI (European Neighborhood Policy Instrument) It starts January 1, 2007 and even has a mid-term review in 2010, 3 1/2 years later. Daniel 9:27 visit Herb Peters website, www.FulfilledProphecy.com
• Syria paying Golan Heights public officials (October 23, 2006) - Syrian President Bashar Assad, who recently began directing his citizens to move to the Golan Heights, now is paying scores of Golan residents official state salaries, WND has learned. Israeli officials interpret Assad's latest moves as attempting to underscore Syria's "ownership" of the Heights and pressure the Jewish state into giving up the strategic territory. The officials said there are some indications Assad may stage a provocation aimed at restarting negotiations with Israel over relinquishing the Heights. The Golan Heights is mountainous territory captured by the Jewish state after Syria used the terrain to attack Israel in 1967 and again in 1973. The Heights looks down on major Israeli and Syrian population centers. It borders Israel, Syria and Lebanon and is claimed by Damascus. Military officials say returning the Golan Heights to Syria would grant Damascus the ability to mount an effective ground invasion of the Jewish state. WND first reported last month Assad issued a decree urging his citizens to move to the Golan Heights, claiming the International Committee of the Red Cross would help flood the territory with Syrians. Assad's decree urged Syrian officials, humanitarian workers, public service providers and their families to move to the Golan with the help of the Red Cross, which has authority to operate in the area purportedly to facilitate civilian crossings into and out of Syria in humanitarian cases. Assad's signed statement said Syrians who wish to move to the Golan will be granted approval by "all the relevant authorities." The decree affirmed the "right of the Syrian people's resistance" aimed at ensuring the return of the Golan Heights. Israel officially annexed the Golan in 1981 and controls the territory. It must approve all cases of Syrian residents moving to the Golan. Israel is unlikely to allow any new Syrian residents into the territory. "[Assad's] decree is seen more as rhetoric aimed at generating Syrian national feelings toward the Golan and strengthening Syrian ties to the area," said an official in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Israel Must Prepare For Iran to Push the Button - Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz (October 21, 2006) - Iranian president said earlier there is no reason for Israel “the greatest insult to human dignity” to exist and it would soon disappear. Halutz also warned Israel to prepare for possible war with Syria, whose missile threat to Israel's population is similar to that of Hizballah. Another of his outrageous speeches was delivered Friday to a pro-Palestinian rally marking the Islami Republic’s “al Qods Day” (Jerusalem Liberation Day). In further inflammatory remarks, Ahmadinejad said “the world knows the US and Britain are enemies of the Iranian nation.” He warned European nations not to harm Iran, saying that if anger in the region boiled over, Europe would get hurt because of its support for Israel. “Europe must distance itself from Israel at once. That is Iran’s ultimatum. “He went on to brand the UN Security Council and its decisions “illegitimate.” DEBKAfile adds: These words amounted to an Iranian threat of harm to the European UN forces deployed in Lebanon unless they left forthwith. His harsh words followed two events: one, the Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert’s statement in Moscow this week after he met with Russian leaders: “They need to fear that something that they do not want to happen will happen. In no case, Olmert stressed, “will we reconcile with nuclear arms in Iranian hands. There is no margin for error here.” The other event was the arrival in the Persian Gulf of the giant US carrier Iwo Jima with its Expeditionary Strike Group to join the American naval, air and marine might piling up opposite Iran’s shores. Next week too, the Security Council convenes to discussion a form of sanctions against Iran for refusing to desist from enriching uranium. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Iran Warns of Revenge Over Israel (October 20, 2006) - Iran's president has warned that Muslims around the world will take revenge on states which support Israel against the Palestinians. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again questioned the extent of the Holocaust, when German Nazis murdered six million Jews. Israel was founded on "claims about the Holocaust" for which the Palestinians were paying the price, he told a rally. He was speaking on Jerusalem Day, when there are large demonstrations in Iran in support of the Palestinians. BBC Tehran correspondent Frances Harrison says the tone of the speech was hard-line, even by Mr Ahmadinejad's standards. Implicit threat Mr. Ahmadinejad called Israel's leaders a "group of terrorists" and appeared to threaten any country that supports it." You imposed a group of terrorists... on the region. It is in your own interest to distance yourself from these criminals... This is an ultimatum. Don't complain tomorrow." The "ultimatum" was directed at European states in particular. "We have advised the Europeans that the Americans are far away, but you are the neighbors of the nations in this region," Mr. Ahmadinejad said. "We inform you that the nations are like an ocean that is welling up, and if a storm begins, the dimensions will not stay limited to Palestine, and you may get hurt." more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America |
• Ahmadinejad Predicts Israel's Collapse, Warns of 'Boiling Wrath' (October 20, 2006) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has predicted Israel would collapse and warned that its allies face the "boiling wrath" of the people if they continue to support the Jewish state. The renewed assault on Israel by Ahmadinejad -- who has been castigated by world powers for his frequent anti-Israeli outbursts -- came as tens of thousands marched through Tehran in an annual pro-Palestinian protest. "This regime (Israel) will be gone, definitely," Ahmadinejad, who has previously called for Israel to be "wiped from the map" and described the Holocaust as a myth, told the protestors. "You (the Western powers) should know that any government that stands by the Zionist regime from now on will not see any result but the hatred of the people," he added. "The wrath of the region's people is boiling." "Efforts to stabilise this fraudulent regime have completely failed, thank God ... This regime has lost the rationale of its existence," the president said. Ahmadinejad described his warning as an "ultimatum" for Western powers. "You should not complain that we did not give a warning. We are saying this explicitly now." "If a hurricane starts be rest assured that the dimensions of this hurricane will not be limited to the geographic borders of Palestine," he added. "This regime (Israel) will take its supporters to the bottom of the swamp." "The best solution is for you to take all the components of the regime and take it away," Ahmadinejad said. Chanting "Death to Israel" and predicting the "Triumph of Palestine", tens of thousands of people had earlier converged on Tehran University, where Ahmadinejad gave his speech, to mark Iran's Quds (Jerusalem) Day. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America |
• Syrian Military Impart Hizballah’s Combat Methods to Hamas Terrorists (October 19, 2006) - AMAN chief Maj.-Gen Amos Yadlin and head of research division Brig. Yossi Baidatz also reported to the Israeli cabinet Sunday, Oct. 15. that Hamas is taking delivery of anti-air missiles as well as anti-tank rockets. Saturday night, 3 Qassam missiles exploding near at Nir Am triggered an Israeli air strike at Palestinian launch team near Jebalya, N. Gaza. During the day, Israeli forces killed 8 Palestinian gunmen in clashes in Jebalya, northern Gaza Strip. At least 6 were from Hamas and they directed anti-tank fire at Israeli troops. They were killed when an Israeli rocket hit a house. Israeli ground forces are operating in three Gaza Strip sectors to fight off Palestinian missile attacks and destroy their arsenals. The IDF has stepped up pressure since the June kidnapping of Cpl Gideon Shalit. This operation, which went into its fourth day Saturday, is aimed at stemming the inflow of Iranian long-range anti-tank weapons and Grad 17-km range rockets through the tunnels of the Philadelphi border strip with Egypt. The latest arrivals now are ground-to-air and anti-tank rockets. The Egyptian police do nothing to hinder the Palestinian terrorist arms build-up in Gaza through their lines in Sinai. | Israel | Islam |
• Descendants of King David Planning Reunion in Israel (October 16, 2006) - An international foundation is seeking to gather Jewish descendants of King David, the second biblical king of Israel, for a reunion next year in Jerusalem aimed at fostering Jewish unity. "King David was the first and essentially the only king of Israel to unite all of the Jewish people under one kingdom," said Susan Roth, CEO and founder of the Eshet Chayil Foundation, a group that sponsors Jewish charitable organizations and promotes Jewish education. "In these times of conflict and divisiveness it is very fitting to make a public expression of unity, a demonstration to show it is time for the Jewish people to be joined together while common enemies from around the world once again seek our destruction," Roth said. Roth also founded the Davidic Dynasty, which is sponsored by the Eshet Chayil Foundation and seeks to promote awareness about Jewish history and Jewish ties to the land of Israel through the life and leadership of King David. The Dynasty is holding a launch dinner in New York this week ahead of a larger conference and a first-ever reunion of Davidic descendants in Israel in May 2007. The dinner honors prominent descendants of King David including Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau Jr. and senior rabbinic figures. more... | Israel | It's amazing to hear this kind of news given that it hasn't really been news since before the Diaspora in 70 AD. And even more amazing that they can trace their lineage back that far! I know people like Zola Levitt know they're from the tribe of the Levites because it's in their name, but they keep very good track of these things. We see that evident in the Old Testament and New Testament, where lineages are written out that show Christ's lineage from Adam through Abraham to Mary, all purely Jewish. The Christian and Jewish Messiah is a Jew, born of God through the Jews and it's all written down for us in black and white.
• Spanish foreign minister says no final peace in Mideast without Syria (October 16, 2006) - There can be no comprehensive and final peace in the Middle East without Syria, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Sunday. "There will be no final peace in the Middle East if there is no solution of the Syrian-Israeli relationship. If we need a comprehensive peace, all actors have to be involved in a peaceful agenda," Moratinos told reporters at the Damascus airport before departing for Turkey. During a two-day visit to Syria, Moratinos held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem on ways to revive the stalled Middle East peace process. Moratinos said he won a pledge from Assad to work for peace in the region. "That's what I have got from President Assad and Moallem. ... They conveyed to me a genuine wish and will to work in a constructive and positive manner," he said. Israeli-Syrian peace talks broke down in 2000, with Syria demanding assurances that Israel would return the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau that Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War. Israel wanted modifications to the pre-1967 border and insisted that the issues of security arrangements and normalization be spelled out first. Moratinos said that he believes, from the Spanish point of view, that the only way to bring peace and stability to the region is to have "contacts and dialogue and engagement of all actors, the main actors in the region." Syria is "part of the solution and not part of the problem," Moratinos said. more... | Israel | Islam | While the Spanish Foreign Minister is correct, I don't believe the actions of Syria represent any willingness on their part to come to the table. Even if they did, Israel could expect to hear lies and deceit. Syria is a Muslim nation and Islam controls her actions. Islam has made it's position abundantly clear.
• Ahmadinejad: God told me we would win (October 16, 2006) - Iranian president says has been in touch with God, who reassured him Tehran victory against West is guaranteed. While the West is preparing to impose sanctions on Iran, due to the country's failure to suspend its nuclear activities, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is still optimistic. "We shall win," he was quoted in the Iranian media as saying Monday, and added: "One day I will be asked whether I have been in touch with someone who told me we would win, and I will respond: 'Yes, I have been in touch with God'." "We must not be afraid of them," he stated, hinting to the western countries. Ahmadinejad also noted that although he was at times mocked for his preoccupation with spiritual matters and his use of "divine" words," he was nevertheless certain that Iran would prevail, after having secured the support of international public opinion for its cause. Meanwhile, Iranian news agencies reported Monday that Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi addressed the possibility of an attack on Iran and said, “If Americans and Zionists want to try their luck in Iran, they will experience a larger defeat than in Iraq.” Safavi added during a memorial service held at his headquarters: “We are obligated to our fallen to maintain the readiness and deal a powerful blow on the enemies in case of an attack. “The Basij (branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and the Revolutionary Guards are so strong they will not allow the enemy to even think of launching an operation against Iran,” he said. “The blood of our shahids will bring about not only the liberation of Jerusalem and Karbala (Iraq) but the liberation of all mankind from the evil powers of the world; the blood of our shahids boiled the blood of Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon, and they will overcome the evil Americans and Israel.” more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This shows the fearlessness because I really believe that he believes that. Or at least he's trying to deceive the population into higher morale for a more willing army. However, since hatred of Israel is taught from the mosques and is beyond any territorial division, it's only a matter of time before all of Islam unites together against Israel and those who refuse to convert to Islam. Look at history and watch it repeat.
• IDF: Syrian Army In Battle Positions (October 15, 2006) - Brigadier-General Yossi Beyditz, head the Research Department in the IDF Directorate of Military Intelligence, told Cabinet Sunday that, “(Syrian President Bashar) Assad is preparing his army for a confrontation with Israel.” “Assad has not returned the army to its pre-Lebanon war positions,” Beyditz said. However, he added that the Syrian army is not prepared to attack, but rather to defend the country against a possible Israeli offensive "These are artillery cannons, missiles and rockets positioned in forward positions. He is preparing for a defensive and not offensive response. He estimates that Israel would want to attack him," he said. He added: "Assad continues to support Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hizbullah. We have unequivocal proof on his direct involvement in smuggling weapons to Lebanon. In the past there was no proof," he said. "The Syrians continue to sabotage attempts to implement UN Resolution 1701 and also to harm (Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad) Siniora's sovereignty and create a majority block against him in the government," he added. "Bashar Assad continues him wave of equivocal messages. Once he speaks about sticking with a peace strategy and simultaneously speak of a confrontation and about us as not ready for a political process and he in fact means both options: a political arrangement according to Assad's known conditions, but prepares that army for a confrontation with Israel," the officer said. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Canadian Jews say goodbye to Liberal Party (October 14, 2006) - One of the most significant phenomena in current Canadian politics – i.e. the growing shift of Canada's Jewish community from the Liberal to the Conservative Party – took a major stride last week when the top contender for the Liberal leadership accused Israel of committing a war crime. Michael Ignatieff, a longtime Harvard authority on human rights and international law who came back to Canada two years ago to seek the Liberal leadership, seemed to stumble into the accusation. In an interview with the Toronto Star last August, he was asked about the Israeli bombing of the Lebanese town of Qana during the Israel-Lebanon war. He replied that it was a "dirty war," and he wasn't "losing sleep" over Qana. But when this remark was condemned in Quebec as heartless, Ignatieff backtracked, saying he had erred in making it. Asked last Sunday on Quebec's top-rated talk show for further explanation, he landed himself in hotter water. This exodus of Jews from the Liberal Party is an historic switch. All through the 20th century the dominant Liberals could count on strong Jewish support. While there were certainly some Jewish Conservatives, the community as whole tended leftward, as did Canadian academe. Within the last decade, however, Canada's socialists have increasingly opposed Israel, much to the consternation of their long-time Jewish allies. Meanwhile, it was not immediately apparent how seriously the Ignatieff incident might damage his leadership prospects at the convention in early December. A delegate count earlier this month gave him 30 percent of the committed convention delegates and Rae 20 percent, with the other six candidates ranging from 1 percent to 17 percent. more... | Israel |
• Iran’s supreme ruler Ali Khamenei delivers war sermon, symbolically totes Kalashnikov DEBKAfile (October 14, 2006) - Khamenei speaking at Tehran University on Oct. 13, the third Friday of Ramadan,. He is holding an automatic AK 47 rifle in his right hand in a pose reminiscent of Yasser Arafat and Saddam Hussein at their most belligerent. His sermon was tantamount to a declaration of war by Iran and its Middle East allies: Syria, Hizballah and the Palestinian Hamas against the United States and Israel. The Kalashnikov accentuated his words. | Iran | Islam | Israel | America | They're on the war path and they believe they have Allah on they're side. Of course they do, but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will overcome in all things. We need to be aware of the power over the fear of death that religious belief can bring. We should know that ourselves as Christians if we believe it. Muslims believe the things they're taught from infancy and are brainwashed to be willing to kill themselves and others for their god. So when faced with the arguement that negotiations are possible, listen to their two-faced responces to the world then to their own people. It is the religion that controls the people, not the politics in Islam. The politics are something they have to fake until they can fulfill their religious duty, to dominate the world for Allah. Hear Iranian President | Hear Syrian Cleric   http://memritv.org/
• Anti-Tank Missiles Smuggled Into Gaza (October 13, 2006) - The IDF released information Friday that indicated the pace of weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip was increasing. A senior army officer said terror groups were arming at an "unprecedented" pace, Channel 2 reported, and some officials were calling for a re-evaluation of the IDF's strategy in Gaza. Despite intense IDF activityAddMinn along the security fence in recent days and non-stop air strikes on Gaza weapons depots, terror groups have been importing more than two tons of TNT per month through tunnels burrowed under the Philadelphi corridor along the Egyptian border. Aside from the usual merchandise of explosives, light weapons and ammunition, some 20 advanced anti-tank missiles have found their way into Gaza - a development the IDF has feared since the end of the war in Lebanon, officials said. Several anti-tank missiles have been fired at troops and vehicles in the army's latest forays across the security fence. In two separate incidents Friday, Palestinians targeted tanks operating in Khan Yunis, but failed to inflict casualties. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Just negotiate with them. The missiles mean nothing, it's just self-defense for the ones who keep trying to kill the Jews. In case you missed it, that was extreme sarcasm intended to point out the futility of negotiating with those clearly gearing up for war. At least Israel isn't oblivious even if the rest of the world seems to be since they're still supporting the poor beleaguered "Palestinians." I recommend everyone read the REAL history of the land of Israel and the deceptions that have gone into deceiving the whole world into taking the side against Israel. From Time Immemorial: The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict over Palestine by Joan Peters
• Call for Israel to leave Shebaa farms area (October 11, 2006) - Hizbullah will resume its military campaign against Israel unless it withdraws from the disputed Shebaa farms area and other pockets of territory occupied during this summer’s 34-day war, Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese parliament, has warned. “If Israel does not pull out we will have to drive them out,” said Mr Berri, who acted as a link to the militant organisation during this summer’s war with Israel, in an interview with the Guardian. Hizbullah will remain armed and fully operational in south Lebanon, despite the newly-deployed UN forces, until Israel withdraws from all Lebanese territory and ceases its ongoing air, sea and land violations, Mr Berri added. “The Unifil presence will not hinder Hizbullah's defensive operations. The resistance doesn't need to fly its flags high to operate, it's a guerrilla movement; it operates among the people,” he said. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Israel Raises Prospect of War in 2007 (October 10, 2006) - For the first time in more than a decade, Israel's military has raised the prospect of a Middle East war. Military sources said the Intelligence Corps has warned of the possibility of war in 2007. The sources said the corps, in its annual intelligence assessment, has notified the General Staff that Syria represented the greatest danger of war over the next year. "The main message was that the chance of war with Syria in 2007 was greater than during 2006," a source said. "This does not mean that it will happen. It means that there is a reasonable change of it taking place." The annual assessment relayed to the General Staff was expected to be revised over the next few months. The Cabinet would receive the annual assessment toward the end of 2006. | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Secular Jews join religious trends (October 10, 2006) - According to the results of a recent poll conducted by Ynet and the Smith Institute, many Israelis are looking to embrace Judaism by visiting the tombs of the righteous. The data was collected by two simultaneous methods: A telephone survey of the older community, and an internet poll posted on Ynet which had over 40 thousand participants. Thirty-two percent of those surveyed answered positively when asked whether they have visited the tombs of the righteous; 11 percent of those who answered “yes” were secular, while the rest were traditional (31 percent) and religious (82 percent) Jews. Rafi Smith, of the Smith Institute, said more Israelis aged 29-years-old and under have visited the graves than Israelis aged 50 and up. The poll also showed that seven out of 10 Israelis believe in the existence of God, and six out of 10 believe it was God who created the world in which we live today. The data points to a phenomenon whereby Israelis embrace Judaism in unconventional ways, as only nine percent of the respondents said they visit a synagogue on a daily basis, and 33 percent said they go to temple on Sabbath and holidays; 31 percent said they go to shul only for “events and bar-mitzvahs.” more... | Israel | This will happen on an even greater scale, I believe, when the Gog/Magog attack is stopped by God. Ezekiel 38,39 says that the nations will know the God of Israel, so imagine how Israelis will act when they clearly see God protected them? Expect an even greater aliyah.
• Syria: Establish Arab Defense Alliance (October 10, 2006) - Syrian sources in Damascus claimed that Syria was looking into an initiative that would renew the “Arab Joint Defense Treaty”, under which new systems would be established, binding member countries to defend other member countries that are under attack. According to sources, the Syrian initiative would be discussed by the highest grade of the Arab League, and would then be transferred to decision-making members in the League’s Summit committee meeting. Syrian sources told Qatari newspaper “Al Watan” that Damascus was already assembling a group of diplomats and legal and international experts to examine the wording and clauses of the treaty. It was also reported that efforts were being made in Damascus to revive the Syrian-Egyptian-Saudi axis, needed for consultations and closer contact between the countries. In the meantime, Syria insisted on taking the possible outbreak of war with Israel seriously. “Al Watan” claimed that the “Israeli aggression” that increased following the Lebanon war, was meant to intimidate Damascus, and to pressure it into looking weak and ridiculous, military speaking. more... | Israel | Islam | Syria's looking for alliances and is prophesied to be destroyed. If Israel does this, then it would draw in all those who are allied with Syria to attack Israel.
• Jews at Risk as Turkey Goes Radical (October 10, 2006) - Throughout the centuries, the sultans of Ottoman Turkey never issued edicts, firmans or fatwahs against the Jewish people living in their dominions. In the modern Republic of Turkey, the same holds true. Yet, an alarming situation existing today threatens to change the historic course of Turko-Jewish relations. The Turkish Muslims, long known for their hospitality and peacefulness towards the Jewish people, are quickly being radicalized by the introduction of Nazi-inspired Arab zealotry against the Jews. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the early twentieth century, the Jews continued to remain close to the Turkish people. In 1923, President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk declared, "Our country has some elements who gave the proof of their fidelity to the motherland. Among them, I have to mention the Jewish element; up to now, the Jews have lived in happiness and from now they will rejoice and will be happy." Today, the tide is turning, and the Turkish land that for so long remained a bastion of peace for the Jews is rapidly becoming a playground for the Islamo-facists that feed off of ferocious propaganda being disseminated from Arab countries and Iran. Attacks, violence and anti-Jewish graffiti is becoming more and more common in Turkish cities. Pro-Iranian ideas have infiltrated Turkey, a country that has been a time-honored adversary of the Persian nation. The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs stated in the Chicago Sun-Times last week that "Turkey has adopted the role of defending Islam against the West, defending Iran...." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | More evidence that Turkey is not the friendly neighbor the political world would like to deceive themselves into believing. They're trying so hard for peace that they're ignoring the deadly nature of this game they're playing. Anti-Semitism is a fingerprint of the enemy. From ever since Israel was called out as a nation by God to Hitler and Islam, they all have it, that desire to wipe out Israel. It all started with the promise that our Savior would come from the Jews. Ever since then, Lucifer has been after the woman.
• Israel on alert for Syrian attack (October 9, 2006) - In spite of assertions by some officials here to the contrary, Israel has placed its forces in the Golan Heights bordering Syria on heightened alert for possible confrontations following a series of statements by Syrian President Bashar Assad that his military is preparing for war with the Jewish state, WND has learned. Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the Israeli Defense Forces have fortified their positions in the Golan, including increasing security at checkpoints and the stationing of larger troop numbers at key areas throughout the territory. Also, the officials said, the IDF has reinforced security fences on the Israeli side of the border. The IDF has not moved in additional heavy weaponry, tanks, or troop divisions for fear of startling Syria, the officials said. "We are taking Assad's threats very seriously and are cautiously increasing our level of alertness for a possible provocation by Syria," a military official said. The official said Israel placed troops in the Golan on heightened alert during the 34-day war against Hezbollah in Lebanon that began July 12, but the alert level was raised in recent weeks following militant statements by Assad and Israeli intelligence warnings of indications Syria may be bracing for a conflict. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This could be where it starts. Israel has already threatened to attack Damascus. I'm positive that on the Islamic leadership side, they're planning to attack Israel. Russian and Turkish Muslim troops are now pouring into Southern Lebanon, which is on the Northern border of Israel. That's where Gog/Magog all starts, an invasion by Turkish, Russian, and Persian (Iranian) troops. If Israel gets a whiff of this and the leadership is in Damascus, they might just fulfill Isaiah 17.
• DEBKAfile’s sources: Tehran and Damascus are gearing up for a pre-emptive Syrian attack on Israel to ward off a US strike on Iran’s nuclear sites (October 7, 2006) - Our military and Washington sources read as preparatory justification the Syrian ruler Bashar Asad’s statement Saturday, Oct. 7, that he expects an Israeli attack. He was speaking in an interview to Kuwaiti paper al-Anba. Asad’s Iranian-backed war plan would serve the purpose of forcing the Americans to divide their military assets between a strike against Iran and the defense of their allies in the Persia Gulf, Israel and US forces in Iraq. Both are seriously looking at a Syrian attack on the Golan which would escalate into a full-blown Syrian-Israeli war and a second Hizballah assault from Lebanon. Asad’s remark that during the Lebanon hostilities, he was under pressure from the Syrian population to go to war against Israel and liberate the Golan is the most direct threat of belligerency of all his four Golan statements in the last month. He is implying that he stood up to the pressure once but may not do so again. And for the benefit of the Americans, the Europeans, the Saudis and the Egyptians - all of whom are pretty fed up with him – Asad is posing as the picture of self-restraint; anyone else in his place, he implies, would have taken advantage of the Lebanon war and made a grab for the Golan. Therefore, he is saying, he deserves to be treated with the respect due to a strategic asset by Western and moderate Arab powers instead of being targeted for an ouster. The Syrian ruler would not threaten war without guarantees from Iran. According to DEBKAfile’s sources, Asad and Iran’s supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are prompted by the following motives:
  • Tehran is not prepared to wait passively for the Americans to build up their assault force in the Gulf and strike its nuclear facilities. A pre-emptive attack would suit them better.
  • Tehran and Damascus have not missed the debilitating crisis in which Israel’s political and military leadership are sunk since the Lebanon war. They do not propose to wait until the IDF pulls itself together enough to handle fresh aggression.
  • Both accept Israel’s deputy prime minister Shimon Peres’ assessment that Israel’s cities are not prepared for missile attack. Iran and Syria take it for granted that Israeli leaders understand they cannot afford to launch missiles against either one of them for fear of reprisal in kind.
  • Syria believes that if Hizballah could stand up to the Israeli army in Lebanon, its commandoes can capture sections of the Golan and walk off with an easy victory.
  • Tehran figures that the Bush administration is coming to the end of its patience in Iraq and preparing for a major review of its position there. The influential U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, John Warner, said Friday that Iraq's government had 60 to 90 days to control the violence that threatens civil war or the United States would have to reconsider its options. This gives the Maliki government in Baghdad up to December or January to de-escalate if not halt the sectarian war engulfing the country.

  Iran, Syria and Hizballah would not be averse to disrupting the American Iraq timeline by attacking Israel and putting the Bush administration on the spot, forced to address three warfronts simultaneously. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | This could be Israel's reason to pre-empt the Syrian-Iranian pre-emption and we could see the destruction of Damascus in Isaiah 17. This could be the hooks in the jaws" that brings Iran, Russia, Turkey, and the other players against Israel fulfilling Ezekiel 38,39. This in turn could help allow the Jews to rebuild the temple on the Temple Mount. This, of course, sets the stage for the revealing of the man of sin, the abomination of desolation. Keep watching!

• DEBKA Exclusive: Moscow posts two Chechen platoons in S. Lebanon, one headed by an ex-rebel commander, “to improve Russia’s image in the Arab world” (October 7, 2006) - The Muslim commandoes of the Vostok (East) and Zapad (West) battalions of the Russian Army’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) (picture) are being sent to guard the 150 Russian military engineers. They arrived in Beirut this week to restore the roads in Lebanon damaged by Israeli bombing. DEBKAfile reports: Moscow did not consult Israel before stationing Muslim Chechen troops on its border for the first time. Russian defense minister Sergei Ivanov said openly to Russian media that the deployment of former rebel Chechen troops in Lebanon aimed at “improving Moscow’s image in the Arab and Muslim world.” more...  | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | We see where Russia's loyalties are being laid out for, Islam. Can they possibly be effective peacekeeping troops? No, and as we will see, according to Bible prophecy, they will attack Israel and will be wiped out in the mountains of Israel. Ezekiel 38,39 When this happens, tell everyone you have a relationship with. The Bible foretelling this almost 2,600 years before its fulfillment. And if I'm right about how it will happen, it will come from space so it will have to have been timed just right so that debris in space would hit those areas of earth that the armies happened to be traveling on to attack Israel at this particular point in space-time. This is only something God can do, and the idea that it's all a coincidence? Ridiculous. Calculate the odds. I really think this will all go down before the year is out, but only time will tell. For now, pray for the lost and get close to Christ. We don't need to freak out, because our fate as Christians is one of eternal joy. It is our job to share that message of hope with the lost. We need to focus our energies on that and God will guide and protect us through whatever may come our way. He will never leave or forsake us.
• We Will Not Recognize Israel: Hamas PM (October 6, 2006) - Prime minister Ismail Haniya has said that his Hamas movement would not recognize Israel but would accept a long-term truce in exchange for an independent Palestinian state with the 1967 borders. "We will not recognize Israel, we will not recognize Israel, we will not recognize Israel," Haniya thundered in a speech before tens of thousands of Hamas supporters rallying in support of his embattled Palestinian government on Friday. "We are for the creation of a Palestinian state on the territories occupied (by Israel) in 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital in exchange for a truce but not recognition of Israel, which would amount to renouncing the land of our ancestors," he added. He also rejected the "diktats" imposed by the four international sponsors of the Middle East peace process. The European Union, Russia, United Nations and United States make up the so-called quartet, or four sponsors, of the stalled Middle East peace process. more... | Israel | Islam | Well there we have it. The terrorists will not recognize Israel. AGAIN. So why does everyone try to appease them so? We treat them like the lies about who's land it is are true and Israel has kicked them off of it. The truth of the matter is that Judea and Jerusalem were desolate places until Israel came on the land again. This was a fulfillment of prophecy too. Ezekiel 36:1-15 Ezekiel 28:20-26 I saw a picture a few months ago of the dome of the rock from the early 1900s. I wish I had made a copy of it because I can't find it now, but there was not big city or trees around. These things are more recent. If you read the history of the land, you'll find the truth. History In A Nutshell - Slideshow presentation of the history of Israel | From Time Immemorial: The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict over Palestine
• Israeli company discovers oil at drilling site near Dead Sea (October 5, 2006) - An Israeli company has discovered a small amount of oil at a drilling site near the Dead Sea, raising hopes that the Jewish state could one day join its regional neighbors as a petroleum producer. Initial tests have found that the site would yield between 100 to 150 barrels daily, said Eli Tannenbaum, geologist for the Ginko oil exploration company. While this is minuscule by global standards - No. 1 producer Saudi Arabia produces 9 million barrels a day - Tannenbaum said there are signs that larger amounts of crude are nearby. (AP) | Israel | Related Story from September 19, 2006: Ginko, Lapidot discover oil at Dead Sea drilling site | Oil discovery prophesied in the Bible? [Genesis 49:25 | Isaiah 45:3,4]
• Assad gives Israel 6 months for peace negotiations (October 3, 2006) - Syrian President Bashar Assad continued to give clashing messages to the international community with an announcement that he was ready to negotiate with Israel. In an interview with Spanish newspaper El-Pais on Saturday, the president said it would take six months to reach an agreement with Israel. If a peace agreement would not be reached, he added, war would break out. "Two sides are responsible for the current situation (with Israel) - not just one side. The situation is based on one topic only, the peace process… and perhaps war if no peace is established," Assad said. The president said that Syria's vision has so far proven itself, as opposed to the failed Israeli dream that is based on military power. "We have a clear vision, and events have proven that we foresee the future in the right direction. It is not based on the ideas of strength and weakness, but rather it is based upon values, history and human ambition, while the Israeli dream, unfortunately, is based solely on a strong army." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | He's just stated here that war is inevitable based on Israel cooperating with a six-month deadline. I believe they're preparing for war now based on their actions, which actually are about as loud and effective as their words about it. They spew hatred and anti-Semitism and the world takes the Palestinian side. Truly the mystery of iniquity is already at work in this world.
• 'Gaza readying for war' (October 2, 2006) - Hamas has succeeded in smuggling "hundreds of tons" of weapons from Egypt into the Gaza Strip and is preparing for the possibility of launching a large-scale conflict with Israel, according to a report by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. The report, drafted by Fatah's General Security Services and obtained by WND, stated Hamas has smuggled from the Egyptian Sinai desert between several hundred and 1,300 tons of advanced rockets; anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles; rocket propelled grenades; raw explosives; rifles; ammunition; and other heavy weaponry. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip last year. In a deal brokered in November by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Egypt-Gaza border, once controlled by the Jewish state, now is manned by Egyptian and Palestinian security officials and is observed by European monitors. The monitors reportedly have fled their duty several times the past few months. Israeli security officials have noted multiple breaches in border security, including the transport of terrorists and weapons across the border. They say several key sections of the border are penetrable and that smuggling tunnels that snake under the border are "thriving." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | The desire is there. Could we see the beginning buildup for the Gog/Magog invasion?
• Syria Threat Over Golan Puts Israel On War Alert (October 1, 2006) - Israel has gone on heightened alert over a possible war with Syria amid reports that President Bashar Assad may be considering military strikes to regain the Golan Heights. For years Israeli military intelligence has down-played Syria's capacity to launch a meaningful attack against Israel, and the threat level has been kept "low". But Israeli reports have revealed that the threat level had been raised after intelligence assessments that Damascus is "seriously examining" military action. The raised threat level comes as Israel prepares for Monday's Day of Atonement, known as Yom Kippur, a solemn Jewish holiday when the entire country effectively shuts down as residents fast and seek forgiveness for sins. It was on Yom Kippur in 1973 that Israel was caught by surprise as Syrian and Egyptian forces launched a joint attack and inflicted heavy losses before being repelled. "The first two days of that war were huge defeats for Israel," said Prof Uri Bar-Joseph, an expert on the 1973 conflict. "All the intelligence analysts failed." more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | I could see good reason for a pre-emptive attack by Israel against Syria. The Bible talks about Damascus being made a ruinous heap. Isaiah 17 However, Damascus is one of the longest constantly inhabited cities in history. It has never been destroyed. Damascus houses some of the highest leaders on the Israeli hit-list who are currently planning their next move against Israel. If Israel senses this and strikes, Syria has a defense agreement with Iran that would bring them against Israel like hooks in the jaws. Russia has clearly made ties with Iran and many Russian missiles were found exploded in this last barrage. Both Russia and Turkey are currently planning on placing "peacekeeping" troops in Southern Lebanon on the Northern border of Israel. This is not far from Jerusalem. With all the weapons cache bunkers in Southern Lebanon, even "peacekeeping" troops can grab a gun. Israel is asking for Turkish troops and Ezekiel 38,39 names Turkey, Russia, and Iran (Persia), along with others who will attack Israel. I think the alliances are clearly already there and now the troops that we may soon see decimated on the mountains of Israel are being planned for Southern Lebanon. This means that all this could happen before the year is out, which would fit perfectly with the EU's plan for the seven year covenant with Israel to begin January 1, 2007. It has a mid-term review (3 1/2 years for those who know prophecy). The Bible says that when these forces are wiped out with fire and brimstone from heaven in the mountains of Israel, that the world will know the God of Israel is who He says He is. Perhaps that is how Israel is allowed to cohabitate on the Temple Mount with the Muslims, fulfilling Revelation 11:1,2. This would mean the rebuilding of the Jewish temple, without the outer court. This is the very temple that the antichrist will declare himself God in soon after. And when he does, the final 1290 days begin. After 30 days, God's wrath will be poured out in seven successive trumpet judgments and then seven bowls, each signifying an event of great disaster on the earth. But for those in Christ, we are not appointed to God's wrath. They are watching for His return with oil in their lamps. They are removed from the earth in the harpazo before God's wrath is poured out. These things are all written about in the Bible for those who believe because we are no longer His servants but His friends, John 15:12-15 and He tells His friends what He will do. Amos 3:7 I have tried to put all my Bible studies in one place to quickly catch up for those interested in understanding the near future and your Savior better. Watchman Bible Study Guide

September 2006

• Russian Troops Make First Mideast Foray in Lebanon for Centuries (September 27, 2006) - Russian troops are to deploy in Lebanon soon for the first time in more than 200 years, with a small contingent being sent to build bridges -- not only real ones but also geopolitical ones. As a member of the Middle East diplomatic "quartet", Moscow is grouped with Washington, the European Union and United Nations in so far futile efforts to advance a roadmap to an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement.
  Russia, which criticised the Israeli offensive in Lebanon, is now preparing a tentative foray into the turbulent region. It is due to fly 100 soldiers to Beirut airport on October 4 to take part in post-war reconstruction, its embassy said. The remainder of the 300-strong contingent is to land by sea around October 10 at Jiyeh, south of the capital, near six bridges to be repaired in the Sidon region, spokesman Vladimir Cherepanov told AFP. It will be the first time that Russia, or the former Soviet Union, publicly puts boots on the ground in the Middle East, apart from military advisors who have for decades served and trained customers of Moscow's weaponry, he noted. The Soviet Union's traditional Arab allies in the region made for a long list, including Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Here's the possible troops that we could see from Magog, an area around the North of the Black Sea, Russia. This attack includes Turkish and Iranian troops who all come from the North of Israel (where the troops are now being sent, Southern Lebanon) to attack Israel. However, when they do, God destroys them in the mountains of Israel. Coincidence that two of the main countries involved in this attack are sending troops to where this future attack will come from? And we already know from previous stories that uniformed Iranian troops were found dead in Lebanon earlier in the fighting. We also know that bunkers of cached weapons were found by Israeli troops. All the weapons that a bunch of peacekeeping troops without weapons would need to become armed.
• Christian leaders show support for Israel (September 27, 2006) - Fifty Christian politicians from Europe, South America, Asia and Africa will join with Members of Knesset from the entire political spectrum to declare their solidarity with the Jewish State and her leadership. KCAC issued a statement saying “In light of Israel’s recent war against Hizbullah, this international delegation of members of parliament, senators and ministers finds it especially important to support Israeli leadership in this forum. This event serves as an opportunity for Members of Knesset and Christian parliamentarians from around the world to break bread together, renew their spiritual ties and strengthen the common values and heritage that bind them together. “Leaders from both faiths will discuss ways in which Christians and Jews can together face the ominous challenge of radical Islam and extremism in the 21st century,” the organization said. The Knesset Christian Allies Caucus of the Israeli Parliament, established in 2004, serves as a multi-partisan caucus made up of 12 MKs from the entire political spectrum. This body works to open formal and direct lines of communication between Israeli Members of Knesset and Christian leaders worldwide. more... | Israel |
• U.S. And Israel Get Tough On Syria (September 27, 2006) - Just days after Syrian President Bashar Assad made an ostensible peace overture to Israel, both Jerusalem and Washington came down hard on Damascus Tuesday for continuing to support extremism. Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz told a forum of peace organizations in Tel Aviv that Assad "communicates double messages." Peretz said Israel cannot "ignore threats of war, and we will deploy our forces according to the reality and the threats." Assad told the German magazine Der Spiegel last week that "Syria wants peace with Israel," but is prepared for war after decades of trying to reach a settlement have failed to produce peace on Damascus' terms. Later in the day, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the international community is "going to have to start looking at further sanctions on Syria if it is to continue on the path it's currently on." "I think that the Syrians look as if they've made their choice and their choice is to associate with extremist forces in Iran," said Rice, who believes that garnering support for increased sanctions will be made increasingly easy "as Syria continues to show its stripes and isolate itself." Syria and Iran are believed to be in close collaboration, particularly in the financing, supplying and guiding of Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist organization in its conflict with Israel. Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem told the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday that the Middle East's woes are the direct result of American policies toward the Arabs and Washington's unrestricted support of Israel. "We all end up paying the price when the decision makers in Washington believe that they know better, and are in a better position to understand and grasp the needs and circumstances of the Arabs," Moallem said. He also blasted American arms supplies to Israel, saying that they sow the seeds of destruction in the region.| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | It's very clear what side Syria is on. They're aligned with Iran and the rest of the Muslim world against Israel and her supporters. They speak out of both sides of their mouth because they're liars trying to bide time until they're ready to attack. It looks like the tensions are building up and if Syria does something, or if Israel pre-emptively attacks Damascus, we could see the fulfillment of Damascus being a desolate ruin. (which has never before happened in history.) Given their alliances with Iran, we would then see a swift response by Iran first, then God when He wipes out the attacking forces. Ezekiel 38,39
• Iran Making Worldwide Move to Bring Islamic War to American and Israel Soil (September 26, 2006) - The forces of terrorism are organizing a worldwide armada of strategic nations to launch an offensive against the United States and Israel in the near future—not only from the Middle East, but also from locations in Central and South America, Northern Iraq, and the Palestinian territories. From Syrian and Iranian rearming of Hezbollah to Israel’s north, to a movement by Hamas to gain a stronger foothold in the seemingly defunct Palestinian government, to a meeting of Non-Aligned Nations in Cuba, the Islamofascist world is gathering allies and is beginning to coalesce a strategic offensive, that unchecked, could turn both Israel and the United States into an unprecedented war zone. DEBKAfile, a prominent and well respected intelligence news service, reports that Iran and Turkey appear to be preparing to launch a military strike in Northern Iraq against anti-Turkish and anti-Iranian Kurdish rebels that will enable Turkey to seize 40% of Iraq’s oil producing territory and Iran will knock out key Israeli observation sites used for early warnings of Iranian attacks. Meantime, Iran has parlayed behind the scenes agreements with Venezuela and Cuba to consider deploying Iranian missiles in those countries as a defense against a U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. At the same time, Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah told some 800,000 supporters at a "victory" rally Friday that no army could disarm his paramilitary Shi'ite terror group. Nasrallah claimed that his guerrillas have replenished their arsenal and already have more than 20,000 rockets as United Nations peacekeeping troops insists they have no responsibility to stop the Hezbollah arms build-up. As disturbing is the chilling of relations between the Bush Administration and the Olmert government in Israel. The Bush Administration has supported a coalition government of elected Hamas terrorists and the Palestinian Authority—reportedly without consulting Israel, signaling a new direction in U.S.-Israeli relations. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | America | He's looking to incite Islam to join him. This is another sign, I believe, that he's getting ready to do something soon. Maybe before the year is out? Perhaps the attack against Israel with Turkey, Russia and friends? They're saying it, I don't know what else we need to believe them. But we will see Bible prophecy fulfilled 100%
• Man Arrested for Blowing Shofar at Western Wall (September 26, 2006) - The incident occurred around 7:30 in the morning, at the northern-most section of the accessible Western Wall - a little-known area called the Kotel HaKatan, the Small Wall. It is considered to have extra sanctity, as it stands opposite the presumed spot of the Holy of Holies of the Beit HaMikdash. Yesterday morning (Sunday), a group of some 10 men and two women gathered at the site, as they have done for several years on Rosh HaShanah, for early-morning prayers. The holiday prayers feature the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn) at several different times. Towards the end of the first shofar sounding, a Border Guard policeman came in, made an unclear motion with his hand as if to ask what was going on, and then left. He said nothing. Shortly afterwards, Eliyahu K., the 20-year-old prayer leader, blew the shofar a second time, in the midst of his silent prayer (in accordance with Sephardic custom). Policemen came in once again and began trying to pull him away. However, Eliyahu was in the midst of reciting the Amidah - a long passage during which one must stand in one place without moving - and he therefore did not move. The policemen informed their supervisors by radio that he was praying and refused to move, and reinforcements were soon sent - no fewer than 20 policemen, according to several witnesses. more... | Israel | Can you imagine this happening to a Muslim in prayer? They send out they're prayers over loudspeakers several times a day. Now a Jew blows a shofar on a holiday and gets beat up and hauled to jail?!! What a mixed up world we live in. I guess everyone knows that the Jews won't start blowing themselves and innocents up over it, while Islam would raise a hell-fire storm if anyone so much as spoke to someone in prayer. I really can't wait till Christ comes and straightens this all out.
• Hizbullah Moving Rockets to Palestinian Camps (September 26, 2006) - Hizbullah has been transporting rockets and heavy weaponry to Palestinian camps in south Lebanon just a few miles from the Israeli border, according to Lebanese officials. The officials told WND the office of Lebanese Prime Minister Faud Sinora sent a letter last week to Abbas Zakir, the Palestinian Authority's most senior representative in Lebanon, outlining the alleged Hizbullah weapons transfers into Palestinian camps. The letter noted "unusual activity" in and near the Palestinian camps, including the coming and going of trucks suspected of carrying weapons. Hizbullah has been transporting rockets and heavy weaponry to Palestinian camps in south Lebanon just a few miles from the Israeli border, according to Lebanese officials. The officials told WND the office of Lebanese Prime Minister Faud Sinora sent a letter last week to Abbas Zakir, the Palestinian Authority's most senior representative in Lebanon, outlining the alleged Hizbullah weapons transfers into Palestinian camps. The letter noted "unusual activity" in and near the Palestinian camps, including the coming and going of trucks suspected of carrying weapons. The reports follow a WND article last month quoting Lebanese officials claiming Hizbullah, with the help of Iran, started building underground war bunkers in Lebanon's Palestinian camps. During its 34-day confrontation with Hizbullah in Lebanon that began July 12, Israel destroyed scores of complex Hizbullah bunkers that snaked along the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border. Military officials said they were surprised by the scale of the Hizbullah bunkers, in which Israeli troops reportedly found war rooms with advanced eavesdropping and surveillance equipment they noted were made by Iran. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | This is where my concern comes from in the "peacekeeping" troops that are going to the Lebanon border from Russia and Turkey. There is clearly an arms infrastructure there in Southern Lebanon and unarmed troops acting as peacekeepers in Lebanon wouldn't have far to go to get their weapons they've been stockpiling in these bunkers. It's about 130 miles from the border to Jerusalem. In less than a day troops could rush Jerusalem, but as we know from prophecy, God will wipe them out. He's going to 1/6th them, or in our decimal terms, He's going to decimate them. Then the world will know that He is the God of Israel. Ezekiel 38:18-23
• Gay Parade 10th November, Anniversary of "Krystalnacht" By Ron Ross , BFP News (September 20, 2006) - Gay rights groups, police, the Jerusalem Municipality have agreed to hold the gay parade in Jerusalem on November 10 this year. The agreement was made on Monday [September 18] after talks, which lasted three hours. Israel’s extremist right wing groups have said, "There will be a holy war against this event." There is a sensitivity already surrounding November 10. On that day in 1938, Reinhardt Heydrich of the Gestapo issued the orders which resulted in Krystalnacht. Adolph Hitler ordered a seven-day campaign of terror against the Jews in Germany to be organized by Himmler and the SS. On the tenth of November, the campaign started. The Nazis destroyed 10,000 shops owned by Jews, and their contents were stolen. Homes and synagogues were set on fire and left to burn. The fire brigades showed their loyalty to Hitler by assuming that the buildings would burn down anyway, so why try to prevent it? A huge amount of damage was done to Jewish property, but the Jewish community was ordered to pay a one billion mark fine to pay for the eventual clean-up. Jews were forced to scrub the streets clean. Also on this day in 1975, following a conference in Mexico, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution–supported by Arab, African and Soviet bloc states–asserting that Zionism is racism. The resolution passed 72 to 35 with 32 abstentions. It evoked a memorable speech from the United States representative to the UN, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who said, "The United States rises to declare before the General Assembly of the United Nations and before the world that it does not acknowledge, it will not abide by, it will never acquiesce in this infamous act." The "Zionist is Racism" resolution became the justification for the establishment of new settlements in the West Bank and stymied attempts to further a negotiated solution. In 1991, following the collapse of the apartheid regime in South Africa and of the former Soviet Bloc, and against the background of the war against Saddam Hussein, this resolution was repealed. However, the same sentiment surfaced again at the Durban conference in South Africa in the summer of 2001.
| Israel |
• Clinton sees new Mideast peace plan in two months (September 19, 2006) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton believes a new initiative to bring peace to the Middle East could emerge in the next two months. In an interview with the Financial Times, published on Wednesday, Clinton said unrest in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon had set the scene for "some kind of positive movement to take place." He stressed, however, that he had no insider knowledge on the situation. "I'm not sure you won't see some positive things come out of the Middle East in the next 60 days." He said it was time to work out how to end the bloodshed, warning that otherwise the world was left with three choices. "We can say: 'We know who our adversaries are and we can accelerate the confrontation, or we can kick the can down the road and hope the underlying realities change, or we can try to rearrange the pieces and players and try to put a puzzle together'. "It seems to me the latter course is the best ... It wouldn't surprise me to see some fairly interesting things come out." | Israel | Islam | EU/UN |
• Damascus official: Syria losing patience with Israel (September 17, 2006) - Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said that his country is losing patience in the matter of the Golan Heights, and that the Syrians would not wait much longer before they act. "Syria has made a strategic choice for peace, but it will not wait much longer before it recaptures the Golan Heights," Bilal told Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram al-Arabi. "The Syrian people have waited 40 years for the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions, but to no avail, and they are losing their patience," he stated. "Syria chose peace as a strategic option, especially after former president Hafez Assad received a letter from President George Bush that included the principle of peace in exchange for territories, a letter that has become known as 'the Madrid principle.'," he explained. "It's been 16 years and still we have reached no results," he added. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Could we be seeing what will lead to Israel destroying Damascus and bringing Russia, Turkey, and Iran down to the mountains of Israel because of the defense agreement? It certainly fits well to say that this defense agreement between Syria and Iran is the "hooks in the jaws" of the Magog alliance.
• Why are French Jews leaving France? (September 15, 2006) - Ask people outside the French immigrant community why the Jews are leaving their country, and the usual answer is that they are making aliya to escape the rising tide of anti-Semitism. Ask the French olim themselves, however, and the responses become more diverse and complex. Many recent arrivals say in no uncertain terms that it was primarily anti-Semitism that brought them from France to Israel. Others acknowledge that while anti-Semitism has increased in recent years, the phenomenon has been due largely to the intifada and emanates mainly from young Muslim immigrant men, mostly from North Africa and poorly integrated into French culture and society. Many French olim claim that fervent Zionism and a strong attachment to Israel have impelled them to leave France and establish new roots here. Others appear to be hedging their bets, making what has come to be known as "Airbus aliya," in which the family's wife and children live in Israel, while the husband keeps his job in France and commutes between the countries. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Salah: Caliph will sit in Jerusalem (September 15, 2006) - Head of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement Sheikh Raed Salah said Friday that “soon Jerusalem will be the capital of the new Muslim caliphate, and the caliph’s seat will be there.” Salah addressed an audience of 50,000 attending the Islamic Movement’s 11th annual rally in Umm al-Fahm. “Caliph” refers to a leader of the Muslim nation and in Arabic means the “heir” or “substitute” of the prophet Muhammad. Salah noted that history tells of many occasions in which the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem was occupied by foreign conquerors, but the occupiers left after a short time, and thus will also be the fate of the Israeli occupation. “The Israeli occupation will leave Jerusalem soon. It will happen sooner than is thought,” Salah said at the rally, which was held under the slogan “Al-Aqsa endangered”. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Livni: If Abbas joins Hamas terror government, we will have a problem (September 12, 2006) - The current Hamas-led Palestinian government will be dissolved within 48 hours and a new prime minister appointed, a Palestinian Authority spokesman said Monday. The new government is expected to be a unity government including both Hamas and Fatah factions. "Hopefully in the coming days we will begin forming the government of national unity," the spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeinah said. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said in response that Abbas "can establish a government in any manner he pleases, but Hamas is a terror organization, and in order for it to become legitimate, it must accept the conditions of the Quartet, including recognizing Israel." more... | Israel | Islam |
• Al-Qaeda: Israel's 9-11 Lies Ahead (September 11, 2006) - The global war to bring all nations into submission to Allah will continue, and Israel is now at the top of the list of Al-Qaeda’s jihad targets. This is according to the Islamic organization’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, who left his chilling message on a short film released Monday [September 11] to coincide with the fifth anniversary of their attack on the mainland United States.As relatives of the victims of 9-11 gathered at Ground Zero in New York to read out, in trembling voices, and remember the names of their loved ones, the message broadcast over Al-Qaeda’s Web site was that the horrific event was only a precursor to what lay ahead, and that Israel was next in line. According to Israeli intelligence organizations, Al-Qaeda has been working to set up cells in Gaza, the strip of land abandoned to Palestinian terror groups Fatah, Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad by Israel a year ago. Osama Bin Laden’s group is also believed to have plans to spread its terror tentacles into Palestinian Authority areas in Samaria and Judea. Analysts predict that, should Israel also “disengage” from those areas known to the world as the “West Bank,” Al-Qaeda and the Iranian-supported Hamas and Hizbullah organizations will quickly set up shop in Palestine, just minutes from Israel’s cities and towns. Although much–often bloody–enmity rages between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims, both streams converge when it comes to their hatred of Israel and their belief that the Jewish state should be wiped off the map of the Middle East. Neither is this hatred restricted to the so-called fundamentalist members of that religion. All devout Muslims are taught that Islam will ultimately dominate the world, and that Christians and Jews must be forced to submit to Allah, or die. more... | Israel | Islam | Zechariah 13:8,9
• Abu Mazen: Jerusalem the Capital of Palestinian State (September 11, 2006) - PA (Palestinian Authority) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) on Sunday released statements expressing a willingness to meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The PA opposition leader stated that Israel must however recognize “Palestinian rights,” adding Israel must realize there must be a Palestinian state with Jerusalem serving as its capital. | Israel | Islam |
• Iran Resumed Weapons Airlift to Hizballah via Beirut Friday as Soon as Israel Ended its Air Blockade (September 11, 2006) - Iran’s first post-blockade arms flight departed Dubai Friday, Sept. 8, to test the ground at Beirut international airport for Israeli air force or UN reactions. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the forbidden goods were unloaded and sailed through the airport unhindered. Tehran therefore determined to send two further bulk consignments in the next 48 hours aboard commercial flights from the Persian Gulf. Our sources report the arms crates listed were on the documents as “computer equipment. Handle with care.” They were offloaded onto trucks which drove in convoy to Hizballah headquarters in Baalbek. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, determined to end Israel’s air blockade on Lebanon, promised solemnly that UN monitors would control incoming passengers and goods at Beirut airport. But he failed to make the Siniora government follow through on this pledge. The Lebanese prime minister immediately barred the airport to UN inspections. The five German air monitors agreed on were only allowed to establish a checkpoint for controlling arms smuggling at a distance of one kilometer from the international airport. DEBKAfile reports they are standing idle because the trucks carrying forbidden cargoes are able leave the airfield and bypass their checkpoint by alternative routes. more... | Iran | Israel | Islam |
• MK Bishara Warns Syria Of Israeli Attack (September 10, 2006) - National Democratic Assembly chairman, Knesset Member Azmi Bishara, arrived in Damascus on Friday and immediately began making public statements condemning the Israeli occupation of the territories. Bishara joined his party members, MKs Jamal Zahalka and Wasil Taha, as well as former MKs Muhammad Kanan and Mohammed Miari, who have been in the city since Thursday. In the course of his meeting with senior members of the ruling Baath party, Bishara warned Syria of the possibility that "Israel launch a preliminary offensive in more than one place, in a bid to overcome the internal crisis in the country and in an attempt to restore its deterrence capability." During the meeting, Bishara lauded Syria's support for the national rights of the Palestinians and Lebanon, and stressed that the motivation for the "American-Israeli attack" against Syria lies in Damascus' firm stances. "Syria is the last barrier standing before the strike," MK Bishara said. "The Palestinians living under the occupation have long realized the importance of adhering to the Arab option, in light of the scope of adventurous attempts to hurt their cultural and Arab identity," he added. more... | Israel | Islam |
• DEBKAfile: Olmert’s belated discovery of a serious breach with Washington prompted him to disinter the Middle East roadmap (September 10, 2006) - The Israeli prime minister informed the cabinet Sunday Sept 10 that the time had come to reach for a “diplomatic horizon.” Offering to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas “without pre-conditions,” he brought back to life the moribund Middle East road map. So what happened to his realignment plan which filled all the empty space on his campaign platform only six months ago? The answer lies in Washington, where he is in very hot water with the Bush administration. First, the White House was angered by the way Olmert, defense minister Amir Peretz and foreign minister Tzipi Livni mismanaged the Lebanon war and, in doing so, got in the way of America’s plans for Iran. This was followed by a further complaint: During his May visit to Washington, the Israeli prime minister presented the US president and the two Houses of Congress his realignment (aka convergence) plan for a partial withdrawal from the West Bank. He asked for American support and received it with an ovation. more... | Israel | America | Israel's primed for a peace covenant. It's coming soon, I believe, and they will bite. They'll get to rebuild the temple next to the dome of the rock, and soon after the beast will declare himself god there.
• How Hi-Tech Hezbollah Called the Shots (September 9, 2006) - Hezbollah's ability to repel the Israel Defense Forces during the recent conflict was largely due to its use of intelligence techniques gleaned from allies Iran and Syria that allowed it to monitor encoded Israeli communications relating to battlefield actions, according to Israeli officials, whose claims have been independently corroborated by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). "Israeli EW [electronic warfare] systems were unable to jam the systems at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, they proved unable to jam Hezbollah's command and control links from Lebanon to Iranian facilities in Syria, they blocked the Barak ship anti-missile systems, and they hacked into Israeli operations communications in the field," Richard Sale, the longtime intelligence editor for United Press International, who was alerted to this intelligence  failure by current and former CIA officials, told Asia Times Online. more... | Israel | Islam | Iran |
• Olmert: War Against Syria Would Be 'Without Limits' (September 4, 2006) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a Knesset committee Monday morning that if Syria goes to war against Israel, the IDF will react without the limitations that restricted the retaliation against Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon. During the war, the government said it did not prevent the military establishment from carrying out plans, but senior army officers have stated that the ground assault was delayed several days by the government. "What we have done in Lebanon amounts to a deterring element against the Syrians, because they now realize that while in Lebanon we have restrained our use of force, in a campaign against them we will not adhere to such restraints," he asserted. | Israel | Islam | Remember that Bible prophecy talks about Damascus being a ruinous heap. Isaiah 17 It goes on to talk about the nations that rush like the rushing of many waters being rebuked by God and chased off as chaff of the mountains. This sounds very familiar to how the Gog/Magog invasion is described as being stopped in the mountains of Israel when God's fury comes up in His face. Ezekiel 38:18-23 Given this stern warning from Olmert to Syria if they should decide to do anything, we could see Damascus become a ruinous heap and that becoming the "hooks in the jaws" of the Gog/Magog armies (Iran has a defense agreement with Syria) for them to attack. We already have "peacekeeping forces" from Turkey and Russia planned to build up on the Southern border of Lebanon and the Gog/Magog armies attack from the North. What better surprise attack than by the supposed "peacekeeping forces?" The Bible names the nations that participate and Turkey, Iran, and possibly Russia are among them. Keep watching! I would also recommend Chuck Missler's $7.95 downloadable mp3/RealPlayer commentary on The Magog Invasion. It's about two hours on the history of Magog and what his identity is.
• Another Anti-Israel Media Hoax Revealed (September 2, 2006) - In the last week of July, nearly two weeks into the Israel-Hizbullah war, the international media was filled with reports of an Israeli air attack on two Lebanese Red Cross ambulances - a heinous war crime. The gist of the news was that on the night of July 23, 2006, the ambulances were performing rescue operations when Israeli aircraft attacked them, causing explosions and a fire and injuring everyone inside the vehicles. Photos of the damaged ambulances were published in many newspapers and websites, and breathless reporters - such as Julian Manyon of ITV News in Britain - bemoaned "Lebanese ambulance men, shocked and bleeding, brought in as casualties to a hospital in Tyre. They were hurt when Israeli aircraft rocketed two ambulance crews..." One of the more interesting details featured in all the reports was that a missile had struck the exact center of the cross on the roof of one of the ambulances. Now, however, accumulated evidence shows clearly that the incident never occurred - as has been the case in other media-hyped incidents placing Israel in a negative light. Much of the evidence to this effect that has been collected thus far can be summarized as follows: more... | Israel | Islam | Chalk another one up for the fakers. Check out Pallywood for more.

August 2006

• Lebanon Refuses Contact With Israel (August 30, 2006) - Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said Wednesday that he refused to have any direct contact with Israel and Lebanon would be the last Arab country to ever sign a peace deal with the Jewish state. "Let it be clear, we are not seeking any agreement until there is just and comprehensive peace based on the Arab initiative," he said. He was referring to a plan that came out of a 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut. It calls for Israel to return all territories it conquered in the 1967 Mideast war, the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem _ all in exchange for peace and full normalization of Arab relations with Israel. Israel has long sought a peace deal with Lebanon, but Beirut has hesitated as long as Israel's conflicts with the Palestinians and Syria remained unresolved. Saniora said Lebanon wants to go back to the 1949 armistice agreement that formally ended the Arab-Israeli war over Israel's creation. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Britain 'is now biggest security threat to US' (August 29, 2006) - Britain now presents a greater security threat to the United States than Iran or Iraq, an American magazine said yesterday. In an article on Islamists headlined "Kashmir on the Thames", the New Republic painted Britain's Muslim communities as a breeding ground for violent extremism. Citing recent opinion poll evidence suggesting that one in four British Muslims believed that last year's London Tube bombings were justified, the magazine said: "In the wake of this month's high-profile arrests, it can now be argued that the biggest threat to US security emanates not from Iran or Iraq or Afghanistan, but rather from Great Britain, our closest ally." The magazine, with a circulation of 60,000-a-week, has its roots on the Democratic Left although in recent years it has backed much of President George W Bush's foreign policy. The claim is the latest in a series of hostile reassessment of Britain by Americans in the wake of the alleged plot to bring down transatlantic airliners. Many have been appalled both by the existence of enthusiastic jihadis in British cities and by the call from some of their leaders for a change in the country's foreign policy. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Turkey reaching out to Arab world - leaving Europe behind? (August 29, 2006) - Turkey's moves to increase economic ties with the Persian Gulf countries are seen by diplomats as yet another indication of Ankara's waning enthusiasm for the European Union. Some Turkish analysts feel that in view of the slow pace of accession talks with the European Union, Turkey's interests would be better served by improved relations with the Arab countries of the Middle East, an area for centuries ruled by Ottoman sultans. At the same time, diplomats in Ankara and Athens discern a low ebb in Turkey's relations with the United States, attributed to Turkish opposition to U.S. policies in Iraq and Washington's unconditional support for Israel during the war against Hezbollah guerrillas. "U.S.-Turkish alliance is crumbling," Kathimerini, a conservative Greek daily, headlined recently. Turkish officials say relations with Washington are merely in a state of "temporary chill," and point to a "shared vision document" signed by the two countries last month. The United States has always considered Turkey to be a major link between the West and the Muslim world and an example of coexistence between Islam and secularism. At this time, however, Turkey's political and economic attention is centering on the Arab world, particularly after a three-day visit last week by Saudi King Abdullah and the announcement by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of plans to double trade with the Saudi kingdom. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN |
• DEBKAfile Exclusive: First wave of arrests inside Hizballah of suspected informers to Israeli intelligence (August 29, 2006) - No commissions of inquiry for Hassan Nasrallah. Our exclusive sources learn that Hizballah’ special security service has begun rounding up suspects in the northern Beqaa Valley, Baalbek and South Lebanon of members and others suspected of tipping off Israel intelligence on the location of the storehouse holding the heavy Zelzal missiles. Those missiles, no more than three or four, were held in reserve as Hizballah’s most devastating strategic weapon against Israel, capable of hitting Tel Aviv. Monday, Aug. 28, prime minister Ehud Olmert revealed for the first time that the Israeli air force destroyed those missiles in the first 34 minutes of the Lebanon war on July 12. Nasrallah needs urgently to find the leak through which the missiles’ place of storage and very existence, one of Hizballah’s most tightly kept secrets known only to very few top leaders of the organization, reached Israel. The first arrests were made among people living in the vicinity of the missile cache. More arrests have been carried out in the Shiite communities who live near or are connected with the Hizballah intelligence and secret command centers in Baalbek, which were targeted by Israeli air strikes and commando forays. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Turkish Parlament Gives Green Light to Turkish Troop Deployment in Lebanon (August 29, 2006) - Ankara, which has been discussing whether to join in the peacekeeping force to be deployed in Lebanon following a United Nations (UN) cease-fire decision, has finally decided to join the force “in principle.” Ankara’s decision came after U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s announcement that the peace-force would not be commissioned with the disarmament of Hezbollah. Following a cabinet meeting yesterday, Justice Minister and government spokesperson Cemil Cicek informed reporters that the cabinet decided to join the peace-force in Lebanon in the frame of U.N. resolution 1701. The parliament will be called on to discuss this issue as soon as possible, Cicek noted. The number of soldiers to be sent to Lebanon will not exceed 1,000. The government plans to pass the decision on troop deployment within a week at the latest. A decree allowing the use of some ports and airbases for "humanitarian purposes" was submitted for signatures in the cabinet meeting as well. A “statement of purpose” had been sent to the U.N. regarding this issue and details of the motion will be discussed in today’s meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and representatives from the General Staff will attend today’s meeting. "Turkey’s hesitations have been eliminated. Annan’s remarks have been influential in this as well," said a foreign ministry official about the troop deployment decision. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Did you catch that? As long as Turkey doesn't have to disarm their heroes, Hizbullah, they're fine with sending in troops. I can't believe Israel is so blind. Maybe that's because God is bringing Gog/Magog against Israel so He "will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD."
• Prelude to Apocalypse (August 28, 2006) - Contrary to what is now the accepted wisdom in the media, Hezb’allah in its recent offensive against Israel neither “badly bloodied the Israel Defense Force,” nor “fought it to a standstill” in Southern Lebanon. In fact, the opposite is the case. By any legitimate measure Hezb’allah was handed a resounding military defeat by the IDF in the recent fighting, and while the cancer that is Hezb’allah was not cured by Israel’s soldiers, it was put into remission. Hezb’allah is not your father’s terrorist organization. This is not a group of loosely affiliated cells of would-be hijackers or suicide bombers. Hezb’allah is a terrorist army, trained like an army, organized like an army, funded and equipped like an army, with one glaring difference.  The main use of its arsenal was terror aimed at Israel’s civilian population while hiding behind Lebanon’s civilian population. Its intent was to cause maximum civilian casualties amongst both.  This was not by accident. This was by design. This was Hezb’allah’s war, planned and prepared for six years, funded by close to a billion dollars by Iran, aided by Syria. One of the great benefits to the West to come out of this war (if they choose not to turn a blind eye to it) is the certain knowledge that Hezb’allah is Iran’s terrorist operational arm. It is the terrorist extension of Iran’s expressed foreign policy. It is not a coincidence that Hezb’allah launched its totally unprovoked attack across Israel’s internationally recognized border, killing and kidnapping Israeli soldiers and dragging Lebanon and Israel into a war which neither one wanted at exactly the moment when the international community had issued its ultimatum to Iran. That ultimatum was: “Cease your efforts to develop nuclear weapons or face the sanctions of the International Community.” Iran’s response was Hezb’allah’s war. Much has been made, and rightly so, of the arsenal of some 15,000 short, medium and longer range rockets which Hezb’allah stockpiled for its offensive. What has gone largely unmentioned is the equally impressive number of anti-tank weapons Hezb’allah not only acquired but deployed throughout its system of fortresses, strongholds in literally every village in Southern Lebanon. Hezb’allah’s spin was that it built this Siegfried Line-like series of fortifications to defend Southern Lebanon from an Israeli invasion.  The truth is both Hezb’allah and everyone else in the world knew perfectly well that when Israel left every centimeter of Lebanese soil in 2000, it did so with the intent never to return.  It not only had no designs on Southern Lebanon, it dreaded doing so. | Israel | Islam |
• UNIFIL Accused of Providing Israeli Intelligence to Hizbullah (August 27, 2006) - UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon), the neutral force that has been stationed there since 1978, is tasked with maintaining peace between Israel and Hizbullah along the 70-mile Israeli-Lebanese border. However, as columnist and ZOA Philadelphia chapter President Lori Lowenthal Marcus writes in the Weekly Standard this week, it appears that UNIFIL took a clearly one-sided stand in favor of Hizbullah during the recent war in Lebanon. UNIFIL "openly published daily real-time intelligence, of obvious usefulness to Hizbullah, on the location, equipment, and force structure of Israeli troops in Lebanon," Marcus wrote, "even specifying the placement of IDF safety structures within hours of their construction." In contrast, nothing specific regarding Hizbullah's terrorist forces was ever posted. Instead, only general statements such as one to the effect that Hizbullah "fired rockets in large numbers from various locations" were published. As an example, UNIFIL posted the following on July 25: "Yesterday and during last night, the IDF moved significant reinforcements, including a number of tanks, armored personnel carriers, bulldozers and infantry, to the area of Marun Al Ras inside Lebanese territory. The IDF advanced from that area north toward Bint Jubayl, and south towards Yarun." UNIFIL has been implicated before in partiality towards Hizbullah. Just 18 hours after the kidnapping of three IDF soldiers along the Israeli-Lebanese border in late 2000, UNIFIL troops videoed two cars that were used in the abduction and that were filled with blood and other kidnapping-related evidence. Though the videos may have helped save one or more of the soldiers' lives, high-ranking U.N. officials, including Secretary General Kofi Annan and Middle East envoy Terje Larsen, denied that any such videotape existed. Only on July 6, 2001 did the U.N. finally admit that it possessed the tape. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | *GASP!* But the UN is supposed to be neutral and just! Anyone who has been actually watching the UN's activities knows that for decades, it has been stacking the odds and the world against Israel. Just part of Bible prophecy, but the fact that it isn't more common knowledge is scary in today's world. Islam has a lot of control in the EU and UN, or should I say the same force that controls Islam has it's powerful hands in the EU/UN too.
• Nasrallah: We won't be restrained for a long time (August 27, 2006) - Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Monday that had he believed, even one percent, that a war would break out following the kidnapping of two IDF soldiers, the operation would never have been launched. In an interview granted to Lebanese news network New TV, Nasrallah said in an almost apologetic tone that "we did not believe, even by one percent, that the captive operation would result in such a wide-scale war, as such a war did not take place in the history of wars. Had we known that the captive operation would result in such a war we would not have carried it out at all." Similar comments were made Nasrallah's deputy, who said that his organization was surprised by Israel's response. In his first interview since the ceasefire, Nasrallah at times assumed an apologetic stance, unlike the boastful stance taken immediately after the operation. At another point during the interview, Nasrallah corrected his own declarations and said that that a Hizbullah member who took part in the kidnap operation fell into IDF custody – something he flatly denied in the past. Nasrallah complained that since the ceasefire, "there are attempts to enforce Israel's new conditions, such as the deployment of UNIFIL forces in Lebanon's airport, ports, and along the northern border with Syria." He hastened to ad that "as long as there is occupation we reserve our right to resistance. Until now we displayed restraint and tolerance, but this does not mean that we will be patient for a long time. We reserve this right and we can realize it at any time." "There won't be public displays of weapons in the south , except of in cases of preparations or funerals of martyrs," stressed Nasrallah. "This is our policy – to refrain from displaying weapons. If the Lebanese army notices any gunman – it is it's natural right to expropriate the weapons," said Nasrallah. Nasrallah's comments match Israeli beliefs that Hizbullah's political stance has been harmed following the war. more... | Israel | Islam |
• Syria Draws a Line at the Border (August 27, 2006) - When United Nations Resolution 1701 was passed on August 11, it was seen as a diplomatic breakthrough to end 33 days of war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Many today, however, are having serious doubts whether this ceasefire will last and whether 1701 is actually a diplomatic victory - or failure - for the UN. In addition to a ceasefire, the resolution demands the deployment of the Lebanese army, and eventually multinational troops, on the border to prevent any future  war between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah. It gives Israel the right to self-defense, however, while denying this right to Hezbollah, explaining why the party's secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, accepted the resolution "with reservations". If implemented to the word, the resolution would deprive Hezbollah of the territory it has used to wage war against Israel since the 1980s. A Hezbollah that is deprived of southern Lebanon would be a Hezbollah that cannot fire rockets against northern Israel. The resolution also asked for implementation of Resolution 1559, which calls for the complete disarming of Hezbollah, and strongly says that no arms should be transferred to the Lebanese military group. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN |
• These Are the Facts Herb L. Peters (August 26, 2006) - While putting together the map above a had a thought: "This is not speculation. These are the facts!" You see, we all have seen those prophecy charts and maps in our old Bible prophecy books that where based on the author's understanding of the prophecies. And, here I was, creating a map about recent events, and it looked like what was in those old books. As I've been reporting, we may have the two big players of end-time prophecy moving a peacekeeping force into the Middle East -- the EU and the UN. Their stated goal is to bring a lasting peace. Also as I've been reporting, the 10-nation WEU alliance is the backbone of the EU's new force, which is the backbone of the UN's peacekeeping force. For someone like me who believes in prophecy and has followed the rise of the WEU alliance from its beginning, the recent news is almost overwhelming. If you've read my book, you may understand why. Let's take a closer look at where the WEU peacekeepers will be deployed. Like I mentioned before, these events aren't speculation -- they're the facts on the ground EU/WEU  |  Russia |  Iran |  Arab League. The scary part is, all the players appear to be in place for the 70^th week of Daniel. The only thing missing may be the religious element to the UN -- or is it? My friend Constance Cumbey called a few minutes ago and directed me to the Website of the Eighth World Assembly of Religions for Peace. And, guess whose smiling face showed up? That's right, Club of Rome President, His Royal Highness Prince El Hass bin Talal. Remember? We were asking where the religious element to the UN came in. Bingo!  As I write in my book, the EU's Javier Solana is a member of the Spanish chapter of the Club of Rome. The club's primary purpose is the creation of what they call global governance. That explains the club's interest in the UN. And, since the Club of Rome's president is the person pictured above, establishing a global religion appears to be part of their agenda. In fact, take a look at what I found on the World Assembly of Religions for Peace Website. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN |
• 'Ahmadinejad Would Sacrifice Half of Iran to Wipe Out Israel (August 25, 2006) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, if he ever became the supreme decision maker in his country, would "sacrifice half of Iran for the sake of eliminating Israel," Giora Eiland, Israel's former national security adviser, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. At present, Eiland stressed, the ultimate decision maker in Iran was Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 67, whom he said was "more reasonable." But, Eiland went on, "if Ahmadinejad were to succeed him - and he has a reasonable chance of doing so - then we'd be in a highly dangerous situation." The 49-year-old Iranian president, he said, "has a religious conviction that Israel's demise is essential to the restoration of Muslim glory, that the Zionist thorn in the heart of the Islamic nations must be removed. And he will pay almost any price to right the perceived historic wrong. If he becomes the supreme leader and has a nuclear capability, that's a real threat." In facing up to Iran's nuclear ambitions, Eiland said the United States had three possible courses of action, "all of them bad," and that a decision could not be postponed for too long, "since delay, too, is a decision of sorts." more... | Iran | Israel | Islam |
• Russia and Central Asian Allies Conduct War Games in Response to US Threats (August 24, 2006) - Barely acknowledged by the Western media, military exercises organized by Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan under the Collective Security Treaty Organization, (CSTO) were launched on the 24th of August. These war games, officially tagged as part of a counter terrorism program, are in direct response to US military threats in the region including the planned attacks against Iran. The Rubezh-2006 exercise, is scheduled to take place from August 24-29 near the Kazak port city of Aktau: "It will be the first joint military exercise undertaken by CSTO countries, and will involve 2,500 members drawn from various armed services of member states, with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan the principal participants. Uzbekistan, which has recently rejoined the CSTO, will send observers, while the two other pact members, Belarus and Armenia, will not be taking part .( IPWR News Briefing Central Asia) Press reports from the region describe these war games as a response to US military presence and ambitions in Central Asia: "The growing militarization is connected with mutual mistrust among countries in the region, say analysts. Iranian media have speculated that the United States is using Azerbaijan to create a military counterweight to Iran on the Caspian. It is possible that the exercise conducted by the CSTO – in which Russia is dominant – represents a response to concerns about United States involvement in developing Kazakstan’s navy. Observers say Russia is leaning more and more towards the Iranian view that countries from outside should be banned from having armed forces in the Caspian Sea." Experts say the US is trying to step up the pressure on Iran, as well as to defend its own investments in Azerbaijan and Kazakstan. It is also trying to guarantee the security of the strategically vital Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Hmm... Looks like Russia and company are flexing their muscles in defense of Iran. Surprised?
• World's Greatest Diplomat by Herb L. Peters (August 22, 2006) - According to this report, the UN's Kofi Annan is the world's top diplomat Read about it here. I don't think so. Annan may be a player, but it's certainly not because of having any special diplomatic skills. That's why I fear Annan's involvement in finding a solution to the Middle East crisis is not only unwise -- it's dangerous. So, how did Annan wiggle himself into the crisis? I suspect Annan's opening may have been the EU's Javier Solana, and Solana's opening US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. If you recall, when the crisis broke Solana first met with British Prime Minster Tony Blair. Soon after a microphone inadvertently left on caught Blair delivering a message through President Bush to give to Rice. Only a few days later Rice attended a dinner with Solana and Annan. I believe that's where it may have happened. You see, Solana developed a close relation with Rice and I believe he may have used his influence to bring Annan in to help settle the crisis. Keep in mind, part of Solana's security doctrine calls for creating a new international order through the UN. The saddest thing about all this is what happened to Israel. It's becoming obvious that the war went wrong. In fact, many Israelis are demanding an investigate to uncovered exactly what happened. The picture that's forming reminds me of what happened at the Bay of Pigs. The US government assembled a group of Cuban freedom fighters and promised air support for their invasion. At the last minute, the new Kennedy Administration called back the planes. The result was their invasion plan turned to a disaster and the freedom fighters were killed or captured. Here's what I think: As in the Bay of Pigs, I believe Israel and the US may have agreed to a well thought out plan. But, after Israel set out to fulfill that plan, the US, for some reason, suddenly changed it. The result was the well thought out plan turned to a disaster. A few days ago I was listening to Bill O'Reilly interviewing a former US Ambassador to the UN. O'Reilly asked why France talked the US into going along with a UN Resolution that later France refused to support Read about it here. The former Ambassador answered it was Rice's fault -- she said Rice should have known France is hard to work with. In other words, this former Ambassador also believed that Rice may have been deceived.  This brings us back to the dinner Rice had with Solana and Annan. You see, I too believe Rice may have been deceived -- but not by France. I suspect Rice may have been deceived by the world's greatest diplomat. And, it wasn't Kofi Annan. more... | Iran | Israel |  Islam | EU/UN | This is some background information on Solana. More here.
• DEBKAfile Exclusive: American electronic warfare experts in Israel to find out how Hizballah’s Iranian systems neutralized Israeli EW (August 23, 2006) - The American EW experts are interested in four areas. 1. The Israeli EW systems’ failure to block Hizballah’s command and communications and the links between the Lebanese command and the Syria-based Iranian headquarters. 2. How Iranian technicians helped Hizballah eavesdrop on Israel’s communications networks and mobile telephones, including Israeli soldiers’ conversations from inside Lebanon. 3. How Iranian EW installed in Lebanese army coastal radar stations blocked the Barak anti-missile missiles aboard Israeli warships, allowing Hizballah to hit the Israeli corvette Hanith. 4. Why Israeli EW was unable to jam the military systems at the Iranian embassy in Beirut, which hosted the underground war room out of which Hassan Nasrallah and his top commanders, including Imad Mughniyeh, functioned. DEBKA-Net-Weekly 266:i> Until the watershed date of July 12, 2006, when the Hizballah triggered the Lebanon War, Israel was accounted an important world power in the development of electronic warfare systems – so much so that a symbiotic relationship evolved for the research and development of many US and Israeli electronic warfare systems, in which a mix of complementary American and Israeli devices and methods were invested. In combat against Hizballah, both were not only found wanting, but had been actively neutralized, so that none performed the functions for which they were designed. This poses both the US and Israel with a serious problem in a further round of the Lebanon war and any military clash with Iran. more... | Iran | Israel | Islam |
• Syria opposes U.N. forces on its border (August 23, 2006) - Syria on Wednesday opposed deployment of an international force along its border to prevent arms shipments to Hezbollah, and Israel called the situation in Lebanon "explosive." A cease-fire was further shaken by artillery shells and explosions that killed three Lebanese soldiers and an Israeli. Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora asked the U.S. to help lift an Israeli blockade on his country's coast and airport — something Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said would not happen until U.N. troops deployed along the Lebanon-Syria border to block the flow of weapons. Hezbollah's vast arsenal of rockets and other weapons, much of which is believed to originate in Iran, reaches the guerrillas across the Syrian border. European Union ambassadors and deputies met in Brussels, Belgium, to drum up volunteers for the force, but tentative pledges reached just 4,200 troops by Wednesday — far short of the 15,000 called for by the U.N. cease-fire resolution. Deployment was likely take weeks or months. Meanwhile, Syria indicated it might impose a blockade of its own. "They will close their borders for all traffic in the event that U.N. troops are deployed along the Lebanon-Syria border," Finland's foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja said after meeting his Syrian counterpart, Walid Moallem, in Helsinki. Finland holds the rotating presidency of the European Union. Lebanon has land borders only with Syria and Israel. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Hmm... Gee, I wonder why they would be so opposed to the blockade of weapons into Lebanon????
• Prodi offers Italian troops to command UN mission in Lebanon (August 22, 2006) - The Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has confirmed that Italy is prepared to command the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. He told reporters at the Tuscan seaside resort where he is on holiday that, in the course of a long phone conversation with the UN secretary general Kofi Annan, he had said that Italy was willing to lead the force, an idea that the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had raised with Mr Prodi at the weekend. But he also endorsed the proposal made by the US President George Bush yesterday that a new UN resolution on Lebanon was needed. "This is a complicated mission and it is right to be prudent," he said. The important thing, he added, was to have "a precise mandate with precise terms and a very clearly defined alliance". Mr Prodi's commitment came after France had stunned its European allies by agreeing to provide only 200 extra troops for the UN mission, of which it was the joint architect. It had been expected to provide between 2,500 and 4,000. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN |
• Putin Says Russia Considering Sending Troops to Lebanon (August 23, 2006) - Russia is considering sending troops to the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to enforce the Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire, President Vladimir Putin told Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. “He said he is thinking about it,’’ Prodi told reporters at his vacation villa in Tuscany, after a telephone conversation last night with Putin. Prodi’s spokesman confirmed his comments. Putin ”has started talking to his collaborators and he’ll give us an answer in the coming days,’’ he said. Lebanon faces a “security vacuum’’ unless the peacekeepers and Lebanese soldiers are deployed to oversee the cease-fire, UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen said after visits to Lebanon and Israel yesterday. There is ”reason for pessimism’’ until peacekeepers are in place, he said. The cease-fire that came into force Aug. 14 halted a 33-day conflict between Israel and the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah group. European Union ambassadors are meeting in Brussels today to prepare a UN foreign ministers’ meeting on Aug. 25 to determine Europe’s contributions to the force. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Wow! We have Russian and Turkish forces planning troop deployment into Lebanon! These are several the main players in the Gog/Magog invasion! This would mean that troops the Bible says will invade Israel from the North are going to be, with the approval of Israel herself, massing troops on Israel's border! And everyone, even Israel is ok with this! Don't be surprised if they suddenly decide to attack, and don't be surprised when God destroys their armies in the mountains of Israel!
• Turkey Cautious on Troop Deployment Despite Israeli Urging (August 20,2006) - "Bringing a cautious approach to Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz's statements saying his country wants to see the Turkish participation in the UN force for Lebanon, Gul said, "If the contribution will be made to stability and peace, if tears and bloodshed will be stopped with Turkish assistance, this will be evaluated carefully. Turkey won't draw its policy priorities in accordance with other countries' interests. Attaining stability in the region is also in the interest of Turkey.".... "He warned Israel that permanent peace can't be attained through use of force and unilateral decisions, urging dialogue, cooperation and multilateral consensus to proceed in the peace process. "Attaining just, comprehensive, permanent peace and stability in the Middle East is the sincere wish and aim of the international community as well as Turkey. The only way to attain this goal is dialogue and cooperation. Violence and unilateral initiatives won't help efforts to attain permanent peace and stability in the region," Gul told Israeli officials during his meetings.".... more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | They're good! Israel is probably now feeling like they need Islamic support in order to prevent Islamic wrath in Israel defending herself. They've got the Israeli leadership so tied up it can't really do anything. Not only that, but they're using it to lull Israel into a false sense of security by acting "cautious" and speaking about permanent peace. Anyone who listens to their own words of the Islamic rulers behind these nations knows full well the only thing they want is Israel gone. Lasting peace is the last thing on their mind. However, if they can lull Israel into allowing them to have troops on the border, and pretend to want a lasting peace, then Israel will be completely taken by surprise when they suddenly attack. Fortunately, Turkey will be completely surprised when God wipes them and the other armies out in the mountains of Israel! Olmert also said, "Israel has confidence in Turkey." I would probably be a lot more vocal about this, but I'm not worried for Israel's safety because of God's intervention, so BRING IT ON! I want to see God's name glorified!
• World leaders call on Turkey to contribute to peacekeeping in Lebanon (August 20, 2006) - The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, French President Jacques Chirac and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi expressed their expectation on Saturday that Turkey should join the UN peacekeeping force to be deployed in south Lebanon. During their phone talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the three leaders underlined importance of Turkey's participation in the peacekeeping force, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported. They also noted that the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces would be an important step to ensure a lasting peace between Israel and Lebanon. For his part, Erdogan said that Turkey wanted to safeguard peace and stability in the region and welcomed the UN Security Council's decision to deploy peacekeeping force in Lebanon. The Turkish prime minister also noted that his country will decide whether to contribute to the UN peacekeeping force after discussion, adding that the decision needs to be approved by the Turkish parliament. Earlier, Turkey has expressed willingness to contribute to the peacekeeping force in Lebanon, but said that even if it eventually sends troops to Lebanon, the force will under no circumstances be a combat force. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | They don't need weapons with all the stockpiles hidden in Lebanon. They could just use those in their surprise attack. This puts a convincing front up to those not watching closely that would, on the surface, make Turkey appear to really desire peace... until the moment they decide to attack.
• Turkish PM Erdogan Says 'Nobody Should Expect Us to Remain Neutral': Reactions From the Turkish Media to the Middle East Crisis (August 16, 2006) - In June 2006, the Turkish media reported on two recent surveys, by Pew and by Princeton Survey Research Associates. The Pew study, which was conducted in 15 countries between March 31 and May 14, 2006, found significant erosion of positive feelings towards the U.S. among the Turkish people. The Princeton study showed that most Turks have negative feelings towards Jews and Christians - more than in other Muslim countries and Arab countries - and that most do not believe in democracy, despite the common belief that Turkey is the most democratic country in the Muslim world. The secular mainstream daily Hurriyet reported that thesurvey results showed anti-Americanism on the rise among Turks. While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was chosen by 25% of respondents as the most trusted leader, President George W. Bush came last, with only 3%. [1] Hurriyet's Ertugrul Ozkok warned in his column that Turkey was becoming the most fanatical and hostile country towards Christians in the Islamic world, pointed out that this anti-Western trend was evident among secular ultra-nationalists as much as among Islamists, and opined that Turkey was headed towards catastrophe. [2] The centrist, secular daily Sabah reported thatthere was widespread disbelief in Turkey that Arab terror groups were behind the 9/11 attacks. [3] In a column titled "Why Are the Turks More Anti-West than the Arabs?" Turkish columnist Semih Idiz of the centrist, secular Milliyet wrote: "A Syrian friend of mine asked me, '[…] Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has [good] relations only with Turkey and not with the Arabs. This relationship has begun to be of strategic importance. Why do the Turks do what the Arabs don't?' He means, 'Why are the Turks more royalist than the king?' And really, why is it that the Turks dislike Christians more than the Arabs [dislike Christians]? In what direction is Turkey going? […] Tomorrow's Sun Will "Rise on a World Without Israel" Turkish columnist Ayhan Bilgin wrote in the Islamist daily Vakit: "[...] The rabid attacks by Israel, the golem created by America that feeds on Muslim blood, are diminishing its chances of existing on the sacred [Muslim] land. Nobody should be surprised when tomorrow's sun rises on a world without Israel [...] Not much time remains until the great war." [14] more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |
• Tehran Seeks Help From Turkey on Lebanon (August 13, 2006) - Following the European Union, Turkey’s neighbor Iran, sought assistance from Ankara to resolve the crisis in Lebanon, the Turkish website Zaman reported. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki made a surprise visit to Turkey en  route to Yemen and Egypt, where he suggested, “Turkey should exert its influence and take the necessary initiatives.” The visiting foreign minister met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Before his meetings, the Iranian FM said that Iran and Turkey have common concerns about the situation in Lebanon. Diplomatic sources informed Zaman that Mottaki asked Turkey to adopt an assertive and active role to help the United Nations (UN) Security Council take a fair decision on Israel’s offensive in Lebanon. Mottaki also requested Turkey to take the initiative to implement the decisions taken during the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) meeting in Malaysia last month. During the Malaysia meeting the OIC had made a call for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire. more... | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |