Middle East Update 2012

Palestine
Amos 1:6 – Yahweh will not revoke the punishment of Gaza for three transgressions, but will punish for four.

As expected, the United Nations General Assembly recognized Palestine as a “non-member observer state” within the international community in November of 2012. Just days ago the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas officially signed his first decrees that bear the name of the “State of Palestine”. Stamps, signs, documents, and stationary letterheads will be changed to reflect the new “Palestinian statehood”. Abbas claims that the move is aimed at enhancing Palestinian sovereignty and real independence.

But wait, there’s more. Palestinian Authority Chief Islamic Judge Tayseer Al-Tamimi declared that the caliphate will be restored, the land of Palestine will be liberated, and Jerusalem will be its capital! He goes on to claim that Islam will triumph throughout the Middle East, and the PA will be one of its chief champions. Egypt is just the start – the birth pangs have begun.

Benjamin Netanyahu, however, says “Jerusalem will not be divided so long as I’m prime minister.” In order for a Palestinian state to become reality, the Palestinians must first recognize Israel as a Jewish state, they must declare an end to the conflict, and any Palestinian state must be demilitarized, with security arrangements meeting Israeli approval.

Iran
Jeremiah 49:35-37 – Yahweh will break the strength of Iran and it will be scattered to the four winds.

According to numerous sources and prognosticators, an attack on Iran is still scheduled for early 2013, due to their continuing failure to halt nuclear weapons production. A source within the Revolutionary Guard intelligence unit claims that Iran has already built a nuclear bomb, thanks to help from both Russia and North Korea. Iran also has enough weapons-grade uranium and plutonium for more, according to the same source, and they are working out of numerous sites unknown to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Russia
Ezekiel 38:2-4 – Yahweh will turn Russia about, put hooks into its jaws, and will bring it out to battle.

Russia has been intimately involved in the Syrian war, has backed off, returned, waffled, and is now again rejoining the battle. Sixteen ships are headed towards Syria with hundreds of troops in a show of force meant to keep countries hostile to the Bashar Assad regime from intervening in the war-torn nation. In addition, their “exercises” in the area will include demonstrations of anti-submarine and air defense operations. A Russian diplomatic source was quoted as saying “Russia should be prepared for any developments, as it believes the situation in Syria might reach its peak before Easter”.

Syria
Isaiah 17:1 – Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a ruin.

Syria is becoming an ever increasing threat to both its neighbors, and the entire Middle East. The bombs filled last year with Sarin gas have not been dismantled, but are still being stored close to military bases. Furthermore, new satellite imagery shows that Syrian troops appear to be mixing chemicals used in missiles at two storage sites, filling dozens of 500-pounds bombs that could be loaded on airplanes. Bashar Assad on Sunday, January 6, 2013, defiantly stated that he “no longer takes dictation from anyone” – and has especially rejected dialogue with the opposition as “puppets fabricated by the West”. If Assad becomes desperate enough to order these weapons used, they could be sent off in under two hours. Couple this with nuclear threats from Iran, which has remained one of Syria’s staunchest allies, and it all spells trouble – – big trouble brewing just north of Israel.

Attacks on Israel
Psalm 9 – Israel will be established forever. Nations that forget God shall be turned into Hell.

Israeli soldiers, who entered the Jenin refugee camp to arrest a Palestinian wanted for involvement in terrorism, were attacked by about five hundred Palestinians who surrounded the troops and threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the soldiers. In another attack, this time near Esh Kodesh, close to Shilo in the Binyamin region, about two hundred fifty Arabs began rioting and attacking Jewish residents, injuring eleven and damaging vineyards, saplings, and at least one military vehicle.

The uproar on the Israeli border with Syria has prompted Benjamin Netanyahu to respond by giving directions to the Defense Ministry to “build fences on all of Israel’s frontiers, first and foremost on our border with Syria”. “We know that today on the other side of the border with Syria the Syrian army has moved away, and in its place global jihad elements have moved in,” he says.

Even the United States appears to be increasing efforts to distance itself from Israel. On Monday, President Barack Obama nominated former Senator Chuck Hagel to lead the Pentagon. Hagel claims he’s a strong supporter of Israel, but is he really? In the past, he has always been supportive of Israel and the U.S. commitment to defend it, but has also been highly critical of Israel’s continued building of settlements in the West Bank, and has also been highly critical of Israel’s threats to bomb Iran by the Israeli Air Force. He is viewed by some to be too soft on Hamas and Hezbollah, perhaps anti-Semitic due to his refusal to sign a letter to Boris Yeltsin that encouraged Yeltsin to combat anti-Semitism, and for seeking direct negotiations with Iran and sometimes opposing sanctions against Iran. And Hagel is no fan of the Jewish lobbying groups in Washington, D.C. All of these items may point to an anti-Israeli, rather than a pro-Israeli stance. Time will tell if he is given the position.

Not to be out done, the head of a radical Catholic sect in Canada has claimed that “Jews are enemies of the Church”.

February 2013 Update
Zechariah 12:2-3 “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.”

The past couple of weeks have been relatively quiet on the Middle East Front, with only a few skirmishes here and there.

Jordan
Lebanon may be heading in the same direction as other nations in the area. The last few months have seen an upsurge in both the number of protests and the type of protesters. Jordan’s large Palestinian population is now openly calling for King Abdullah’s abdication or overthrow. One can only ask: “How much longer will it be before Jordan is taken over by Muslim Brotherhood or it deteriorates into a bloody civil war?

Syria
Bashar Assad’s army can no longer be found along the entire Israeli border except at the Quneitra border, leaving the area in total control of rebel forces. The Times of Israel quotes Abu-Jable who says: “The regime wants the rebels to take control of all villages on the border area so that Israel intervenes in the conflict, and then Assad can accuse Israel of conspiring against him.” Damascus and Alleppo continue to be heavily assaulted by the rebels.

March 5, 2013 has been set as the date for peace talks to open in Moscow between the Syrian opposition and the Assad regime. Assad, Khomeini, and Putin are predicted to be the winners coming out of these talks.

Gaza and the Palestinians
Palestinians are increasing the number of Intifadas on a daily basis, making around eighteen attempts to kidnap Israeli soldiers in response to alleged abuses against Palestinian prisoners of war by the Israelis, and especially in response to the death of. The Palestinians are apparently looking for another Gilad Shalit.

In addition to these Intifadas, the Palestinians have also fired the first rocket into Israel from the Gaza Strip, again supposedly in response to Arafat Jaradat’s untimely death. Amazing how little it takes to set off their fury.

But wait, there’s more: President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party has stopped disarming members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorist group, in direct violation of a 2007 amnesty agreement signed with Israel that requires Brigades members to completely disarm. One can only ask: “How much longer will Yahweh allow the Palestinians’ hatred of His people to grow before He disciplines them?”

Iran
Iran’s nuclear facility at Fordow now appears to be showing signs of radiation leakage. The Khomeini/Ahmadinejad regime has ordered stockpiles of iodine pills from Russia, fearing that the radioactivity will spread. Cleanup personnel are complaining of headaches, nausea and vomiting.

Egypt
Egypt has been strangely quiet since the riots against Morsi and his government at the beginning of February, if one discounts the continuing violence towards Coptic Christians.

United States
United States Secretary of State John Kerry has announced that the U.S. will support the anti-Assad rebel forces by training said rebels, and by pledging $60 Million in aid to the Rebel Military Council. He calls this aid “non-lethal” assistance that is being offered on behalf of the venerable Barky Insane O’Bummer. One can only ask: “How much longer before Yahweh disciplines the U.S. for blessing Israel’s enemies?” Against this backdrop, however, Barky does seem to be hinting that he will attack Iran this June or July, or so says SS John Kerry. Yeah right, wasn’t that supposed to happen last year in June, too? Didn’t the time for diplomatic solutions run out last year, too?

Conclusions
Israel is being isolated by all the nations of the world. The Middle East is a cauldron at full heat, about to boil over, and Russia is being pulled into the conflict, willing or not. When it will boil over into all out war is yet to be seen. It becomes clearer and clearer that diplomatic solutions will not solve any problems nor deter war. Get busy reaching the lost.Prophetic events continue to increasingly unfold as foretold by the Hebrew prophets. The stage is being set. Each day is one day closer to our Lord’s return. Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is coming soon. Get busy reaching the lost.

Related Links
Palestine
Jerusalem Post Article
The Blaze Article
Breitbart Article
Times of Israel Article

Iran
WND Article

Russia
Times of Israel Article
Times of Israel Article
World Tribune Article
Press TV Article
Debka Article

Syria
NY Times Article
Debka Article

Attacks On Israel
JTA Article
Israel National News Article
Jerusalem Post Article
Jerusalem Post Article
Times of Israel Article
Newsmax Article
Newsmax Article
Jerusalem Post Article