ICG: Israeli Moves Towards War with Iran and Syria

Is a war between Israel and Iran is likely this year? Notice the following two news items:

5 May 2012

Bibi prepares to strike Iran?‎ Ynetnews

Bringing the Israeli elections forward to September 4th of this year not only won’t avert an Iran strike, but rather, in some ways may in fact advance the fight against Tehran’s nuclear program. Those who think that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to these elections due to weakness are wrong. The PM has a stable coalition, yet its makeup won’t allow it to cope with the challenges it would have faced in the near future.

Netanyahu holding elections so he is free to deal with Iran in September-October

May 4, 2012

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling early elections so that he and his government will be free to deal with Iran’s nuclear program this September-October, one of Israel’s best-informed political commentators said on Friday night.

Here are some comments related to this in the latest update from ICG’s Mark Armstrong:

There is no way of knowing how many unexpected surprises 2012 may hold. Hardly a week passes without shocking revelations, and this week is no exception.

The first of three we can identify this week alone is the stunning announcement that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will call for the Israeli Parliament to be dissolved over the weekend in a move to hold early elections September 4, 2012, one year ahead of schedule. One of the most respected political commentators informed his shocked Israeli television audience that the maneuver is designed to give Netanyahu the freedom to “deal with Iran’s nuclear program,” with his own re-election out of the way and at a time when “President Barack Obama will be paralyzed by the U.S. presidential campaign.”

This news comes right in the wake of another revelation this week, that Israel has called its military reserves to active duty in order to deal with escalating tensions on the Syrian and Egyptian borders. The overt support and sympathy the current American administration has extended to the Islamic Brotherhood of Egypt certainly clouds our traditional alliance with Israel when it comes to the possibility of a military skirmish on the already tense border.

The top leadership of LCG has earlier (c. March 2012) indicated to me the belief that Israel would likely strike Iran by November of 2012. Also notice something in the May-June 2012 TW magazine by LCG’s Dr. Meredith:

If Israel attacks Iran in the next few months…it may indeed cause a “firestorm” throughout the Middle East. This would certainly speed up the process of the European nations drawing together into the final revival of the Holy Roman Empire. It would speed up the unification of the Arab nations into what is called the “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40). And it would also speed up the very end of this present society. (Meredith R.C. Jesus Christ is Coming to Rule. Tomorrow’s World, May-June 2012, p. 6)

Since Iran is not the prophesied King of the South (Daniel 11:40) something must change to reduce its Islamic militaristic influence (and it has strong influence in Syria, Lebanon, and even Iraq, amongst other places). If we are near the time that Damascus is prophesied to be destroyed and for a time ceasing being a city (Isaiah 17:1), major problems may soon be upon that area (more than the current uprisings in Syria have been so far). At this time, it would seem that the destruction of Damascus could happen if opponents to the Syrian Assad regime felt that they had been harmed so much that eliminating Damascus would be necessary. Since Israel and the USA tend to be sensitive to international opinion, such prophesied destruction of Damascus suggests that somehow Syria will first try to inflict significant harm to one or more of its enemies, like Israel. If this is involving outsiders like Israel, it seems that the Bible suggests major complications could occur if Israel does attack Iran and/or Syria and that Iran and Syria strike back.

Such devastation, like is prophesied to happen to Damascus, would likely enrage the rest of the Islamic world, and probably parts of Europe. And while the Muslim Brotherhood is currently rising up in North Africa and the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf nations currently seem to be able to distance themselves from it (so, to a degree, has Jordan). Something, however, will bring the nations that will be confederate with the prophesied King of the South together.

And a devastating regional war that affects Syria and/or Iran may be a major factor in getting them all to agree to unite closer to destroy Israel:

They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. (Psalm 83:4-8).

The above are nations currently in the Middle East and North Africa (Assyria is in a different category, and there would likely be additional factors for Europe to be involved).

It also may take such a regional war for the likely peace deal of Daniel 9:27 to be implemented.

The fact that the prospect of a regional war involving Israel and Iran and/or Syria etc. has been in the news so much in 2012 suggests that many feel that one will happen relatively soon.

We seem to be on the edge of the fulfillment of additional steps of biblical prophecy.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2012 or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What is the “beginning of sorrows”? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Is the deal in Daniel 9:27 a peace deal?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? This is the longest and most complete article on this page on Barack Obama prophecies. Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
2012 – Ten Fulfilled Barack Obama Prophecies Barack Obama has already helped fulfill 10 predictions in 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Here is a YouTube video on ten.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”, based up an early 20th century writing.
Barack Obama in Islamic Prophecy? There is actually a 17th century Shiite prophecy that some believe that Barack Obama will fulfill that will lead to a rising up of Islam.
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi? What does the Bible say?
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims?