VOA: Middle East Turmoil Sparks Unease in Israel

Jerusalem

Voice of America reported the following today:

Middle East Turmoil Sparks Unease in Israel

Scott Bobb

December 24, 2013

JERUSALEM — The year 2013 saw more upheaval in the Middle East as the effects continued from popular uprisings in a half-dozen countries. For Israel this brought a mixed reaction of reassurance and uncertainty.

The effort to end Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program caused Israeli leaders their greatest worry. Few believe Iran is serious about abandoning its program, whose existence it denies. Ephraim Kam is at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

“They [the Iranians] have not invested so many efforts and money just to stop it now even if they are in economic trouble. So what they are trying to do is to maneuver, to give something, to get much more than they give and when the time is appropriate to continue with their nuclear program,” said Kam.

Israeli leaders are also watching the war in Syria. They like that the fighting is distracting the attention and absorbing the resources of Syria’s government and its allies, Iran and Hezbollah. But the situation must be watched, said Ely Karmon of The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism. “Who will control the vast territory which now is under the control of dozens, dozens of small organizations,” he questioned. “Jihadists, Salafists, some of them local warlords?”

The Syrian conflict has aggravated tensions between the Sunni and Shi’ite branches of Islam across the region. Ephraim Kam said this, too, is benefiting Israel, though the arrival of so many fighters is worrisome.

“Our concern is that at a certain point, when the struggle will decline, we are going to find these guys trying to challenge us. This is a problem. Not now. Not immediately. What we have immediately, it’s relatively small incidents but sometime in future it can change,” Kam said.

Egypt’s military coup was a relief to Israeli officials. The new government in Cairo has cracked down on terrorist activity in the Sinai near Israel and wants to weaken the anti-Israel Hamas movement that rules Gaza.

The revival of peace talks with the Palestinians after a three-year freeze brought some hope but most observers are not optimistic.

Ely Karmon said each side is constrained by its hardliners. “So I think that we need an interim agreement which will give symbolic territorial gains to the Palestinians over the very short term, much more freedom of movement and economic incentives and a very general framework which will speak about a final agreement,” he said.

The Palestinians are pessimistic. They don’t believe Israel is ready to make concessions, like freezing West Bank settlement, said Hadi Abdul Mahdi of East Jerusalem’s PASSIA research institute. “We are contained and will continue to be contained in an autonomy-minus situation, governed militarily by Israelis, controlled by the powers of the West and keeping mediocre people in offices like municipality arrangements,” he added.

Israeli leaders said they are ready to make concessions but need security guarantees. But given the rising number of incidents in the past year, this appears less and less likely. http://www.voanews.com/content/middle-east-turmoil-sparks-unease-in-israel/1816724.html

It is more than unease in Israel. Many in Israel are growing increasingly concerned about how the USA views Israel and are looking to others to try to assist them. Something else to add to the above news story is the fact that the Saudis have apparently made some arrangements for acquiring nuclear weapons–the Middle East is becoming more dangerous.

Israeli leaders have met with various ones in the European Union and Russia in attempts to gain allies. While diplomatic efforts to multiple countries is normal, it appears that Israel’s concerns go beyond that. Israeli leaders have learned that they cannot trust and rely on the USA as much as they long have.

It should be noted that Israelis are right to be concerned about what will arise after the Shi’ites and Sunnis reduce tensions. The Bible is clear that a power will arise in the Arabic and Turkish nations.

The Hebrew scriptures, commonly referred to as the Old Testament, tell of such a confederation. Notice two sections, one from Psalms and the other from Daniel:

4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

5 For they have consulted together with one consent;
They form a confederacy against You:
6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
Moab and the Hagrites;
7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot. (Psalms 83:4-8)

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation…

36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain.

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. (Daniel 11:31-36-43)

These passages show that an Arabic- Turkish confederation will form, and for a time have European support (Psalm 83:4-8). They also show that Israel will be attacked, and that the European power will turn against the Arab-Turkish power (Daniel 11:31-43), but that the Turks and some of the Arabs will escape the European leaders’ punishment (Daniel 11:41). Israel, however, is not listed as escaping. (The identities of the various ones involved as discussed in articles such as Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel, Is the Future King of the South Rising Up?, and Who is the King of the North?)

The Hebrew scriptures also warn about destruction and slavery coming about with a divided Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2).

The USA has, on more than one occasion in 2013, put forth the idea that Jerusalem needed to be divided. This also causes unease in Israel. When I was in Israel several weeks ago, a particular Israeli man kept trying to point out geographic and other reasons why Jerusalem could not be divided as the USA and others have proposed. I told him on more than one occasion that the current USA government and others do not really care about the practicalities of the matter, but that they have determined that it is the political position that they want to support.

Some in Israel understand that, others seem to be in denial.

The reality is that according to Bible prophecy, the days of the current nation of Israel are numbered. Those in Israel are justified in having unease about what has been happening and what will eventually happen there.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) 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 Jerusalem and 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? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?
Will the Anglo-Saxon 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 about Jerusalem? 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? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
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