No Time Like the Present

The present moment is a time to savor, as Israel is still led by a good man, and the White House is friendly. But political and military realities are liable to shift at any time.

First, we have the ongoing chaos in Israel’s political system, with neither Benjamin Netanyahu or Benny Gantz able to form a government. They are that evenly divided. It is rumored that Gantz’s Blue and White Party is willing to bring Arab blocs into a coalition, and as one writer noted this week, can you imagine them having access to classified information?

Then we have the American Democrat Party, a now-radicalized community holding frightening views both domestically and abroad.

Writing in Israel Hayom, Caroline Glick noted the danger lurking for Israel in Washington:

“The radicalization of the Democratic Party and party members in the media and government should be deeply worrying to Israel because as the party has radicalized it has shifted ever farther away from Israel.”

“With the Democrats in the media and the federal bureaucracy now full partners in their party’s radical actions and initiatives, there is every reason to expect that after they finish with Trump, they will turn their attention to Israel.”

Enjoy this moment, while Donald Trump still sits in the Oval Office! Once he leaves office, Israel might face someone even worse than Barack Obama.

Then there are the military threats to Israel, both in the north and the south. The shifting sands of Syria bring new challenges. From the Times of Israel:

“The winds of war are blowing into Israel again, an event as common as an eastern Mediterranean ‘medicane’ [hurricane] is rare. On Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi warned that Israel is facing a threat of conflict in both the north and the south, forcing the military to rapidly prepare for war.

“While it is the job of military leaders to keep their guard up and constantly warn of conflict (you don’t want to be the general who says everything is fine before war breaks out — just ask Eli Zeira), Kohavi was described by Channel 13 news as ‘very worried’ following the announcement, and some are taking him a little more seriously than usual.

“’The level of alarm varies according to the person speaking, but the underlying message is the same. It doesn’t matter if it’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, or Mossad chief Yossi Cohen (who recently used an event for retired Mossad officials to sound the alarm over the Iranian threat) – all are warning of the looming danger rising up against us from the northeast,’ writes Yoav Limor in Israel Hayom.

“’A possible conclusion is that the next round of clashes between the two sides is imminent. This could be a result of pre-emptive Israeli action against an Iranian retaliatory attack or a deliberate IDF strike against growing Iranian power in the region or the smuggling of weapons to Hezbollah,’ Haaretz’s Amos Harel writes.

While Israel has been dealing with and meeting threats for several years—witness the bold airstrikes that have set back Syria’s chemical and nuclear ambitions—the U.S. withdrawal from the region has left room for both Turkey and Iran to move in. Iran of course is the main threat.

Rather than fret about these realities, l think it’s really important right now to pray as never before. Pray for all Israelis as they navigate a potential third election in the spring. Pray for their military leaders, that they make good decisions. Pray that the Lord would blind Israel’s enemies. And pray that America will continue to be a friend to the Jewish state.

Finally, pray for opportunities to be a witness for Christ. The prophetic landscape is a perfect tool for this, so be sure to have confidence and be bold when you can discuss Bible prophecy with an unbeliever.

There’s no time like the present.

Someday you’ll be very glad you did.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

Trump, Israel, and the Kurds

 Well, President Trump is being roasted in the media for his drawdown of troops in Syria, which has created a pathway for Turkey to assert itself. He is also being roasted by some allies, including pro Israel folks.

But I do believe in the view that says Trump is wily and often moves quite a bit ahead of his opponents.

First, let’s look at the hand-wringing over the Kurds. They are an ancient people often maligned and persecuted by their neighbors. Iraq and Turkey in particular have damaged the Kurds for many years. 

It is also true that Christians in the region are being persecuted; this goes hand-in-hand with the apparent escape of some ISIS terrorists. Many Never Trumpers in the Evangelical world are, I think, using this Christian persecution issue to take yet another jab at Trump. Am I saying they are that craven and calculating? 

Yes, I am. 

However, Christians have been persecuted in the region since antiquity, and until very, very, very recently, nary a peep from Trump critics on this issue. Southern Baptist Convention [political] operatives like Russell Moore typically use issues like this to bash the President and his supporters. I’m all for supporting Christians in the region, but let’s put together a comprehensive and workable plan to do so. Let’s not use them as a political football, feigning compassion. Some of the most calculating, heartless people on the planet live in the evangelical leadership community. 

I digress. 

When Ataturk in Turkey persecuted the Kurds, some of the latter created a Marxist entity, the PKK, to combat all that. Thus, they evolved into a terror organization themselves. Trump is not wrong at all to point out that these internecine battles are chronic and ages-long. How much longer are we to police far-flung places with our blood and treasure? 

(The Iraqi area known as “Kurdistan” has adopted sharia law, which makes it an enemy of all decent people everywhere. I’m simply pointing out that the poor, maligned Kurds who are being “abandoned” by Trump, have some other elements to their makeup worth noting.) 

Now, how is this affecting Israel and her ability to defend herself? The hysteria now says that the introduction of Turkey into the region further erodes Israel’s defensive capabilities.

I disagree. 

When Israeli prime ministers say publicly sometimes that they can deal with any military reality in the region—and hint that they are light years ahead of their enemies—I believe them. 

And there is another factor, a very important one. By saying “See Ya,” Trump has left a real mess in the lap of…Putin. He now has another bad actor in the region to deal with. He faces the choice of jumping through hoops to prevent Iran from taking over the country, or a Russian defeat. So all of a sudden, far from being a cold abandonment of a key ally, Trump’s announcement is a bravo strategic move. 

And frankly, I like Trump’s pro-America thinking here, as he stated this week:

“’Lindsay Graham would like to stay in the Middle East for the next thousand years, with thousands of soldiers fighting other people’s wars,’ Trump said. ‘I want to get out of the Middle East. I am not going to lose potentially thousands and tens of thousands of American soldiers fighting a war between Turkey and Syria.’”

Further, Iran has shifted from a proxy war to more direct military conflict in the region. Personally, I don’t want American troops fighting a war against Iran in the Middle East. After Trump pulled out of the disastrous Obama-led “nuclear deal” in 2018, Iran adopted what it called a policy of “strategic patience” and since May of this year has been moving more toward direct military confrontation. Trump this week fairly scolded the Arab states, telling them to finance and fight their own wars. You can bet that Iran has Saudi Arabia in its crosshairs more than it has Israel in the same spot. 

A statement from the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center is very interesting: 

“Despite the significant change in Iran’s modus operandi, in our assessment, Iran does not strive for an all-out confrontation with the United States or Israel, preferring instead to pursue a policy of brinkmanship, constantly testing the ‘rules of the game.’” 

So then, let’s look more at long-term solutions regarding Iran, with an American-Israeli-led strike on the mullah’s nuclear facilities. Stop worrying so much about the Syrian civil war, which, as we noted, has now mired Russia in a long-term muck. 

You’ll notice I have not discussed this week the claims that Turkey’s entrance into Syria starts the clock ticking on Gog-Magog. I’ve given my views on this subject before this past year, but suffice to say I continue to believe we cannot be dogmatic about the timing of this coming end-times battle. I believe it will happen, of course, but I don’t set dates or say, “Yes, it has started.” 

In the meantime, let’s celebrate the fact that fewer American soldiers are dying in far-off wars. Let’s also celebrate even more that our God’s promises are sure and He has promised that Israel will never disappear again. 

Meditate on that fact this week! 

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com