ISIS in the House

As the Israelis battle arson fires set by Palestinians, the first official engagement between ISIS terrorists and the IDF occurred. A terrorism report was more clinical in its description, but rest assured, ISIS was vaporized in the exchange:

“In the southern Golan Heights, the first incident of its kind occurred this week between an IDF force and operatives of the Shuhada al-Yarmouk Brigade affiliated with ISIS. ISIS operatives opened fire at an IDF force. An Israeli aircraft attacked their vehicle and four operatives were killed. In addition, an Israeli aircraft

attacked a facility used by ISIS in the southern Golan Heights.”

How foolish are the enemies of the Jewish people.

Further detail of the ISIS incident was provided in a November 29 report:

“In the early morning hours of November 27, 2016, an incident occurred between

an IDF force and a force of the Shuhada al-Yarmouk Brigade, affiliated with ISIS.

According to Israeli and Arab media, ISIS operatives opened fire at an IDF force setting an ambush. The operatives used a heavy machine gun placed on a van, several hundred kilometers away from the border. The IDF forces returned fire.

“The IDF had no casualties. This is the first incident of its kind between an IDF force

and operatives affiliated with ISIS who control the southern Golan Heights. Up

till now, those operatives refrained from engaging the IDF. During the incident, an Israeli aircraft attacked the vehicle and the operatives who fired from it. Syrian media reported that four operatives of the Khaled bin Al-Walid Army were killed

as a result of the attack. In addition, an Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked an ISIS facility in the southern Syrian Golan Heights, in response to the shooting (IDF spokesman, November 27, 2016). The facility which was attacked had served UNDOF, the UN force maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria.

However, it has been deserted and nowadays it serves ISIS operatives for training.

According to the IDF spokesman, ISIS operatives used that facility to establish their

presence in the vicinity of the border and for attacking the IDF force.”

ISIS has been operating in the Sinai Peninsula as well, but is sandwiched between Egypt and Israel, and is being pummeled. The terror group has also lost 56 percent of its territory in Iraq and 28 percent in Syria. I expect them to disappear altogether as the Trump Administration progresses.

An interesting thing is going on internationally, as geopolitics shift after eight years of corrosive, Marxist policies of Obama. Israel now has “friends,” several of whom sent help to fight the arson fires. I also suspect many nations both remember Israel’s doing same for them after natural disasters, and as they scramble to find expert help in combatting terrorism in their own countries. Nobody does this better than Israel.

As I often like to say, geopolitics can change on a dime, and upend all our “prophecy” projections. Only one month ago, no one could have imagined where we are now. America and Israel will officially become close once again, etc.

We must always keep our eyes on Scripture. We do not know the exact timing of the great last days prophecies, so we must honestly admit that the status quo might be maintained yet for decades, or it can be permanently altered next week. We just don’t know.

What we do know from looking at Scripture is that one day, Israel will lose all her human friends. And, it is important to note that while Democrats have suffered historic losses in the recent election in America, they and their leader Obama have always kept the eyes on their prize: the next two generations.

The fact is, a “progressive” political agenda—one rooted in Marxism—continues to chug up the mountain. In other words, my “concern” is not for the immediate future, but 20 years down the road. Currently, scores of “evangelical” youth voted for Hillary Clinton or the fringe candidates, Gary (“What’s Aleppo?”) Johnson and Jill Stein. In human terms, that is profoundly disturbing.

So long as God remains on His throne, He will continue to make the IDF a source of supernatural strength, and we can rest in that! Israel has and is winning miraculous victories against her enemies.

Israel is Burning

One of the endless wonders of Israel, especially for a visitor, is the forests and other foliage that blanket this once-barren wasteland.

But Eden is burning.

Twenty five years of diplomatic futility have brought us dead Israelis, a degradation of Israel’s deterrence, and increased Palestinian arrogance.

Remember, when George H.W. Bush allowed Western diplomats to pluck the odious Yasser Arafat from his desert lair in Tunisia, the Palestinians were no longer relevant. Almost inexplicably, the Americans and Europeans then forced a “peace framework” on Israel and set up the “Palestinian Authority” from the evil Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

I’ve seen the PLO handiwork in Israel, when terrorists murder Israelis. It is unconscionable that this evil “land for peace” model has been forced on the Jewish state.

Now, at a moment when the Palestinians are all-but-irrelevant again, the scum have committed widespread arson and the land is burning. The forests, homes, and dreams are going up in smoke.

According to the Jerusalem Post:

“Arab leaders on Saturday accused the government of fanning hatred in Jewish-Arab relations by suggesting that Arab arson was the cause of the wave of fires in the country that started five days ago.

“Leaders and political activists said Arabs are being scapegoated for the fires and predicted the government’s posture would lead to an outpouring of anti-Arab hostility.”

More Marxist-inspired propaganda. But it does beg the question:

Why not cut the Palestinians loose? Why not a new strategy by Israel and the West?

If I were in charge, I’d annex the West Bank and Gaza and dare the Arabs to do something about it?

In the past 25 years, any time suggested expelling the Palestinians (“population transfer,” “ethnic cleansing”), he or she was labeled a dangerous psychotic. That’s how we got treated to an endless parade of failures like Dennis Ross and Martin Indyk, diplomats who were clueless about the true nature of human nature.

None of it ever worked, and Jews died.

It is true that some Palestinian firefighters have joined the effort to put out the fires. Others have condemned the terrorism.

But when is enough enough?

And don’t think I have faith that the new Trump Administration will do what is really necessary to buttress our most important ally. No doubt the nonsensical “land for peace” failure will march on. So Israel should take matters into her own hands.

Historically, the Arabs have only understood force. When Egyptian and Syrian soldiers were staggering through the deserts during ’67 and ’73 battlefield losses, they understood they could not defeat Israel. I think it’s time for a return to that strategy: peace through strength.

The Palestinians do not deserve a state and I hope they never get one. Their grotesque disregard for human life is unacceptable.

Twenty-two terrorists have been arrested. Russia is sending planes to combat the fires. Even Obama is hamstrung from making mischief for Israel.

The greening of Israel has been underway for decades. Even standing in Jerusalem, standing at the edge of the Kidron Valley, I have seen how the country has bloomed since 1948. Now, the Palestinians threaten all that.

I hope to see the day when the Palestinians pay for the destruction and murder they have unleashed on Israel. God, may it be so.