Trouble in the North

Hezbollah is at it again. Or, I should say, continuing its activities of the last four decades.

There was a physical altercation between residents of the south Lebanon Christian village of Rmeish and Hezbollah operatives situated in a nearby Green Without Borders1 facility. Lebanese security forces located a cell of suspected ISIS operatives in the south Lebanon village of Bint Jbeil.

(Oddly, Hezbollah is also involved in a propaganda campaign aimed at weakening the resolve of IDF soldiers. I can’t imagine a more wasteful activity. The Twitter accounts of activists affiliated with Hezbollah, such as journalist Ali Shoeib and the Tansikeya website, posted militant tweets to weaken the morale of IDF soldiers. For example, a notice was posted with a caption, in Hebrew, reading, “Say goodbye to your mother,” along with quotes from Ibrahim al-Amin’s article.)

Pretty lame.

Also, with Operation Waking Dawn in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah is collaborating with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Ibrahim al-Amin, the editor of the Lebanese al-Akhbar and a senior figure in Hezbollah media, described the preparations the organization was making for the confrontation and analyzed the various possibilities for an outbreak of violence with Israel and the United States. He said Hezbollah’s objective was to destroy the IDF, and Hezbollah had capabilities which even Iran did not possess. The article was accompanied by pictures of UAVs and infographics of the kinds of Iranian-made rockets in Hezbollah’s arsenal, along with rocket trajectories and UAV (drone) ranges

Now, you have to remember, the Arab world is overrun with “Baghdad Bob” types, spokesmen that exaggerate the threats to Israel. It’s chest-beating with nothing behind it. One doubts Hezbollah has capabilities Iran doesn’t possess.

Much of the activity from Lebanon sounds like teenage thugs. At the invitation of Lebanese Minister of Culture Mohammad el-Mortada, eight Lebanese government ministers and the secretary of the government toured along Lebanon’s border with Israel to increase public awareness of the southern part of the country. They began at al- Naqoura in the west and drove along the border to the villages of Houla and Adaisseh in the east, where they threw rocks at the Israeli border.

On July 30, there was an altercation between Hezbollah terrorists and locals in southern Lebanon, over cutting down trees near a Hezbollah site. The Lebanese Army tried to intervene and Hezbollah threatened everyone by taking out guns.

Do these things sound like the activities of mature adults? If only the Muslim culture could discipline itself and focus on productive goals, there’s no telling what they could accomplish for their people.

Instead, we have Lebanese government officials throwing rocks at Israelis!

A video uploaded to the social media after the tour showed Walid Fayad, minister of water and energy, and Hector Hajjar, minister of social affairs, throwing rocks at Israel; the video went viral. Many social media users were critical of the ministers, noting that while the ministers were making jokes and having fun throwing rocks at the border, the Lebanese had one hour of electricity a day and 80% lived below the poverty line. On the other hand, Ali Shoeib, who works for al-Manar TV, supported the rock-throwing as “part of the agenda against Israel.”

Unreal. I think this Keystone Cops approach actually moves them farther away from being able to seriously threaten Israel.

As Christians, and as supporters of Israel, we should pray daily for the people in that region. Pray specifically that the people of Lebanon will be touched by the Holy Spirit and will turn from their wicked and unproductive ways, and reach their full potential—which is considerable.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

I Can Dig It

Is there a greater fantasy for biblical Christians than to visit the Holy Land and…TAKE PART IN AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG?

Wow. I have not, but it’s on my bucket list. My trips to Israel have usually been business-oriented, but one of these days…

Now I’ve learned that Israel’s Tourism Ministry is hatching a plan to include evangelicals in digs around the country. Needless to say, anywhere one “puts a spade in the ground,” there is the possibility of finding an ancient treasure. This has accelerated greatly since the Six Day War.

After that seismic event, one of the positive outcomes is that Israeli archaeologists had access to the biblical heartland and they took full advantage in digging up the past.

(It’s important to point out that the so-called “Palestinian history” never was. The PLO/Palestinian Authority worked mighty hard in the 1990s to invent that history, but when you don’t find “Palestinian” ancient villages, religious structures, etc., it’s hard to con the public. Conversely, since the days of William Albright, biblicists have confirmed the accuracy of Scripture by unearthing scores of ancient Hebrew sites.)

According to the Jerusalem Post:

“In addition to excavations, the tourist package will also include tours and expert lectures, with the aim of allowing bible enthusiasts to ‘take an active part in the historical story of the Jewish people.’”

This will kick off in spring 2023, to coincide with the miracle of Israel’s 75^th Independence Day. Glory!

It causes me to recall digs I’ve seen from a distance. Once in downtown Jaffa, traffic had to be re-routed due to a giant hole in the street! Archaeologists were uncovering evidence of an ancient presence. Another time, I was driving through the new tunnel at the north end of Jerusalem’s Old City, and I wondered what it was like to launch a new project like that while at the same time preserving the artifacts that were no doubt uncovered.

But my favorite archaeological site is another spot outside the Old City walls, In 2017 I was strolling along with a friend and he pointed out the famous fortress of Antiochus Epiphanes; some had felt (much like the Hittites) that this was mere legend, but here it was, uncovered under a parking lot!

By contrast, the Palestinians have decimated much of the Temple Mount by constructing two underground mosques (that can supposedly seat 10,000!). By hollowing-out under the upper plateau, they had compromised the structural integrity of the site and almost caused its collapse. Only intervention by Israeli and Jordanian archaeologists saved the site and, ironically, the Dome of the Rock. I looked on in disgust at piles of debris dumped on the Temple Mount, clear evidences of Roman occupation and First and Second Temple artifacts.

Back to the evangelical initiative.

“’Our wonderful history in this land attracts many tourists, people who love Israel, who want to discover with their own hands the hidden treasures we have here,’ Tourism Minister Yoel Razbozov said.

“In addition, a visit of Christians that combines archeology, conservation and assistance in uncovering findings related to the biblical legacy of the State of Israel will improve Israel’s image overseas and spread the legacy of the People of the Book to the Christian world.

“‘Strengthening the relationship between Christians who love Israel through incoming tourism also helps support Israel’s economy,’ the minister noted.”

Imagine digging in the soil at Megiddo, or in the Galilee, or, yes, near the Temple Mount. As I said earlier, I’ve often thought of these things as I’ve walked around the country. As you stroll past the Old City walls, it’s always fun to think of what might be buried just a few feet away. And in fact, regularly we read of amazing finds found right there. Artifacts that confirm the culture and political environments of various stages of biblical history. There one might find an Egyptian inscription, or a Roman road. One of the most stunning things I’ve ever gazed on is a section of Roman road extending out from the Old City walls, and meeting the modern street on the west side of Jerusalem. Absolutely staggering.

Walking through the Jewish Quarter and seeing an ancient wall from the time of the Babylonian invasion is a surreal experience. I’m so glad the Foreign Ministry has come up with this project, so that Christians can have a stake in what happens in the field of archaeology.

The Bible is all true, and archaeology confirms that often in today’s Land of Israel.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com