God’s News In The News – Special Edition

Week One Hundred Seventy-Three

Israel At War – Day 2

A Surprise Attack

While those of us who know the history of Israel and the many attacks against it, we know that the they are in a constant state of readiness for any future attacks. However, on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war, Israel was caught off guard. Using sophisticated radar technology and paragliders with some being motorized, terrorists strategically took out 29 military outposts and opened a path to attack civilians and take, kill, and parade their dead bodies as a blatant show of strength. There are a lot of questions to be answered about the terrorist actions, chief among them is how Hamas got the ability to neutralize the Iron Dome defense system in the first place. Apparently there are only two countries that have that technology and we’re pretty sure America wasn’t helping. The other country? Russia.

Helpless To Stop Them

Hamas terrorists targeted soft targets like a peace party along the Gaza strip where young people were partying. Homes also in the areas had grandmothers, mothers, daughters ripped from their homes and either held hostage or killed. I listened to one video of a father who heard that his daughter was taken and he lamented that he couldn’t be her protector. This was an attack meant to make a statement that Israel can’t stop Hamas on land, in the air and on sea, but there are strong signals that the Muslim community is willing to come against Israel from as far away as Afghanistan. Israel was initially shocked, but there also signs that all political parties are joining together to form a war party to retaliate. Nothing unites a country or people like an outside attack and we see this happening on both sides. One thing we must know, is that Israel is not taking this laying down. While initially caught off guard, the Israeli response will be strong, stronger than any other Hamas response.

The Israeli 9/11?

Many are saying this is just that. With 600 -1,000 dead so far with the wounded still unknown, the known things are coming from what we hear from other nations and Israel itself. We know how America handled the attacks on 9/11/2001 and how the world as a whole rallied behind the United States as they identified the attackers, Israel’s job is easier since those initially behind the attack have taken to social media to take credit. However, it is naïve to think that other countries aren’t working in this attack. Where did these terrorists get the missiles? Where did they get the ability to disable the Iron Dome? Unlike the United States whose borders are protected by two oceans and thousands of miles, Israel is literally surrounded by its enemies where an attack can come within minutes and 25-30 miles away. And this attack may very well have awakened a sleeping giant.

Mighty Vengeance

Prime Minister Netanyahu said their response will not be the usual response. No, he said they are at war and they are not going to let something like this happen again. There are talks about wiping out Hamas once and for all. But once you start down that road, Hezbollah is talking about joining into the fray. Israel may have to literally take down all terrorists from all sides, including those who supply the weapons and funding for these terrorists groups. That could mean going into Syria, Lebanon, and even Iran. All around the world, nations are calling for all sides to stop the fighting, but that is easier to say to Hamas than Israel. All the rhetoric cannot erase all the previous history of bombings terrorists have inflicted on Israel over the last 10 years may very well pushed Israel over the line. One of my Facebook friends said that the area is a pressure cooker that just exploded. While I believe he was talking about Hamas being exasperated, he forgets that Israel has had a great deal of patience with Hamas and other terrorist attacks that have been unprovoked. The rhetoric coming out of Israel points to the time of terrorists living right on their borders is over.

A Protracted War

Netanyahu himself has cautioned his people to prepare for a long war. As I mentioned earlier, we don’t know where this response will lead them, however all signs point to the Israel Defense
Force (IDF) hunkering down for a huge military campaign. You don’t call up 100,000 soldiers for a normal military response. And now, we need to wonder if a war predicted in the Bible is next on the docket. Yes, I know about the war of Gog and Magog detailed in Ezekiel 38, but the conditions of Israel them don’t line up with the conditions we see now. On this point, I see the Arab world gearing up for a larger war than one of one or two attacks. Are we seeing this prophetic war being fulfilled? I’ll address this and more in my next podcast. For now, literally pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And while you’re on your knees, ask Him what you should do next.