8-11-18, * -- When President Donald Trump moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the Jewish State of Israel’s capitol of Jerusalem, many people of faith quickly recognized the biblical significance. President Trump, like King Cyrus before him recognizes that the Jewish people have a free and sovereign land in Israel. Many of the miracles we are witnessing in Israel today were promised in the Bible long ago as follows:
 
#1 The Ingathering of the Jewish Exiles from the Four Corners of the World: In Ezekiel 34:13, “And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them.” This month, for the first time Israel has overtaken America to become the world’s largest Jewish population center. The total Jewish population has reached 6 million, which carries added significance as this was the number of Jews killed in the Nazi Holocaust.

#2 Spiritual Partnership Between Jews and Christians: The State of Israel, however, was not born through Jewish toil alone. Rather, as prophesied in Ezra 6:14 – “And according to the decree of Koresh, and Daryavesh, and Artachshasta king of Paras” – the State of Israel was birthed out of a spiritual partnership between Jews and non-Jews. In biblical times, it was Cyrus’ edict that allowed the people of Israel to return to the land of Israel and rebuild the Temple. In 1917, it was the British government’s Balfour Declaration that turned the tide for the Jews in exile. Similarly, in 1948, when U.S. President Harry Truman recognized the State of Israel, he said, “I am Cyrus.” In the cases of Cyrus, Balfour, Truman and now Trump, it was non-Jews serving as God’s agents who facilitated the return of the Jewish people to their land. Isaiah 49:22

#3 The Revitalization of the Hebrew Language: The prophet Zephaniah describes how in the end of days all the nations of the world will have “purity of speech. For then I will make the peoples pure of speech, so that they all invoke Hashem by name and serve Him with one accord.” (Zephaniah 3:9) In large part thanks to the efforts of Eliezer Ben Yehuda (1858-1922), who decided that “in order to have our own land and political life it is also necessary that we have our own language to hold us together,” Hebrew is the official language of the State of Israel. The Holy Bible is being used as a source of unity between Jews and Christians.

#4 Rebirth of the Physical Land of Israel: For nearly two millennia, while the land of Israel switched hands between various foreign powers: Romans, Muslims [the Ottomans] and British the land lay utterly desolate. However, as the prophet Isaiah predicted, “He hath comforted all her waste places, and hath made her wilderness like Eden” (51:3). The modern rebirth of the Jewish state in 1948 has brought with it an astounding development of the land, to the point where once again the Jewish people can claim a flourishing country all their own. The desert is literally blooming and growing. And in the realms of technology and culture, Israel ranks among the most advanced countries of the world. Indeed, we are witnessing the Lord comfort “all her waste places.”

How can people deny the truths proclaimed in God's holy word? So many prophecies have been fulfilled; why is there doubt about the future? Jesus said He's coming again; and He will just like He said. Matthew 24:30-31

*Excerpted and adapted full original message by Rabbi Tuly Weisz, Editor of ‘The Israel Bible’ first study Bible edited by Jews for Christians and dedicated to highlighting the land and the people of Israel here

8-8-18, Over the past 24 hours, the Islamic terror group in Gaza, Hamas has launched over 180 rockets into southern Israel — including toward the city of Beersheba, where sirens sounded for the first time since 2014.

Around 30 rockets have been intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system.
At least seven Israelis were wounded in the rocket attacks, and many more were treated for shock symptoms. Damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure was also reported.

In response to the rocket fire, the Israeli military has struck more than 150 Hamas targets in Gaza. More here [WILL THE UN AGAIN SAY ISRAEL'S RETALIATION WAS DISPROPORTIONATE? 3-2-1 ...]

7-31-18, JERUSALEM — An arson balloon believed to have been launched from Gaza landed in the major southern Israeli city of Beersheba. It would be the farthest distance that an arson balloon has traveled [appx 50 miles] since they came into regular use by Islamic terrorists aka Hamas Palestinians in Gaza in recent months.

The cluster of balloons filled with helium, carrying an incendiary device, landed on a street in the city’s east on Monday. The road was closed to cars and pedestrians as police sappers arrived to defuse the device.

At least six fires caused by arson balloons erupted in Israeli communities bordering Gaza on Monday. Thousands of acres of woodlands and agricultural fields have been destroyed by incendiary material flown over the border from Gaza. More here
***

Israel's Attorney general says Gazan fire kites ‘legitimate military target’
6-19-18, AG Mandelblit declined to address whether it is legal to target the people launching the kites and said he has not been approached by political or military figures on the matter. More here​
***
Israel limits entrance of helium into Gaza after arson balloons scorch the Jewish State
6-12-18, Defense Ministry warns supply of the gas, also used for medical purposes, will be cut off entirely if arson attacks continue. Hamas terror group does not hesitate to use any means, including humanitarian services and channels, in order to carry out terrorist activities. This is despite the efforts by Israel to prevent a deterioration of the civilian situation in the Strip. More here

8-1-18, I can't help but wonder if the dozens of wildfires in the United States - and the world - aren't being flown in via these arson balloons. In 2013 the Islamic magazine INSPIRE had article teaching how to use fire for jihad.
​
​Al Qaeda magazine encourages forest fire arson in the US
May 2, 2013 - According to ABC News, a recent issue of Islamic terror group, 
al-Qaeda's  'Inspire' magazine has surfaced on jihadi [Muslim war]; 
one article titled  “It Is of Your Freedom to Ignite a fire ... "

7-24-18, CBN -- Recently United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley delivered the keynote address before an audience of thousands at the Christians United for Israel Summit in DC. She was honored with a standing ovation as CUFI founder Pastor John Hagee presented her with the Defender of Israel Award. Haley told the crowd of Christians and Jews that it is her faith in Christ that has driven her strong support of Israel. She said:

"I am not Jewish, even though that surprises some people. I was not raised as a Christian either. Twenty years ago, my faith journey brought me to Christianity, where I have found strength in my faith and trust in my heart. But I am also a person who is humble in her faith. I don't claim to have the wisdom of what God has in store for me or for other people. What I do know is that God has blessed America with greatness and with goodness and I know that in the dangerous world we live in, it is absolutely critical for America to stand up and have the backs of our friends."Haley is known as a loud defender of Israel at the United Nations – a place she refers to as the "global epicenter of anti-Semitism." She said: "The United Nations is an interesting place. There are times when it can be a force for good. The UN can also be an enormously frustrating and bizarre place. Nowhere is that more pronounced than in the truly awful way that the UN has treated Israel for decades"

Despite the United Nation's repeated attempts to condemn and undermine the Jewish State, Haley says the US is changing that behavior. "Change comes with leadership and clarity from the United States. That leadership and clarity was on full display when President Trump made the bold and right decision to move the United States embassy to Jerusalem. Jerusalem has historically been, is now, and will always be the capital of Israel... The Human Rights Council is a farce. What we've said is you've got serious human rights abuses, whether it's in Venezuela, whether it's in Iran where they are protesting their regime, whether it's in Nicaragua, and they're doing nothing about it. America will always be the world's leader in advocating for human rights, but we will not do that in a place that makes a mockery of the very human rights ideals it is supposed to uphold," she added. "It's very important to me that we represent truth and reality at the UN, even if it makes other countries uncomfortable." More here

Tehran Iran is directing the Islamic terror group in Gaza Israel, Hamas, who she funds and arms. Purpose is to provoke Israel by attacking the Israeli communities around Gaza.  

7-25-18, Frontpage -- In recent weeks, Hamas launched incendiary kites across the Gaza border that scorched with wildfires 8,000 acres of farms and nature reserves causing an "ecological disaster" in Israel.  In addition, over 200 rockets have been fired by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists into southern Israel in order to kill Israelis. Both Hamas and PIJ are offshoots of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In July 2018 the Islamic terror groups of Hamas and PIJ agreed to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel. However, they continued to hammer away at Israeli civilians with more death-kites and rockets. [..snip]

Soon after President Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the Jewish state of Israel's capitol, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani called leaders of Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups to pledge Iran’s “all-out support” for their struggle against Israel.

Israel is rightfully concerned about Iran and its proxies Hezbollah [in Lebanon] and Hamas [in Gaza], simultaneously creating a two-front attack against it - or possibly even three - with Hamas and PIJ in the south or the Gaza Strip, Iran, Hezbollah and Shiite militias at the Golan Heights, and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.  [..snip]

Hamas and PIJ share Iran's goal
of replacing Israel with an Islamic state

In response to President Trump's abandoning the Iran nuclear deal and tightening of sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Iran launched 32 rockets from Syria toward the “little Satan” Israel.
And in July 2018 Hamas has launched 200 rockets into Israel. -- Frontpage

Israel has the will and the means to fight back, but this time the U.S. administration might not hold Israel back. More here
***
Iran's friend, Obama threatened to shoot down Israeli jets
3-1-15, IsraelNatlNews --  Bethlehem-based news agency Ma’an has cited a Kuwaiti newspaper report, that Obama thwarted an Israeli military attack against Iran's nuclear facilities in 2014 by threatening to shoot down Israeli jets before they could reach their targets in Iran. The Jewish state of Israel discovered that the U.S. and Iran were involved in secret talks over Iran's nuclear program and were about to sign an agreement in that regard behind Israel's back. More here

In 2009 Zbigniew Brzezinski, enthusiastically campaigned Obama to shoot down Israeli planes if they attack Iran. “They have to fly over our airspace in Iraq. Are we just going to sit there and watch?” Source

•7/20: IDF troop killed by sniper near Gaza
•7/20: Israel jets hit 60+ Hamas targets in Gaza
A ceasefire announced by Islamic terror group Hamas in Gaza after a wave of Israel's deadly air strikes across the Palestinian enclave sparked by the Hamas murder of an Israeli soldier.

• Israel carried out airstrikes and deployed tanks against Gaza City militant sites 
• Hamas announced a ceasefire with Egyptian and UN help which has largely held 
• Three Hamas militants were killed  More here

•7/23: Israel used David’s Sling interceptor for 1st time after missiles fired from Syria
•7/24: IDF shot down Syrian jet that entered Israeli airspace BUT Syria said they were after ISIS and in their own airspace

Israel shoots down Syrian fighter jet that 'infiltrated airspace' Syria said
they were conducting attacks on ISIS in their own airspace

7-24-18, Syria accuses Israel of aiding Islamic State [ISIS]... Israel said the Syrian Sukhoi jet crossed 2 km into Israeli-controlled airspace. [In February, an Israeli F-16 jet was brought down by Syrian anti-aircraft fire.] Syrian state media said that a Syrian warplane had been targeted by Israel while conducting raids in Syrian airspace. "The Israeli enemy confirms its support for the armed terrorist groups and targets one of our warplanes, which was striking their groups in the area of Saida on the edge of the Yarmouk Basin in Syrian airspace." An Israeli military statement appeared to acknowledge that its mission was related to the civil war next door; it said:"Since morning hours, there has been an increase in the internal fighting in Syria, including an increase in the activity of the Syrian Air Force. Israel will continue to operate against any breach of a 1974 UN armistice deal that established buffer zones on the Golan."

​Israel shot down Syrian jet ... first time in four years
that Israeli forces intercepted a Syrian aircraft.
​The missiles were launched at the aircraft after it had traveled approximately 1.2 miles into Israeli airspace. It also occurred just minutes after state media in Syria aired footage filmed at the buffer zone established by the United Nations between Syria and Israel. That area includes the much-disputed Golan Heights region. More here

Why these Latin American countries support moving their embassies
5-10-18, JTA — Latin American nations are sympathetic to Israel. President Trump's decision in December 2017 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capitol drew wide international criticism. One hundred twenty-eight nations vote with UN condemning Jerusalem as Israel's capitol. The United Kingdom, Germany and France voting in favor of a United Nations more.

However, Guatemala and its U.N. ambassador Jorge Garcia Granados played a crucial role in the adoption of the U.N. partition plan for Palestine in 1947, which recommended creating a Jewish and an Arab state in prestate Israel. In 1948, Guatemala became the first in Latin America to recognize Israel, setting off a domino effect in the region.

5-8-18, ​Paraguay moving embassy to Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Paraguay is moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from its current position near Tel Aviv. Israel's Foreign Ministry made the announcement in a statement issued on Monday.

​ Honduras passed resolution moving embassy ...
4-13-18, The National Congress of Honduras passed "with an overwhelming majority" a resolution to move the country's embassy to Jerusalem, the official capitol of the Jewish state of Israel.

7-18-18, Since April 2018, Muslim terror arson squads in Gaza have launched hundreds of flaming kites and balloons over the border into the Jewish state of Israel. They have started wildfires scorching 2400+ acres of farmland and nature reserves causing millions of shekels in damage. Recently a new tactic was discovered, apparently a falcon bird was found hanging by a metal string from a burned tree after a wildfire had broken out in the region.

Islamic terror using animals for attacks is not new in the Israeli - Palestinians conflict. The last case was in 2014 when terror group Hamas sent a bomb-laden donkey at IDF soldiers operating in the Rafah area, near the Gaza-Egypt border. The soldiers noticed the donkey while he was suspiciously approaching them and had to open fire at it to detonate the explosive. And in a previous event the Muslims in Gaza had gunmen attack the Karni border crossing using five horses laden with explosive devices and mines. History here

7-15-18, The Israeli Air Force [IAF] is satisfied with the results of the retalitory strikes it carried out against Hamas infrastructure targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, 7-14-18. The most extensive set of strikes conducted against Hamas terror operatives in Gaza by the IAF since the summer of 2014, in response to Hamas rocket, mortar fire and arson kites. The IDF struck a wide range of targets in Gaza, including a high-rise building in the Al-Shati refugee camp and a large strike on a Hamas Battalion HQ in Beit Lahia. On Sunday, 7/15/18 IAF planes twice fired toward a group of Gaza terrorists who were launching kite bombs and incendiary balloons toward Israel. More here

J.D. Farag, Jul 15, 2018, Pastor J.D. talks about a great earthquake in Israel at the time of Ezekiel 38’s fulfillment: 34 minute Video here

Ezekiel 38:18-19 "And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog [Turkey] shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking [earthquakes?] in the land of Israel;"

Recent Earthquakes in Israel, Warm-Up for Pre-Gog Global ...
7-5-18, Eighty years ago a prediction that major earthquakes in Israel would precede the War of Gog and Magog, preceeding the coming of the Messiah.​

Israel airstrikes as more than 100 Hamas rockets fired across border
7-15-18, Israeli military said some 100 rockets were launched from the Islamic terror group Hamas in Gaza at southern Israel, …

Turkey leader Tayyip Erdogan is threatening Israel with sanctions - while Turkish ...
Erdogan Is Threatening Israel With Sanctions ... Nevertheless, this relative boom is being threatened by the policies of the president, ...​

​Turkey says Israel's Gaza offensive threatens rapprochement ...
Turkey says Israel's Gaza offensive threatens rapprochement "We cannot normalize (relations). First, this cruelty must end," Erdogan said during a speech in the central Turkish city of Yozgat late on Thursday.

Leviticus 20:24; Deuteronomy 26:15; Exodus 3:8, 17, 13:5; Numbers 13:27;  14:8; Ezekiel 20:6; Joshua 5:6; Jeremiah 11:5

​7-10-18, NatlGeographics -- According to a release from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill ... a mosaic scene, depicting two men carrying a pole laden with grapes, was recently discovered at Huqoq, the site of the synagogue excavation. An inscription in Hebrew above the men reads “a pole between two”—a reference to the biblical passage Numbers 13:23.

Following the forty years the Hebrews spent in Egypt as slaves, we read in the Book of Numbers 13:1-23 that God told Moses to send out twelve scouts into the land of Canaan. The spies returned with tales of an abundant land of milk and honey—with bunches of grapes so large they required two men to carry. 

Archaeologist Jodi Magness, director of the Huqoq excavations said that the “unparalleled” 1500 yr old mosaic finds at Huqoq contradict the idea that Jewish settlements in Galilee suffered as the influence of Christianity grew in the region. Not only is the artwork in the synagogue of exceptional quality, but it also highlights a rich visual culture at a time when Jewish art is believed to have shunned images. 
​
The Huqoq mosaics, which have been excavated with support from the National Geographic Society, even contain a nonbiblical scene that Magness believes represents a fabled visit to the region by Alexander the Great. More ancient mosaics from Huqoq here

More here: www.nationalgeographic.com.au/history/biblical-spies-revealed-in-1500-year-old-mosaic.aspx
and here www.christianpost.com/news/mosaic-of-moses-spies-who-explored-canaan-discovered-in-israel-225939/

​Thai boys Rescued Israeli tech plays crucial roll allowing communication
On June 25, 2018 Israel's Maxtech CEO dispatched a worker with 
a suitcase full of devices that played a key role in the rescue of all 13 people stranded inside a flooded cave in Thailand. The sophisticated Israeli communication system was donated; the devices create their own voice, data and video link in places where no communication infrastructure exists and line-of-sight transmission is impossible. 
Maxtech CEO Uzi Hanuni said, “We are happy to be able to help.” 

At the same time Israeli innovation is helping the world and saving lives, the bigoted anti-Israel United Nations is working overtime to punish the Israeli economy. The UN Human Rights Council– which lists human rights abusers Cuba, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and China on its membership– is producing a blacklist of Israeli, American and other firms doing business inside Israel’s disputed territories. The blacklist is an open threat designed to intimidate and scare businesses out of the region. The UN Human Rights Commissioner says he may go public with the blacklist before September 2018. The UN Council’s goal is to support the BDS movement (boycott, divestment and sanctions), suppress business investment, and cripple the Israeli economy. More here

7-8-18, JPost -- Over the years, excavators have discovered in Bethsaida many remains from various periods. The recent excavations are conducted in the Jordan Park area, northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Archaeologists said the size, wealth and impressive fortifications indicate that Zer was a major city. “There are not many gates in this country from this period. Bethsaida was the name of the city during the Second Temple period, but during the First Temple period it was the city of Zer,” Arav said, pointing to Joshua 19:35, which says: “The fortified towns were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth.”

The most significant finding was a coin dated to 35 BC, which was minted in Acre on the occasion of the arrival of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. There is a total of 12 of these coins. 

Another finding made in the past two weeks was discovered underneath what was seemingly the floor of a Roman temple built by Herod’s son Philip, which he dedicated to Julia, the daughter of Augustus.
There archaeologists found coins, beads, jugs and house keys as well as a shield that apparently belonged to a Roman soldier.

Arav began carrying out excavations of et-Tell on behalf of the University of Nebraska USA nearly 30 years ago. In these excavations, he identified the ancient city of Bethsaida [aka Zer] John 12:21, and following his excavations and discoveries, masses of Christian pilgrims visited the site because of its great importance to Christianity. More here

How UC Berkeley Went From Anti-Israel Bastion to Israel Studies Powerhouse
​7-4-18, After years of battling calls for the destruction of Zionism, Israel’s friends at UC Berkeley learned they cannot out-shout the BDS crowd. They can, however, out-educate them. … No matter how hostile the anti-Israel rallies at Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley is a world center for Jewish and Israel studies.

​Israel Studies has become one of - if not the best programs in the country. Berkeley now brings in several visiting Israeli scholars each year, including five this year in the fields of law, political science, Jewish literature, sociology, and anthropology. While many schools teach little or nothing about Israel, Berkeley had six courses in the spring, including ones on comparative criminal justice reform, “Palestinian Society in Israel: Integration vs. Segregation,” and the political economy of Israel. The program also sponsors lectures, panel discussions, and cultural events. Berkeley also has a joint master’s (LL.M.) program in law with Tel Aviv University.All this has been happening during the last seven years and you probably never heard anything about it because most publicity on the campus is devoted to Israel’s detractors.
​
UC Berkeley students call for removal of 'antisemitic,' 'anti ...
4-24-18, UC Berkeley students call for removal of 'antisemitic,' 'anti-Israel' lecturer In 2016, Dr. Hatem Bazian tweeted: "Israel has no right to exist..." 

He hosted an event inviting Arab MK Haneen Zoabi to give a lecture titled “Israel: A Democracy or a Colonial Project?” The event was hosted by the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project, an initiative of the school’s Center for Race and Gender, took place on April 18, 2018 Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel’s Wars and Victims of Terrorism.

Students protested saying that on this day of mourning, MK Zoabi and Hatem Bazian smeared the Jewish state and its defense forces with countless lies, and once again showed that UC Berkeley provides a platform for antisemitism under the guise of academic professionalism.

6-24-18, Gatestone -- Anglican Bishop Graham Tomlin, heads the diocese of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which has many of London's most expensive residential properties, is undoubtedly a man of brains and good works.[1] 
On May 26, 2018, he published in The Times an article, entitled, "If this rich vein of wisdom disappears, a part of us dies". The "rich vein of wisdom" to which he refers is the long tradition of Christian thought and experience in the region where the religion first appeared, and was handed down through centuries of Islamic rule. For the most part, the article is a well-argued defense of Christians in the Middle East he says:
"The systematic persecution of Christians in the Middle East is a serious threat. The number of Christians in Middle Eastern countries has fallen from about 20 per cent to 4 per cent in recent years and regular bomb attacks on Christians in Egypt are becoming part of a deadly pattern."
So far so good. Tomlin's heart is surely in the right place. But immediately after that he goes on: [falsely implying Israel is persecuting Christians]
"Even in Jerusalem, new regulations are threatening to tax the Christian churches out of existence, prompting the recent unprecedented closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as an act of protest. The buildings from ancient times will still stand, but if Christians are hounded out of the Middle East, driven to emigrate by radical Islam, or, in the case of many Palestinian Christians, by the lack of opportunities to thrive in Israel, this rich source of wisdom will disappear just like the ruins of Palmyra." Reality: The "ruins of Palmyra" is, of course, a reference to the widespread destruction of the famous Syrian site, one of the wonders of the ancient world, by Islamic State in 2015 and again in 2017. Referring to this desecration, however vaguely, implies some sort of moral contiguity between ISIS and Israel. There's no question that the Islamic terror group ISIS at its height, and even today, has played a heavy-handed role in the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, notably in Iraq. Not Israel. [..snip]

• If Israel plays a part in the persecution of Christians, it must be doing a very bad job indeed.
• "Shortly after the [1967] war, [Israeli Defense Minister] Dayan met with officials of the Muslim Wakf, who governed the holy site, and formally returned the Mount to their control.... the Wakf would determine who prayed at the site, an arrangement that would effectively bar non-Muslim prayer." — Yossi Klein Halevi, The Atlantic.
• It should be clear from the above that Israel is one of the least likely countries in the world to persecute the followers of any religion. A well-educated and thinking man, Bishop Tomlin ought to have known this or have been able to check the facts for himself. None of the above is remotely secret.
• "[A]re the world Christian bodies denouncing the Islamic forces for the ethnic cleansing, genocide and historic demographic-religious revolution their brethren are suffering? No. Christians these days are busy targeting the Israeli Jews." — Giulio Meotti, Italian journalist.

In Israel, Christians, like the followers of several other religions, are given the full protection of the law, their holy places, including churches, are guaranteed security under the 1967 "Protection of Holy Places Law". This protection applies, not just to the major denominations (Judaism, Islam, Christianity), but to numerous minority groups. For Christians, it applies broadly to the officially recognized churches (Catholic, Orthodox, Monophysite, and Protestant, which together make up around 20 very old institutions (many indigenous and reaching back to the earliest Christian years), with another 30 denominations. Outside of Israel, Muslim states across the Middle East ban, restrict or actively persecute indigenous churches, such as the Copts in Egypt or Christians in Turkey, where Pastor Andrew Brunson is currently facing 35 years in jail, seemingly for preaching Christianity. Christian churches are banned outright in countries such as Saudi Arabia, and conversion of Muslims to Christianity is forbidden. Muslims who do convert suffer severe consequences as apostates, sometimes death. Thirteen Muslim-majority countries sentence apostates to death. In the Maldives, just owning a Bible is punishable by death. In a list of the 25 most dangerous countries for Christians, 18 Muslim states are listed. More here

*-- A strong Israel is a vital asset to the free world and America. To be a strong and dependable friend in a ‘rough neighborhood,’ Israel must have defensible borders and military prowess capable of addressing multiple challenges which can materialize suddenly in this unstable region.

The conflict between the [Muslims] Palestinians and Israelis is not the only adversary Israel faces. Historically, anti-Zionism has been the glue behind Arab nationalism. It has provided a convenient scapegoat for deflecting Arab states’ frustration over unsolved domestic problems, but it also stems from a deep innate intolerance that exists throughout the Muslim world to any non-Muslim presence. Israel has no alternative but to remain strong enough to fend off the combined capabilities of all Arab states – a reality that leaves little room for risk-taking or margin for error.

Israel’s multiple security challenges have been compounded by two ‘new’ players who at the close of 2005 have moved from the periphery to center stage. Both are extremist Islamist entities hell-bent to exterminate Israel: Al-Qaeda and Iran:

Al-Qaeda [and ISIS]. Al-Qaeda initially assigned Israel a “low priority” in its operations, but in October 2005, the head of IDF warned that “[Israel’s] prioritization for [Al-Qaeda] is increasing.” The second player whose prominence is growing is Iran. Iran aspires to compete for regional hegemony in the new Middle East power matrix after its arch-enemy Iraq was neutralized by the 2003 Iraq war. Iran has become an existential threat to the State of Israel.

There are signs of increasing cooperation between Al-Qaeda in Sinai with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian Authority – encircling Israel with Islamist terrorist groups whose declared objective is to destroy Israel. Their operations, in turn, all involve a growing cooperation with Iran … In 1989 the Muslim Brotherhood controlled a third of the Jordanian parliament and in 1993 was the largest party in the parliament…

 “As long as [Israel’s] neighbors maintain that a state of war exists, it is the duty of the Israeli government – a duty which is clearly recognized in international law – to do what it sees fit to protect its inhabitants.”

In conclusion: Israel is limited in the kinds of risks it can take, given the geography and volatile nature of the Middle East. It must remain in control of control strategic areas of the West Bank, and needs to remain strong enough to deal with a coalition of the Islamic Arab states in a conventional war, should such a threat materialize.

• Israel, like America, lost much of its deterrent power and must demonstrate it cannot be attack with impunity.
• An arsenal of 12,000 missiles, rockets and mortars in the hands of the Islamic terrorist group in Lebanon, Hezbollah and similar weapons in the hands of Syria are a strategic threat to Israel’s security.
• The Islamic terror group in Gaza, Hamas and Palestinian suicide bombers also constitute a strategic threat to Israel. The components of Israel’s counter-terrorism doctrine – first and foremost, the security fence, are legitimate and effective.
• Iran has moved from ‘outer rim’ status to become major players in the Israel-Arab conflict.
• At the outset of 2006, the Israeli-Arab conflict is being ‘Islamicized.’ Israel is being surrounded by a coalition of Islamist forces that seek its extinction – Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank, Al-Qaeda in Sinai and Gaza, the Moslem Brotherhood in neighboring Egypt and Jordan, and Iran.

6-14-18, JerusalemPost -- Muslims in Gaza Israel aka "Palestinians" reported that an Israeli drone launched a missile at people near the border fence who were flying balloons with Molotov cocktails attached. Unconfirmed reports by Israeli media that Palestinians planned to launch 5,000 incendiary balloons and kites toward Israel from the Islamic terror group Hamas to mark the end of the end of the Muslim holiday Ramadan. Muslims in Gaza have been protesting along the border with Israel since March 30, 2018. The violent protesters have been throwing stones, burning kites, balloons and Molotov cocktails toward Israeli troops into Israeli territory, destroying more than 2,200 acres of forest, nature reserves and agricultural fields. On Thursday, 6-14-18 several fires broke out near Kibbutz Be’eri and in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council from incendiary kites flown from Gaza. More here

Iran & Islamic Terror Group Hezbollah Actively Supply the Gaza Islam Terror Group Hamas With Weapons
5-23-18, Newsmax -- Iran and its main proxy Hezbollah [in Lebanon] are actively supplying Hamas with weapons and talking on a near daily basis to coordinate terrorist operations against the Jewish state.

​5-16-18, Greenfield* -- Islamic teorrist group Hamas Prime Minister Yahya Sinwar vowed, "We will tear down the border and we will tear out their hearts from their bodies." The Great Hamas March of Return came with instructions to, “bring a knife, dagger, or handgun, if you have one, and to leave them under your clothes and not use them or show them, except if you identify one of the soldiers or settlers.”

However, the only hearts his terror thugs tore out were already bleeding with sympathy for Islamic terrorists and bile for the Israelis they were there to kill with those knives, daggers and guns.

The Hamas mob chanted, “Allahu Akbar” and the genocidal racist threat of, “Khaybar Khaybar, ya yahud," a reference to the primal Islamic massacre of the Jews. While IDF soldiers held back the invaders, the jets of the IAF targeted the snake’s head striking Hamas compounds and outposts. 

Hamas offered $100 to every rioter. During previous violent assaults back in April, the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group had been offering $200 to anyone shot by Israelis, $500 for severe injuries and $3,000 to the dead. $100 a day may not seem like a lot, but the Israeli teen soldiers they’re trying to kill who earn only $13 a day [that's alot].

The Hamas supporting thugs are depicted as helpless, starving victims who can barely lift the firebombs they’re throwing at Israelis [..snip] The media used contrasting photos of the [US] embassy opening [in Jerusalem] and the "Pallywood" fake photos of Muslim protesters crying for the cameras and pretending to limp on crutches to smear Israel and America.

And as usual they missed the real story.

While Israelis and Americans were building something, Muslim terrorists were destroying everything they could get their hands on. While Rabbis and Pastors blessed, Imams cursed. Hamas Sheikh Iyad Abu Funun had sworn on the Koran that, "We will not leave a single Jew on our Islamic land."

That is what this is about. 

The dedication of the embassy is a leap of faith:

• Faith in building rather than destruction.
• Faith in life instead of death.
• Faith in the G-d who watches over Jerusalem,

Not the "Allah" for whom Gaza burns. 

More here from Danield Greenfield

February, 2017, ​Yahya Sinwar elected new leader of Islamic terror group, Hamas in Gaza Strip ... he's known as the founding member of the Hamas military wing. He was freed in a 2011 prisoner swap for Israel soldier Galad Shalit with Israel after more than 20 years in jail. More here from Aljajeera

Israel: 200 incendiary jihad kites from Gaza burn over 2,000 acres of crops and forests
6-5-18, Incendiary kite sparks major fire near Sapir College near the southern city of Sderot on Tuesday, 6-4-18. Heavy smoke covered the college building as firefighters were dispatched to the area and worked to prevent the fire from spreading to the nearby road and into the college. According to the defense minister, 600 such kites have been sent from the Islam terror controlled Gaza strip so far, while 400 have been intercepted by Israeli security forces using technological means.
4-21-18, Times of Israel - A warehouse in Israel’s south was set aflame Saturday after a kite equipped with a flaming rag that had been intentionally released by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip landed there. More here

​UN resolution condemning Israel for deaths in Gaza Blocked by USA
6-5-18, The UN again attempts to blame Israel for violent clashes on the Gaza-Israel border. Clearly the Islamic hordes of Hamas from the terror area of Gaza is the perpetrators of the violence and carnage ... Israel must protect her citizens and property.

The UN resolution states that the terror group is 'peaceful' - OUTRAGEOUS! “grave concern at the situation at the border.” And it reaffirmed “the right to peaceful protest” and expressed the council’s “sorrow at the loss of innocent Palestinian lives."

1 Kings 19:7-8, 18; Romans 11:4
                                                                                              
6-3-18, * -- Elijah was Israel’s greatest prophet appearing with Moses on the mount of transfiguration, during the personal ministry of of the Lord Jesus Christ. [Matthew 17:3; Mark 9:4]
 
When ancient Israel went deeply into apostasy against the Lord, during the reign of Ahab & Jezebel, the prophet Elijah became downhearted and discouraged. He was fearful for his life fleeing into the wilderness of Judah (1 Kings 19:3-4). He was so discouraged he asked God to allow him to die; but God had other plans. In 1 Kings 19:7-8 “the angel of the Lord told Elijah arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”
 
When Elijah reached Mount Sinai, he took refuge in a cave. There, at the entrance to the cave, the Lord spoke to Elijah "What doest though here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:9, 13). And there Elijah laid his complaint before the Lord God, telling the Lord how the Jewish people had turned away from the Lord claiming that he was the only one left who was still serving the Lord. (1 Kings 19:14)
 
The Lord's answer to Elijah was to deflate Elijah's ego letting him know that there were still seven thousand of the Jewish people, who had not "bowed unto Baal," and "which has not kissed him." (1 Kings 19:18) 
 
Currently the fifty-first anniversary of the 1967 Six Day war [1] will be observed on June 5, 2018. Just as the Lord prophesied, in this repetition of "the days of Noah" [Luke 17:26-27]; sin, wickedness and apostasy are abounding in every area of modern life. Is this another possible date for the coming of our Lord to resurrect and rapture His Church and New Covenant believers out of this present evil world? I don't know; but if you don’t know the Lord Jesus as your Messiah call upon the Lord for salvation right now. (Galatians 1:3-4; Romans 10:8-13; John 3:36; 5:24)
 
*Excerpted and adapted full original email from Pastor F.M. Riley
Scripture of Seven Thousand: 1 Kings 20:15; 2 Kings 24:16; Revelation 11:13

[1] Why History Still Matters: The 1967 Six-Day Israel War
6-1-18, Times of Israel -- Fifty-one years ago this week, the Six-Day War broke out. ... after winning the war of self-defense... in June 1967, there was no state of Palestine; it didn’t exist and never had. Its creation, proposed by the UN in 1947, was rejected by the Arab world because it also meant the establishment of a Jewish state alongside. The West Bank and eastern Jerusalem were in Jordanian hands... Violating solemn agreements, Jordan denied Jews access to their holiest places in eastern Jerusalem and was permitted to keep control of Temple Mount and the abomination of the 'Dome of the Rock' and mosque. More here

​US to veto Palestinian ′protection′ resolution at UN

5-31-18, The UN draft resolution for protecting the Muslim terrorists in Gaza aka 'Palestinians' was put forward by Kuwait, who represents Islamic nations at the  biased anti-Israel pro Muslim/Palestinian UN Security Council. It was expected to go to a vote on Thursday [5-31-18] evening, but diplomats said it had been postponed following US Ambassador Nikki Haley's threat to veto it. She said: 

"It is a grossly one-sided approach that is morally bankrupt and would only serve to undermine ongoing efforts toward peace between the Israelis and Palestinians."

The final draft version urged the Security Council to consider "measures to guarantee the safety and protection" of Palestinian civilians after more than 120 of them were killed by Israeli fire since March 2018 violence and riots at the border fence.  It also requested a report from UN chief Antonio Guterres about the possibility of establishing an "international protection mechanism" to safeguard Palestinian life.

5-31-18, * -- On Sunday, May 27, 2018, Israel’s security forces detected an object attached to the border fence. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be bolt cutter similar to the ones used by the Palestinian rioters to breach the fence. During the removal process [by robot] the bolt cutter exploded. An Israeli Merkava IV tank fired on the militants killing three Palestinian Islamic Jihad [PIJ] operatives. Islamic Jihad swore vengeance beginning a near full-scale conflagration on a scale not seen since the summer of 2014.
 
Subsequently Israel came under intense indiscriminate rocket and mortar bombardment from Gaza. A kindergarten school was hit, fortunately, the children had not yet arrived. Over the course of 22 hours, Hamas and PIJ fired over 100 rockets and mortars, most were shot down by Israel’s anti-rocket defense system, Iron Dome.
 
The unprovoked attacks inevitably drew Israeli retaliatory strikes hitting appx 65 Hamas and PIJ positions. A U-shaped, two-kilometer long tunnel that extended into both Egypt and Israel and the Hamas naval armory containing advanced, unmanned submarine vessels, capable of maritime infiltration and carrying out maritime terror attacks were hit and destroyed.
 
Iran has its fingerprints all over this; Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders have readily and publicly acknowledged that they receive aid in the form of cash, training and weapons from Iran.

​Israel retaliates after Gaza rocket barrage
5-29-18, The world is already criticizing Israel for the powerful deluge of retaliation.

​JERUSALEM (JTA) — Paraguay opened its new embassy in Jerusalem, a week after the United States moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes was in Jerusalem on Monday for the official dedication of the embassy, located in the Technological Park of southern ...