In the News: war on the horizon... or not.

There has been a lot of talk in the news lately about Israel's army and our neighbors. The articles vary a lot in their focus. Some speculate that war is on the horizon. Others speculate that war isn't on the horizon at all. Yet, what all of them have in common are these three points:

First, Israel is prepared for any attack coming from the terrorists in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza or Egypt's Sinai. There is a great deal of emphasis on Israel's preparation for tunnel warfare, the use of Israel's future weapons. These future weapons, including the F35 (which is due to arrive in December, 2016, but won't be operational for a couple of years) and David's sling (a medium range missile defense system). Israel has created a new battalion to defend against ISIS in Egypt's Sinai and has created totally new training programs to combat Hezbollah and Hamas terror tunnel infiltrations. The assessment is that Israel is well prepared.

Second, the articles focus on the upgraded enemies that Israel will be facing. Hezbollah is no longer a rag tag, operation. They are now a battle hardened fighting force. If they do decide to attack Israel, the conflict will be harder on Israel than previous battles. Similar comments are focused on ISIS in the Sinai. Although, Israel has never directly combatted this group, they have directed rocket fire at Israel's city of Eilat. They now possess missiles, mortars and rockets that are highly sophisticated. Both of these threats are serious and Israel is taking preparations to combat them very seriously.

Thirdly, there is a focus on timing. Everyone expected war this summer with Hamas. There was an article written before the summer that indicated that Hamas and Hezbollah may try and coordinate an attack together, even though the groups have little in common. The last article I read, seemed to be relieved. It stated that most of the summer is behind us, so if Hamas was going to attack, they only have a little time left. The conclusion: no war this summer. 

Most of the assessments about Hamas explain that they are preparing for another war. One person I spoke to gave his assessment based upon his IDF connections. He explained that there are a lot of groups vying for power in the Gaza Strip. For Hamas to keep their hold on the Strip they will need to attack Israel soon. He predicted that if they don't attack by next summer, groups like ISIS and others in Gaza will try to overthrow Hamas.  

The assessments on ISIS in Gaza explain that the group is focused on purging the infidels in their area. A similar strategy as ISIS in Syria. They expect, according to statements by the Sinai ISIS leaders, that once they are done killing those immediately around them, they will focus their attacks on Israel. The best guess for these attacks is in about two years. There are only about a thousand people loyal to ISIS in the Sinai, but the group is growing and eliminating anyone who doesn't swear allegiance to them.

The assessments on Hezbollah are not nearly as hopeful. Hezbollah has become an existential threat. They possess more weapons than they ever have. In Syria, they are one of the main fighting forces helping Assad stay in power. As such, they are a battle hardened fighting force that poses a very real threat to Israel. However, as long as their fighters remain occupied in Syria, Israel is relatively safe from attacks from Hezbollah. According to the assessments, Hezbollah does not have the manpower or resources to engage on two battle fields at the same time. 

Conclusion?

No war in sight. The plot is thickening. Israel's enemies are getting stronger. Their rhetoric against Israel and threats to kill us all have only increased. Yet, they do lack the ability to do great harm at the moment. Every year, as Israel approaches the summer, Israelis get anxious and ask the question, why can't they just let us live in peace.

So what can you do?

1. You can pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). Israel needs your prayers now more than ever.
2.  Remember that just because you see it on the news, doesn't make it fiction. War affects real people, even believers.  Don't let yourself become desensitized. In the last was with the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza (2014), one believer (a soldier) was killed in the fighting and many others were affected by the conflict. I can tell you personal stories about my friends who were on their knees every day praying for their, spouses, loved ones, family members and friends. Rather than tell you my stories, I'll let you watch this one story. She speaks in Hebrew in this video, but there are subtitles and its well translated.

https://www.oneforisrael.org/video/israeli-testimonies/jewish-idf-soldier-finds-cure-yeshua-jesus-christ-gaza-war/ 

3.  Defend Israel in public forums and social media. There is a war being waged for people's hearts and minds. This war is a war against God and against his chosen people. The main battle grounds are college campuses. A movement called BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions - against Israel) is popping up all over college campuses worldwide. Their goal is to bankrupt Israel. They convince students to believe in lies about Israel. They say things like, "Israel stole Palestinian lands" and "Israeli settlers, destroyed entire villages in 1948." None of these claims are true. They are well documented lies, but they are repeated often enough that more people now believe them then don't. Israel needs your help to teach and share the truth, especially to the youth, before they go to college. There are many good sources for information online, but I'll direct you do this video produced by the Jerusalem Institute of Justice. JIJ is a non-profit operated by believers in Israel with the goal of helping educate people about the truth.  Here is a video that they produced:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdtGOY8T5XE

Lastly, keep your heart open to sharing God's good news with Jewish people.  Remember the Apostle Paul's statement, "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them [Israel] is that they may be saved.