Headlines

I've been gone for a few days and just getting back to the news. Its amazing how much happens over the course of a few days. A quick look at the headlines shows this:

1. Netanyahu has proposed a restoration and preservation plan for historic sites in the West Bank and its creating a firestorm among the usual Palestinian groups. In this article, Netanyahu responds:

"Abbas campaign is hypocritical"
"Hamas tells W. Bank to 'rise up' over holy sites"


Key quotes:


"Earlier on Tuesday, Abbas had told Belgian parliamentarians that Netanyahu’s decision to include Jewish landmarks in the West Bank in the government’s new list of heritage sites was a “severe provocation” that could lead to a new cycle of violence in the region."

"He warned that the decision could also bring about a third intifada, adding that Netanyahu’s insistence on making the announcement only a short time after he was asked by US President Barack Obama to take confidence-building measures vis-à-vis the Palestinians."

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"Sarkozy warns Mideast peace talks must be restarted to avoid 'catastrophe'"


In this article, we see the continual calls for the "pre-1967 borders"; code for Israel giving up Jerusalem. Also see references of the discussion regarding the creation of new borders without Israeli consent.

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"Lebanon army should seek help from Iran, Syria"

The article contains the usual threats against Israel, and the process of the anti-Israeli coalition which is ongoing:


"A member of Lebanon's parliament has called on the country's military to expand its defensive capability through extensive cooperation with Iran and Syria."

"Iran and Syria are the only states willing to assist our country in building a powerful military," Nawaf al Mousawi told lawmakers at the Lebanese Majlis.

"Speaking a week after the movement's Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah indicated a new approach toward Israeli aggression against Lebanon, al Mousawi added that "neither the United States nor Europe will provide Lebanon with what it needs to defend itself from Israel."

"Nasrallah on Tuesday warned that the movement will strike Israel's infrastructure, including its airports and refineries, in the event of any Israeli attack on Lebanon."

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More provocation from Iran:

"Iran to build nuke sites 'inside mountains'"

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And last but not least, two more articles which confirm Iran's influence in the region, and their manipulation and creation of tensions which many believe are leading to imminent war:

"Netanyahu faces double intifada from Palestinians and settlers"

"Iran using Hezbollah as diversion from nukes"

Key quotes:


"Does a Christian Phalange leader in Lebanon know something that Israeli newspaper readers do not know? In a statement published in Lebanon, Dr. Samir Ja'ja claims that Hezbollah may involve his country in a war in the near future. He also warned that the Lebanese home front is far less prepared than its Israeli counterpart for war and therefore the civilian population in his country will bear the brunt of any future round of fighting."

"The reports of tension between Israel, Lebanon and Syria are coming at a time when there is a daily torrent of assessments, threats and forecasts concerning the progress of Iran's nuclear program. The two subjects are linked."

"Along with the Iranian connection, Hezbollah is also providing cause for heightened Israeli alertness. In his speech last week Nasrallah reiterated his view on the balance of terror. He claimed he will attack Tel Aviv and Ben-Gurion International Airport in response to Israeli attacks on Beirut and Lebanon's civilian infrastructure."

"A possible trigger to such confrontation, besides paranoia, is that Iran's encouraging its partners is linked to the delivery of arms. Israel believes, in retrospect, it failed when it did not focus its efforts on preventing the transfer of arms from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah following the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006."

"Several times during the past two years Israel knew how to draw red lines, such as when it suspected Syria was about to make the mistake of passing on dangerous weapons. It's possible the issue of red lines will reemerge in the near future."

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It is just a matter of time. The Middle East, according to biblical prophecy will erupt into a sequence of significant battles, which actually continue throughout the Tribulation and conclude at Armageddon, with the return of Christ. Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39 will happen early in the process; we are watching the alignment of the nations now, which will be involved in these wars.