In the news...

There are two developing stories that should warrant close observation in these last days. One story involves the international coalition of nations which seem to be attempting to force a "two-state" solution in the Middle East, by defining borders of a new Israeli state and a "Palestinian State" without Israeli approval or even allowing Israel into the process.

The other developing story which is worth following is more recent but it is gaining momentum and the rhetoric around the issue seems to be increasing:

"UN Security Council permanent members back nuclear-free Mideast"

On the surface this seems quite reasonable, but a little digging reveals that this is actually an effort to have Israel disarm and give up their nuclear weapons (arguably the only thing keeping Israel "alive" as a country):

The United States, Russia, Britain, France and China on Wednesday voiced support for making the Middle East a nuclear-arms-free zone, which would mean Israel would have to scrap any atomic bombs in its possession.

"We are committed to a full implementation of the 1995 NPT resolution on the Middle East and we support all ongoing efforts to this end," the five permanent UN Security Council members said in a unanimous statement issued at a conference taking stock of the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The 1995 resolution adopted by signatories of the landmark arms control treaty called for making the Middle East a zone without nuclear arms.

Israel, which is widely believed to have nuclear weapons, is the only country in the Middle East not to have signed the treaty and, along with India and Pakistan, one of only three countries worldwide outside the agreement

On Tuesday, Arab countries sought to turn attention to Israel as delegates from 189 countries debated how to stem the spread of nuclear weapons.

So, Israeli's enemies, who have categorically called for the complete destruction of Israel as a nation, would like for them to disarm...And the "international community" falls in line lockstep. As usual.

So. "The nations" feel that they can re-draw Israel's borders and in the process completely divide the country, and also mandate that they disarm.

At the same time, Israel's enemies continue to arm themselves. Not only in the north (Hezbollah), but today we see that the West Bank version of Israel's enemies are arming up as well:

"Abbas: Hamas is smuggling weapons into the West Bank"

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday accused the rival Hamas movement of smuggling weapons into the West Bank territory under his control.

The West Bank is controlled by the Palestinian Authority, while the Gaza Strip has been run by Hamas since it ousted the PA in a bloody coup in June 2007.

And this...

"Hizbullah received hundreds of Syrian missiles"

Hizbullah has received hundreds of advanced surface-to-surface missiles from Syria that are capable of targeting Tel Aviv and causing extensive damage to Israel in the event of a future war with the Iranian-backed Shi’ite guerrilla groups, it was recently revealed.

Meanwhile, Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baidatz, head of Military Intelligence’s Research Division, told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that Syria was unquestionably transferring long-range rockets to Hizbullah, and that the recent reported transfers were just “the tip of the iceberg.”

The Syrian-made surface-to-surface missile, called the M600, is based on a solid propellant and is a clone of an Iranian missile called the Fateh-110. The M600 has a range of 250 km., carries a 500-kg. conventional warhead and is equipped with a sophisticated navigation system, giving Hizbullah accuracy it did not have until now.

Israel believes Hizbullah has obtained hundreds of M600 missiles, which pose a direct threat to Israeli population centers.

Unlike during the Second Lebanon War, Baidatz warned, Hizbullah will now be able to place the rocket launchers deep within Lebanese territories and yet reach deeper than ever into Israel.

It sounds like a build-up to war to me.

And its also all about context. The underlying context being the world-wide stance that has been assumed by virtually all nations:

"The Mainstreaming of Anti-Semitism"

Great Britain is expelling Israeli representatives while the U.S. is sending its first ambassador to Syria in five years. The president and his minions accuse Israel of being responsible for the death of American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and fan the fires of ever-growing anti-Semitism worldwide. And self-hating Jews like Richard Goldstone, who have set Israel up as the scapegoat on the international stage, have the support of Obama, the Europeans, the Arab League, and the U.N.

Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria have their missiles aimed at Israel and set on standby, and the Palestinians, to whom the world wants to cede parts of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, educate their children to kill the Jews.

At the same time, Obama intends to force a two-state solution on tiny Israel, all the while claiming that Israel has not proven its interest in peace and ignoring the reality of Palestinian rejectionism.

Hamas and Hezbollah have been completely rearmed since previous conflicts with Israel, scud missiles are being shipped to Syria, the Islamic fanatics in Iran are building nuclear weapons, and the president has not approved a single major weapons request by Israel since taking office.

It is clear not only that Obama has no intention of helping Israel militarily, but also that members of his administration have made outright threats of armed action against our ally. When questioned about Obama's Mideast advisor Brzezinski, who believes that the U.S. should shoot down Israeli war planes if they fly over Iraqi airspace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, simply responded, "I just wouldn't get into the speculation of what might happen and who might do what."

This past week, anti-Semitic attacks have been directed at middle-school-age children in my hometown just outside New York City. Sixth-graders are checking out a website called "I Hate Jews," and Holocaust-deniers speak openly at the high school level.

American Jews need to educate themselves to understand the history of the land of Israel. They must educate their children to be proud of their Jewish heritage. Only then will they move away from labels, differentiate good from evil, and feel comfortable confronting anti-Semitism. Israel's survival may very well depend on it.

The above articles just represent a brief sketch of "The Nations" aligning themselves against Israel. One day's worth anyway. It is growing by the day, as we watch the anti-Israeli rhetoric increase, and more ominously, definitive measures intended to divide and disarm Israel.

Exactly as biblical prophecy would predict.