ISRAEL REPORT
I am privileged to present Mike Claydon’s benchmark Israel Report. The world focus is on God’s time piece at this time, and she is under deadly attack. Israel and her leaders need your prayers. To receive the Israel Report free of charge, go to the end of this report and e-mail Mike.
Gibber! Gibber!
Chugley
The Kingdom Shall be the LORD‘S……
Editorial
As Israel’s 300+ thousand men and woman soldiers of one of the most powerful militaries in the world sit on Gaza’s northern border this morning the world holds its collective breath as it teeters on the edge of a regional war such has not been seen in the region for over fifty years.
During what many see as an unnecessary delay Israel’s enemies are coalescing into a combined fighting force and breathing hostility toward the tiny nation and the global media turns to the plight of the Arab Palestinians [so-called] trapped within the closed borders of the Gaza Strip.
The pressure on PM Netanyahu, his war cabinet, and generals must be almost unbearable as the likes of U.S. president Joe Biden, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak and possibly Canada’s Justin Trudeau rush to stand alongside Jewish political dignitaries in an apparent show of support – more likely to develop into a push for “reasonability” and an insane notion of “proportionality”
With the horror and carnage wrought upon the residents of southern Israel two weeks ago today now being forced off the pages of news outlets in favour of the bombing, death and injury in Gaza, the world is now clamouring for a ceasefire and a free passage out of the region for the refugees now crammed into the area of the Rafah Crossing on the northern Egyptian border – crying out to their Arab brethren to allow them a safe haven.
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt and King Abdullah II of Jordan are having none of it.
Abdullah II, speaking on behalf of both Jordan and Egypt, has said that under no condition will any Arab Palestinian refugees from Gaza be allowed into either nation! ‘I think I can speak here on behalf of Jordan … but also our friends in Egypt: This is a red line … no refugees to Jordan and also no refugees to Egypt.”
He poured cold water on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s hopes that neighbouring Arab countries could take in Arab Palestinian refugees who are fleeing the Gaza Strip. The remarks came just ahead of a trip by Scholz to Israel and Egypt, where the chancellor hoped to de-escalate tensions and improve the situation.
A main hope of Scholz and other Western leaders was that Egypt could open its border with Gaza to allow in refugees. However, the Jordanian king downplayed the likelihood of such an event callously suggesting: “This is a situation that has to be handled within Gaza and the West Bank. And you don’t have to do it on the shoulders of others.”
The days and perhaps months ahead are going to be difficult to watch, as the world turns on the Jews for daring to defend themselves, and the Arab injury and death will be played endlessly on al Jazeera news broadcasts to a world already erupting in violent protests, synagogues torched, Jews accosted on city streets, and swastikas already appearing on house doors and business premises in Germany.
The world abhors the Jews, it detests Israeli’s, and will do anything to be rid of them – including the spreading of outright lies and fabrications.
Thursday, stories out of the Middle East trumpeted all across legacy media, informed the world that Israel had fired a rocket into the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, killing 500 Palestinians.
A little times goes by, we find that Israel did not fire that rocket, it came from a misfire by Islamic Jihad. A little more time goes by and we learn that the hospital wasn’t even hit, it was the parking lot. That lie is continuing to be broadcast by major television outlets.
It is about to become deadly dangerous for anyone declaring support for Israel, and evangelical Christians in particular.
We are now receiving emails from distraught believers who have attended their churches during the past two weeks to find to their dismay that no mention at all was made from the pulpit of the situation in the Middle East, let alone prayer for the nation of Israel. A great sifting of the church is underway.
As Bible believing Christians we must continually remind ourselves of God’s firm promises to His people the Jews, as we see them once again under a new holocaust.
They must eradicate the terror organisations on all their borders if they are to survive as a nation – and they will – God says so; The descendants of Israel will never cease being a nation. That would happen only if the creator Himself lost control of the sun, moon, stars, and sea.
The LORD says, “I will never reject the descendants of Israel. That would happen only if people could measure the sky above, and learn all the secrets of the earth below. Only then would I reject them”.
It is now a time for us to be brave, steadfast, and convinced of God’s love for His people and the nation of Israel – His eyes are always upon her – and as all around us are losing their heads and screaming hatred it is vital that we have His promises in our minds ready to rebuff the insanity being thrust upon us by those who prefer to follow the Devil and his hordes than to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Remember;
The house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them, And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau. For the LORD has spoken it. [Obadiah 1;18]
In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. [Micah 4; vv 1-2]
For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south. And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S. [Obadiah 5-21] Right now, we are all witnessing some of the most pivotal moments in all of human history!
The US is Dangerously close to being pulled into a Middle East War …………
Gaza may be where the war is happening now, but across the Middle East the warning lights of more trouble to come are blinking red. The US has deployed two carrier groups to the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran and its allies Syria and Hezbollah from opening new fronts against Israel. Two thousand US Marines are on hard standby for deployment to the region. US President Joe Biden spent seven hours in Israel Wednesday, voicing full support for Israel’s campaign against Gaza, albeit urging Israeli leaders, and repeating it in his Thursday evening speech from the White House, not to be blinded by rage. Biden is pledging to provide Israel billions of dollars in additional aid. Prior to that, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spent seven hours meeting with Israel’s war cabinet – not the regular Israeli cabinet, the war cabinet. All the while the US is airlifting massive amounts of ammunition and equipment to help the Israeli war effort. It all amounts to this: the United States is careening closer to the very real possibility of direct involvement in a regional Middle Eastern war. This is not the 1991 campaign to expel Saddam Hussein’s army from Kuwait or the 2003 invasion of Iraq, both preceded by months of planning and preparation. Then, the US and its allies determined the time, place, and scale of attack. Now, at best, the US is scrambling to respond to events largely out of its control. And in this dangerous terrain, suddenly the vulnerabilities of the sprawling American military presence across the Middle East are glaringly obvious. The US has troops in north-eastern and south-eastern Syria, a country where Bashar al-Assad’s army, and forces from Russia, Turkey, Iran, Hezbollah, an array of anti-regime factions, and Kurdish militias are all operating, as well as the still active remnants of the Islamic State. Israel also regularly bombs targets in Syria, most recently, it is widely believed, the airports of Aleppo and Damascus, with the aim of stopping Iran from flying in weapons and ammunition. The US also has a military presence in Iraq, where a myriad of well-armed and battle-hardened Iranian-backed militias operate largely independent of the government in Baghdad. And then there’s Iran. Despite decades of draconian US-inspired sanctions, Iran has succeeded in developing an array of sophisticated weaponry. Its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has gained valuable combat experience in Syria and Iraq. It has provided training and arms to the Houthis in Yemen, the Syrian regime, Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The US may have the world’s strongest military, but as the American debacles in Vietnam and Afghanistan proved, that’s no guarantee of victory over a determined and resourceful foe. Or, in the case of the Middle East today, foes During recent visits to Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad and Doha, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian repeatedly warned if Israel continues its offensive against Gaza, the opening of new fronts can’t be ruled out. Empty rhetoric perhaps. Or perhaps not?Netanyahu Warns of “a Long War” to Come,,,,,
As the Israel-Hamas conflict enters its 13th day, Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that he doesn’t expect the war to be over any time soon. “This is a long war, and we’ll need your continuous support,” Netanyahu said today, after talks with his U.K. counterpart, Rishi Sunak. Sunak was visiting Jerusalem a day after U.S. President Joe Biden did, the British leader saying that his country “absolutely supports Israel’s right to defend itself in line with international law.” At least nine British nationals are now confirmed to have died and a further seven are missing after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, according to the U.K. government. While Israel has so far not launched a full-scale ground offensive into Gaza, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) continue to conduct extensive operations there, including prosecuting targets identified by Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security service. In a post on X, [formerly Twitter], this morning, the IDF declared: “The IDF continues to attack all the time throughout the Gaza Strip. During the last day, the IDF, directed by the Shin Bet, destroyed hundreds of Hamas terrorist infrastructures, dozens of which were attacked in the Sageya neighbourhood”. “The hundreds of terrorist infrastructures that were attacked include anti-tank missile launch sites, tunnel shafts, intelligence infrastructures, operational headquarters, and other headquarters.” There are also more signs that the Israeli ground campaign could be imminent, with the Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant telling troops on the Gaza border “You now see Gaza from afar, soon you will see it from the inside. The order will come.”
Israel-Gaza Situation Report: IDF’s Gaza Operation Plan Laid Out………..
Israel’s defence minister on Friday said there are no plans for a long-term occupation of Gaza as he explained Israel’s intentions for the Arab Palestinian enclave with more than 2.3 million residents. Speaking to lawmakers about Israel’s long-term plans for Gaza, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant laid out a three-stage plan. First, Israeli airstrikes and “manoeuvring” — a presumed reference to a ground attack — would aim to root out Hamas. Next will come a lower-intensity fight to defeat remaining pockets of resistance. And, finally, “the removal of Israel’s responsibility for life in the Gaza Strip,” Gallant said.
Biden calls to secure Israel, not give up on Palestinian statehood……….
[excerpts from Biden’s nationally-televised address from the White House on Thursday] “The security package I’m sending to Congress and asking Congress to do is an unprecedented commitment to Israel’s security that will sharpen Israel’s qualitative military edge, which we’ve committed to—the qualitative military edge”. “We’re going to make sure Iron Dome continues to guard the skies over Israel. We’re going to make sure other hostile actors in the region know that Israel is stronger than ever and prevent this conflict from spreading.“And as I said in Israel: As hard as it is, we cannot give up on peace. We cannot give up on a two-state solution. “Israel and Palestinians equally deserve to live in safety, dignity and peace”.
The total insanity of dividing Israel to allow for a fictional Arab Palestinian state continues in the minds of leaders who seem either deceived or intent on seeing Israel destroyed from within.
American Mother and Daughter who were taken Hostage in Israel Released………
An American mother and daughter who were taken hostage when Hamas stormed the kibbutz they were visiting earlier this month have been released, officials said Friday. Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, were both let go from Hamas custody in Gaza and were said to be en route to a military base in central Israel to reunite with their family, the office of Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on X. A photograph later showed the mother and daughter being escorted through the night by what appeared to be military officials. [pictured above] Prior to Netanyahu’s statement, Hamas officials said that they released the two women following Qatar’s intervention in negotiation efforts. “In response to Qatari efforts, Al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens (a mother and her daughter) for humanitarian reasons, and to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless,” the announcement read, according to the Times of Israel.
US Warns every American abroad to be Cautious…..Germany and UK follow……..
The U.S. Department of State issued a rare ”Worldwide Caution” alert Thursday, urging any American who is overseas to “exercise increased caution” due to “increased tensions in various locations around the world.” The U.S. said there is also an increased potential for “terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens.” The U.S. Embassy in Beirut also urged American citizens Thursday to make plans to leave the country “as soon as possible while commercial options are still available,” as fighting intensifies near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. “We recommend that U.S. citizens who choose not to depart prepare contingency plans for emergency situations,” the embassy said in an emergency alert. The U.K. and Germany issued similar warnings to their citizens. As part of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas around the Gaza Strip, the Iran-backed and Lebanon-based militia group Hezbollah has recently fired rockets at some northern Israeli towns, according to reports. There are concerns that tensions with Hezbollah could escalate, expanding the conflict into a regional war. Protesters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Beirut earlier this week after an explosion at a hospital in Gaza. Arab Palestinian officials said dishonestly that an Israeli airstrike caused the blast, while Israel rightly blamed a failed rocket launch by the Arab Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. The U.S. previously urged Americans not to travel to Lebanon due to “the unpredictable security situation related to rocket, missile, and artillery exchanges between Israel and Hizballah or other armed militant [terrorist!] factions.”
Gantz to Biden: Destroying Hamas ‘Could take Years’……..
Former Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz told U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday that destroying Hamas as a political and military force in Gaza “could take years.” A senior Israeli official said that Gantz made the remarks during a War Cabinet meeting with Biden on Wednesday to show support following the October 7 massacre of more than 1,400 Israelis by Hamas terrorists. Gantz and former Israel Defence Forces chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot joined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government from the opposition and became members of the War Cabinet after the Hamas attack. Gallant said at the War Cabinet meeting with Biden that “it will be a long and difficult war, and Israel will need U.S. support for a long period,” said an aide to Gallant.
US Carriers in the Mideast are within MiG–31 striking distance……America’s adversaries no longer live in fear……….
Making a significant announcement on October 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin divulged that he directed MiG-31K/I strike fighters, equipped with Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles, to regularize their patrols over the neutral air-scape of the Black Sea. The President pointed out, “Our MiG-31 aircraft boasts weaponry inclusive of Kinzhal missile systems. These systems, as is widely recognized, hold a range that surpasses 1,000 kmh, reaching speeds of Mach-9”, stressing that this strategic move was a response to the mounting instability in the Middle East. Notably, the deployment of two aircraft carrier strike groups near Israel in the Mediterranean Sea by the U.S. Navy was highlighted as a triggering element. The patrols by the MiG-31s will be influential in situating the Eastern Mediterranean within the striking purview of the hypersonic weapons that these aircraft are armed with Since the initiation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas on October 7, there has been a substantial enlargement of the United States military presence in the Middle East and its adjacent areas. This dramatic increase is discernible in the deployment of a robust line-up of military assets, including two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, an assault carrier backed by a Marine Rapid Response Force, A-10 attack jets, F-15E strike fighters, forward-deployed B-1B bombers, and a wide array of other resources. Such an enlarged military footprint of the U.S. in the region could potentially menace Russian forces and interests residing there. This development runs parallel to the escalating alerts regarding the jihadist militias, who allegedly carry out operations under the safety net provided by Washington’s NATO ally, Turkey. These very groups are reportedly planning a series of offensives against Russian targets in Syria.
The rising possibility of US interventions against Syria, Hezbollah, and potentially Iran, born out of escalating tensions with Israel, brings into sharp focus Russia’s staunch commitment to prevent the toppling of the Syrian state. Factor in Russia’s substantial military facilities located within Syria, and the possibility of Russian involvement becomes a plausible reality. In the year 2023, the situation in Syria saw a noticeable heightening of tension between American and Russian forces. Russia has been unflagging in its criticism of what is broadly perceived as the US Military’s unlawful actions in the region. America’s adversaries no longer live in fear. They see how divided the nation has become under one of the most disastrous administrations in US history. Only a few short years ago this would not have happened…..the occupation of North-eastern Syria, as well as the illicit procurement and sale of Syrian oil. America’s enemies feel they have the upper hand now. Iran publicly threatened America a day before Joe Biden was set to arrive in Israel. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s adviser, Mohammad-Javad Larijani of the Axis of Resistance, [pictured above] issued a warning to America that aiding Israel “would be a strategic mistake” and would make it a “legitimate target for the resistance fighters in the entire region” He ominously uttered that “the war will not be limited to Gaza” and said “in the near future, America’s presence in Syria and Iraq will be very costly for them.” America’s enemies are growing bolder under Biden’s weak leadership. A nation divided cannot stand strong for long?
US forces in Iraq, Syria under attack as drones, Missiles launched from Yemen……..
Amid indications that an Israeli ground incursion in Gaza is impending, US forces in Iraq and Syria have come under attack. The incidents have been claimed by shadowy armed groups in Iraq. Meanwhile, the US Navy has shot down drones and missiles fired from Yemen over the Red Sea. Israeli media report that southern Israel was the apparent target. The attacks highlight the dangers of a regional conflagration being sparked by the Hamas-Israel conflict. US Central Command on October 18 said “the US military defended” against three drones in two separate incidents near bases in Iraq. An entity referring to itself as the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” claimed both aerial strikes, circulating a purported video of the strike on Harir. In a statement, the group added that it will be “carrying out further operations” and urged Iraqi security forces to “stay clear” of US forces “and their affiliates.” Tashkil Al-Waritheen, a little-known group, on October 18 also claimed the attack on Harir airbase. The faction is believed to be linked to the Shiite armed group Harakat Hezbollah Al-Nujaba.Ain Al-Asad was reportedly targeted again on October 19. The day after, a US facility near the Iraqi capital’s international airport came under attack for the first time in more than a year. The October 20 rocket strike notably took place as US President Joe Biden was speaking from the Oval Office. The “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” also claimed the second incident at Ain Al-Asad, referring to the site as used by “the American occupier.” A Pentagon spokesman stated that a US contractor died of a “cardiac event” while trying to take shelter. Iraqi media on October 20 quoted a security source as saying that Camp Victory at Baghdad International Airport came under rocket fire. The source said two rockets were launched; one fell in the vicinity of the base while the other was intercepted by the facility’s C-RAM system. Of note, the last attack on Camp Victory was recorded in January 2022.
With Putin by His Side, Xi Outlines His Vision of a New World Order……..
The leaders of China and Russia hailed each other as “old” and “dear” friends. They took swipes at the United States and depicted themselves as building a “fairer, multipolar world.” And they marvelled at their countries’ “deepening” trust. China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, used a Beijing-led conference of leaders from mostly developing countries on Wednesday to showcase his ambitions to reshape the global order, as the world grapples with a war in Ukraine and a crisis in Gaza. He cast his country as an alternative to the leadership of the United States. And he gave a prominent role to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, underscoring how central their relationship is to Mr. Xi’s vision.
North Korea Supplying Russia with Weaponry……
North Korea appears to have begun secretly shipping large amounts of munitions to Russia, according to a new report, using ships and trains to move the weaponry and bolster Moscow’s war against Ukraine. The report, published on October 16 by the London-based Royal United Services Institute, is based on high-quality satellite imagery surveying ports and train shipments. It adds further evidence to accusations made by the United States and other Western countries that Pyongyang has been helping Russia rebuild its weapons stocks. The dozens of high-resolution satellite images taken in recent months reveal that Russia began shipping North Korean munitions at scale, opening a new supply route that could have profound consequences for the war in Ukraine and international security dynamics in East Asia. Just a few weeks after the momentous visit of Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to North Korea, in July, two Russian cargo vessels connected to Moscow’s international military transportation networks embarked on an unusual journey. Their destination was an inconspicuous naval facility tucked away in the secluded Russian port of Dunai, situated in the remote eastern reaches of the country.
Ukraine Situation Report: Russia Recruiting Serbian Fighters……..
Faced with shortages of troops for the war in Ukraine, Russia is recruiting Serbian fighters, with apparent aims to field a full battalion. The Kremlin is reportedly actively recruiting Serbian ‘volunteers’ to fight in its war in Ukraine, despite official warnings from Serbia’s own ministry of defence. Dozens of Serbian fighters are already in Russia, something that could threaten Serbia’s ambitions to join the European Union as well as sour the traditionally close relationship between Moscow and Belgrade. An investigation by the U.K.’s Guardian newspaper includes accounts from two Serbian nationals who signed up to fight with the Russian Army. Other reports state that Moscow has plans to recruit “thousands” of Serbian fighters as it struggles to man its units after 18 months of fighting in Ukraine. The man said to be behind the recruitment scheme is Davor Savičić, a Serbian who started fighting with Russia in Ukraine back in 2014 and who allegedly has links with the Wagner Group. This private military company played an important role in the conflict before its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, broke ranks with the Putin regime and was apparently then killed in a plane crash. “We are now officially signing a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence,” Savičić told a Russian state TV channel this previous summer. “Soldiers go through the Krasnogorsk military registration and enlistment office,” he added. “After additional training, the guys are sent in the Luhansk direction.” In that same TV interview, it was revealed that at least some of the Serbian fighters had joined the 106th Airborne Division, one of four such divisions in the Russian Airborne Troops, or VDV. Reports suggest that plans are for the Serbian recruitment program to expand to a point that a separate battalion can be formed within the 106th Division. The same division has already been reported as including foreign fighters from countries other than Serbia, too.
WORLD NEWS BRIEFING – a special edition with Greg Denham and Dr. Mitch Glaser from new York – 19 October 2023
Israel Report Editor; Mike Claydon israelreport@mail.com
“None of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand”. [Daniel 12;10]