The Jerusalem Post reports:

A senior Kremlin official confirmed Wednesday to the Russian paper Kommersant that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu did indeed make a clandestine trip to Russia on Monday. Commenting on the visit, the official said that "this kind of development could only be related to new and threatening information on Iran’s nuclear program." The Russian newspaper quoted experts speculating that such a trip would only be justified under extraordinary circumstances, "for example, in the case of Israel planning to attack Iran."

The article went on to speculate as to what the sudden "emergency" trip to Russia could have been for:

What is almost as mysterious as whether the trip took place, is what might have been discussed, with speculation focused on Iran, possible Russian arms deals to Iran and Syria, or the disappearance of the Arctic Sea cargo ship – suspected of carrying Russian made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles bound for Iran – that went missing last month. The trip, if indeed it took place, would not have been the result of an impromptu, emergency decision, since there was already talk among Netanyahu’s inner circle during his visit to London and Berlin two weeks ago about a possible visit to Russia ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting at the end of the month. Interestingly, almost exactly two years ago, then-prime minister Ehud Olmert paid a lightning visit to Moscow to meet with then-Russian president Vladimir Putin, a day after the Russian leader returned from a trip to Teheran in which he warned outside powers not to attack Iran and said there was no evidence it was developing nuclear arms.

To thicken the plot, the YNetNews agency is reporting that an anonymous Israel source has suggested that Netanyahu went to Moscow to inform the Russians of an a decision to move on Iran. The article reports:

The paper then quoted what it called an "informed" Israeli source, who wished to remain anonymous, as saying, "Such a visit could be related to new information and could threaten the Iranian nuclear program. It should not be ruled out that Israel may be ready to move on to decisive actions with regards to Iran, and Netanyahu has decided to inform the Kremlin of this."

After reading these articles and seeing Netanyahu take off on a secret mission to Moscow, it would seem to me that we could be seeing the final touches being put on a soon to be Israeli strike on Iran. Over the past few months we have seen the Israelis practice long distance aerial exercises simulating missions of the same length as it would be to Iran. We’ve seen Israeli submarines moving through the Suez Canal for the first time in years. To me, this could all be pointing to a soon to be conflict with Israel and Iran over their the Iranian nuclear program. I truly would not be surprised if we woke up one morning to see the smoking ruins of Iran’s nuclear program on CNN.

As with all things, we need to continue to watch and stay sober as things appear to be possibly moving forward in a prophetic sense if Israel is indeed about to move on Iran. Such a move will surely have global consequences as well as speed up the prophetic program of the Lord. With all of this in mind, we should remain calm and collected knowing fully that the Lord is completely in control no matter how chaotic things appear on earth. The Lord does not provide us with the spirit of fear but that of a sound and stable mind. As usual, let us keep looking up, for our redemption is drawing nigh!!

God bless.

Russian report: Netanyahu may be planning attack
Written: 9-10-2009
Rapture Forum Staff: Chris

The Jerusalem Post reported:

Rumors swirled Monday afternoon that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had gone abroad, to an unnamed country, for a few hours of intensive talks. Throughout the day the Prime Minister’s Office, when asked about Netanyahu’s whereabouts, said only that he was on a tour. After hours of speculation, and numerous inquiring phone calls, the PMO finally released the following laconic statement Monday evening: "The Prime Minister’s military attach� reports that the prime minister is visiting a security installation inside Israel." Netanyahu was accompanied to the installation by National Security Adviser Uzi Arad and the military attach�, Meir Kalifi. Netanyahu’s tour lasted for more than 10 hours.

This was the official line as of Monday evening, yet today (Wednesday) it is being reported that Netanyahu may have secretly taken a private jet and visited with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. This development is very interesting to say the least especially since the reports came out that the Mossad had possibly intercepted a Russian ship that supposedly had arms or missiles that were headed for Iran. The Jerusalem Post is reporting today:

The reason for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s mysterious 10-hour disappearance from the media radar on Monday was a clandestine trip to Russia, according to a report Wednesday by the Hebrew language daily Yediot Aharonot. Israel Radio reported that Netanyahu leased a private jet since he knew using an Israel Air Force jet would raise the suspicions of the Israeli media.

The Russians for their part denied knowing anything about a visit by Israeli PM Netanyahu. However, it was reported that Netanyahu was on "tour" with National Security Adviser Uzi Arad and the military attach�, Meir Kalifi. This whole situation has me wondering what Netanyahu was doing in Moscow if he was indeed there? My initial reaction is that it must have been a pretty serious situation in order for the Israeli PM to leave the country unannounced and with no details on his whereabouts for the entire day. This situation leads obne to ask whether there could be a major conflict brewing between Russia and Israel over the recent "hijacking" of the Russian ship? I’m not sure what to think at this time but perhaps over the next few days we will be given more clues on this interesting yet strange development.

As Bible prophecy watchers know the propeht Ezekiel foretold of an end times conflict between Russia and Israel. This conflcit is detailed in Ezekiel 38-39. One of the questions that I would like to have answered is whether or not there could be a serious "crisis" forming between Russia and Israel? It seems to me with the discovery of natural gas off the coast of Israel, the recent situation with the hijacked Russian ship, Israel’s involvement in the Russia/Gerogia conflcit, etc. that there seem to be more than a few flashpoints between Russia and Israel. I guess only time will tell what becomes of this situation.

In other news, the US warned that Iran is nearing atomic bomb capability. This is certainly no surprise as the international community has wasted the last 5 years playing "political chess" with the Iranians and have now found themselves in what IAEA chief ElBaradei called a "stalemate". This stalemate and "Nevile Chamberlain" type diplomacy has brought the world to a serious point in history where one if not the largest state sponsor of terrorism will have achieved their goals and ambitions of a nuclear bomb. The Jerusalem Post reports:

The United States warned Wednesday that Iran is close to having the capabilities to produce a nuclear weapon and urged Teheran to join in fresh talks with key allies about its disputed intentions. Glyn Davies, Washington’s chief envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the latest report by the nuclear watchdog shows that Teheran is either very near or already in possession of sufficient low-enriched uranium to produce one nuclear weapon, if the decision were made to further enrich it to weapons-grade.

Davies went on to further state:

"This ongoing enrichment activity…moves Iran closer to a dangerous and destabilizing possible breakout capacity," Davies told the agency’s 35-nation board of governors. "Taken in connection with Iran’s refusal to engage with the IAEA regarding its past nuclear warhead-related work, we have serious concerns that Iran is deliberately attempting, at a minimum, to preserve a nuclear weapons option," Davies said.

The international community, including the US, has given Iran until the end of September to respond positively to talks and place a suspension on their nuclear enrichment program. Yet in other news articles Iran has consistently denied any possible suspension of their nuclear program and refuses to provide transparency or cooperation to the IAEA into their nuclear program. I believe that we have seriously entered into a position where the only thing that will stop Iran from reaching their nuclear goals and ambitions is for a military strike to be made that at the very least delays the program for years. And the way things are right now in the world, the only country with a serious mind to doing that is Israel. Israel simply can’t afford to allow Iran to go nuclear. The dream and reality of the Jewish state will be in serious jeopardy if the Iranians acquire nuclear weapons.

To that end, let us continue to watch the situation in the Middle East as things appear to be reaching a crticial point where the world must either accept a nuclear Iran or make the military move to stop them from becoming a nuclear power and threat to the whole world. Let us pray that somehow Iran’s nuclear program is stopped and the threat of nuclear proliferation to terrorist organizations and state sponsors of terrorism is avoided. In the meantime, we need to keep looking up, for our redemption is drawing nigh!!

God bless.

Netanyahu "disappears" for 10 hours amid rumors of meeting with Russia’s Putin in Moscow
Written: 9-9-2009
Rapture Forum Staff: Chris

In a play pulled right out of the pages of "Sesame Street" US President Obama has told Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if he will freeze West Bank construction that he will be his "friend". When I read the headline and accompanying article, all I could do was roll my eyes. As many of you know, the US and international community is putting tremendous pressure on PM Netanyahu to halt construction settlement in the West Bank as this construction is considered to be a stumbling block to Middle East peace. The Israel National News is reporting:

U.S. President Barack Obama has offered Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to be his friend in return for a freeze on building for Jews in Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem, according to Politco.com editor Ben Smith. The website is a multi-million dollar Washington-based operation that focuses on the White House and Congress. The relationship between the two leaders has been termed as chilly even before they met in Washington earlier this year.

Israel PM Netanyahu has been involved in deep discussions with the US and international community about the supposed settlement issues but just the other day Netanyahu agreed to approve construction of 2,500 housing units in the West Bank area of Judea and Samaria. The US for it’s part expressed "regets" for the decision and the EU expressed disappointment. The PA for their part have stated that Middle East peace talks can’t continue until all construction has been halted. The YNetNews reports:

The White House on Friday expressed "regret" regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to approve construction plans in the West Bank, just ahead of a planned signing of a deal with the US that would freeze settlement activity. "The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement expansion and we urge that it stop," said a statement by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. The statement was released just a few hours after an aide to Netanyahu announced that "the prime minister plans to approve the construction of hundreds of news housing units in Judea and Samaria, before the freeze." Top Jerusalem sources also stressed that Israel would continue the construction of some 2,500 housing units in the West Bank that is already underway. But the White House statement said that "continued settlement activity is inconsistent with Israel’s commitment under the Roadmap".

The Euros were on record stating:

EU foreign ministers also condemned Netanyahu’s decision. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told reporters the EU’s 27 foreign ministers were all against the move. "The announcement made to build new buildings and new settlements exactly at the moment when all the international community is asking Israel for a freeze has been criticized by the ministers of foreign affairs," Frattini said after the ministers completed the first day of a two-day meeting in Stockholm. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband reiterated EU calls for a complete settlement freeze to spur the restart of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. "Our position is absolutely clear and that settlements are illegal and an impediment to peace and that obviously anything in East Jerusalem is particularly difficult," Miliband said.

One of the things for people to remember and notice in this Middle East peace process is that tremendous pressure is being placed on Israel to do this, do that, etc. while at the same time the PA has not met any of their obligations such as recognizing Israel, halting armed resistence against Israel, etc. In fact, the PA has done exactly the opposite as they have stated recently that they will never recognize Israel. Further, the Palestinians continue to fire rockets and mortars into Israel on a regular basis. All of this leads me to believe that the Palestinians are not genuine peace partners for Israel. On top of all of this the PA continues to make ridiculous demands like Jerusalem being made their capitol, so called refugees being given the "right to return", etc.

The PA and Arab League were quoted as saying:

The Arab League chief also denounced Netanyahu’s decision and said any Israeli offer for a settlement freeze that doesn’t include east Jerusalem is unacceptable and "will suspend the peace process." Amr Moussa spoke Friday at a conference on Italy’s Lake Como. Moussa said a freeze of settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians hope to make their capital, is a precondition for any meaningful talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

As we can see here from these articles the subject of Jerusalem, construction in the West Bank, etc. are becoming serious issues to the peace process. The Bible tells us that in the last days that Jerusalem will become a "burdensome stone" to all those who concern themsevles with it. In light of the fact that the diplomatic situation between the Israelis and Palestinians appears to be at a deadlock, the situation with the Iranian nuclear facilities continues to occupy the main focus of the Israelis. While the peace process in the Middle East appears to be the main focus of the international community it is my feeling that the Israelis are simply buying time with talks with the Palestinians as it is crystal clear to me that there is no progress at all. And there is no doubt for me that when Israeli takes it upon themselves to handle Iran, whatever peace progress that was made between Israel and the Palestinians will simply be for naught as the terrorists are simply proxies for the Iranians.

Let us continue to watch the situation on the ground as it concerns the Israeli and Palestinian peace process, but let us keep our eye focused more on the situation with the Iranian nuclear program. The reason being is that several articles lately have indicated that it will not be years before Iran obtains nuclear weapons but instead it will be months. The latest date being thrown around is that by February the Iranians could have a nuclear weapon. And of course, that means the time for Israel to act is rapidly coming to an end.

Until the next time, let us continue to keep watch carefully the the situation in the Middle East. There is a good chance that we could wake up one morning to hear that Israel has struck the Iranian nuclear facilities. Let us stay sober and always watching here in these last days.

God bless.

The argument between the Israeli and American governments over Jewish settlement building in the disputed territories continued unabated during July, with the focus shifting to construction inside the holy city of Jerusalem. Ironically, the particular area in the center of the vortex, located just northeast of the sacred Temple Mount, was once the headquarters of Haj Amin Husseini, the Muslim "Grand Mufti" of Jerusalem who partnered with Adolph Hitler in his partially successful attempt to annihilate all Jews living in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East during World War II.

Comments by US President Barack Obama, apparently designed to ease Jewish anxieties over what many perceive as his administration’s growing anti-Israel policy tilt, had the opposite effect in Israeli government circles. Some commentators said officials felt the American leader displayed subtle contempt toward America’s longtime ally in his mid-July meeting with several top American Jewish dignitaries.

Meanwhile tensions remained high with strife-torn Iran during the month, and with its main regional puppet force, Lebanon’s Hizbullah militia. Arab and international media reports that Israeli warships-one possibly equipped with nuclear weapons-were allowed by Egypt to move through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea in June and early July, and so able to easily head toward the adjacent Persian Gulf, raised alarm bells in Tehran. A senior American official said later in the month that the United States remains committed to Israel’s security, and has a plan to thwart bellicose Iran’s apparent ambition to intimidate US allies in the turbulent region via its nuclear program.

In the north, Israel’s armed forces remained on high alert to counter any possible Hizbullah or Syrian military activity directed at the Jewish State. Army leaders were said to be concerned that the extremist Iranian regime might order Hizbullah rocket strikes to tie up IDF forces and thus help deflect any Israeli action against their ongoing nuclear program.

Meanwhile a large Hizbullah rocket stockpile blew up in a warehouse in south Lebanon, where the rogue Shiite militia is not supposed to be operating at all according to the 2006 UN ceasefire accord that ended the Second Lebanon war, let alone restocking its rocket supplies. The Lebanese government later said it thwarted a plan by radical Muslims to kidnap United Nations soldiers stationed in the area.

More international and local reports were issued during the month condemning Israel’s conduct of the military operation against Hamas militia forces in the Gaza Strip early this year. Israeli officials countered that the context of the short conflict-in other words, the unprovoked Hamas rocket attacks upon Jewish civilian communities stretching back several years-was not even mentioned in some of the reports.

ISRAEL ENDURES FRESH AMERICAN REBUKE

Many Israeli political analysts averred during July that it is becoming clearer every day that their small country is now dealing with the most unsympathetic American government administration since George Bush senior served as president from early 1989 until January 1993. They said this was confirmed when State Department officials summoned Israel’s new ambassador to Washington, Dr. Michael Oren, to receive a dressing down the third weekend of the month.

The burning issue American diplomats wished to immediately discuss was a surprising one to senior Israeli officials-small-scale Jewish residential building near Judaism’s holiest site on earth, Jerusalem’s ancient Temple Mount. Specifically, the topic was a private plan, recently approved by municipal officials, to convert a former Arab hotel less than one mile north of Jerusalem’s walled Old City into some 20 apartment units designed to house Orthodox Jewish families.

Palestinian leaders have strongly opposed the building project in what is known as the Sheik Jarrah neighborhood, even though the sprawling historic structure, which once served as Haj Husseini’s local headquarters, was originally owned by Jews and was purchased from absentee Arab owners in 1985 by American Jewish millionaire Irwin Moscowitz. The grand structure had sat empty since Israeli military forces captured the area, just south of the modern French Hill neighborhood at the foot of Mount Scopus, during the 1967 Six Day war.

State Department officials later confirmed Israeli media reports that Ambassador Oren was told in no uncertain terms that the world’s reigning superpower considers any Jewish building in the eastern half of Israel’s capital city to be a serious violation of previous Israeli government commitments. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters on July 20 that "our views are not new, that this kind of construction is the type that should be subject to permanent-status negotiations." He added dryly that "We are concerned that unilateral actions taken by the Israelis or the Palestinians cannot prejudge the outcome of these negotiations."

Apparently fearing further breeches in Israel’s strategically vital relationship with the United States, Ambassador Oren later tried to downplay the dispute, telling reporters that "There is no crisis in Israel-U.S. relations. Here we are talking about disagreements over certain subjects, very, very specific ones." But Israeli commentators said the State Department action was highly unusual, and should be read as at least a mild rebuke of current Israeli government policy concerning the peace process, if not much more than that. However later in the month, Israeli government officials confirmed media reports that they are now close to agreeing to implement a temporary construction freeze as part of new understandings being negotiated in Washington.

FACTS ON THE GROUND

Although the latest chapter in the settlement building dispute is focused in an area considered "occupied Arab territory" by the United States and most other governments and the international media, Israeli commentators pointed out that the prestigious Hebrew University is located further east of the contested site, and its umbilical connection to the world’s only Jewish-ruled state is largely universally recognized. Along with that, Israel’s national police headquarters is located very close to the site, along with one of the city’s premier five star hotels, the former Hyatt Regency. The idea that Israel will somehow evacuate all Jews from the area, which would include thousands of residents being uprooted from the burgeoning French Hill neighborhood, is quite absurd, they opined.

Indeed, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told his cabinet ministers on July 19-just one day after Ambassador Oren was summoned to the State Department-that "I would like to reemphasize united Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people and of the State of Israel. Our sovereignty over it cannot be challenged. This means that residents of Jerusalem may purchase apartments in all parts of the city." He then went on to strongly hint that the new Obama administration’s complete building ban demand is actually racist and discriminatory in nature: "In recent years, hundreds of apartments in Jewish neighborhoods have been purchased by or rented to Arab residents, and we did not interfere."

Israeli press reports said Netanyahu later privately castigated President Obama’s total building halt campaign during a closed meeting with his inner security cabinet, which was focused on the Iranian nuclear threat among other pressing issues. He reportedly told his top security ministers that the charismatic US leader was in essence aiding Israel’s enemies, and therefore actually putting back the peace process, by publicly demanding an immediate and total construction freeze, especially inside Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries.

Exasperated over what he sees as an unnecessary dispute, Netanyahu was said to have rhetorically asked his top ministers if Obama really expected that the leader of Israel’s nationalist political camp-who oversaw the controversial construction of the Har Homa neighborhood in southeast Jerusalem when he was last Premier in the late 1990s-would now block the building of a mere 20 new Jewish apartments next to Judaism’s most sacred ground on earth after allowing some 20,000 apartment units to go up in Har Homa ten years ago. "If I didn’t cave in to Bill Clinton then, I certainly won’t to his wife or Barack Obama now," one news report claimed he stated.

OBAMA ACCEPTS RACIST ARAB DEMAND?

Demonstrating that the Prime Minister’s position is vigorously supported by everyone in his ruling party, the most liberal Likud cabinet member, Intelligence and Atomic Energy Minister Dan Meridor, who also serves as a deputy premier, forcefully endorsed Netanyahu’s public statements. Going even further by turning the tables on Obama, he insisted that it was the new Democratic party administration in Washington that was going back on previous agreements made with government leaders in Jerusalem.

Meridor noted that America’s last president, George W. Bush, had orally accepted Ariel Sharon’s 2004 request to continue "natural growth" construction within existing contested communities, while halting any brand new full scale community development in lands claimed by the Palestinians, as Israel has complied with (apart from a few small outposts that have arisen without government permission and are in the process of being dismantled).

This request was then incorporated into Bush’s Road Map peace plan, subsequently endorsed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It called for a total Israeli building freeze, but only when the Palestinian leadership blocked all organized Arab terror attacks upon Jews. The verbal accord came after Sharon agreed to the painful White House request to evacuate all Israeli residents and soldiers from the Gaza Strip, which occurred one year later. "It is of great importance to us that what the (Bush) administration agreed to is not overlooked," Meridor stated at a news conference in Jerusalem.

That the first ever African American president is apparently endorsing what is widely perceived in Israel as the Palestinian’s extremely racist demand for an independent state containing few if any Jews inside its borders-an idea from another, much darker era-is highly disappointing to many Israelis, and not just to conservative religious Jews.

In fact, some commentators said it was progressive secularist Jews, who generally viewed Obama’s electoral victory as a triumph for civil rights and equality in America and a beacon of light for the world, who are the most disappointed that the US leader has seemingly adopted the PLO’s traditional "Judenrein" (the Nazi term for "clean of Jews") statehood demand as his own, instead of challenging the same as his Republican predecessor did, at least to some extent.

Many pundits noted that Israel contains over one million Arab citizens with full voting rights and elected representatives in the Knesset, while the envisioned Palestinian state will apparently be "Jew-less" as one radio commentator succinctly put it in English, despite the fact that it is proposed to arise along the spine of the Jewish people’s ancient ancestral biblical heartland.

CONCERN OR CONTEMPT?

With voices of concern rising in America over the Obama administration’s policies regarding Israel-even among many of his staunchest Jewish supporters-the President summoned 15 of the country’s top Jewish leaders to meet with him at the While House on July 13. The meeting had mixed results, according to Israeli media accounts, with many participants said to be shocked over what was seen as an attitude bordering on contempt for America’s main Middle East ally. This was reportedly demonstrated most glaringly in Obama’s insistence that if Israelis want his valuable assistance in arriving at a final peace accord with the Palestinians, they must first "engage in serious self reflection" before this lofty goal will be achievable.

Commentators pointed out that the American leader seemed to be averring that Israel is mainly responsible for the current peace process impasse, instead of the divided Palestinians, ruled by the Palestinian Authority in Jordan’s former West Bank and the radical Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. In other works, only if and when the Israeli people and their leaders stop and think-and apparently alter their intransigent ways-will a final peace accord be reachable.

The American editor of the prestigious Commentary magazine, Jonathan Tobin, reacted to the meeting in a Jerusalem Post editorial, saying the popular President’s reported remark reflected his "breathtaking condescension toward the Jewish state," with its seeming "implicit dismissal of the last 16 years of Middle East history." This evaluation was echoed by other commentators in Israel, and was said to reflect the reaction of many senior Israeli government officials.

In particular, Tobin complained that President Obama was downplaying or ignoring the extremely costly and difficult actions that several Israeli governments had undertaken to try to implement previous peace accords with the Palestinians, despite ongoing terror attacks and threats of annihilation from Shiite Muslim Iran and its local agents Hizbullah and Hamas. Such actions included withdrawing all IDF soldiers from six major Arab urban centers and many villages during the mid 1990s, transferring weapons and governmental power to Palestinian Authority officials and security forces (with the weapons sometimes later turned against Jews), and evacuating 23 civilian communities and army outposts in the Gaza Strip and parts of northern Samaria in 2005.

Tobin reflected the thinking of not a few Israeli commentators by pointing to what he termed Obama’s "penchant for quarreling with Israel," adding that the US leader was apparently "proud of it." The conservative commentator added that "a majority of American Jews who voted for Obama last year did not back him because they anticipated that he would pick pointless fights with Israel to advance a peace process that Palestinians scorn."

CRUISING THE SUEZ CANAL

PM Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials have consistently stated that the most pressing issue they face is not how to achieve a final peace accord with Palestinian Authority leaders-whose rule is severely challenged by the popular Muslim fundamentalist Hamas movement. The Iranian nuclear program poses an imminent mortal threat to Israel’s very existence, they aver, and therefore that issue obviously has a much higher priority at present than restarting the stalemated peace process. Israeli leaders hope the recent unrest inside Iran will help convince the Obama administration that this is indeed the case.

Seemingly proving once again just how serious the issue is to Israel’s current political and military leadership, three IDF naval vessels were ordered to pass through the strategic Suez Canal during late June and early July, according to Arab and international media reports that were neither officially confirmed nor denied by Israeli officials (although several media outlets quoted anonymous Israeli military sources as confirming that the crossings occurred). Of particular importance, one of the three vessels was a German-built submarine widely thought to carry nuclear-tipped Israeli cruise missiles.

Small IDF boats have been allowed in the past to traverse the Egyptian run canal on their way to the southern Israeli Red Sea port of Eilat. However never before has one of Israel’s three Dolphin-class subs been allowed to pass through the channel which connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. Missile boats like the two Sa’ar-5 class warships that reportedly crossed into the Red Sea-which connects with the Persian Gulf that straddles Iran’s western coast-have also never before received permission from Cairo to utilize the mostly commercial waterway, despite a treaty between Cairo and Jerusalem that supposedly allows such crossings as long as the vessels have no hostile intentions toward Egypt

Ironically one of the warships, the Eilat, was named after an Israeli destroyer that was sunk by Soviet-backed Egyptian naval forces shortly after the Six Day war, at the cost of 47 Israeli lives.

SENDING STERN SIGNALS

In a transparent sign that the Mubarak government wanted the Israeli naval crossings to receive widespread publicity-as an evident warning to hostile Shiite political and clerical leaders in Iran that Cairo will at least quietly side with Israel in any military showdown over the rogue regime’s nuclear program-Egyptian surface warships actually accompanied the submarine as it traversed the 119 mile long French-built waterway, which began operating in 1869.

International military analysts agreed that the unprecedented Israeli naval crossings were indeed designed to send an unequivocal public warning to Tehran that many regional countries, and not just Israel, will not sit still as Iran develops nuclear weapons. This perception was later buttressed by American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Speaking during a July 21 visit to Thailand, she revealed that the US government has "contingency plans" in place to extend a nuclear defense umbrella over allied Arab countries in the region if Iran builds such weapons of mass destruction, which many experts say is only one or two years away at most. Some Israeli commentators said the statement seemed to suggest that the Obama administration may be resigned to Iran acquiring such weapons, which Israel clearly is not.

America’s top diplomat stated that Iran would be no safer from foreign attack, nor a more powerful force in the Middle East, if it produces nuclear weapons. "We want Iran to calculate what I think is a fair assessment: that if the United States extends a defense umbrella over the region, if we do even more to develop the military capacity of those allies in the Gulf, it is unlikely that Iran will be any stronger or safer." Israeli defense officials were said to have been basically pleased with the comment, saying it seemed to signal a more realistic American policy concerning Iran that probably resulted from the recent violent Iranian government crackdown on civilian demonstrators protesting the apparently rigged June 12 presidential election.

In another possible indication of an evolving US government policy, Vice President Joe Biden said on July 5 that "Israel can determine for itself-it’s a sovereign nation-what’s in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else." However he also added that this was the case "whether we agree or not" with Israel’s decisions. The outspoken politician had earlier bluntly warned the Netanyahu government that it would not receive American backing if it chose a military option to halt Iran’s nuclear program.

REPROACH ON GAZA

Egyptian mediators attempted once again during July to put an end to the bitter rift between the Palestinian Authority and the radical Hamas movement. However the talks in Cairo ended once again in failure

Meanwhile the Israeli government and military establishment came under fresh international condemnation during the month as several additional reports were issued alleging widespread Israeli army abuses during last winter’s "Cast Lead" operation against Hamas militia forces in the Gaza Strip. One report received special attention in Israel since it was issued by a left-wing domestic group called "Breaking the Silence," which it later emerged is partially funded by the British and Dutch embassies in Tel Aviv, along with grants from the European Union.

The report quoted 26 anonymous reserve and regular IDF soldiers who claimed they saw such abuses as the use of Gaza civilians as human shields against Hamas fire and the unlawful deployment of phosphorous shells in civilian areas. The army replied that there was no "silence" to break since all attributed abuse complaints are investigated, whereas the report’s vague allegations were difficult if not impossible to check since the claimants refused to be identified.

In these times of continuing regional strife and peril, it is comforting to remember and proclaim that "You oh Lord abide forever, and Your Name to all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to be gracious to her, for the appointed time has come" (Psalm 102:12-13).

Welcome to this edition of the Rapture Report for August 5, 2009. Today we are going to look at several articles and news headlines that show that conflict is slowing but surely on the horizon in the Middle East. In a Haaretz news article today it was being reported that Hezbollah currently has 40,000 rockets aimed at Israel from their bases in Lebanon.

The article reports:

The Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah has stockpiled 40,000 rockets near the border with Israel and is training its guerillas to use missiles capable of striking Tel Aviv, The Times of London reported on Wednesday. According to the report, militants are now being trained in the use of both long-range ground-to-ground missiles as well as anti-aircraft missiles to use against Israel. Israel, the United Nations and Hezbollah itself have all said that the milita is stronger today than it was during the Second Lebanon War.

The article also went on to note that:

While the northern front has been relatively quiet since the 2006 conflict, Deputy GOC Northern Command Alon Friedman told The Times that the peace could "explode at any minute."

These comments about the northern borders possibly "exploding at any moment" shows just how serious the situation on the ground in Israel has become. These same comments were echoed a couple of days ago when the YNetNews reported that:

The calm that has prevailed on Israel’s northern border in the wake of the 2006 Second Lebanon War "could explode at any minute," a senior IDF official told the Times Online Tuesday….The current stability on the Israel-Lebanon border was "in danger," he was quoted as saying. The Times also obtained surveillance footage showing Hezbollah men trying to salvage arms from a site of a recent explosion in south Lebanon.

To futher aggravate the issue Hezbollah’s Nasrallah was reported to have made the following comments:

About two weeks ago, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said his group will not hesitate to attack Tel Aviv should Israel strike the movement’s stronghold in Beirut. Speaking at a closed-door session, Nasrallah reportedly said that his organization has created a new equation vis-a-vis Israel: "Tel Aviv in response to an attack on the Dahiya," Hezbollah’s stronghold south of the Lebanese capital. In a meeting with Lebanese exiles currently visiting the country, Nasrallah was said to estimate that Israel will not remain inactive, but rather, initiate an offensive move "sometime between the end of this year and next spring." His comments were reported by Lebanese television channel al-Jadid.

As we can see here the tension in the region is building up and even the terrorists have been quoted as saying they believe conflict will break out soon with the timeframe being from now to early next year. With the situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear facilities this could be one of the most explosive times we have seen in quite a while.

To further illustrate the severity of the situation on the ground in the Middle East, it was reported that the Iranians could have a nuclear bomb by the end of 2009. The Jerusalem Post reports:

Iran could complete the manufacture of an atomic bomb within a year, and is just waiting for supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to give the go-ahead, according to intelligence sources quoted in a report by The Times on Monday. The sources were further quoted by the British newspaper as saying that the Islamic republic had put a stop to its nuclear arms research program back in 2003 as it had already developed the means to detonate a nuclear warhead which could be launched on the Shahab-3 long-range missile. Once Khamenei gives the word, the sources said, six months would be needed to "enrich low-enriched uranium to highly-enriched uranium at the Natanz plant," and a further six months to put together the warhead itself.

In my honest opinion the Iranians have never stopped their nuclear weapons program and this we know from the IAEA and the inspectors on the ground. I also don’t believe for a single second that Iran is "waiting for the thumbs up" sign from the "supreme ruler" either. We know for a fact that the Iranians are marching full-steam ahead with their satanic plans to try to destroy Israel. Even former IAEA inspector general ElBaradei said he believed the Iranians were trying to build a bomb. There are also other reports that the Iranians may have already obtained enough enriched material for a bomb and that they just need to perfect a means of putting it on a missile. To me, the situation on the ground shows that we are moving extremely fast towards a new conflict for Israel and this time it threatens to drag the entire Middle East in with it. The window of opportunity for Israel to act is rapidly closing.

In previous Rapture Reports I have talked about the recent military exercises where the IDF have made several naval maneuvers through the Suez Canal and held massive IAF exercises in what was seen as a "dress rehersal" for a strike on Iran. Well, there is a new article out that says that Israel has purchased advanced "smart bombs" from the US. The Jerusalem Post reports:

The Israel Air Force has purchased a new and advanced JDAM smart bomb with a laser-targeting system that will improve the IAF’s ability to accurately hit fast-moving targets. According to an Israeli Defense Ministry official, the order was placed earlier this summer for over 100 LJDAM (Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition) kits. The JDAM is a low-cost guidance kit that converts existing unguided, or "dumb," free-fall bombs into guided "smart" weapons. The JDAM kit consists of a tail section that contains a Global Positioning System and body improvements for additional stability and lift.

In reading this article I can’t help but think that Israel is trying to obtain these "smart bombs" for a possible future strike on Iran. These smart bombs are just the kind of accurate bombs that will be needed in order to put a serious dent into the plans of the Iranians. It is my prayer that the US continues to provide these weapons to Israel so that she may protect herself from her enemies. Genessi 12:3 tells us that God will bless those who bless Israel, and that he will curse those who curse Israel. Please join with me in praying for the US/Israel and that the Lord’s Will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven.

Finally, one of the key things that these articles remind me of is that despite all the promotion of "peace plans" and other diplomatic maneuvers, the region is definitely preparing for war as the "peace process" grinds to the usual deadlock and progress towards a deal becomes non-existant. While the liberal Obama administration believes they are headed on the right track, students of Bible prophecy know that conflict is inevitable and that it will likely come in the form of Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38-39. The players are getting into position, the plans are being drawn up, it’s just a matter of who blinks first. At the rate things are going, it might not be long to find out who blinks first.

Keep watching and keep looking up. Our redemption is drawing nigh!!

God Bless

In a news article the other day the IAEA accused the Iranian government of "stonewalling" the international community on it’s nuclear program and there are serious concerns about the military "weapons" aspect of the program. Many of us who have been following Bible prophecy, it is nothing new to us that Iran is seeking to develop both a civilian AND military nuclear weapons program. In fact, many of us will recall Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map" as a result of their anti-semitic hatred towards Israel. There is no doubt that if the Iranians obtain a military nuclear weapons program that they will use it to try to destroy Israel.

In a Jerusalem Post news article the IAEA officials were quoted as saying that Iran has yet to clarify all aspects of their nuclear program. The news article reported:

But on Friday, IAEA officials said Iran was stonewalling the agency about "possible military dimensions" to its suspect nuclear program, urging the regime to clarify the mysterious role of a foreign explosives expert and shed light on other issues. In its latest report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it has pressed the Islamic Republic to clarify its uranium enrichment activities and reassure the world that it’s not trying to build an atomic weapon. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and geared solely toward generating electricity. The United States and key allies contend the country is covertly trying to build an atomic weapon.

Iran for their part has declared that the IAEA report has cleared them of any wrongdoing and shows that their nuclear program is simply for "peaceful" means as they have claimed all along. Iran for their part stated:

Iran said a report released by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday had confirmed its nuclear program was peaceful and vowed to resist political pressure to change it, Reuters reported on Saturday. "The report emphasized … that Iran’s nuclear activities are peaceful," Iran’s envoy to IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh reportedly told the Fars news agency on Saturday. "It shows Iran has continued its cooperation with the agency … but at the same time will not accept any political pressure to take measures beyond its legal commitments," he said.

The IAEA for it’s part also noted that Iran had been producing enriched materials at a much slower rate than they had previously been doing. But despite this the IAEA reports that Iran still has not stopped their enrichment activities as demanded by the international community. The IAEA reports:

Ahead of September 2 six-power talks on Iran – and a key meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation board a week after that – the IAEA acknowledged that Teheran has been producing nuclear fuel at a slower rate and has allowed UN inspectors broader access to its main nuclear complex in the southern city of Natanz. But the Vienna-based agency delivered a blunt assessment: "Iran has not suspended its enrichment-related activities."

Further:

"There remain a number of outstanding issues which give rise to concerns and which need to be clarified to exclude the existence of possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program," said the text, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. It said the IAEA "does not consider that Iran has adequately addressed the substance of the issues, having focused instead on the style and form … and providing limited answers and simple denials." The report raised the specter of harsher international sanctions against Iran for not answering lingering questions about its nuclear activities.

Israel for their part has accused the IAEA of hiding incriminating evidence against Iran. In a Jerusalem Post article:

Despite the publication of a critical report on Iran’s nuclear program, senior Israeli diplomatic officials are accusing the International Atomic Energy Agency of "hiding critical information on Iran’s nuclear progress," the Foreign Ministry said Saturday. IAEA officials said Iran was stonewalling the agency about "possible military dimensions" to its program. In the report, the IAEA said it has pressed Iran to clarify its uranium enrichment activities and reassure the world that it’s not trying to build an atomic weapon.

The Israeli’s are further quoted as saying:

"The IAEA is the only body recognized by the international community that can prevent the games of deception being played by Iran as it works to build nuclear weapons," a senior Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post Saturday. While Israeli officials would not give details about the information the IAEA was allegedly hiding, "we’re talking about information that would be far more incriminating for Iran," the official said. "The 35 member states of the IAEA can’t let [the organization] get away with hiding critical information on the dangers of the Iranian program," the official added.

The article went on to say that the IAEA has admitted that Iran is producing enrichment material at a slower rate and that their has been little to nothing being done about the Iranian nuclear situation. US President Obama is reported to have given the Iranians an ultimatium of suspending enrichment activities or face further sanctions. To me, this "ultimatium" is simply a form of appeasement to the mullahs in Iran. The international community has been placing sanctions on Iran for years with little to no effect. Iran is skirting the sanctions and has more than enough "friends" to help them trade essential materials and items. Previous articles have even said that EU countries are still trading with Iran despite the UN Security Council santions. Talk about "toothless" sanctions.

As for the Israeli claims that the IAEA is holding back incriminating evidence against Iran, I believe that is probably the case. The IAEA director ElBaradei has expressed his political views before and has taken a lax stance on the Iranian nuclear situation. In the past the US tried to have ElBaradei removed from the IAEA but was unsuccessful in making that happen. There could be several reasons for the IAEA to withhold evidence against Iran. One reason could be that the international community is simply afraid of confronting Iran and the potential backlash that could occur for doing so. Iran has in the past threatened to attack Western interests in the Middle East as well as block the strategic Straits of Hormuz should their nuclear program be attacked militarily. Another possible reason is that IAEA director ElBaradei is simply being a good "islamic" citizen and placing his allegience towards the islamic cause. As we know Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran have made significant strides in their nuclear programs under the watch of ElBaradei. It is my opinion that ElBaradei’s lax stance towards his job has made him a threat to the world as he will not perfrom his duties as IAEA director and strongly confront the rogue states who are trying to obtain nuclear weapons for evil purposes. ElBaradei it should be noted is an Egyptian who is married to an Iranian wife. To me, ElBaradei has a natural conflict of interest in the current situation with Iran and should be removed from his position. History has shown that ElBaradei is at best a failure at his duty and/or at worse an enabler for evil regimes around the world in their desire to obtain the ultimate weapons of mass destruction.

As we can see things continue to "boil" in the Middle East. The lid is about to fall off the pot from the tension in the region. With the diplomatic stalemate on the Iranian issue it is my opinion that eventually Israel will be forced to act. They are on the front lines of the "war on terror" and that includes not only the terrorist porxies on their borders but the main source of state sponsored terrorism – Iran.

Let us continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and that the Lord’s perfect plan for the redemption of mankind take place according to his perfect Will. The God of Israel, he neither sleeps nor slumbers, is surely not surprised by what is happening on the earth. Let that ease our minds and let us take refuge in the Lord. Let us continue to watch the situation in the Middle East and spread the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep looking up, your redemption is drawing nigh.

God bless.