‘Then Israel will know that he is the LORD their God’
Now also many nations have gathered against you,
Who say, “Let her be defiled,
And let our eye look upon Zion.”
But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord,
Nor do they understand His counsel;
For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
“Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion;
For I will make your horn iron,
And I will make your hooves bronze;
You shall beat in pieces many peoples;
I will consecrate their gain to the Lord,
And their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.” (Micah 4:11-14)
Thus says the Lord God: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God.” (Ezekiel 28:25-26)
On Gaza and Operation Protective Edge, the world is full of experts who know what Israel should do, what Israel can do, and how Israel should do it.
Pundits vie in their columns with strongly held opinions of what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is capable of and what he isn’t. Israeli and foreign journalists parse Bibi’s political proclivities – mostly through negatively biased eyes – (this the particular mien of the left) – and denigrate his leadership even if the way he behaves (showing restraint, winning international support) – earns some resentful recognition.
Solutions being sought; ceasefires being called for; tired old lines being rehashed – witness US Secretary of State John Kerry’s assertion earlier this week that the current hostilities only prove how essential it is to resurrect the peace process that was so recently declared dead in the water.
One ceasefire was accepted by Israel but violently spurned by Hamas.
A second, 10 year long ‘ceasefire’ was proposed by Hamas, but derisively ignored in Jerusalem.
At the time of writing, a third, five hour ‘humanitarian’ ceasefire will reportedly go into effect as at the UN’s request, Israel – which Ha’aretz defense analyst Amos Harel says “is being more careful about preventing civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip than the United States was in Iraq and Afghanistan” (July 16, 2014) – agrees to allow relief aid into Gaza.
Whatever sequence of events now plays out, the first ceasefire did not take. Time will tell whether that is good or bad, but the sense, instinctively, is that it is “better than bad.”
According to a poll carried out by Israel’s Channel Two television station on July 15, a clear majority of Israelis was against a ceasefire with Hamas Tuesday.
At the same time, reported Israel National News, “a majority of respondents were pessimistic about Operation Protective Edge bringing an end to the rocket fire from Gaza.”
Fully 92 percent believed that the operation would not end the rocket fire.
The same poll found that 53 percent were satisfied with Netanyahu’s leadership and performance in the operation.
“Results of the poll were made public as Netanyahu threatened a full ground invasion in the event that escalation from Gaza continues,” continued the report.
Late the following evening (July 16), according to an unnamed ‘high-ranking military official’ in the IDF quoted in both the New York Times and the Times of Israel, that ground incursion into Gaza was looking “very likely.”
“The military official said only ‘boots on the ground’ could eradicate terrorism from Gaza and indicated that Israel was even considering a long-term reoccupation of the coastal territory.”
“Every day that passes makes the possibility more evident,” the official said. “We can hurt them very hard from the air, but not get rid of them.”
When all has been said and done, Israel has four apparent choices (possibly more) with Gaza. None of them are rosy and none of them guarantee what Israel would term success.
The Jewish state can:
* Defer biting the bullet by continuing its hi-tech, pinpointed pounding from the air of the terrorists’ infrastructure in Gaza until Hamas is ready to accept a ceasefire. This will continue to somewhat degrade Hamas’ military capability, thereby securing southern Israel – all of Israel, actually – months or perhaps even a year or two of quiet on the Gaza front at least. (She can’t, however, relax her vigil of nuclear-pursuing Iran’s proxies to the north and northeast – this other gun to our head, fronts that could open at any time, especially as Israel is being left with no choice but to personally deal with the Iranian threat.) But Israel will know full well that it will need to return to square one to re-impose the calm from the air periodically, with more operations like Protective Edge and Pillar of Defense. And Israel will know that, between each ceasefire and subsequent outbreak of new hostilities, the enemy will be restocking and upgrading its weapons caches so that the future incursions will be even more painful for Israelis and more bloody for the Arabs, and will provoke more condemnations from an increasingly antisemitic and anti-Israel (it’s the same thing, of course) world. And eventually, taking this route, Israel will have to send in the army.
* Bite the bullet and send troops in now in an effort to deal a more effective and long lasting blow to the enemy’s capabilities, knowing that soldiers will be killed and wounded, and that the IDF will eventually have to withdraw under pressure, ceding the ground once again to Hamas et al, and rendering almost pointless the lost lives of those troops who paid the ultimate price for a temporary invasion and ‘clean up.’ This, then, will also take us back to square one.
* Bite a bigger bullet and invade to retake the entire Gaza Strip – an operation that IDF planners hold will take ‘just weeks’ – in the process losing soldiers, possibly quite a number of them, no matter how well trained and prepared for this the chief of staff believes them to be – then spending the ensuing months rooting out the Hamas and its sister terrorists (with more Israeli casualties), killing their leaders, imprisoning or expelling their members, blowing up their tunnels, destroying their rocket and other arms caches and then remaining there, returning Gaza’s Arabs to life under military administration in an effort to ensure the terror groups cannot proliferate in Gaza again. But then what?
* Bite the biggest bullet of all – one that will hurt terribly now but will be most likely to save Israeli lives and secure Israel’s future for the foreseeable future: pulverize Gaza from the air (I’m talking carpet bombing). Yes, using its ‘knocking on the ceiling’ approach to warn Gazans of the impending strikes, but then employing ‘Arab rules’ to send an uncompromising message to the ‘Palestinians’ and to the Arab world in general (and, by the way, to the rest of the international community) that the Jewish state will no longer play the nice guy with its enemies – even though it will be nicer than nice to those who choose to be its friends – that there is no future way to go along this road. This will lead to massive global condemnations of Israel (so what else is new?), trigger antisemitic outbreaks in diverse places (it’s already happening), boost the BDS movement (let them go ahead and make Israel’s day – this nation can surmount that type of blackmail) etc.
Following either of the last two options, Israel could extend its sovereignty over Judea, Samaria and Gaza, resettling Gush Katif, expelling all Arabs who refuse to swear an oath of allegiance to the Jewish state, and withholding automatic citizenship for those who stay – granting them permanent residency with the provision that the minute they do support any form of jihad against Israel they are out. The international outcry would be a tsunami. Israel would be dragged to The Hague.
As a friend says, “I can’t even remotely see this happening unless Israel is on the receiving end of something horrible that just pushes all her buttons…”
Slowly but surely Israel is being delegitimized; its operations in Gaza have brought it nearer to being turned into a pariah state (the way apartheid South Africa once was).
Then what? When, politically speaking, Israel no longer has any friends left in the world (more or less the case today), and with the pro-Israel Christian world pathetically ineffective in this arena, what will Israel then do?
Voices of reason are crying out that people are being killed. War is horrible. It is a fact. People are being killed and more will be killed.
Even Israeli super-dove and ‘crusader for peace’ President Shimon Peres had to acknowledge this. In an interview on July 15 published by the Associated Press, the about-to-retire Israeli president admitted that while the killing of civilians by air raids on Gaza presents a moral dilemma, scant alternative remains as long as the Islamic militants refuse to stop sustained rocket fire against Israel.
“There is a moral problem, but I don’t have a moral answer to it,” he lamented.
Where should the blame be laid for the deaths in Gaza this past two weeks since Operation Protective Edge?
Some, at least should be apportioned to those who insisted on a ceasefire to end Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012.
And where should the blame have been laid for the Gazans killed in that conflict?
Surely at least some of those who insisted prematurely on a ceasefire at the end of Operation Cast Lead in 2008 are responsible?
Likewise, as admirable as the motives may be of those insisting on imposing a ceasefire, they will not be able to disconnect their actions from the even greater number of casualties that will result when hostilities resume once more.
There are no easy answers to this reality. Assessed realistically, in this broken world in which we live, there are no manmade answers at all.
It’s been a long, long time coming but, in the not too distant future, Israel will arrive at a place where not even its renowned ingenuity will be able to generate the security solutions it needs.
The encouraging and hope-filled light in the midst of this dark scenario is that Israel’s dilemma is by Divine design.
According to the Word of God, the Jewish people have been restored to the land of Israel in order that God can reveal His greatness to them and, through them, to the rest of the nations of the world.
While there are increasingly few man-made answers to the political and military quandaries in which Israel finds herself, there are – there always have been – heavenly answers.
And Heaven’s ways are sure.
**********
Some links to Israelis perspectives on Gaza
My outline for a solution in Gaza
Why a ground invasion is imperative
BRAVO!! I wish all of America could hear your G-d sensitive, intelligent voice and heart. Biblically sound and journalistically on par with Bret Baer and Charles Krauthammer. Thinking of forwarding this to Fox News. The Lord bless you and keep you! Dorothy D
With Israeli resources and attention being focused on Gaza, a evil thought might come into the leadership of Iran to land a sucker punch when they are considered vulnerable. That would have major international repercussions and consequences and the world will be amazed at Israel’s success as God’s hand gives them protection. 2014 and 2015 might unfold in a way that is not seen as likely or expected. Expect the unexpected.
Stan, we were all amazed how God provided you -of all the guides- to explain to us how important Israel is to us Christians, and now our Brothers and Sister in the Lord are amazed how you were able to hold back the bombing of the Negev till we were save in Galilee. Taking us safely through Jerusalem and back to Tel Aviv and safely out of God’s Country.
We are praying for You and your Son and for all of Israel. May Shalom reign in Israel, in Europe and All the World, and most of all in the hearts of all made in the image of God.
Wayne & Anna Marie Helmuth
Stan, with what is happening now over there, I hope you and Franny and the children are alright. I don’t seem to have your correct email address anymore I use to even have your cell number from years ago but have lost it. Could you email me with the right one email address, and let me know you all are alright? What is happening there has me concerned for your safety. God bless you and God bless Israel. All of you are in my prayers and I pray for the peace of Israel.
Toda rabba, Stan, for your inside knowledge and your par excellence writing skills. May Master YHVH keep you, your family and all those whom you care for, out of harm’s way.
May the Set Apart Guardian of Israel, YHVH Zva’ot, protect Tsahal (Tsva haGana L’Israel) the Defensive Armies to Israel, as they move stealthily into the enemy’s strongholds in Gaza. We pray that those violent hot headed Islamic usurpers of Your land in Gaza make many blunders and errors and that You would show the IDF where their leaders are hiding. Rout them out of their tunnels and underground bunkers. Let not any escape. No weapon formed against Your chosen ones will prosper. I ask that any and all rockets, bombs, missiles, bullets or whatever Hamas uses to continue their wicked ways, will backfire. May all the evil those terrorists try to perpetrate on Israel go against themselves.
We pray also, Master YHVH Elohim, that You give Bibi plenty of backbone when he needs it to stand up to Barry Soetoro aka Obama Hussein when he threatens Bibi to withhold funds or ammo if Bibi doesn’t show restraint or stop the infiltration of Hamas strongholds. May Israel go in and finish the job this time with minimal casualties.
We ask that You, Adonai YHVH, Creator of the universe, Who knows the end from the beginning, comfort all of the friends and families of those innocent boys that were ruthlessly murdered a few weeks ago and that their blood will be remembered by You when You get Your retribution against these cowards that hide behind their own women and children and that vehemently hate Your people. We pray that You would comfort all of those soldiers that are injured in battle and comfort those friends and families that have loved ones in the battles. For all those soldiers that are scared, I pray that You give them strength in battle, courage to not be afraid, and more power than they ever knew existed. Let them know that You are leading them into battle with Your Strong Right Hand and that You also are their rear Guard. May they know that You are with them at all times like the Cloud by day and Pillar of Fire by night.
We also come together to ask that You, YHVH will protect Your chosen ones that are dwelling in the land that that You gave to the descendants of Avraham, Yitskhak, and Yaakov during this time of war, today, tomorrow, and forever. We ask a Hedge of Protection all around the borders of Aretz Yisrael. Above all, may Your will be done in Gaza, on the Golan Heights, in Shomron, in the Negev, in the Sinai, in Judea, in Your set apart city, Yerushalayim, and on Your set apart mountain in Tsiyon.
We ask diligently, fervently, and earnestly in the Name of Your Son, Yeshua haMashiakh.
May Your mercies endure forever.
Well parsed out and presented, Stan. Shalu Shalom Yerushalayim/Yisro’el… Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel. Psalm 122:6
On tunnels, after finding an opening, place a shaped blast aiming down (horozontal) the tunnel. Record the ground swell to trace the tunnel. Repeat the process at the end of the effective blast area. Eventually you will destroy all the tunnels and their tributaries.
Stan,all I can say is that my heart is in ISRAEL and the People,My heart ache’s for all Israel and the life they live everyday.And I totally agree with everything you said. Ye’SHUA said that Israel wouldn’t see HIM again until they Say ( BLESSED IS HE THAT COME’S IN THE NAME OF YA’HOVAH.My prayer is that i will be sooner than later
IS there anything else but remaining in prayer for Israel we as Pro-Israel Christians CAN do?
Time and again the Lord impresses upon me to “Be STILL and KNOW that I Am GOD’ … and yet … *sigh* … I think of Jonah and his trip to Nineveh and how God spared the city and her inhabitants because they repented before Him and probably (?) mended their ways.
I feel like crying out to Israel – to Bibi and his govt – to call a National Day of Prayer and Repentance and to seek His Face as to what decision to take — but there are so many, many dissenting voices and opinions even within Israel – – – and who am I to add my gentile, small voice to this chorus … ?
I know that us Pro-Israel Christians really, truly wish to do more … but WHAT, Stan?
You are a god fearing man and I appreciate youThe final goal of our Lord is for all mankind to be Holy and righteous and living in mansions1 (Jon 14:1-6)” The fear of the Lord is His treasure” when we fear the Lord,(Proverbs8:11, Proverbs 9:10, we own the whole universe as joint heirs with our Lord and savior, YHVH/Jesus (.Proverbs 8:13) “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, the evil way and the forward mouth” And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.
I am praying for the peace of Jerusalem and so thankfull Israel has BiBi, a wonderfull God fearing man leading them them with the wisdom of God.
Amen to previous commentors! We must continue to pray for G_d’s guidance of Israel’s leaders. Only by true complete submission to His way will there be blessed results. That probably remains to be hard military action but G_d has commanded that many times in Israel’s history. May our prayers be without ceasing; heard; answered and obeyed O’ LORD G_D ALMIGHTY ! Amen!
My vote is for the ‘carpet bombing’. Yes it is! There’s something that drives me completely crazy. Hamas, et al, has declared war on Israel. They have openly and brazenly declared war on Israel before the entire world. Yet, as you say Stan, few, if any, among the nations/peoples of the world stand with Israel. (How I thank God for Prime Minister Harper and John Baird! May the God of Israel bless them with great blessing!) How can this be? All are under the delusion of the one they follow – the evil one. (The one soon to openly and brazenly make himself known. He is the anti-Messiah, the anti-Christ. Woe to those who have already given their allegiance to him!) Should , for example, Canada declare war on America sending hundreds of bombs across the border, Obama — no holds barred, would bomb the living daylights out of his northern ‘neighbor’. He wouldn’t give two hoots about ‘civilian casualties’. He wouldn’t bat an eye or give it a second thought. And the world would praise him. How then is it possible that the world can turn a blind eye, a deaf ear and a hardened heart in the face of open war declared on Israel?? I know it ‘has been written thus’, but, it drives me crazy. I find myself yelling at the news anchors as they so wickedly destroy truth and put forth their evil lies, lies spun so that the ignorant masses lap up their vomit. Yes, even those sitting in western church pews lap up their vomit, and shed pathetic tears for the ‘poor Palestinians’, while fomenting hatred in their hearts for God’s Beloved, Israel. Woe to them, for Almighty God – the God who has a Name (and it is NOT Allah!) this God, the Holy One of Israel says, “I will vomit them out of my mouth”. There is a day coming, and it is drawing very near, when the King will return to Zion. May that day soon be upon us! And then the world will know. And then the world will see. And then the world will bow their knee before the LORD of the whole earth. Not willingly. But they WILL bow their knee! On That Day, they will acknowledge that Israel/Jerusalem is the Place where YHVH has placed His Name, and that He has a People who, indeed, are the apple of His eye. They are Israel, His Chosen! And so, all Israel shall be saved! Hallelujah!
But until that day, may the God of the Armies of Heaven – the LORD of Hosts is His Name – may this God fight Israel’s battles for her, with overwhelming might and victory! Abba, go forth before the armies of Israel! Be cloud and fire to them as they go. May your wings cover them. Fill their hearts and minds with Your shalom – a shalom that is beyond all earthly imagination. Be their Strength. Be their Fortress. Be their Strong Tower. Be their Shield and Buckler. Be their All in All. Grant them supernatural wisdom, discernment and the courage of David! As You lead them into battle, make the sound of Your shofar go forth, that the powers of darkness be shaken, the enemy be routed, and the Land be taken once again, as in days of old! Show your power oh LORD! Show your might before the face of the whole earth! Cause Satan to tremble before you! And may Your Name be lifted on high!
Be with the brave young men and women of the IDF. Reveal yourself to them, and reveal your Messiah, Yeshua, to them as they go forth. For is He not the Arm of the LORD that goes before them? Make yourself known to them, Yeshua! And make those who do know you already, to be great lights among their fellow soldiers.
Raise up Joseph. Make him an unmistakable light of the Presence of Yeshua to all around him. May he be an unwavering witness for You. Grant him much courage, and protect him always. May he be called great in the Kingdom of your Son! And may he be called great among the armies of Israel! May your hand of blessing rest upon him in all his ways. And may he always be used for Your great glory!
Abba, be with Bibi. He needs you. He stands alone, as it were, before the open and vile hatred of the enemy, as the kings of the earth surround him. He stands alone before the powers of darkness that have vowed to ‘wipe Israel off the map’. Declare through Bibi that Israel will never be wiped off the map! Declare through him that kings and nations will be wiped off the map, but never Israel! Strengthen him. Encourage him. Impart to him great wisdom from on high. May the loud and railing voice of the enemy – the voice of hatred, of evil, of chaos/Hamas – be shut out by that still small voice of your Ruach haKodesh. Reveal to him that when the enemy comes in like a flood, there is a secret place for him to go, to abide in Your Presence. It is beneath the shadow of Your wings. May he find refreshing there. Solace and comfort in his time of need. There, beneath the shadow of Your wings, may he find great resolve to fight this battle to which you have called him. You have raised him up for such a time as this. Grant, in Your mercy and grace, that he will not falter. Make him as immovable as You have said You will make Jerusalem on That Day. Cause a great and mighty battle cry to come forth from his lips, and grant him the unshakable knowledge that it is You who leads him into battle, on behalf of Your People and Your Land. Grant him the faith to know that victory awaits, if only he puts his trust in You. Grant such a great victory, that the world will know that indeed, there is a God in Israel! Amen. And Amen! May it be so!
Yet again, Stan, another well-framed and thought-provoking article….which more than clerarly describes Israel’s delima. I, for one, am praying that YHWH will guide Bibi’s actions , and Israel will once again hold ownership over her OWN land in Gaza….but, His will be done!
Thank you, Stan……
I agree with all you say, Almighty G-d’s word is being fulfilled. G-d bless Israel forever. Shalom
Instead of the knock on the roof with a blast, use the new “skunk” anti protest weapon. People move out we bomb.
I’M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE ISRAEL
PRAYING GOD WITH BRING PEACE IN FAVOR OF ISRAEL , SO THEY WILL KNOW THEY ARE HIS BLESSED PEOPLE,
May God forgive us for being so ineffectual in ourselves and give His strength to Israel to overcome all things, to turn to the Lord and welcome His Messiah Jesus. In the meanwhile I will continue to pray and preach the will of God for Israel in her own land.
The heavenly answer to all the earth is experiencing in turmoil and chaos – JESUS CHRIST is Coming Soon! He cannot come unless the darkest times of mankind has no answers to true peace. Remember, Christ is the Prince of Peace, the only way to Father in heaven.