JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
On Independence Day, feel free to choose your celebration-Smashed burgers, a chocolatey porter, Israeli flicks and freebies are just some of the ways to avoid the silly string and inflatable hammers-By Jessica Steinberg May 1, 2017, 10:29 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
As Israel’s Memorial Day comes to a close, the country switches gears in order to celebrate Independence Day, a 24-hour period of fireworks and barbecues, picnics and sing-a-longs, kids armed with cans of “snow” foam and inflatable Israeli-flag hammers.We’ve got a few ideas for how to celebrate Israel’s 69th, and it doesn’t have to be with a grilled side of cow, pita and hummus. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, either. 1) For starters, a diverse selection of local museums are free or offering heavily discounted entry to spend part of the day perusing art, science and innovation. Jerusalem’s Israel Museum is free on Tuesday, May 2, while the city’s Bloomfield Museum of Science has NIS 10 tickets and a dance performance as well.There are plays and performances at many of Jerusalem’s theaters and performance spaces on Tuesday, including the Koom Koom Theater, Yellow Submarine, Incubator Theater, Beit Mazia, Tower of David Museum and First Station. See the municipality website for a full listing of events.There is free entry at Haifa’s National Maritime Museum, Hermann Struck, and The City museums on Tuesday. In Tel Aviv, check out the block party on Tuesday morning on Rothschild Boulevard, and the Eretz Israel Museum is offering free entry for kids up to age 18. On Tuesday night, there is Israeli folkdancing in Tel Aviv’s Ganei Yehoshua, from 6:30 p.m until 9:30 p.m. 2) Don’t feel like joining the hordes of people heading outdoors? Head indoors instead, for an Israeli film fest of your own.“Rooms of the House” is Eitan Green’s new film, about Avram, a Jerusalem building contractor, a regular Joe, who tries to move forward in his life, but encounters disaster instead. It’s a film that delves deeply into Israeli life through the prism of one man and his family. Showing at Lev movie theaters throughout the country.Another option is the Solidarity and Human Rights film festival, marking 50 years of the Israeli occupation, being held at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque right after Independence Day, from May 4 though May 9, with more than 20 Israeli and international films shown on the big screen. 3) If you are going to grill, you’ll need a good burger recipe. Opinion is often divided on what makes a great burger. Purists are certain the chopped meat needs only a simple shake each of salt and pepper, possibly a sprinkling of grated onion, and then refraining from pressing it down while on the grill.But if you like to experiment, you’ll want the so-called ‘smash burger,’ a simple mixture of ground beef sprinkled with salt — that can be mixed with some ground steak, if you’re so inclined — and then divided into portions, but not formed into patties. Place each portion on the griddle and smash it flat with a spatula, forming craggy edges, and seasoned liberally with salt. Cook until the outer edges are brown, about two minutes. Flip ’em, season again with salt, and cook until medium-rare. 4) If you are planning a barbecue, or heading to one, here’s a gift for that special guy behind the grill; a Swiss army knife, but in blue-and-white, rather than the usual red-and-white. It is being sold by the Gentleman chain of stores, which also has lighters decorated with uniquely Israeli images, as well as elaborate backgammon sets, portable speakers for blaring your choice of music wherever you cop your picnic spot, and barbecue tools for the grillmasters. 5) Don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated with all this activity. You could mix some Tubi 60 cocktails, using the Israeli-made spirit of 60 different herbs and fruits that some contend is too strong, but others appreciate for its lemony flavor.There’s also a host of Israeli microbrews that would be perfect for an Independence Day Barbecue. Doug Greener from the Israel Brews and Views Blog recently recommended the chocolatey Dictator Porter from the Beer Bazaar Brewery in Kiryat Gat, with a caricature of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin on the label. On this day of Israeli independence, perhaps there’s no better beer to drink, given the 1903 British offer of a portion of Uganda for a Jewish homeland. It’s a good thing Theodor Herzl turned them down.Happy 69th.
With grills and F-35 thrills, Israel marks 69 years of independence-Flyover of new fighter jets expected to be highlight of day as country celebrates holiday with barbecues, parties and more-By Times of Israel staff May 2, 2017, 10:17 am
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis flocked to beaches and parks, lighting grills, waving flags and craning their necks for a first glimpse of Israel’s newest fighter jets to mark the country’s 69th Independence Day Tuesday.After a night of fireworks, concerts, parties and an emotional crossover from Memorial Day to Independence Day, most across the country were spending the day celebrating.A highlight of the day was expected to be the cross-country flyover of military jets and helicopters, including the first-ever public appearance of F-35 jets, considered the most advanced plane in the world, newly acquired from the US.The jets were expected to fly past Beersheba at 11:26 a.m., the Tel Nof air base at 11:44 a.m., Jerusalem at 11:50 a.m., the Ramat David air base at 12:03 p.m., Haifa at 12:23 p.m. and Tel Aviv at 12:33 p.m., before returning to base.More flyovers and airshows with other planes were also planned for throughout the country.(A detailed timetable can be found below)-Celebrations in Jerusalem kicked off Tuesday morning at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, where President Reuven Rivlin hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot and others for a musical ceremony honoring 121 soldiers receiving commendations for excellence.“Jerusalem for me is everything… it is a microcosm… where we are tested on whether we can live together in peace,” Rivlin said at the ceremony, praising his native city, which will celebrate 50 years of unification later this month.The annual Bible Quiz competition finals were slated to take place after the ceremony.Masses were visiting national parks and museums throughout the day, most of which throw open their gates for free, as well as IDF displays of jeeps, tanks and other equipment at bases throughout the country.On Monday night, mournful and somber speeches gave way to joyful celebrations, with flags promptly raised back from half-staff.At the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, the transition was marked with an extravagant state ceremony featuring a speech from Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein, the lighting of torches by 12 people who are seen to have made an outstanding contribution to society, and much singing and dancing.The juxtaposition of the two days is a key element of Israelis’ experience of national independence, ensuring that no commemoration completely excludes the achievement wrought by the sacrifice of the fallen and their families, and that the elation of independence is never far removed from an awareness of its cost.The sudden switch is often seen as a difficult transition for bereaved families.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recorded a short video that was screened at the start of the ceremony.“For thousands of years we dreamed of having our own flag, an army to watch over us and a state of our own,” he said. “Israel has never been so strong. What a tremendous change in the destiny of our nation… Who would have believed?”The prime minister also posted an English-language message on his social media accounts.Rivlin earlier released an Independence Day statement, praising the country, but also saying it needed continual work to uphold Israel’s values.“We will continue to look deep inside ourselves to solve the problems and turn challenges into opportunities. We will continue to uphold our values, which guide us on this path,” he said. “On this day, on our Independence Day, let us all work to be sure that our national home is a home that looks after the weak, and cares for all its sons and daughters. This is the duty of our leaders, but it is also the duty of each and every one of us.”
Rivlin: Independence Day is a celebration for Jews everywhere-In English-language greeting, president calls on Jews to work so ‘our national home is a home that looks after the weak’-By JTA May 1, 2017, 10:09 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
President Reuven Rivlin released an Israel Independence Day greeting in English in which he called it “the Independence Day of all the Jewish people.”“Sixty-nine years ago, in the moments just after David Ben-Gurion declared the birth of the State of Israel, we all went out to dance in the streets. We celebrated a hope which came true: to be a free people in our land, in Jerusalem,” Rivlin said.“My generation, who dreamed to see an Israeli pilot fly above them, got to see Israeli satellites circle the globe. Our young state, in a difficult neighborhood has become a center of learning and doing. The nation that wandered for hundreds of years looking for shelter, has built universities and yeshivot.”Rivlin noted that Israelis will “continue to look deep inside ourselves to solve all the problems and turn challenges into opportunities.” He added: “On this day, on our Independence Day, let us all work to be sure that our national home is a home that looks after the weak, and cares for its sons and daughters. This is the duty of our leaders, but it is also the duty of each and every one of us.”On behalf of all Israelis, Rivlin thanked Jews around the world who “give so much to help Israel and Israeli society grow.”“This is your celebration, too,” he said.Israel Independence Day starts at 8 p.m. Monday. On Tuesday, Rivlin and his wife will host a ceremony at the president’s residence in Jerusalem awarding the Medal of Excellence to 121 outstanding soldiers and officers of the Israel Defense Forces, as well as a reception for ambassadors to Israel and other members of the diplomatic corps.
Blaming ‘mercurial’ Trump, UK lawmakers urge Palestine rethink-House of Lords panel says US no longer a leader in region, calls for recognition of Palestine if Washington makes two-state solution impossible-By Times of Israel staff May 2, 2017, 7:05 am
The United Kingdom can no longer rely on the US as a global leader in the region and should seriously consider recognition of a Palestinian state, a UK parliamentary committee said Monday, urging a rethink of London’s policies toward the Middle East.A major report by the House of Lords International Relations Committee pointed a finger at US President Donald Trump, saying his moves could further inflame the volatile region.“The mercurial and unpredictable nature of policymaking by President (Donald) Trump has made it challenging for the UK government to influence US foreign policy so far, a challenge that is not likely to ease,” the report stated.“The new US administration has the potential to destabilize further the region… The US president has taken positions that are unconstructive and could even escalate conflict.”Committee chairman David Howell said in light of Trump’s unpredictability in dealing with Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other challenges, “We can no longer assume America will set the tone for the West’s relationship with the Middle East.”He added that: “In a world less automatically dominated by the US underpinning security in the region, it is no longer right to have a stance at every stage of ‘if we just get on with the US everything will be alright.’”The committee warned that “the Israeli-Palestinian dispute is on the verge of moving into a phase where the two-state solution becomes an impossibility…In the absence of US leadership, it is time for the Europeans to play a more active role.”It added that if Israel “continues to reduce the possibilities of a two-state solution, the UK should be ready to support (Security Council) resolutions condemning those actions in no uncertain terms.“The Government should give serious consideration to now recognizing Palestine as a state, as the best way to show its determined attachment to the two-state solution.”Trump will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday for their first face-to-face talks.Abbas makes the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, but hoping Trump can pressure Israel into concessions he believes are necessary to salvage a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.PA officials have seen the Israeli-Palestinian conflict overshadowed by global concerns such as the Syrian war and the Islamic State terror group, and want Trump’s White House to bring it back to the forefront.“Palestinians are hoping that Trump’s unpredictability might play in their favor,” one Jerusalem-based European official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “They are going to be very disappointed. They can’t be sure of anything.”Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is ready to resume peace talks without preconditions, but accuses Abbas of inciting hostility and terrorism against Israel, and of encouraging terrorists by paying salaries to them and their families.“Terrorists attack innocent people, Jews and non-Jews, in Israel and abroad,” Netanyahu said on Monday. “These awful terrorists get a monthly wage from the Palestinian Authority,” he continued. “The more you kill, the more you get.”The PA spends $350 million a year paying wages to terrorists imprisoned in Israel or the families of terrorists killed during their attacks, the prime minister said. Over the past few years, it has spent some $1 billion on those payments. “Think what could have been done with a billion dollars,” Netanyahu said. “How can you talk about peace when you at the same time fund murderers who murdered Israelis?”The prime minister called on the PA to abolish the laws that require the funding of terrorists and their families. “Fund peace,” he implored.Much like the US, London has sent mixed signals regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since Prime Minister Theresa May took over the government last year.In December, the UK supported a UN Security Council resolution condemning settlement activity as illegal, apparently drafted with the help of British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson.Days later, London refused to endorse a closing statement at a Paris peace conference, and May attacked outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry for his focus on the settlement issue.However, May insisted in a meeting with Netanyahu in February that the UK is committed to the two-state solution.Trump had appeared ready to back away from the US commitment to the two-state solution when he met Netanyahu in February.He said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting many Israeli right-wingers who want to see their country annex most of the West Bank. Trump also vowed to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a prospect that alarmed Palestinians but which has been put on the back burner for now.At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and the international community, who view settlements as an impediment to the eventual creation of a Palestinian state-One of Trump’s top advisers, Jason Greenblatt, held wide-ranging talks with both Israelis and Palestinians during a visit in March.Trump has spoken of reviving the idea of a regional peace initiative, pulling in countries such as Egypt and Jordan, the only two Arab nations to have signed peace treaties with Israel.Both Abbas and Trump have recently met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Jordanian King Abdullah II.After meeting Abbas on Saturday, Sissi urged Washington to help restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.Agencies contributed to this report.
Document reserves the right to wage 'resistance and jihad for the liberation of Palestine'-New Hamas program softens language, retains goal of eliminating Israel-Policy document, rejected by Israel as a bid to ‘fool the world,’ calls for the ‘complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea’-By Agencies, Raphael Ahren and Dov Lieber May 1, 2017, 9:51 pm
In a bid to improve its flagging international standing, the Palestinian terror group Hamas unveiled Monday a new policy document that presents softened language on Israel while still calling for its destruction.The document accepts the idea of a Palestinian state in territories occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967 but dismisses the establishment of the State of Israel as “illegal,” asserting a Palestinian claim to the entire land of Israel, and a right of return for all descendants of refugees.Israel dismissed the new document as an attempt to “fool the world.”The five-page program, a result of four years of internal deliberations, was presented at a news conference in Doha, Qatar, by Khaled Mashaal, the outgoing Hamas leader in exile. The group has said Mashaal’s replacement is to be named later this month, after the completion of secret leadership elections.“Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea,” the document states. “However, without compromising its rejection of the Zionist entity and without relinquishing any Palestinian rights, Hamas considers the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital along the lines of the 4th of June 1967, with the return of the refugees and the displaced to their homes from which they were expelled, to be a formula of national consensus.”“We wanted to present a document that truly reflects Hamas’s ideology and consensus and to present it to our supporters… and the international community,” Mashaal said.The document declares “the Balfour Declaration, the British Mandate Document, the UN Palestine Partition Resolution, and whatever resolutions and measures that derive from them or are similar to them” to be “null and void.”The paper, unlike the group’s founding charter, which is rife with anti-Semitic language, also says Hamas’s struggle is not against Jews per se but against Israel as an occupier.“Hamas affirms that its conflict is with the Zionist project not with the Jews because of their religion,” it says. “Hamas does not wage a struggle against the Jews because they are Jewish but wages a struggle against the Zionists who occupy Palestine. Yet, it is the Zionists who constantly identify Judaism and the Jews with their own colonial project and illegal entity.”The document adds, “Hamas is of the view that the Jewish problem, anti-Semitism and the persecution of the Jews are phenomena fundamentally linked to European history and not to the history of the Arabs and the Muslims or to their heritage.”Hamas officials said the document, which reserves the right to wage “resistance and jihad for the liberation of Palestine,” in no way amounts to recognition of Israel.The group, which controls the Gaza Strip, remains deeply divided from Fatah, the more moderate party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, based in the West Bank.Hours before Hamas presented the new charter, Israel preempted it to say that while the group may be seeking to put on a friendlier face, it still practices genocidal policies.“When Hamas stops building tunnels and spends its resources on civilian infrastructure and ceases educating toward killing Israelis — that will be true change. But that hasn’t happened,” a statement issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.“Hamas is attempting to fool the world, but it will not succeed,” David Keyes, a spokesperson for Netanyahu, told The Times of Israel.“Daily, Hamas leaders call for genocide of all Jews and the destruction of Israel,” he added. “They dig terror tunnels and have launched thousands upon thousands of missiles at Israeli civilians. Schools and mosques run by Hamas teach children that Jews are apes and pigs. This is the real Hamas.”The new platform, which was posted online in English, was presented at a time of escalating tensions between Hamas and Fatah. Hamas drove out forces loyal to Abbas in its 2007 takeover of Gaza, a year after defeating Fatah in Palestinian parliament elections. Reconciliation efforts have failed.In recent weeks, Abbas has threatened to exert financial pressure, including cutting wage payments and aid to Gaza, as a way of forcing Hamas to cede ground. Leaders of the group have vowed they will not budge.The war of words with Hamas was seen as an attempt by Abbas to position himself as a leader of all Palestinians ahead of his first meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday. The president has said he would try to broker Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on a peace deal, despite repeated failures over the past two decades.In the past, Hamas has sharply criticized Abbas’s political program, which rests on setting up a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in the 1967 Six Day War.In its 1987 founding charter, Hamas called for setting up an Islamic state in historic Palestine, or the territory between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River, which also includes Israel.With the new manifesto, Hamas also rebrands itself as an Islamic national movement, rather than as a branch of the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood, which has been outlawed by Egypt. It’s not clear if the changes will be enough to improve relations with Egypt, which along with Israel has been enforcing a crippling border blockade against the Gaza Strip, officially in order to prevent the smuggling of weapons. Hamas has also been shunned by the West, which has set recognition of Israel and renunciation of violence as a condition for ties.Mashaal is to step down as Hamas leader later this month. Two possible contenders for the No. 1 spot are Moussa Abu Marzouk, a former Hamas leader, and Ismail Haniyeh, a former top Hamas official in Gaza.The Mashaal announcement was initially scheduled for 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) Monday, but was delayed after a Doha hotel withdrew consent at the last minute to host the Hamas news conference. Hamas scrambled to find a new venue.Associated Press reporter Fares Akram, the agency’s Gaza correspondent, said on Twitter that the Intercontinental Hotel canceled the event for fear of US Treasury Department sanctions.The press conference was also broadcast live in the Gaza Strip.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Hezbollah nearly bankrupt, but Nasrallah awash in cash — report-German daily says military involvement in Syria and US sanctions have forced terror group to increasingly rely on illicit schemes to raise money-By Times of Israel staff May 2, 2017, 11:28 am
The Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah is reportedly on the verge of bankruptcy as a result of its large outlays on fighting in Syria and from the increasing squeeze of US sanctions on its revenue streams, though top members continue to pad their own wallets.According to a report Friday in the German daily Die Welt, Hezbollah’s increasing financial difficulties have led the group to increasingly rely on a number illicit schemes to earn money, including money laundering, drug trafficking and counterfeiting, as well as through its substantial property holdings.Despite $1 billion in aid that Israeli security officials estimate Hezbollah receives each year from its patron Iran, which is said to cover some 70 percent of the group’s annual finances, the increasing financial toll from its military involvement in Syria and lack of additional assistance from Tehran has forced the group to resort to extorting not only its “donors” in the country, but also Lebanese expatriates in Africa, South America, Europe and the United States, according to the report.The blackmail has reportedly led to discontent within the Shiite group’s ranks and among its supporters, as Lebanese Shiites in the country have been forced into selling their assets and property in order to prop up Hezbollah and fund its operations.In areas in southern and eastern Lebanon under its control, Hezbollah has also begun collecting tariffs on goods at border crossings with Syria in place of the Lebanese government, according to Die Welt.While the fighting in Syria has greatly strained the group’s finances, the imposition of US sanctions last year on Lebanese banks that do business with the terror group is also said to have taken a toll, as Shiite businessmen in Lebanon have become increasingly reluctant to work with Hezbollah out of fear of American reprisal.“Hezbollah has had to cast a wide net because most Lebanese banks have not wanted to do business with them,” a congressional expert on the legislation told AFP in 2015.Despite its monetary troubles, Hezbollah has not cut funding for the extensive social programs it provides to large segments of Lebanon’s Shiite community or the payments it provides to the families of dead and injured fighters so as not to risk alienating the group’s support base.Die Welt also reported that members of the terror group’s leadership have used Hezbollah funds for their own enrichment despite its dire fiscal situation, including the son of the organization’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, who is said to have taken money to fund a chain of coffee houses in Beirut.In addition, Nasrallah himself is said to be worth some $250 million, according to Die Welt.In a speech last year, Nasrallah brushed off reports that the group was in dire financial straits, saying that money was continuing to pour in from Tehran.“We are open about the fact that Hezbollah’s budget, its income, its expenses, everything it eats and drinks, its weapons and rockets, are from the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said in June.Iran was instrumental in Hezbollah’s inception three decades ago and has provided financial and military support to the group.“As long as Iran has money, we have money… Just as we receive the rockets that we use to threaten Israel, we are receiving our money. No law will prevent us from receiving it,” Nasrallah added.AFP contributed to this report
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
On Independence Day, feel free to choose your celebration-Smashed burgers, a chocolatey porter, Israeli flicks and freebies are just some of the ways to avoid the silly string and inflatable hammers-By Jessica Steinberg May 1, 2017, 10:29 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
As Israel’s Memorial Day comes to a close, the country switches gears in order to celebrate Independence Day, a 24-hour period of fireworks and barbecues, picnics and sing-a-longs, kids armed with cans of “snow” foam and inflatable Israeli-flag hammers.We’ve got a few ideas for how to celebrate Israel’s 69th, and it doesn’t have to be with a grilled side of cow, pita and hummus. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, either. 1) For starters, a diverse selection of local museums are free or offering heavily discounted entry to spend part of the day perusing art, science and innovation. Jerusalem’s Israel Museum is free on Tuesday, May 2, while the city’s Bloomfield Museum of Science has NIS 10 tickets and a dance performance as well.There are plays and performances at many of Jerusalem’s theaters and performance spaces on Tuesday, including the Koom Koom Theater, Yellow Submarine, Incubator Theater, Beit Mazia, Tower of David Museum and First Station. See the municipality website for a full listing of events.There is free entry at Haifa’s National Maritime Museum, Hermann Struck, and The City museums on Tuesday. In Tel Aviv, check out the block party on Tuesday morning on Rothschild Boulevard, and the Eretz Israel Museum is offering free entry for kids up to age 18. On Tuesday night, there is Israeli folkdancing in Tel Aviv’s Ganei Yehoshua, from 6:30 p.m until 9:30 p.m. 2) Don’t feel like joining the hordes of people heading outdoors? Head indoors instead, for an Israeli film fest of your own.“Rooms of the House” is Eitan Green’s new film, about Avram, a Jerusalem building contractor, a regular Joe, who tries to move forward in his life, but encounters disaster instead. It’s a film that delves deeply into Israeli life through the prism of one man and his family. Showing at Lev movie theaters throughout the country.Another option is the Solidarity and Human Rights film festival, marking 50 years of the Israeli occupation, being held at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque right after Independence Day, from May 4 though May 9, with more than 20 Israeli and international films shown on the big screen. 3) If you are going to grill, you’ll need a good burger recipe. Opinion is often divided on what makes a great burger. Purists are certain the chopped meat needs only a simple shake each of salt and pepper, possibly a sprinkling of grated onion, and then refraining from pressing it down while on the grill.But if you like to experiment, you’ll want the so-called ‘smash burger,’ a simple mixture of ground beef sprinkled with salt — that can be mixed with some ground steak, if you’re so inclined — and then divided into portions, but not formed into patties. Place each portion on the griddle and smash it flat with a spatula, forming craggy edges, and seasoned liberally with salt. Cook until the outer edges are brown, about two minutes. Flip ’em, season again with salt, and cook until medium-rare. 4) If you are planning a barbecue, or heading to one, here’s a gift for that special guy behind the grill; a Swiss army knife, but in blue-and-white, rather than the usual red-and-white. It is being sold by the Gentleman chain of stores, which also has lighters decorated with uniquely Israeli images, as well as elaborate backgammon sets, portable speakers for blaring your choice of music wherever you cop your picnic spot, and barbecue tools for the grillmasters. 5) Don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated with all this activity. You could mix some Tubi 60 cocktails, using the Israeli-made spirit of 60 different herbs and fruits that some contend is too strong, but others appreciate for its lemony flavor.There’s also a host of Israeli microbrews that would be perfect for an Independence Day Barbecue. Doug Greener from the Israel Brews and Views Blog recently recommended the chocolatey Dictator Porter from the Beer Bazaar Brewery in Kiryat Gat, with a caricature of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin on the label. On this day of Israeli independence, perhaps there’s no better beer to drink, given the 1903 British offer of a portion of Uganda for a Jewish homeland. It’s a good thing Theodor Herzl turned them down.Happy 69th.
With grills and F-35 thrills, Israel marks 69 years of independence-Flyover of new fighter jets expected to be highlight of day as country celebrates holiday with barbecues, parties and more-By Times of Israel staff May 2, 2017, 10:17 am
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis flocked to beaches and parks, lighting grills, waving flags and craning their necks for a first glimpse of Israel’s newest fighter jets to mark the country’s 69th Independence Day Tuesday.After a night of fireworks, concerts, parties and an emotional crossover from Memorial Day to Independence Day, most across the country were spending the day celebrating.A highlight of the day was expected to be the cross-country flyover of military jets and helicopters, including the first-ever public appearance of F-35 jets, considered the most advanced plane in the world, newly acquired from the US.The jets were expected to fly past Beersheba at 11:26 a.m., the Tel Nof air base at 11:44 a.m., Jerusalem at 11:50 a.m., the Ramat David air base at 12:03 p.m., Haifa at 12:23 p.m. and Tel Aviv at 12:33 p.m., before returning to base.More flyovers and airshows with other planes were also planned for throughout the country.(A detailed timetable can be found below)-Celebrations in Jerusalem kicked off Tuesday morning at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, where President Reuven Rivlin hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot and others for a musical ceremony honoring 121 soldiers receiving commendations for excellence.“Jerusalem for me is everything… it is a microcosm… where we are tested on whether we can live together in peace,” Rivlin said at the ceremony, praising his native city, which will celebrate 50 years of unification later this month.The annual Bible Quiz competition finals were slated to take place after the ceremony.Masses were visiting national parks and museums throughout the day, most of which throw open their gates for free, as well as IDF displays of jeeps, tanks and other equipment at bases throughout the country.On Monday night, mournful and somber speeches gave way to joyful celebrations, with flags promptly raised back from half-staff.At the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, the transition was marked with an extravagant state ceremony featuring a speech from Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein, the lighting of torches by 12 people who are seen to have made an outstanding contribution to society, and much singing and dancing.The juxtaposition of the two days is a key element of Israelis’ experience of national independence, ensuring that no commemoration completely excludes the achievement wrought by the sacrifice of the fallen and their families, and that the elation of independence is never far removed from an awareness of its cost.The sudden switch is often seen as a difficult transition for bereaved families.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recorded a short video that was screened at the start of the ceremony.“For thousands of years we dreamed of having our own flag, an army to watch over us and a state of our own,” he said. “Israel has never been so strong. What a tremendous change in the destiny of our nation… Who would have believed?”The prime minister also posted an English-language message on his social media accounts.Rivlin earlier released an Independence Day statement, praising the country, but also saying it needed continual work to uphold Israel’s values.“We will continue to look deep inside ourselves to solve the problems and turn challenges into opportunities. We will continue to uphold our values, which guide us on this path,” he said. “On this day, on our Independence Day, let us all work to be sure that our national home is a home that looks after the weak, and cares for all its sons and daughters. This is the duty of our leaders, but it is also the duty of each and every one of us.”
Rivlin: Independence Day is a celebration for Jews everywhere-In English-language greeting, president calls on Jews to work so ‘our national home is a home that looks after the weak’-By JTA May 1, 2017, 10:09 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
President Reuven Rivlin released an Israel Independence Day greeting in English in which he called it “the Independence Day of all the Jewish people.”“Sixty-nine years ago, in the moments just after David Ben-Gurion declared the birth of the State of Israel, we all went out to dance in the streets. We celebrated a hope which came true: to be a free people in our land, in Jerusalem,” Rivlin said.“My generation, who dreamed to see an Israeli pilot fly above them, got to see Israeli satellites circle the globe. Our young state, in a difficult neighborhood has become a center of learning and doing. The nation that wandered for hundreds of years looking for shelter, has built universities and yeshivot.”Rivlin noted that Israelis will “continue to look deep inside ourselves to solve all the problems and turn challenges into opportunities.” He added: “On this day, on our Independence Day, let us all work to be sure that our national home is a home that looks after the weak, and cares for its sons and daughters. This is the duty of our leaders, but it is also the duty of each and every one of us.”On behalf of all Israelis, Rivlin thanked Jews around the world who “give so much to help Israel and Israeli society grow.”“This is your celebration, too,” he said.Israel Independence Day starts at 8 p.m. Monday. On Tuesday, Rivlin and his wife will host a ceremony at the president’s residence in Jerusalem awarding the Medal of Excellence to 121 outstanding soldiers and officers of the Israel Defense Forces, as well as a reception for ambassadors to Israel and other members of the diplomatic corps.
Blaming ‘mercurial’ Trump, UK lawmakers urge Palestine rethink-House of Lords panel says US no longer a leader in region, calls for recognition of Palestine if Washington makes two-state solution impossible-By Times of Israel staff May 2, 2017, 7:05 am
The United Kingdom can no longer rely on the US as a global leader in the region and should seriously consider recognition of a Palestinian state, a UK parliamentary committee said Monday, urging a rethink of London’s policies toward the Middle East.A major report by the House of Lords International Relations Committee pointed a finger at US President Donald Trump, saying his moves could further inflame the volatile region.“The mercurial and unpredictable nature of policymaking by President (Donald) Trump has made it challenging for the UK government to influence US foreign policy so far, a challenge that is not likely to ease,” the report stated.“The new US administration has the potential to destabilize further the region… The US president has taken positions that are unconstructive and could even escalate conflict.”Committee chairman David Howell said in light of Trump’s unpredictability in dealing with Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other challenges, “We can no longer assume America will set the tone for the West’s relationship with the Middle East.”He added that: “In a world less automatically dominated by the US underpinning security in the region, it is no longer right to have a stance at every stage of ‘if we just get on with the US everything will be alright.’”The committee warned that “the Israeli-Palestinian dispute is on the verge of moving into a phase where the two-state solution becomes an impossibility…In the absence of US leadership, it is time for the Europeans to play a more active role.”It added that if Israel “continues to reduce the possibilities of a two-state solution, the UK should be ready to support (Security Council) resolutions condemning those actions in no uncertain terms.“The Government should give serious consideration to now recognizing Palestine as a state, as the best way to show its determined attachment to the two-state solution.”Trump will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday for their first face-to-face talks.Abbas makes the trip to Washington while politically unpopular back home, but hoping Trump can pressure Israel into concessions he believes are necessary to salvage a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.PA officials have seen the Israeli-Palestinian conflict overshadowed by global concerns such as the Syrian war and the Islamic State terror group, and want Trump’s White House to bring it back to the forefront.“Palestinians are hoping that Trump’s unpredictability might play in their favor,” one Jerusalem-based European official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “They are going to be very disappointed. They can’t be sure of anything.”Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is ready to resume peace talks without preconditions, but accuses Abbas of inciting hostility and terrorism against Israel, and of encouraging terrorists by paying salaries to them and their families.“Terrorists attack innocent people, Jews and non-Jews, in Israel and abroad,” Netanyahu said on Monday. “These awful terrorists get a monthly wage from the Palestinian Authority,” he continued. “The more you kill, the more you get.”The PA spends $350 million a year paying wages to terrorists imprisoned in Israel or the families of terrorists killed during their attacks, the prime minister said. Over the past few years, it has spent some $1 billion on those payments. “Think what could have been done with a billion dollars,” Netanyahu said. “How can you talk about peace when you at the same time fund murderers who murdered Israelis?”The prime minister called on the PA to abolish the laws that require the funding of terrorists and their families. “Fund peace,” he implored.Much like the US, London has sent mixed signals regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since Prime Minister Theresa May took over the government last year.In December, the UK supported a UN Security Council resolution condemning settlement activity as illegal, apparently drafted with the help of British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson.Days later, London refused to endorse a closing statement at a Paris peace conference, and May attacked outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry for his focus on the settlement issue.However, May insisted in a meeting with Netanyahu in February that the UK is committed to the two-state solution.Trump had appeared ready to back away from the US commitment to the two-state solution when he met Netanyahu in February.He said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting many Israeli right-wingers who want to see their country annex most of the West Bank. Trump also vowed to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a prospect that alarmed Palestinians but which has been put on the back burner for now.At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and the international community, who view settlements as an impediment to the eventual creation of a Palestinian state-One of Trump’s top advisers, Jason Greenblatt, held wide-ranging talks with both Israelis and Palestinians during a visit in March.Trump has spoken of reviving the idea of a regional peace initiative, pulling in countries such as Egypt and Jordan, the only two Arab nations to have signed peace treaties with Israel.Both Abbas and Trump have recently met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Jordanian King Abdullah II.After meeting Abbas on Saturday, Sissi urged Washington to help restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.Agencies contributed to this report.
Document reserves the right to wage 'resistance and jihad for the liberation of Palestine'-New Hamas program softens language, retains goal of eliminating Israel-Policy document, rejected by Israel as a bid to ‘fool the world,’ calls for the ‘complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea’-By Agencies, Raphael Ahren and Dov Lieber May 1, 2017, 9:51 pm
In a bid to improve its flagging international standing, the Palestinian terror group Hamas unveiled Monday a new policy document that presents softened language on Israel while still calling for its destruction.The document accepts the idea of a Palestinian state in territories occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967 but dismisses the establishment of the State of Israel as “illegal,” asserting a Palestinian claim to the entire land of Israel, and a right of return for all descendants of refugees.Israel dismissed the new document as an attempt to “fool the world.”The five-page program, a result of four years of internal deliberations, was presented at a news conference in Doha, Qatar, by Khaled Mashaal, the outgoing Hamas leader in exile. The group has said Mashaal’s replacement is to be named later this month, after the completion of secret leadership elections.“Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea,” the document states. “However, without compromising its rejection of the Zionist entity and without relinquishing any Palestinian rights, Hamas considers the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital along the lines of the 4th of June 1967, with the return of the refugees and the displaced to their homes from which they were expelled, to be a formula of national consensus.”“We wanted to present a document that truly reflects Hamas’s ideology and consensus and to present it to our supporters… and the international community,” Mashaal said.The document declares “the Balfour Declaration, the British Mandate Document, the UN Palestine Partition Resolution, and whatever resolutions and measures that derive from them or are similar to them” to be “null and void.”The paper, unlike the group’s founding charter, which is rife with anti-Semitic language, also says Hamas’s struggle is not against Jews per se but against Israel as an occupier.“Hamas affirms that its conflict is with the Zionist project not with the Jews because of their religion,” it says. “Hamas does not wage a struggle against the Jews because they are Jewish but wages a struggle against the Zionists who occupy Palestine. Yet, it is the Zionists who constantly identify Judaism and the Jews with their own colonial project and illegal entity.”The document adds, “Hamas is of the view that the Jewish problem, anti-Semitism and the persecution of the Jews are phenomena fundamentally linked to European history and not to the history of the Arabs and the Muslims or to their heritage.”Hamas officials said the document, which reserves the right to wage “resistance and jihad for the liberation of Palestine,” in no way amounts to recognition of Israel.The group, which controls the Gaza Strip, remains deeply divided from Fatah, the more moderate party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, based in the West Bank.Hours before Hamas presented the new charter, Israel preempted it to say that while the group may be seeking to put on a friendlier face, it still practices genocidal policies.“When Hamas stops building tunnels and spends its resources on civilian infrastructure and ceases educating toward killing Israelis — that will be true change. But that hasn’t happened,” a statement issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.“Hamas is attempting to fool the world, but it will not succeed,” David Keyes, a spokesperson for Netanyahu, told The Times of Israel.“Daily, Hamas leaders call for genocide of all Jews and the destruction of Israel,” he added. “They dig terror tunnels and have launched thousands upon thousands of missiles at Israeli civilians. Schools and mosques run by Hamas teach children that Jews are apes and pigs. This is the real Hamas.”The new platform, which was posted online in English, was presented at a time of escalating tensions between Hamas and Fatah. Hamas drove out forces loyal to Abbas in its 2007 takeover of Gaza, a year after defeating Fatah in Palestinian parliament elections. Reconciliation efforts have failed.In recent weeks, Abbas has threatened to exert financial pressure, including cutting wage payments and aid to Gaza, as a way of forcing Hamas to cede ground. Leaders of the group have vowed they will not budge.The war of words with Hamas was seen as an attempt by Abbas to position himself as a leader of all Palestinians ahead of his first meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday. The president has said he would try to broker Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on a peace deal, despite repeated failures over the past two decades.In the past, Hamas has sharply criticized Abbas’s political program, which rests on setting up a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in the 1967 Six Day War.In its 1987 founding charter, Hamas called for setting up an Islamic state in historic Palestine, or the territory between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River, which also includes Israel.With the new manifesto, Hamas also rebrands itself as an Islamic national movement, rather than as a branch of the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood, which has been outlawed by Egypt. It’s not clear if the changes will be enough to improve relations with Egypt, which along with Israel has been enforcing a crippling border blockade against the Gaza Strip, officially in order to prevent the smuggling of weapons. Hamas has also been shunned by the West, which has set recognition of Israel and renunciation of violence as a condition for ties.Mashaal is to step down as Hamas leader later this month. Two possible contenders for the No. 1 spot are Moussa Abu Marzouk, a former Hamas leader, and Ismail Haniyeh, a former top Hamas official in Gaza.The Mashaal announcement was initially scheduled for 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) Monday, but was delayed after a Doha hotel withdrew consent at the last minute to host the Hamas news conference. Hamas scrambled to find a new venue.Associated Press reporter Fares Akram, the agency’s Gaza correspondent, said on Twitter that the Intercontinental Hotel canceled the event for fear of US Treasury Department sanctions.The press conference was also broadcast live in the Gaza Strip.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Hezbollah nearly bankrupt, but Nasrallah awash in cash — report-German daily says military involvement in Syria and US sanctions have forced terror group to increasingly rely on illicit schemes to raise money-By Times of Israel staff May 2, 2017, 11:28 am
The Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah is reportedly on the verge of bankruptcy as a result of its large outlays on fighting in Syria and from the increasing squeeze of US sanctions on its revenue streams, though top members continue to pad their own wallets.According to a report Friday in the German daily Die Welt, Hezbollah’s increasing financial difficulties have led the group to increasingly rely on a number illicit schemes to earn money, including money laundering, drug trafficking and counterfeiting, as well as through its substantial property holdings.Despite $1 billion in aid that Israeli security officials estimate Hezbollah receives each year from its patron Iran, which is said to cover some 70 percent of the group’s annual finances, the increasing financial toll from its military involvement in Syria and lack of additional assistance from Tehran has forced the group to resort to extorting not only its “donors” in the country, but also Lebanese expatriates in Africa, South America, Europe and the United States, according to the report.The blackmail has reportedly led to discontent within the Shiite group’s ranks and among its supporters, as Lebanese Shiites in the country have been forced into selling their assets and property in order to prop up Hezbollah and fund its operations.In areas in southern and eastern Lebanon under its control, Hezbollah has also begun collecting tariffs on goods at border crossings with Syria in place of the Lebanese government, according to Die Welt.While the fighting in Syria has greatly strained the group’s finances, the imposition of US sanctions last year on Lebanese banks that do business with the terror group is also said to have taken a toll, as Shiite businessmen in Lebanon have become increasingly reluctant to work with Hezbollah out of fear of American reprisal.“Hezbollah has had to cast a wide net because most Lebanese banks have not wanted to do business with them,” a congressional expert on the legislation told AFP in 2015.Despite its monetary troubles, Hezbollah has not cut funding for the extensive social programs it provides to large segments of Lebanon’s Shiite community or the payments it provides to the families of dead and injured fighters so as not to risk alienating the group’s support base.Die Welt also reported that members of the terror group’s leadership have used Hezbollah funds for their own enrichment despite its dire fiscal situation, including the son of the organization’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, who is said to have taken money to fund a chain of coffee houses in Beirut.In addition, Nasrallah himself is said to be worth some $250 million, according to Die Welt.In a speech last year, Nasrallah brushed off reports that the group was in dire financial straits, saying that money was continuing to pour in from Tehran.“We are open about the fact that Hezbollah’s budget, its income, its expenses, everything it eats and drinks, its weapons and rockets, are from the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said in June.Iran was instrumental in Hezbollah’s inception three decades ago and has provided financial and military support to the group.“As long as Iran has money, we have money… Just as we receive the rockets that we use to threaten Israel, we are receiving our money. No law will prevent us from receiving it,” Nasrallah added.AFP contributed to this report
