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)
EZEKIEL 39:1-6 ISRAELS ENEMIES DESTROYED
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITE SOME BELIEVE)
35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN/BUSHEHR NUCLEAR SITE) the chief of their might.(MOST DANGEROUS NUKE SITE IN IRAN)
36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven,(IRANIANS SCATTERED OR MASS IMIGARATION) and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
37 For I will cause Elam (IRAN-BUSHEHR NUKE SITE) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(ISRAELS NUKES POSSIBLY) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(IRAN AND ITS NUKE SITES DESTROYED)
ISAIAH 17:1,11-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.(DAMASCUS FRYED TO A PULP)
11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at evening tide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD KILLED IN OVERNIGHT RAID) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.
AMOS 1:5
5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden:(IRAQ) and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir,(JORDAN) saith the LORD.(I belive ISIS-DAMASCUS GET NUKED BY ISRAEL)
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)
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
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITE SOME BELIEVE)
35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN/BUSHEHR NUCLEAR SITE) the chief of their might.(MOST DANGEROUS NUKE SITE IN IRAN)
36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven,(IRANIANS SCATTERED OR MASS IMIGARATION) and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
37 For I will cause Elam (IRAN-BUSHEHR NUKE SITE) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(ISRAELS NUKES POSSIBLY) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(IRAN AND ITS NUKE SITES DESTROYED)
ISAIAH 17:1,11-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.(DAMASCUS FRYED TO A PULP)
11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at evening tide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD KILLED IN OVERNIGHT RAID) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.
AMOS 1:5
5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden:(IRAQ) and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir,(JORDAN) saith the LORD.(I belive ISIS-DAMASCUS GET NUKED BY ISRAEL)
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)
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
OTHER ISRAEL STORIES
https://israndjer.blogspot.com/2019/08/netanyahu-warns-hezbollah-lebanon-to.html
Iranian oil tanker pursued by US slows to a near-halt off Syrian coast-Adrian Darya 1 slows to near-stop in eastern Mediterranean as US maintains Tehran-flagged vessel intends to sell crude oil to Assad regime-By Jon Gambrell-SEPT 2,19
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian oil tanker pursued by the United States across the Mediterranean Sea slowed to a near-stop Sunday off the coast of Syria, where America’s top diplomat alleges it will be unloaded despite denials from Tehran.The ongoing saga of the Adrian Darya 1, formerly known as the Grace 1, comes as tensions remain high between the US and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers. Tehran is set to send a deputy foreign minister and a team of economists to Paris on Monday for talks over ways to salvage the accord after a call between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and French President Emmanuel Macron.The ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com showed the Adrian Darya slowed to a near-stop on Sunday some 50 nautical miles (92 kilometers) off Syria. The ship’s Automatic Identification System does not show its destination after its mariners onboard previously listed it as ports in Greece and Turkey. Turkey’s foreign minister at one point suggested it would go to Lebanon, something denied by a Lebanese official.The US has been warning countries not to accept the Adrian Darya, which carries 2.1 million barrels of crude oil worth some $130 million.Iranian tanker Adrian Darya is currently navigating less than 60 miles from the Syrian port of Tartus pic.twitter.com/8JcRjsZW20— Manu Gómez (@GDarkconrad) September 1, 2019-The US has sanctioned the Adrian Darya’s captain and has sought to impound the vessel.Authorities in Gibraltar alleged the ship was bound for a refinery in Baniyas, Syria, when they seized it in early July. They ultimately let it go.On Friday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged on Twitter that the ship was still bound for Syria.“We have reliable information that the tanker is underway and headed to Tartus, Syria,” Pompeo wrote on Twitter. “I hope it changes course.”Iranian officials have said the oil onboard the Adrian Darya had been sold to an unnamed buyer. However, anyone buying Iranian crude oil would be subject to US sanctions.Syrian President Bashar Assad’s adviser Bouthaina Shaaban separately told the Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV that Damascus is trying to get oil that its people need “but authorities don’t know where the Iranian tanker is heading.”Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is due to travel to Paris with economists on Monday, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. That came after a call Saturday between Rouhani and Macron, who recently surprised the Group of Seven summit in France by inviting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif there.Iran is set to further break the terms of the nuclear deal on Friday if Europe fails to offer it a way to sell its crude oil on the global market. The US under President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal over a year ago and imposed sanctions on Iran that are battering its economy.The deal’s “terms are not changeable and all the parties need be committed to its content,” Rouhani said, according to IRNA.
UN says ‘general calm’ restored along Israel-Lebanon border as tensions linger-Head of peacekeeping force says ‘serious incident’ that violated ceasefire agreement over for now, but urges both sides to exercise restraint-By TOI staff and Agencies-SEPT 2,19
The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said “general calm” had been restored on the volatile border after a rare burst of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah sparked fears of an escalation and prompted concern from world powers.In a statement, the head of the UN’s Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said the “serious incident” that violated the resolution ending the 2006 conflict was over for the time being, but urged both sides to exercise restraint to prevent further escalation of violence.“This is a serious incident in violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 and clearly directed at undermining stability in the area,” Major-General Stefano Del Col said in a statement late Sunday.“General calm has been restored in the area and the parties have reassured me of their continued commitment to the cessation of hostilities in accordance with Resolution 1701,” he said.UN chief Antonio Guterres also called on Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah to show “maximum restraint,” saying in a statement Sunday that he was “seriously concerned” by the recent exchange of fire along the border.Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah fired a barrage of anti-tank missiles into Israel, prompting a reprisal of heavy Israeli artillery fire, raising fears of an all-out war between the two sides.Although the shooting quickly subsided without casualties on either side, the situation remained volatile.Paris said it had made “multiple contacts” to avert an escalation after Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri contacted senior US and French officials to urge their countries and the international community to intervene.“France has engaged in multiple contacts in the region since the incidents of August 25 with the aim of averting an escalation,” a foreign ministry spokeswoman said in a statement.“We are in permanent contact with all the Lebanese actors,” she said. “France will pursue efforts in this direction and asks all to assume their responsibilities to quickly restore calm.”The United States voiced concern over the “destabilizing role” of Iranian proxies in the region and said it “supports Israel’s right to self defense,” a State Department official said.“Hezbollah should refrain from hostile actions which threaten Lebanon’s security, stability and sovereignty,” the US official added.Israel and Hezbollah, which fought a month-long war in 2006, have indicated they do not want to go to war but appeared on a collision course in recent days after Hezbollah vowed it would retaliate for a pair of Israeli strikes against the Iran-backed terrorist group — one in Syria claimed by Israel, and another, in Beirut, that the group lays at Israel’s door.Hezbollah said it fired anti-tank missiles at Israel on Sunday and destroyed an Israeli military vehicle across the border. The IDF said no Israeli soldiers were injured by the 2-3 missiles fired by Hezbollah, which struck a military jeep and an IDF post. It said pictures and videos showing injured soldiers being evacuated had been a ploy meant to trick Hezbollah into thinking it had caused casualties.The Iranian proxy group indicated the attack was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in Syria last month that killed several operatives, including two of its members.Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Kassem, said Sunday night that the group “wants to preserve deterrence and the rules of engagement in order to prevent something worse from happening.”In response, the Israel Defense Forces said, it fired some 100 shells at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.By Sunday evening, the fighting appeared to have halted, and the army allowed civilians to return to routine. Schools on Monday opened as normal and farmers were given the go-ahead to work fields near the border. However, Israeli officials said troops along the northern border remained on high alert.“We are consulting about the next steps,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “I have ordered that we be prepared for any scenario. We will decide on the next steps pending developments.”
Iranian oil tanker pursued by US slows to a near-halt off Syrian coast-Adrian Darya 1 slows to near-stop in eastern Mediterranean as US maintains Tehran-flagged vessel intends to sell crude oil to Assad regime-By Jon Gambrell-SEPT 2,19
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian oil tanker pursued by the United States across the Mediterranean Sea slowed to a near-stop Sunday off the coast of Syria, where America’s top diplomat alleges it will be unloaded despite denials from Tehran.The ongoing saga of the Adrian Darya 1, formerly known as the Grace 1, comes as tensions remain high between the US and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers. Tehran is set to send a deputy foreign minister and a team of economists to Paris on Monday for talks over ways to salvage the accord after a call between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and French President Emmanuel Macron.The ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com showed the Adrian Darya slowed to a near-stop on Sunday some 50 nautical miles (92 kilometers) off Syria. The ship’s Automatic Identification System does not show its destination after its mariners onboard previously listed it as ports in Greece and Turkey. Turkey’s foreign minister at one point suggested it would go to Lebanon, something denied by a Lebanese official.The US has been warning countries not to accept the Adrian Darya, which carries 2.1 million barrels of crude oil worth some $130 million.Iranian tanker Adrian Darya is currently navigating less than 60 miles from the Syrian port of Tartus pic.twitter.com/8JcRjsZW20— Manu Gómez (@GDarkconrad) September 1, 2019-The US has sanctioned the Adrian Darya’s captain and has sought to impound the vessel.Authorities in Gibraltar alleged the ship was bound for a refinery in Baniyas, Syria, when they seized it in early July. They ultimately let it go.On Friday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged on Twitter that the ship was still bound for Syria.“We have reliable information that the tanker is underway and headed to Tartus, Syria,” Pompeo wrote on Twitter. “I hope it changes course.”Iranian officials have said the oil onboard the Adrian Darya had been sold to an unnamed buyer. However, anyone buying Iranian crude oil would be subject to US sanctions.Syrian President Bashar Assad’s adviser Bouthaina Shaaban separately told the Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV that Damascus is trying to get oil that its people need “but authorities don’t know where the Iranian tanker is heading.”Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is due to travel to Paris with economists on Monday, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. That came after a call Saturday between Rouhani and Macron, who recently surprised the Group of Seven summit in France by inviting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif there.Iran is set to further break the terms of the nuclear deal on Friday if Europe fails to offer it a way to sell its crude oil on the global market. The US under President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal over a year ago and imposed sanctions on Iran that are battering its economy.The deal’s “terms are not changeable and all the parties need be committed to its content,” Rouhani said, according to IRNA.
UN says ‘general calm’ restored along Israel-Lebanon border as tensions linger-Head of peacekeeping force says ‘serious incident’ that violated ceasefire agreement over for now, but urges both sides to exercise restraint-By TOI staff and Agencies-SEPT 2,19
The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said “general calm” had been restored on the volatile border after a rare burst of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah sparked fears of an escalation and prompted concern from world powers.In a statement, the head of the UN’s Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said the “serious incident” that violated the resolution ending the 2006 conflict was over for the time being, but urged both sides to exercise restraint to prevent further escalation of violence.“This is a serious incident in violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 and clearly directed at undermining stability in the area,” Major-General Stefano Del Col said in a statement late Sunday.“General calm has been restored in the area and the parties have reassured me of their continued commitment to the cessation of hostilities in accordance with Resolution 1701,” he said.UN chief Antonio Guterres also called on Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah to show “maximum restraint,” saying in a statement Sunday that he was “seriously concerned” by the recent exchange of fire along the border.Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah fired a barrage of anti-tank missiles into Israel, prompting a reprisal of heavy Israeli artillery fire, raising fears of an all-out war between the two sides.Although the shooting quickly subsided without casualties on either side, the situation remained volatile.Paris said it had made “multiple contacts” to avert an escalation after Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri contacted senior US and French officials to urge their countries and the international community to intervene.“France has engaged in multiple contacts in the region since the incidents of August 25 with the aim of averting an escalation,” a foreign ministry spokeswoman said in a statement.“We are in permanent contact with all the Lebanese actors,” she said. “France will pursue efforts in this direction and asks all to assume their responsibilities to quickly restore calm.”The United States voiced concern over the “destabilizing role” of Iranian proxies in the region and said it “supports Israel’s right to self defense,” a State Department official said.“Hezbollah should refrain from hostile actions which threaten Lebanon’s security, stability and sovereignty,” the US official added.Israel and Hezbollah, which fought a month-long war in 2006, have indicated they do not want to go to war but appeared on a collision course in recent days after Hezbollah vowed it would retaliate for a pair of Israeli strikes against the Iran-backed terrorist group — one in Syria claimed by Israel, and another, in Beirut, that the group lays at Israel’s door.Hezbollah said it fired anti-tank missiles at Israel on Sunday and destroyed an Israeli military vehicle across the border. The IDF said no Israeli soldiers were injured by the 2-3 missiles fired by Hezbollah, which struck a military jeep and an IDF post. It said pictures and videos showing injured soldiers being evacuated had been a ploy meant to trick Hezbollah into thinking it had caused casualties.The Iranian proxy group indicated the attack was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in Syria last month that killed several operatives, including two of its members.Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Kassem, said Sunday night that the group “wants to preserve deterrence and the rules of engagement in order to prevent something worse from happening.”In response, the Israel Defense Forces said, it fired some 100 shells at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.By Sunday evening, the fighting appeared to have halted, and the army allowed civilians to return to routine. Schools on Monday opened as normal and farmers were given the go-ahead to work fields near the border. However, Israeli officials said troops along the northern border remained on high alert.“We are consulting about the next steps,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “I have ordered that we be prepared for any scenario. We will decide on the next steps pending developments.”
Israel PM vows to annex West Bank settlements-[The Canadian Press]-September 1, 2019
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reaffirming his pledge to impose Israeli sovereignty on West Bank settlements.Speaking Sunday at a ceremony opening the new school year in the settlement of Elkana, Netanyahu says there "will be no more displacements" and all the communities will be "part of the state of Israel."Such a move would be a sharp departure from long-standing Israeli government policy. Netanyahu made a similar pledge to begin annexing part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank on the eve of April elections this year but did not act on it.With just over two weeks to go to repeat elections, Netanyahu looks to be seeking to shore up his right-wing base again.More than 600,000 Israelis live on war-won land, two-thirds of them in the West Bank.The Associated Press.
Honduras opens trade office in Jerusalem, in ‘first step’ toward embassy move-President Hernandez hails ‘historic day’; prays at Western Wall, but stops short of endorsing Israeli sovereignty at flashpoint holy site-By Raphael Ahren-TOI-SEPT 1,19
Honduras on Sunday opened a trade mission with diplomatic status in Jerusalem, a move the Latin American country’s president said was a “first step” toward moving the embassy to the city.“Today is a historic day for Honduras and Israel,” Juan Orlando Hernandez declared, moments after he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially inaugurated the Honduran “Trade and Cooperation” office in central Jerusalem.The opening of the trade office is merely a “first step,” the president said, noting that the second step — opening an embassy — would follow in the coming month.The office, which has “diplomatic status” as it is considered an extension of the Honduran embassy in Tel Aviv, is located inside the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce on 10 Hillel Street. It will bring “more investment and more opportunities for the Honduran people,” Hernandez predicted.At the event, Netanyahu thanked Hernandez for opening this “important mission” in Jerusalem and for his recognition of the city as Israel’s capital.Last week, Hernandez said that for him, opening a trade office in the city is “the recognition that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.”In his speech Sunday, Netanyahu said that Jerusalem has been “our capital since the time of King David” three millennia ago.“I have committed, and this is a commitment I want to repeat again: We will open embassies simultaneously,” he said. “We are going to open an office of trade and technology in Tegucigalpa soon. Now. Next week. There is this reciprocity of friends, genuine friends.”Hoy es un día histórico para Honduras e Israel, inaugurando la Oficina de Comercio y Cooperación de Honduras en Jerusalén, esto representará más inversión y más oportunidades para el pueblo hondureño.#HondurasIsrael???????????????? pic.twitter.com/9VCnpvPYY9-— Juan Orlando H. (@JuanOrlandoH) September 1, 2019-In exchange for moving its Tel Aviv embassy to Jerusalem, Honduras reportedly demands Israel open an embassy in Tegucigalpa and deepen bilateral trade.So far, only the US and Guatemala have moved their embassies to the capital. The Czech Republic, Hungary and Australia have trade office in the city, with varying diplomatic status. Slovakia, Brazil and Ukraine have pledged to open similar missions in Jerusalem as well.The Palestinian Authority last week denounced Honduras’s opening of a diplomatic office in Jerusalem and threatened to formally complain about the move at the United Nations. A senior Palestine Liberation Organization official called it “a hostile act against the Palestinian people and their inalienable rights.”The World Jewish Congress, on the other hand, hailed Honduras’s move as “praiseworthy.”“It is more important than ever that Israel’s friends and allies embark on concrete gestures such as these in the face of increasing anti-Zionist sentiments around the world, including among some of the most influential agencies and bodies representing the international community,” the group’s president, Ronald S. Lauder, said.Earlier on Sunday, Hernandez prayed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. He was greeted there by the holy site’s Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich, but was not accompanied by senior Israeli officials, which is often viewed as a tacit endorsement of Israeli sovereignty over the flashpoint holy site.“The State of Israel can consider Honduras a close sister. We now begin a new relationship,” Hernandez said after he concluded his visit, which included a lengthy prayer.“Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to represent Honduras at this time, to promise the fellowship with Israel,” he wrote in the Western Wall guest book. “May this be the beginning of a blessing for our people. Thank you Israel, our brothers, who keep guard of this holy city. May peace keep spreading among the nations.”Hernandez, a devout Christian, also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.Visitamos con @anagarciacarias el Santo Sepulcro en Jerusalén. Nuestras más profundas oraciones por el bienestar del pueblo hondureño. pic.twitter.com/SX0JGhqMdM— Juan Orlando H. (@JuanOrlandoH) September 1, 2019-US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017 and moved the US embassy there in May 2018, sparking a deterioration in the US’s relations with the Palestinians.Moving an embassy to Jerusalem is highly contentious. Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.Most diplomatic missions in Israel are situated in or near Tel Aviv as countries try to maintain a neutral stance over the status of Jerusalem.Times of Israel staff and agencies contributed to this report.
Until we meet again, on the northern border-As echoes of Sunday’s saber-rattling between Israel and Hezbollah fade, everyone can breathe easy – but not for long-By Avi Issacharoff-TOI-SEPT 2,19 AM
The familiar pattern of the security escalation in Israel’s northern sector has run its course and all the parties involved can walk away satisfied.Hezbollah had vowed to exact revenge on Israel over the IDF’s operation in the Dahiya neighborhood in Beirut last week, as well as for the killing of two operatives south of Damascus, who were planning a drone attack against Israel, and on Sunday the Shiite terrorist group fired missiles at an IDF patrol and post.Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had promised the type of retaliation that would see his organization “vindicated,” and he delivered.Hezbollah is likely to spend the next few days touting its “heroic operation” on every possible platform, and it will undoubtedly claim that Israeli soldiers were hurt in the attack. “The promise has been kept,” to use Nasrallah’s go-to phrase since the 2006 Second Lebanon War.A short while after the missile fire, Hezbollah announced that as far as the organization was concerned the incident had concluded and that “the ball is now in Israel’s court.”Israel can also be satisfied with the result. No Israeli soldiers were hurt in the incident, which only recorded damage to equipment, so at the end of the day, the complex operations that took place almost simultaneously in Akraba, south of Damascus, and in Beirut’s Dahiya – the details of which remain largely classified at this time – did not provoke an overly forceful response from Hezbollah.The specific target Israel sought to destroy, according to some publications, was neutralized, and even Nasrallah, for all his belligerent rhetoric and threats, proved he was in no rush to plunge Lebanon into another war.And so, after about an hour of Israeli artillery fire at unclear targets, which caused no casualties on the Lebanese side of the border, the IDF, too, announced the incident had concluded.One cannot ignore the political dimensions of recent events.Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri rushed to tell his buddies in Lebanon how he approached several European countries with an appeal to help stop the “Israeli escalation.” Al-Hariri continues to try to appear as the sane voice in Lebanon and as the one whose government is trying to run a normal state.Nasrallah, who gained considerable political points over the incident from his Shiite supporters, is doing the same.And then there is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who took the time out of his busy schedule (currently devoted to maligning the media, the Keshet media franchise, and Channel 12 crime reporter Guy Peleg) to address one of the key issues pertaining to the State of Israel – its security.It is hard to believe that our prime minister, who enjoys the image of “Mr. Security” and who manages the security escalation in the northern sector quite successfully, would even have to bother dealing with any Channel 12 reporter or with the excellent HBO production “Our Boys,” and paint them as the enemies of the state.Now that everyone’s happy, the harder question has to be asked: what’s next? It is clear that Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons will not cease their efforts to produce a wide range of precision-guided rockets and missiles. The organization and its bosses in Tehran are sparing no effort to complete this project, one way or another.One can also assume that going forward, Hezbollah will try to maintain an even higher level of compartmentalization within its ranks with regard to the precision missiles project, making a clandestine and sophisticated military operation like the one carried out last week much harder to execute.This means that Israel may have to mount a higher-profile strike, meaning a non-surgical aerial strike, something that comes with a clear price.The bottom line is that while both sides have announced the current skirmish has played itself out and things can get back to their so-called “normal,” tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border are far from fading.As it turns out, the Iranians will not relent on their objective and Israel will not cease its attempts to stop them, meaning the events of Sunday afternoon are just another stop on the long, excruciating road that is Israel-Hezbollah relations.
Iran praises Hezbollah missile attack on IDF targets-Deputy head of Lebanese terror group claims strike forced ‘new rules of engagement’ on Israel; UNIFIL says it violated UN resolution-By TOI staff and AFP-1 September 2019, 11:55 pm
A senior Iranian security official praised Hezbollah’s firing of anti-tank missiles from Lebanon at Israeli territory on Sunday, as the deputy leader of the Iran-backed terror group said the attack changed the rules of the game.Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the attack demonstrated the willingness of Tehran and its proxies to confront Israel, the United States and allied regional countries, according to the Mehr news agency.No Israelis were injured by the anti-tank missiles, which struck a military vehicle and army base outside a moshav in northern Israel. In response, the Israel Defense Forces said it fired some 100 shells at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.Hezbollah indicated the attack was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in Syria last month that killed several operatives, including two of its members. Israel said that strike was to thwart an Iranian plot to launch explosives-laded drones at Israeli territory. IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi accused a top Iranian general of personally overseeing the plan.The Lebanese terror group has also accused Israel of being behind a recent drone attack in Beirut that reportedly damaged materials for Hezbollah’s missile program.Naim Qassem, the deputy head of Hezbollah, boasted after Sunday’s anti-tank missile fire that Israel would be deterred from future strikes.“Hezbollah succeeded in proving the balance of power and forced upon Israel new rules of engagement,” he was quoted as saying by the Ynet news site. “Hezbollah wants to preserve its deterrence and the rules of engagement.”The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, meanwhile, condemned the Hezbollah attack.“This is a serious incident in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and clearly directed at undermining stability in the area,” UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col said in a statement, referring to the UN resolution ending the 2005 Second Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah.“We need to maintain security along the Blue Line and exercise utmost restraint,” Del Col added, referring to the border demarcation between Israel and Lebanon.The UNIFIL commander said calm had returned to the border following the incident and that both sides assured him of their commitment to preventing a renewal of violence, per Resolution 1701.France is engaged in “multiple contacts” aimed at averting an escalation of hostilities on Lebanon’s southern border between the Shiite movement Hezbollah and the Israeli army, the French foreign ministry said Sunday.Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri called on France and the United States to “intervene” in the tensions, adding that French President Emmanuel Macron had spoken by telephone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani “in recent days.”“France has engaged in multiple contacts in the region since the incidents of August 25 with the aim of averting an escalation,” the foreign ministry spokeswoman said in a statement.“We are in permanent contact with all the Lebanese actors,” she said. “France will pursue efforts in this direction and asks all to assume their responsibilities to quickly restore calm.”
Russia says U.S. strikes in Syria's Idlib put ceasefire at risk: reports-[Reuters]-Sep. 1, 2019, 4:26 a.m.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's military said the United States had mounted air strikes in Syria's Idlib without forewarning Moscow or Ankara, endangering a ceasefire there, Russian news agencies reported on Sunday.The strikes without a heads-up in the "de-escalation zone" breached previous agreements and caused several casualties, TASS news agency cited the Russian defense ministry as saying.It said Russian and Syrian warplanes had fully suspended raids against insurgents in Idlib province in northwest Syria, after declaring a ceasefire that started on Saturday morning.On Saturday, the U.S. Central Command, part of the Department of Defense, said U.S. forces struck an al-Qaeda facility in Idlib in an attack aimed at the organization's leadership. U.S. air strikes have at times hit targets linked to al-Qaeda in northwest Syria in recent years.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the air strikes had pounded bases belonging to jihadists near the town of Maarat Misrin on Saturday. The UK-based monitor said more than 40 militants, including some commanders, were killed.Interfax news agency cited Russia's military as saying the strikes had hit between Maarat Misrin and Kefraya village.While artillery hit parts of Idlib in the past 24 hours, there was a lull in air strikes that had been pounding the region in recent weeks, the Observatory, a rebel official and rescue workers have said.It was the second such ceasefire declared in the past month in Idlib, which is in Syria's northwest corner - the only big chunk of the country still in rebel hands. A truce in early August collapsed three days in, after which the Russian-backed army pressed its offensive and gained ground.Bouthaina Shaaban, a senior adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said the ceasefire was temporary and would serve the strategy of Damascus "to liberate every inch"."(Turkish President Tayyip) Erdogan will be forced to leave Syrian land ... This is our decision, not by his choice," she told al-Mayadeen TV in an interview late on Saturday.Turkey, which backs rebel factions, and Russia, Assad's key ally, brokered a "de-escalation" deal in 2017 that sought to curb fighting in Idlib. It does not cover jihadist militants.Under its deals with Russia and Iran, Turkey's military has a dozen posts in the Idlib region. Ankara also backs rebel forces that hold tracts of territory north of Idlib near its border.Turkey's foreign minister said on Friday the military would leave only once there was a political solution, which remains elusive after more than eight years of war and several rounds of failed U.N. peace talks.(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow, Khalil Ashawi in Istanbul and Ellen Francis in Beirut; Editing by Dale Hudson and David Goodman)
US ‘concerned’ by northern tensions, backs Jerusalem’s right to self-defense-State Department and White House special envoy issue statements blaming Iran-backed Hezbollah for latest escalation-By AFP and TOI staff-1 September 2019, 11:50 pm
The United States voiced concern Sunday after Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire along the Lebanese border, slamming the “destabilizing role” of Iranian proxies in the Middle East.“We are aware of these reports and are concerned about the escalating tensions along the border,” said a State Department official.“The United States fully supports Israel’s right to self defense,” the official said, warning that “Hezbollah should refrain from hostile actions which threaten Lebanon’s security, stability and sovereignty.”“This is another example of the destabilizing role of Iranian proxies in undermining peace and security in the region,” the official said.Hezbollah fired several anti-tank missiles from Lebanon at Israeli territory. No Israelis were injured by projectiles, which struck a military vehicle and army base outside a town in northern Israel. In response, the IDF said it fired some 100 shells at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.Joining the State Department in backing Israel was US special envoy Jason Greenblatt, who tweeted that Iran and its proxies “undermine chances for peace & threaten a better future for Palestinians. The US stands with Israel and fully supports its right to defend itself against all attacks.”Later Sunday evening, it was revealed that the IDF had conducted a staged evacuation of “wounded” soldiers from the armored personnel carrier struck by the Hezbollah anti-tank missile.The army dispatched a helicopter to the scene and two bleeding and bandaged soldiers were filmed being evacuated and later being rushed into Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center.Lebanese media subsequently began reporting of a successful operation by the Hezbollah terror group, which struck a military target and managed to wound soldiers. Some reports said that the Israeli troops had been killed.However, the hospital released a statement saying the soldiers had been released shortly after their arrival without receiving any medical care.The IDF declined to comment further on the operation.The goal of the operation appeared to have been to give the Lebanese terror group the feeling that they had carried out a sufficient retaliatory attack for a pair of Israeli strikes on Hezbollah and Iranian targets late last month.
Yad Vashem marks 80th anniversary of start of WWII with online exhibit-‘1939: Jewish Families on the Brink of War’ explores the lives of Europe’s Jewish communities with many unable to comprehend the impending horror the war would bring-By Jessica Steinberg-TOI-SEPT 1,19
Eighty years have passed since the start of the World War Two on September 1, 1939, an anniversary being marked by Yad Vashem with a new online exhibition, portraying the experiences of a dozen Jewish families in those first months, when they had no way of knowing the events that were going to unfold.The exhibition, “1939: Jewish Families on the Brink of War,” describes the progression of the war using Holocaust-era documents, photographs and artifacts from Yad Vashem’s archives, many which were donated by Holocaust survivors and families.One diary entry, written by Mira Zabludowski in September 1939, records her thoughts during the first months of the German occupation of Warsaw. She had already immigrated to pre-state Palestine and was visiting her parents in Warsaw at the time the war broke out.“The time is 4:00 p.m. The sound of artillery fire has been going on nonstop for twenty hours. The noise of machine guns and the thunder of the planes overhead have been reverberating in the air and increase the terror. My ears and head ache. You can’t hear what’s being said. Just boom! Boom! Boom! A block of houses in the city center is on fire. Suddenly there is a terrible noise, then moans and screams — houses collapse in the old city and we run to save those buried alive under the rubble. Suddenly the sky darkened — a cloud of smoke descended over the city.”Zabludowski escaped Poland and made her way back to Israel. Her father died in July 1940 in Warsaw while her mother was deported along with other family members to Treblinka.One photograph shows the Majer family from Belgrade, displaying Refael and Rivka Majer and their eight children and grandchildren, dressed in their holiday best in a moment captured before the war.Of the 21 people featured in the family photograph, one died before the war, 19 were killed during the Holocaust and only one survived: Isabella Baruch, Refael and Rivka’s daughter.After the Germans occupied Belgrade, the Majers did not sense that they were in danger, according to Yad Vashem.The older members of the family recalled that the Germans had behaved appropriately during the first world war, and assumed they would make it through the latest turn of events as they had the first time.Less than a year after the German invasion, 90 percent of the Jews of Belgrade had been annihilated, including most of the Majer family.“Even 80 years on, it is still hard to understand the huge discrepancy between Jewish life before the war and their tragic fate during the Holocaust,” said Yad Vashem researcher and curator Yona Kobo.“We see families from Yugoslavia, Germany, Austria, Poland, Romania, Greece and Czechoslovakia in their happiest days – weddings, births and other joyous events – but also searching for escape routes, struggling to cope with their worsening daily lives – and in the end, the mass murder of the Jews without distinction between men, women and children,” she said.
