During a live ‘Blog Talk Radio” Interview this morning with host Simon Barrett, I was asked if I actually believed Iran was close to the completion of its project to build nuclear weapons. (Interview at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Simon-Barrett/2009/08/31/Jimmy-Root--Author)
Personally, I am grateful that I am not a “Spook,” otherwise known as a member of the intelligence community. I’m a Pastor. My only way of knowing how close Iran might be to finishing its ambition is by staying current with what others are saying.
With that being said, in today’s Debka File from Israel, we see that the US, Israel, Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Japan are all in a dither about the upcoming release of Mohammad El Baradei’s concealment of Iran’s actual progress. Remember that El Baradei is the UN’s outgoing chief nuclear inspector at the Atomic Energy Agency. Apparently, a large quantity of important data was withheld from his reports. This information was supplied to him by the above mentioned nations, but never made his final reports. The danger? Iran’s progress has been permitted to go forward without El Baradei’s confrontation.
Worse yet, Yousri Abu Shadi, a retired Egyptian official at the IAEA says that Iran can make a bomb whenever they want to. MEMRI TV, Egypt’s Channel 1 aired a conversation from which the following was taken.
Yousri Abu Shadi: “The question should be whether Iran is capable of doing this. Yes. Technically speaking, it is capable of it. If Iran wants to produce nuclear bombs within a short period of time, it can. It’s over. They have been enriching uranium for two years now, and by now they have more than seven thousand centrifuges, which produce tons of enriched uranium, but to a low percentage. If they complete the process, they will produce uranium enriched to whatever percentage they want – 90% or more. At the moment, they enrich uranium to 5%.
Interviewer: “How long does it take to move from 5% to 90%?”
Yousri Abu Shadi: “It doesn’t take a long time….it will be able to produce a nuclear weapon in less than two years.”
James Lewis reported in American Thinker today that Dr. Uzi Rubin, a leading Israeli nuclear physicist, believes that Iran’s missile development is moving much faster than anticipated.
Thinking through these small details, and adding the fact that the current occupant of the White House is dead set on having a cup of tea with the Iranians, one can see where this is all headed. If any of Obama’s domestic agenda actually becomes reality, America will not have the finances to mount any real opposition to Iran, either in the form of economic sanction or military action. That will leave Israel to do the dirty work, and then reap the brunt of the world’s disfavor.
You can easily see how what is happening in the Middle East is literally a time bomb with a lit fuse that is getting really, really short.
Jimmy Root Jr
Author of Distant Thunder Book One the Lightning Chronicles A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
www.lightningchronicles.com
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Obama and His Thugs
If you are wondering what the current direction our Government is headed and how it compares to the coming Ezekiel 38 and 39 fulfillment, just read the article below from today's AMERICAN THINKER. I believe it captures the sad fact that those in rulership are quickly removing the United States as a world power. In fact, I believe Obama and his cronies are intent on bringing this country to its knees in order to create some Utopian, multi-cultural, socialist state. Blinded by stupidity and greed, they are quickly destroying the moral foundation upon which America was built. My advice is for you to find a way to make your voice heard. If you don't do it soon, it will forever be silenced. And while you are speaking up for America, how about speaking up for the Truth of Jesus Christ.August 28, 2009
Obama and the Thugs
By Kyle-Anne Shiver
"If you want the next four years lookin' like the last eight, then I'm not your candidate. But if you want real change...then I need you. I need you to go out and talk to your friends, talk to your neighbors...I want you to argue with them, get in their faces...you guys are the ones who can make the change."
- Candidate Barack Obama to supporters September, 2008
Early last fall, an old friend of mine and long-time volunteer for Republican women's associations, called me from her home in Orlando, Florida. She was quite shaken. She had just returned from what was intended to be a small, quiet McCain support outing, just like the ones she had been dutifully attending for 30 years. The small group of middle-aged homemakers took their little signs to an approved street corner, carried their small American flags and assembled to do their hour's vote-for-our-guy walk before heading off to the nearest coffee shop to divvy up coming-week duties of stuffing envelopes and making phone calls.
But something had changed between the last election and 2008. My friend told of a morning from hell, in which the women were rudely accosted on the street by young male thugs (her word), who called them "c*nts," "whitey whores" and "stupid bitches." These young males got in their faces and jostled them with angry shoves. My friend said that in all the years she had been doing just this simple patriotic activity, she had never had such a frightening experience. It was to be the first of several, which have left her shaken to this day.
Later on into the fall campaign, I spoke with Dr. Lynette Long, a former Hillary supporter compiling data on what she deemed, "Caucus Fraud." She referred me to a set of video testimonials, in which middle-aged women mostly, gave grizzly accounts of the same thuggery employed against them in caucus settings.
The data compiled by Dr. Long, along with the video-recorded testimonials of dozens of caucus-goers, are indeed convincing. According to Dr. Long, in a personal interview, reports from caucus attendees are pretty horrifying at worst, wholly undemocratic at best. Female Clinton supporters reported being called "c*nts" and other sexual epithets, being spat upon by Obama supporters, being threatened physically, and an overall environment of hostility. Not exactly the democratic process to which we are accustomed.
In the end, it was the caucus states, where such strong-arm tactics were employed by Obama supporters, which finally gave Obama the victory. As Dr. Long points out, the only caucus in the entire nominating contest that Obama lost was Nevada. In every other caucus, relying heavily on thug intimidation, Obama prevailed.
So, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the same thug tactics are now being used against MediCoup** resisters at town halls around the Country.
The most shocking thug event, so far, took place early this month in St. Louis. In his own words, Kenneth Gladney, victim of assault, tells what happened:
Well, first, I was there to sell, you know, flags and buttons and stuff that said, "Don't tread on me." And I was setting out there, and I guess something got -- just went through my head. I said I'm just going to give them away and stuff like that. So a pastor's wife walked up to me, and she just took a liking to some of the buttons. So I start showing her some of the buttons and everything. This guy walked up and he said, "Who in the -- who in the blank is selling or giving away this stuff here?" I said, "Sir, this is my merchandise. And would you like a flag or a button or something like that?" And he said, "What kind of 'n' are you to be giving this stuff out."
Yes, they surrounded me. Actually, after the first two guys got me on the ground, they surrounded me and started kicking me in the head and in the back, and the knees and stuff like that. And after it was done, I got up, kind of dazed, looking for my glasses. And the one guy actually was coming at me again, and that's when the police came in and, you know, cordoned off everything and started, you know, started arresting people.
This is change, all right, but I'll be darned if I see a whole lot of hope.
Then, on August 13, outside a townhall in Thousand Oaks, California, three doctors were assaulted when they attempted to speak their minds. The doctors, all wearing scrubs, were locked out of the townhall meeting and began voicing their objections to an orderly crowd, when suddenly they were lunged at by an angry white male. Fortunately for the docs, the man was prevented causing real harm when other men forced him to the ground, whereupon he was promptly arrested.
A videographer at a Tampa, Florida townhall got roughed up by union thugs and had his camera smashed. A local doctor from Douglasville, Georgia was shouted down by his own congressman and accused of not being a constituent, a charge that was later shown to be blatantly false.
A very fishy swastika was painted on the Congressman's office sign the next day.
If any side has been guilty of astroturfing at townhalls, it is Obama supporters. People posing as doctors have turned up at various events, hailing the President's plan, only to be found out later. Vandals smashed windows at the Democratic Party office in Denver early this week. More astroturfing, apparently. As Gateway Pundit has detailed:
The young vandal who smashed windows at the DNC headquarters in Denver on Tuesday worked for a democratic politician, was paid by a SEIU-related front group, and was arrested at the RNC convention last year in St. Paul.
Honestly, I never thought I would live to see the day when a president one-upped Nixon. But this Obama thuggery gets worse by the day and our once-valiant mainstream press just yawns and accuses the innocent.
Even Richard Nixon never, as far as we know, went so far as to orchestrate manufactured news, advise his supporters to "get in their faces" or use taxpayer dollars to promote political causes.
What in the world is this Country coming to?
Our Founders are surely staring aghast from their heavenly abodes. And I'll bet my own proverbial farm that I know which side they're pulling for.
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism,
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
A Jew's Reasoning for a Two-State Solution
Over the last few years, we have seen one after another failed attempt to bring about a peaceful settlement to the Palestinian issue. Many, like myself, have opposed the creation of a Palestinian State on the grounds that dividing the land will be the final straw that breaks the Camel's back, as it were, in bringing forth God's prophesied judgment on the nations. Now, I want to see Jesus just as much as the next Christian, but that doesn't diminish our responsibility to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. What is interesting to me is how there seems to be a ramped up pressure to create what would appear to be the demise of Israel...a side-by-side Palestinian State. To me, the security risks to Israel are clear. However, the peace-at-any-cost movement, led by our illustrious and confused President Obama, is gaining momentum, even among Jews who have been profoundly skeptical of the benefits of a Palestinian State. The following is one such "changing of heart."
I believe that there will be a two state solution, and it will be coming very soon. That may be one of the explainations of why Ezekiel describes the land of Israel as "dwelling securely" in chapters 38 and 39. It will obvioulsy be a false sense of peace and security, for that is when the enemy will pounce. We are nearing that day rather quickly. How soon will it come? "Soon" is relative. In terms of the number of years since Jesus declared his return, soon means REALLY SOON. In terms of the span of years a man is given to live, and all he witnesses during that span, "soon" may mean a slightly larger sense of time. I happen to think the two types of "soon" are about to kiss....meaning "Look up, your redemption is drawing nigh!"
One-state solution is a blueprint for a nightmare
By Carlo Strenger
The continued failure of the Mideast peace process and the escalation of violence from the second intifada to the Gaza war have led many to think that the two-state solution is pedestrian, unimaginative and inhuman.
Many Palestinians and a small but vocal group of Jews back Edward Said's claim that a one-state solution with full right of return for all Palestinians must be endorsed. This, they say, would finally lead to absolute and full justice.
It has been this search for absolutes that has made the Middle East intractable. The Jewish side has made the same mistake as the Palestinians. The original Zionist narrative wanted a metaphysical justification for the right of Jews for a State in Israel and connected Israel to Biblical times until the destruction of the Second Temple. Along with most liberal progressives, I think that the idea that Jews need a homeland where Jews could forever be safe is perfectly enough of a justification.
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What about Palestinian suffering, then? The creation of Israel engendered great suffering, dislocation and expropriation for the Palestinians. This is a tragedy partially due to choices they made. There are two wrong ways to deal with this tragedy: On the one hand, trying to suppress consciousness of this tragedy by law, as Mr. Lieberman proposes, combines historical stupidity, inhumanity and a propensity for fascism.
On the other hand, the claim that the one-state solution would lead to perfect justice, and that the Palestinian tragedy can be abolished betrays total lack of realism. How on earth could two groups with such different cultures and histories as Jews and Palestinians share power, particularly after the traumatic history of the last sixty years? And how exactly would you envisage all Palestinians returning to the lands that they lost in 1948?
While the one-state solution with full Palestinian Right of Return sounds the prophetic dream of the wolves living with the sheep, its reality would a nightmare that would continue the Israeli-Palestinian struggle by other means. Israeli demographer Arnon Sopher has coined the expression that the wombs of Palestinian women are biological weapons. Behind this ugly term there is a sad reality: in a state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean there will be an endless Jewish-Palestinian struggle for demographic hegemony. The race for who will have more children would turn the idealist dream of perpetual peace into an ugly war of wombs.
Already various groups are building scenarios how to take over the new larger Palestine/Israel; Palestinians in the Diaspora will be given citizenship to vote on the basis of the Right of Return - countered by Jews throughout the world that will become citizens by virtue of the Law of Return and vote by mail. In other words: the one-state solution, far from being a prophetic dream of perfect justice, would turn into a nightmare.
Even those who, like me, are not particularly attached to the idea of nation states need to admit that the human need for cultural self-expression and political self-determination seems to be ineradicable. Czechoslovakia has fallen apart into two states, and even peaceful Belgium seems on the way to do so.
For the time being, there is no alternative to the nation state in most areas of the world. Israel will have to remain a state with Jewish hegemony based on democratic process and full rights for all minorities, with special emphasis on Israeli Palestinians. Alongside there must be a Palestinian state in which Palestinians can live in freedom, prosperity and dignity.
The two-state solution may be pedestrian and unimaginative, but it has at least a realistic chance to bring peace - if Israel stops wasting time and dragging its feet. The paradox is that the Israeli right is playing into the hands of those who no longer want the two-state solution. Its policies are the royal road to the nightmare of the one-state solution and the end of a democratic, Jewish Israel.
Carlo Strenger is a psychology professor at Tel Aviv University, and a member of the Permanent Monitoring Panel on Terrorism of the World Federation of Scientists.
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism,
One-state solution is a blueprint for a nightmare
By Carlo Strenger
The continued failure of the Mideast peace process and the escalation of violence from the second intifada to the Gaza war have led many to think that the two-state solution is pedestrian, unimaginative and inhuman.
Many Palestinians and a small but vocal group of Jews back Edward Said's claim that a one-state solution with full right of return for all Palestinians must be endorsed. This, they say, would finally lead to absolute and full justice.
It has been this search for absolutes that has made the Middle East intractable. The Jewish side has made the same mistake as the Palestinians. The original Zionist narrative wanted a metaphysical justification for the right of Jews for a State in Israel and connected Israel to Biblical times until the destruction of the Second Temple. Along with most liberal progressives, I think that the idea that Jews need a homeland where Jews could forever be safe is perfectly enough of a justification.
Advertisement
What about Palestinian suffering, then? The creation of Israel engendered great suffering, dislocation and expropriation for the Palestinians. This is a tragedy partially due to choices they made. There are two wrong ways to deal with this tragedy: On the one hand, trying to suppress consciousness of this tragedy by law, as Mr. Lieberman proposes, combines historical stupidity, inhumanity and a propensity for fascism.
On the other hand, the claim that the one-state solution would lead to perfect justice, and that the Palestinian tragedy can be abolished betrays total lack of realism. How on earth could two groups with such different cultures and histories as Jews and Palestinians share power, particularly after the traumatic history of the last sixty years? And how exactly would you envisage all Palestinians returning to the lands that they lost in 1948?
While the one-state solution with full Palestinian Right of Return sounds the prophetic dream of the wolves living with the sheep, its reality would a nightmare that would continue the Israeli-Palestinian struggle by other means. Israeli demographer Arnon Sopher has coined the expression that the wombs of Palestinian women are biological weapons. Behind this ugly term there is a sad reality: in a state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean there will be an endless Jewish-Palestinian struggle for demographic hegemony. The race for who will have more children would turn the idealist dream of perpetual peace into an ugly war of wombs.
Already various groups are building scenarios how to take over the new larger Palestine/Israel; Palestinians in the Diaspora will be given citizenship to vote on the basis of the Right of Return - countered by Jews throughout the world that will become citizens by virtue of the Law of Return and vote by mail. In other words: the one-state solution, far from being a prophetic dream of perfect justice, would turn into a nightmare.
Even those who, like me, are not particularly attached to the idea of nation states need to admit that the human need for cultural self-expression and political self-determination seems to be ineradicable. Czechoslovakia has fallen apart into two states, and even peaceful Belgium seems on the way to do so.
For the time being, there is no alternative to the nation state in most areas of the world. Israel will have to remain a state with Jewish hegemony based on democratic process and full rights for all minorities, with special emphasis on Israeli Palestinians. Alongside there must be a Palestinian state in which Palestinians can live in freedom, prosperity and dignity.
The two-state solution may be pedestrian and unimaginative, but it has at least a realistic chance to bring peace - if Israel stops wasting time and dragging its feet. The paradox is that the Israeli right is playing into the hands of those who no longer want the two-state solution. Its policies are the royal road to the nightmare of the one-state solution and the end of a democratic, Jewish Israel.
Carlo Strenger is a psychology professor at Tel Aviv University, and a member of the Permanent Monitoring Panel on Terrorism of the World Federation of Scientists.
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism,
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
New Review of Distant Thunder
Book Review: Distant Thunder by Jimmy Root Jr.
Posted on August 25th, 2009
by Simon Barrett in Book Reviews, Reviews
Book One Of The Lightning Chronicles
I read a lot of books and while I am not as cynical as the wag that suggests there are only 7 plots in the entire literary world and authors merely recycle these plots over and over, however I do feel that a good many books lack that spark that sets them apart. That is not the case with Distant Thunder, Jimmy Root Jr. has found a most unique angle to base his book around. The basis for his action/thriller novel are two rather obscure chapters from the old testament, Ezekiel 38 and 39. In these writings can be found a prophecy concerning the future well being of the Jewish people in Israel. Is Ezekiel predicting that at some point Israels enemies will rise up united against her?
Distant Thunder weaves two distinct story lines together. In the first we have a group of fanatical Muslim terrorists who have procured some portable nuclear devices from Russia. These devices were ‘liberated’ when the Soviet Union crumbled. Their mission? To destroy the west by detonating them in major cities. In the second story line Israel’s enemies have joined forces and plan to launch an Iranian made missile equipped with an Iranian made nuclear device at the city of Haifa.
Our main heroes are Pastor Ty Dempsey, a peace loving man residing in the small town of Plattsville, Missouri. His life is becomes shattered with the death of his brother serving in Iraq. It is this event that draws Ty into his bible and most particularly the book of Ezekiel. In his eyes there is a clear connection to the the woes befalling the modern world in this ancient text. When he reveals his fears to his congregation not everyone is in agreement and certain elements start to seek his removal from the church. His sermons have started to fragment this quiet community.
In Israel we meet Captain Moshe Eldan, a fighter pilot tasked with keeping the airspace free from intruders. It is through his wife that he learns of Ezekiel’s prophecy. That becomes of even greater importance after he is shot down over the Golan Heights and makes a horrific discovery.
I do not think it is appropriate to reveal any more of the plot at this stage. Distant Thunder is without doubt the hidden gem of the summer. I know it is cliché, but this book is a genuine page turner. I cannot profess to be much of a practicing Christian, the occasional wedding and christening, and as I grow older, funerals are my main occasions to venture into the world of religion. This plot though piqued my interest and for the first time in years actually picked up a bible and read what Ezekiel had to say. My wife almost had heart failure when she saw me do this!
I will now share a secret with you. Jimmy Root Jr. is indeed a pastor in real life. This fact eluded me until I read his biography at the end of the book. I guess I should not have been surprised as the biblical quotes are likely outside of the realm of a regular author. But the style of writing, and indeed the action, thriller plot just does not seem like something I would have expected from a man of the cloth.
There is one section in particular that sticks in my mind. The dieing thoughts of a suicide bomber. It is very thought provoking and ends with the phrase: "Then suddenly and with infinite impact, it dawned on him that the voice was his own, and it was not subsiding. So this was hell."
Great book, grab yourself a copy and take a ride on the wild side. I can not wait for book two in this series. Distant Thunder is available from Jimmy Root Jr’s web site.
Simon Barrett
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism,
Posted on August 25th, 2009
by Simon Barrett in Book Reviews, Reviews
Book One Of The Lightning Chronicles
I read a lot of books and while I am not as cynical as the wag that suggests there are only 7 plots in the entire literary world and authors merely recycle these plots over and over, however I do feel that a good many books lack that spark that sets them apart. That is not the case with Distant Thunder, Jimmy Root Jr. has found a most unique angle to base his book around. The basis for his action/thriller novel are two rather obscure chapters from the old testament, Ezekiel 38 and 39. In these writings can be found a prophecy concerning the future well being of the Jewish people in Israel. Is Ezekiel predicting that at some point Israels enemies will rise up united against her?
Distant Thunder weaves two distinct story lines together. In the first we have a group of fanatical Muslim terrorists who have procured some portable nuclear devices from Russia. These devices were ‘liberated’ when the Soviet Union crumbled. Their mission? To destroy the west by detonating them in major cities. In the second story line Israel’s enemies have joined forces and plan to launch an Iranian made missile equipped with an Iranian made nuclear device at the city of Haifa.
Our main heroes are Pastor Ty Dempsey, a peace loving man residing in the small town of Plattsville, Missouri. His life is becomes shattered with the death of his brother serving in Iraq. It is this event that draws Ty into his bible and most particularly the book of Ezekiel. In his eyes there is a clear connection to the the woes befalling the modern world in this ancient text. When he reveals his fears to his congregation not everyone is in agreement and certain elements start to seek his removal from the church. His sermons have started to fragment this quiet community.
In Israel we meet Captain Moshe Eldan, a fighter pilot tasked with keeping the airspace free from intruders. It is through his wife that he learns of Ezekiel’s prophecy. That becomes of even greater importance after he is shot down over the Golan Heights and makes a horrific discovery.
I do not think it is appropriate to reveal any more of the plot at this stage. Distant Thunder is without doubt the hidden gem of the summer. I know it is cliché, but this book is a genuine page turner. I cannot profess to be much of a practicing Christian, the occasional wedding and christening, and as I grow older, funerals are my main occasions to venture into the world of religion. This plot though piqued my interest and for the first time in years actually picked up a bible and read what Ezekiel had to say. My wife almost had heart failure when she saw me do this!
I will now share a secret with you. Jimmy Root Jr. is indeed a pastor in real life. This fact eluded me until I read his biography at the end of the book. I guess I should not have been surprised as the biblical quotes are likely outside of the realm of a regular author. But the style of writing, and indeed the action, thriller plot just does not seem like something I would have expected from a man of the cloth.
There is one section in particular that sticks in my mind. The dieing thoughts of a suicide bomber. It is very thought provoking and ends with the phrase: "Then suddenly and with infinite impact, it dawned on him that the voice was his own, and it was not subsiding. So this was hell."
Great book, grab yourself a copy and take a ride on the wild side. I can not wait for book two in this series. Distant Thunder is available from Jimmy Root Jr’s web site.
Simon Barrett
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism,
Sunday, August 23, 2009
An Ambush Approaching?
ALERT :: OBAMA PLANNING ISRAEL AMBUSH AT OPENING OF UN ASSEMBLY!
Several sources have informed One Jerusalem that the Obama Administration is planning to significantly step up the pressure on Israel by announcing a comprehensive plan for Israel and the Palestinians at the opening of the United Nations General in September.
Picture this: The anti-Israel nations of the world surrounding President Obama as he demands that Israel give up sovereignty over Jerusalem, abandon settlements, and recognize a terrorist state on the West Bank.If this happens, Israel will be isolated from the rest of world in a very dramatic manner. The first sign that something was up came when Egyptian President Mubarak said that the Obama Administration was ready to propose a plan in September and the White House rushed to dampen expectations by declaring that they are nowhere near to readying a plan.
Sources confirmed that the Obama administration is contemplating this ambush of Israel at the United Nations. It might be a really good time to be in prayer...maybe even send a note to the White House.
Jimmy
Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
Listed at Amazon.com or purchase from www.lightningchronicles.com
Saturday, August 22, 2009
I hate to keep picking on our pour, inexperienced President, but he keeps offering up various and sundry moments of utter foolishness. Read this from today's headlines. (More to say at the end.)
Obama addresses Muslims on Ramadan
By ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON
In a video message to Muslims getting ready for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins Saturday in most of the Islamic world, US President Barack Obama on Friday cast US military efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and Washington's support in a two-state solution as part of his drive to forge a new relationship between America and the Muslim world.
Relations with the world's 1.5 billion Muslims soured after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Obama said in the a video message that US efforts to end the war in Iraq and to isolate extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan are in keeping with America's responsibility to build a more peaceful and secure world. He said that also includes US support for a two-state solution recognizing the rights of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.
"All of these efforts are part of America's commitment to engage Muslims and Muslim-majority nations on the basis of mutual interest and mutual respect," Obama said in the message posted on the White House Web site. "And at this time of renewal, I want to reiterate my commitment to a new beginning between America and Muslims around the world." Ramadan, a month long period of prayer, reflection and sunrise-to-sunset fasts, begins Saturday in most of the Islamic world.
Obama said Ramadan's rituals are a reminder of the principles Muslims and Christians have in common, including advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
Obama has made a special effort since taking office to repair US relations with the world's Muslims, including visits to Turkey and Cairo.
Obama's visit to the Egyptian capital in June fulfilled his promise to deliver a speech in a major Muslim city.
In that speech, as well as in one to another important Muslim audience, in Turkey, Obama said: "America is not - and never will be - at war with Islam.
In a video message to Muslims getting ready for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins Saturday in most of the Islamic world, US President Barack Obama on Friday cast US military efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and Washington's support in a two-state solution as part of his drive to forge a new relationship between America and the Muslim world.
Relations with the world's 1.5 billion Muslims soured after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Obama said in the a video message that US efforts to end the war in Iraq and to isolate extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan are in keeping with America's responsibility to build a more peaceful and secure world. He said that also includes US support for a two-state solution recognizing the rights of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.
"All of these efforts are part of America's commitment to engage Muslims and Muslim-majority nations on the basis of mutual interest and mutual respect," Obama said in the message posted on the White House Web site. "And at this time of renewal, I want to reiterate my commitment to a new beginning between America and Muslims around the world." Ramadan, a month long period of prayer, reflection and sunrise-to-sunset fasts, begins Saturday in most of the Islamic world.
Obama said Ramadan's rituals are a reminder of the principles Muslims and Christians have in common, including advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
Obama has made a special effort since taking office to repair US relations with the world's Muslims, including visits to Turkey and Cairo.
Obama's visit to the Egyptian capital in June fulfilled his promise to deliver a speech in a major Muslim city.
In that speech, as well as in one to another important Muslim audience, in Turkey, Obama said: "America is not - and never will be - at war with Islam.
Since when do Islam and Christianity have anything in common? Since when do we even place Islam and Christianity in the same sentence as having the same value?
One thing is clear to me...our President is clueless about Christianity if he believes the principles of Islam are similar. I suppose he was absent from church the day that Jeremiah Wright outlined the differences! And, in the end, who is left in the lurch by this Presidential diatribe? Of course, Israel. I'm releatively certain folks like Mahmoud Ahmadinijad and Ayatollah Ali Khameini really enjoy our President's speeches.
Jimmy
Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
Purchase at Amazon.com or www.lightningchronicles.com
Friday, August 21, 2009
URGENCY is the Watchword
I am always amazed when one particular word or another catches fire and is used by multiple parties. That is the case with the popularity of the current watchword... "Urgency."
Though much of America is distracted by the what is happening with Obamacare and the Liberal attempt to explain away 'grass roots Amercia,' events continue to compound in regards to Israel and the Palestinians.
One of the things the Israelis distrust the most is extended periods of "LULL." Weeks and months on end when no rockets are fired, no invasions are impending, and things seem to be peacfull. That usually spells trouble. The trouble being spelled out now comes in the form of the words O-B-A-M-A, M-E-R-K-L-E, and the EUROPEAN UNION. The push is on to force Israel into a two-state solution for the Palestian issue, and the term being bandied now is the word URGENT. (That is Greek for Yesterday!)
This comes from today's Jerusalem Post.... and pay specific attention to the last paragraph.
Germany: Urgent progress is needed on settlements
By JPOST.COM STAFF
As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu prepares for his trip next week to England and Germany, an official in Berlin said Friday that urgent action is needed on the issue of settlements, Reuters reported.
"We and our partners the Americans have made very clear that we see the settlements issue as one of the biggest impediments to a two-state solution," German Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke said. "There must be urgent progress on the settlements to make progress on Middle East peace."
As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu prepares for his trip next week to England and Germany, an official in Berlin said Friday that urgent action is needed on the issue of settlements, Reuters reported.
"We and our partners the Americans have made very clear that we see the settlements issue as one of the biggest impediments to a two-state solution," German Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke said. "There must be urgent progress on the settlements to make progress on Middle East peace."
Peschke added that while there were signs that Israel was "thinking seriously" about its policies, "we don't have any definitive movement on the settlements question yet."
In a brief statement issued later Friday afternoon, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor rejected the comments, saying "these are disconnected statements, without any diplomatic context. These statements are not part of any diplomatic negotiations, they are unrelated to reality and distort it."
In July German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Israel to end settlement construction, saying such activity jeopardized efforts toward a two-state solution.
"I think it is now important to get commitments from all sides and that includes the issue of settlement building," Merkel said in a speech to the Bundestag. "I am convinced that there must be a stop to this. Otherwise we will not come to the two-state solution that is urgently needed."During that same month, Ruprecht Polenz, the head of the German parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and an ally of Merkel, said that Israel risked committing gradual suicide as a democratic state if it does not stop building beyond the green line.
I find it fascinating that those pushing Israel to the peace table cannot see that giving up land for peace to people bent on destroying their very existence is the actual suicide. A spirit of DUMB has not only struck America, it has struck the entire planet. Blindness, dullness of hearing the truth, and inability to act with wisdom, and just plain stupidity have captured the human race.
Jimmy Root Jr
Author: Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles, A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Turkey: Israel Must Show It Wants Peace
Over the last two decades, Israel has done everything but give away the store to demonstrate it wants peace...everything short of giving up Jerusalem. It has bent over backwards. Yet each time it has made concessions, the Palestinians have rejected the plan and launched a new round of terror against the Jews. Amazing! Now, the Turks have jumped in to basically accuse Israel of railroading the peace process.
The following is from today's Jerusalem Post.
Before being appointed foreign minister, Davutoglu served as Turkey's top envoy for the Middle East.
Last year, Turkey mediated four rounds of indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria, which broke down at the beginning of Operation Cast Lead in late December. But recent rumblings have suggested that the talks could be restarted in the near future. Last week, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon stated that Israel would be willing to re-enter negotiations with Syria, but only if they came in the form of direct talks.
Jimmy Root Jr
Author of Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles... A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
The following is from today's Jerusalem Post.
Israel must take steps to show that it wants a resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Wednesday.
Speaking during a a news conference with visiting Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, Davutoglu said the time had come "for Israel to openly display its will for peace if it has it." He did not elaborate.
Speaking during a a news conference with visiting Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, Davutoglu said the time had come "for Israel to openly display its will for peace if it has it." He did not elaborate.
Before being appointed foreign minister, Davutoglu served as Turkey's top envoy for the Middle East.
Last year, Turkey mediated four rounds of indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria, which broke down at the beginning of Operation Cast Lead in late December. But recent rumblings have suggested that the talks could be restarted in the near future. Last week, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon stated that Israel would be willing to re-enter negotiations with Syria, but only if they came in the form of direct talks.
Turkey shows up prominantly within the Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecies of the Gog and Magog war. It is called by the name of those that first migrated to the land it now occupies...namely...Gomer and Togarmah. Turkey has been a quasi-ally of Israel for the last decade, but has since begun to turn toward the more radical side of its Muslim heritage. It only stands to reason that Turkey would begin to reject its alliances with Israel and the west. This new challenge is another in a series of steps that demonstrate Turkey will soon join the radical jihadist elements of Iran and Saudia Arabia in standing against Israel.
Jimmy Root Jr
Author of Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles... A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Iranian Nukes "A Flying Death Cam"
The Israelis are beginning to circumvent the Obama Administrations peace efforts by going directly to a last-resort source in Russia. Former Israeli Prime Minister, Shimon Perez, made a visit to Russia with Iran on his mind. Israel sees the growing connection between Moscow and Tehran. They may also be seeing a much greater danger than just the jihadist movement. Of course, that danger is outlined in Ezekiel 38 and 39.
This from the Jerusalem Post
President Shimon Peres told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Tuesday that an Iranian nuclear bomb would mean a "flying death camp."
During a four-hour-long meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, Peres told Medvedev that "the problem with Iran is not only the desire to produce nuclear weapons, but also the character of the regime... From my point of view, a nuclear weapon in Iranian hands has only one meaning - a flying death camp.
During a four-hour-long meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, Peres told Medvedev that "the problem with Iran is not only the desire to produce nuclear weapons, but also the character of the regime... From my point of view, a nuclear weapon in Iranian hands has only one meaning - a flying death camp.
"The fact that Iran is investing billions of dollars in the development of long-range missiles, in parallel to its nuclear project, is clear indication of its intent," Peres told his Russian counterpart.
Medvedev assured Peres that Russia was opposed to Iran's attainment of nuclear weapons, saying that he was aware that such a scenario would "lead to a nuclear arms race of other Middle Eastern countries."
According to a statement released by the President's Office, the two leaders discussed the sale of Russian weapons to countries hostile to Israel, including Iran.
"President Peres stressed that the sale of these weapons could damage the delicate balance of power in the region, and requested the Russian president, in the name of the state of Israel, to reconsider Russian policy in regard to this, and stressed that Israel has concrete proof of Russian weapons being transferred to terrorist
Medvedev responded by saying that Russia would "reexamine the request."
As well as the Iranian nuclear standoff, the two presidents also discussed the Middle East peace process during their talks as well as strategic ties between Moscow and Jerusalem. Medvedev said that he hopes to upgrade relations between both countries to the same level as those Russia holds with European states.
Russia aspires to host an international conference to discuss the Middle East peace process.
Medvedev welcomed Peres by calling him "one of the world's most experienced politicians" and said he was ready to discuss both bilateral ties and regional challenges.
"We can touch on both Russian-Israeli ties and difficult issues related to the Middle East settlement and other regional problems," Medvedev said at the start of the talks. "There are more difficulties than we wish, but we still need to discuss them."
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Friday, August 14, 2009
Is the Ezekiel Prophecy Nearing Fulfillment?
While surfing the other day, not in the ocean but on the web, I came across a popular teacher of end-times prophecy. His article captured my attention because of the theme he was stressing. He was basically saying that the Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecy of the Gog/Magog war is nowhere near fulfillment. His premise was simple. He based his opinion solely on Ezekiel 38:10 which speaks of the waring coalition thinking to itself; "I will go up against a land of unwalled villages..."
Interestingly, the man's premise was that there had to be some sort of peace agreement put into place that would cause Israel to disarm...or at least feel so at peace that it would not have to defend itself. Not wanting to brush aside his opinion, I decided to do a bit of a word study in order to get at the bottom of the text. I wanted to see what the words meant in the Hebrew, the original language of Ezekiel. This is what I found and how I put it all together. Warning: this is how I read the text by using the original language. Things may play out quite differently, and God is the sovereign one here. However, I calls em like I sees em!
First, it is God that instigates the movement of the peoples led by Magog. In Ezekiel 38:10, the Lord is the one who puts the thought into Magog's head....God is the one that puts the spin on what Magog is going to be thinking. Here is what it says.
"This is what the sovereign Lord says; On that day thoughts will come into your head and you will devise and evil scheme. You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people, all of them living without gates and without bars."
On the surface this sounds like a land that has given up arms and is completely at peace. But remember, this is a thought that is evil...devoid of truth....and does not necessarily mean Israel will be living as peaceniks. Unbarred windows and ungated doors speaks of openness as well as a state of peace. The word for "unwalled villages" is perazah....which literally means an open country and also conveys a message of "ripe for the picking."
Then comes the word "safely." Verse 14 says this; "...In that day, when my people Israel are living safely" some translations say.. "living in safety." Again, my prophecy teaching friend surmised that Israel's safety is the result of some sort of peace agreement. So, let's look at the word a little more closely.
Betach is the word used. It means safety, yes, but it also is used many times in the Old Testament to describe strength and security. In other words, safety is a matter of being secure and strong enough to insure safety. It is much like the old Cold War. America was safe from nuclear attack, not because we are nice guys, but because we have enough fire power to obliterate anyone who would try to harm us. Could "betach" be portraying the same sense in verse 14? If you put the unwalled village...or open country...with security, you may get a different picture than the one given by the guys who believe there will be a peace agreement.
Remember, other scripture has to come into play. I speak of Psalm 83, Jeremiah 12, Ezekiel 25, and Obadiah 15-18. Those passages give clear indication that the nations immediately surrounding Israel are going to manufacture an attempt to destroy the Jews once and for all. Ezekiel 25 clearly states that the Lord will use his people Israel to exact vengeance on those nations so that they would know that "I am" is the Lord. Isaiah 17 also gives the prophetic word that Damascus would be destroyed....not in the Ezekiel 38-39 attack, but before. Israel will have responded to the threat by destroying the enemies that are closest to it. I would say that constitutes security. I can also imagine that in the immediate aftermath Israel will become unsuspecting of a greater invasion perpetrated by Russia, Turkey, Iran, and others.
God will use Israel's strength to do the job in round one. However, round two will happen quickly and with such overwhelming ferocity that God will have to intervene for his covenant people. He will be the one that destroys Gog and his hordes on the mountains of Israel. PTL
If you are following my take on the coming events, you can clearly see that round one could happen at any moment. This is especially so if Israel takes the first step by attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. I don't believe Israel would do anything more than attack the facilities. They might even wipe them out. But you can also imagine that nations like Jordan, Syria, Saudia Arabia, Lebanon, and the Palestinians in Gaza would be so alarmed and angered that there response would be an immediate uprising. Israel will be forced to respond with enough response to remove the threat. A spiral toward the Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecy would be created.
To look for the signing of some agreement that would bring sweeping peace to the region should probably be left for those hunting of the anti-christ. It is time to pray and prepare now for the immediate aftermath of the above scenario, for it is the moment that I believe we will see the greatest period of evangelism the world has ever, or will ever know.
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Interestingly, the man's premise was that there had to be some sort of peace agreement put into place that would cause Israel to disarm...or at least feel so at peace that it would not have to defend itself. Not wanting to brush aside his opinion, I decided to do a bit of a word study in order to get at the bottom of the text. I wanted to see what the words meant in the Hebrew, the original language of Ezekiel. This is what I found and how I put it all together. Warning: this is how I read the text by using the original language. Things may play out quite differently, and God is the sovereign one here. However, I calls em like I sees em!
First, it is God that instigates the movement of the peoples led by Magog. In Ezekiel 38:10, the Lord is the one who puts the thought into Magog's head....God is the one that puts the spin on what Magog is going to be thinking. Here is what it says.
"This is what the sovereign Lord says; On that day thoughts will come into your head and you will devise and evil scheme. You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people, all of them living without gates and without bars."
On the surface this sounds like a land that has given up arms and is completely at peace. But remember, this is a thought that is evil...devoid of truth....and does not necessarily mean Israel will be living as peaceniks. Unbarred windows and ungated doors speaks of openness as well as a state of peace. The word for "unwalled villages" is perazah....which literally means an open country and also conveys a message of "ripe for the picking."
Then comes the word "safely." Verse 14 says this; "...In that day, when my people Israel are living safely" some translations say.. "living in safety." Again, my prophecy teaching friend surmised that Israel's safety is the result of some sort of peace agreement. So, let's look at the word a little more closely.
Betach is the word used. It means safety, yes, but it also is used many times in the Old Testament to describe strength and security. In other words, safety is a matter of being secure and strong enough to insure safety. It is much like the old Cold War. America was safe from nuclear attack, not because we are nice guys, but because we have enough fire power to obliterate anyone who would try to harm us. Could "betach" be portraying the same sense in verse 14? If you put the unwalled village...or open country...with security, you may get a different picture than the one given by the guys who believe there will be a peace agreement.
Remember, other scripture has to come into play. I speak of Psalm 83, Jeremiah 12, Ezekiel 25, and Obadiah 15-18. Those passages give clear indication that the nations immediately surrounding Israel are going to manufacture an attempt to destroy the Jews once and for all. Ezekiel 25 clearly states that the Lord will use his people Israel to exact vengeance on those nations so that they would know that "I am" is the Lord. Isaiah 17 also gives the prophetic word that Damascus would be destroyed....not in the Ezekiel 38-39 attack, but before. Israel will have responded to the threat by destroying the enemies that are closest to it. I would say that constitutes security. I can also imagine that in the immediate aftermath Israel will become unsuspecting of a greater invasion perpetrated by Russia, Turkey, Iran, and others.
God will use Israel's strength to do the job in round one. However, round two will happen quickly and with such overwhelming ferocity that God will have to intervene for his covenant people. He will be the one that destroys Gog and his hordes on the mountains of Israel. PTL
If you are following my take on the coming events, you can clearly see that round one could happen at any moment. This is especially so if Israel takes the first step by attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. I don't believe Israel would do anything more than attack the facilities. They might even wipe them out. But you can also imagine that nations like Jordan, Syria, Saudia Arabia, Lebanon, and the Palestinians in Gaza would be so alarmed and angered that there response would be an immediate uprising. Israel will be forced to respond with enough response to remove the threat. A spiral toward the Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecy would be created.
To look for the signing of some agreement that would bring sweeping peace to the region should probably be left for those hunting of the anti-christ. It is time to pray and prepare now for the immediate aftermath of the above scenario, for it is the moment that I believe we will see the greatest period of evangelism the world has ever, or will ever know.
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Distant Thunder Review by Norm Goldman of Book Pleasures
Norm Goldman, B.A. LL.L, is the Publisher & Editor of http://Bookpleasures.com. He is also a top 500 http://Amazon.com reviewer.
Author: Jimmy Root Jr.
ISBN: 13: 978-1-58982-553-6: 10: 1-58982-553-5
Depending on your religious beliefs, Jimmy Root Jr.’s Distant Thunder is either likely to dazzle you or affront you. It is a Christian novel with an overt Christian perspective and message. Accordingly, many readers and predominantly those of faiths other than Christianity may be totally turned off. Then again, if you can avoid becoming too enmeshed with the religious aspect of the novel, there remains a well-written chilling yarn that will make you eager to stick around and enjoy the read.
Root creates two worlds or theaters of action, one in Plattsville, Missouri, just a stone’s throw away from Kansas City, and the other in Israel.
As our story evolves, Ty Dempsey, a pastor in Plattsville has recently lost his brother in the Iraq War. Ty gets into hot water with his Board of Deacons, as they are not too pleased with his sermons and the way he is preaching to his congregants. This was in reaction to one of his sermons where he told his congregants that the Lord had revealed to him through Isaiah chapter seventeen that the world as we know it is about to come to a spectacular end.
Ty goes onto explain that nuclear material will fall into the hands of people bent on the destruction of Israel and this will emanate from Iran, through Iraq and Syria. Israel will respond swiftly and obliterate and erase Syria from the map. And what follows will replicate the prophesy of Ezekiel, who predicted the destruction of several nations located in the Middle East and Russia pursuant to their aggression against Judah (Israel).
The novel’s second principal character is Captain Moshe Eldan, an intense thirty-four year old F-161 ace Israeli pilot whose wife Tasha has similarly suffered the loss of a family member, her mother. She has turned away from Judaism and has embraced Jesus Christ and would like her husband to join her in her new found religion.
Moshe is passionate in his defense of Israel and is constantly in danger guarding his country’s borders from its hostile and devious neighbors. One night, however, his luck runs out and he and another air force pilot are shot down by Russian migs. Moshe finds himself behind enemy lines in Syria where he is about to discover something very disturbing that could have dire consequences for his country.
Mixed into the plot are Arab terrorists that are preparing a hideous attack on the USA which is tied in with plans to destroy Israel by unfriendly Arab neighbors as well as Russia. Could this be what Ezekiel prophesied? Is this scenario happening today when we read the headlines concerning Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and other Arab countries? You have to admit this does give readers reason to pause and re-examine the state of world affairs, particularly as it concerns Iran and its foreboding threat to Israel. All of this, no doubt, will intensify your fascination because much of the novel is inspired by actual events that we are reading about in the media.
Root is not afraid to assume that you will follow him down controversial and sometimes frightening paths. His writing is imaginative, although some of the conversations between Moshe and Tasha are a trifle far-fetched, especially when the security of the State of Israel is at stake. What particularly makes you willing to stick with the story, despite its obvious religious slant, is that the author impressively brings life to his two main characters who both are caught up in overwhelming struggles. On the one hand, we have a devoted pastor who has a intense belief in his teachings and spurns any attempt by others to change them. On the other hand, we have an Israeli warrior who is zealously passionate about his country and will safeguard it at all costs. We can even feel Ty and Moshe's passions and emotions wishing that all will turn out for the good in the end. There is also a little romance thrown in as Ty falls madly in love with a beautiful blond. However, don't expect any steamy love scenes! This is after all a Christian novel.
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Iran's Move Increases Tension on Lebanese Border
This from the Debkafile
Tension on Israel-Lebanese border rises as Iran sends Hizballah upgraded missiles
Israel, Lebanon and Iran have been trading charges of responsibility for the rising military tensions on the Lebanese-Israeli border in the past week. DEBKAfile's military sources disclose that the Lebanese Shiite Hizballah is preparing for the intake of self-propelled anti-air SAM-8 missiles and an upgraded version of the Iranian ground-ground Fateh-110 missile, whose warhead carries half a ton of explosives with a 200-kilometer range.
Iran appears concerned that President Barack Obama, whom Tehran sources see as frustrated by his failure to cut the Assad regime in Damascus away from its bonds with Tehran, may give Israel a green light to punish Hizballah. The Iranians have responded by pumping up allegations of Israeli threats and building up Hizballah's arsenal with deliveries of advanced air-to-air, ground-to-ground, and shore-to-sea missiles for crippling Israel's military and battering its civilian population in the event of a flare-up.
In Jerusalem, Israel's deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon said Sunday, Aug. 9, that Lebanon would suffer serious consequences from any Hizballah attempt to assassinate Israelis abroad.
Defense minister Ehud Barak also threatened to use "all necessary force" in the event of a fresh conflict on Israel's northern border.
A Hizballah spokesman countered: "If Barak's threats are serious - and I don't think they are - he should be aware that if he commits an error or stupid act against Lebanon… he will find that July and August 2006 were a bit of fun."
Meanwhile, the Iranians are rushing to their Lebanese proxy the anti-air SA-18 (which performs similarly to the US Stinger) and the self-propelled Sam-8, a few batteries of which Israeli believes have already been delivered.
Seven months ago, Israel warned Syria that if these missiles are allowed to cross its border into Lebanon, they would be judged to be a violation of the regional balance of strength and legitimate targets for attack before both before they leave Syria and at their Lebanese sites.
The Fateh-110, an upgraded Zelzal 2 - which in the 2006 war Hizballah used to strike the northern Israeli towns of Hadera, Afula and the Jezreel Valley - can reach northern Tel Aviv. The weapon also has greater accuracy due to a Chinese guidance system sold to Iran.
My Commentary
There have been subtle hints coming through articles in various Israeli media over the last few days, all of them revealing that Israel is getting nervous concerning the current state of calm. They know from experience that the calm tends to be prominent just before the storm.
The above article from the Debkafile indicates a reason for concern. The last round of rocket launching perpetrated by Hezbollah in 2006 was with Katyusha rockets that were the epitome of inferiority compared to the new ones being stockpiled.
It is obvious to me that Iran is doing everything it can to provoke an Israeli response, either against their nuclear facilities or their surrogates in Lebanon and Gaza. The question is how long Israel will hold out for some sort of nod from Obama. The likelihood of that is slim, especially since, as of yesterday, Syria has basically put the kaibosh on Obama's peace initiative.
I believe that Israel will respond soon, possibly this year. But this is exactly the opening that Iran seeks. It will portray itself as the offended party, and all Islam will rally against the common enemy. When that happens, look for the first wave of prophetic attacks to compress against Israel. It will be the prelude to Ezekiel's war of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39.
In the meantime we have a resonsibility as believers in Christ. It is one that many do not want to hear, but listen closely. The moment for the great showdown between Jehovah and Allah is approaching. Jehovah's response will be overwhelming. People will die! That means now is the time to pray and work for the revelation of Jesus Christ among the Muslim peoples of the world. We tend to focus on the Jews, but both desperately need Jesus. I have felt a renewed call to pray often for Muslims and their salvation before it is too late. Will you join me? As you pray for the peace of Jerusalem, pray for the peace of Yesu in the hearts of Muslims.
On another note: The release of Distant Thunder has come and gone. The Publisher has tweeted and emailed with a sense of excitement over the virtual tour. I don't know if that means a response in the form of book orders is taking place or what. But I do ask for your prayers that the book will find its way into the hands of as many people as possible. Not for money's sake, but for the message.
Thanks so much,
Jimmy Root Jr
Author of Distant Thunder Book One of the Lightning Chronicles A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
www.lightningchronicles.com
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Monday, August 10, 2009
Virtual Book Tour Continues Aug. 10 -17
We keep on plugging away with the Virutal Book Tour for Distant Thunder. Creating an internet buzz takes work, maybe some sweat.
Check out these sites and make a comment when you can. I appreciate it greatly.
Aug. 10 – The Story Behind the Book (guest post) http://thestorybehindthebook.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/distant-thunder-by-christian-fiction-author-and-pastor-jimmy-root-jr/
Aug. 11 – Divine Caroline (interview) www.divinecaroline.com
Aug. 12 – As the Pages Turn (interview) www.asthepagesturn.wordpress.com
Aug. 13 – Café of Dreams (guest post) www.cafeofdreams.blogspot.com
Aug. 14 – Home Sweet Home Writing Challenge (interview) http://homesweethomewritingchallenge.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/at-home-with-christian-fiction-author-jimmy-root-jr/
If you haven't purchased the book, a link is in the column or you can visit www.lightningchronicles.com to order a signed copy. Distant Thunder is a Prophetic Fiction Thriller built upon the sure foundation of Biblical Prophecy. It depicts the beginning march toward the fulfillment of the Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecies...called the War of Gog and Magog. Israel and Iran are the prime movers in the story, one you won't be ablel to put down.
Jimmy Root Jr
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Check out these sites and make a comment when you can. I appreciate it greatly.
Aug. 10 – The Story Behind the Book (guest post) http://thestorybehindthebook.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/distant-thunder-by-christian-fiction-author-and-pastor-jimmy-root-jr/
Aug. 11 – Divine Caroline (interview) www.divinecaroline.com
Aug. 12 – As the Pages Turn (interview) www.asthepagesturn.wordpress.com
Aug. 13 – Café of Dreams (guest post) www.cafeofdreams.blogspot.com
Aug. 14 – Home Sweet Home Writing Challenge (interview) http://homesweethomewritingchallenge.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/at-home-with-christian-fiction-author-jimmy-root-jr/
If you haven't purchased the book, a link is in the column or you can visit www.lightningchronicles.com to order a signed copy. Distant Thunder is a Prophetic Fiction Thriller built upon the sure foundation of Biblical Prophecy. It depicts the beginning march toward the fulfillment of the Ezekiel 38 and 39 prophecies...called the War of Gog and Magog. Israel and Iran are the prime movers in the story, one you won't be ablel to put down.
Jimmy Root Jr
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Friday, August 7, 2009
US - Israel Relations Sour
An interesting article from Israel Insider.
US: Israeli diplomat slams Israel's policy
Consul general in Boston distributes letter titled, 'Sad thoughts on Israel-US relations'. Many circles in America, he writes, feel Obama administration 'is forced to deal with the disobedience of governments in Iran, North Korea and Israel'
Senior Israeli diplomat serving in United States launches scathing arrack on Netanyahu government's policy: Nadav Tamir, Israel's consul general in Boston, has distributed a letter saying that "an image of a conflict between the Israeli government and the Obama administration is harming the support for Israel in the public opinion, much more than the criticism over the aggressiveness and harm caused to civilians during Operation Cast Lead or the battle against Hezbollah in 2006."
The letter signed by the consul general was spread in wide circulation among Israeli delegates in the US and Foreign Ministry officials, and was also sent to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The three-page document, titled 'Sad thoughts on Israel-US relations', was first reported by Channel 10. It includes some harsh statements on the deteriorating relations between Washington and Jerusalem. "The favored Israeli approach is to always say to the Americans 'yes, but…' over 'no'. It has been clear to our decision makers that this is the most important power in the world, as well as our closest ally.
"Therefore, we must sacrifice tactical issues for the sake of strategic ties… One can mention Prime Minister Sharon's positive response to the Road Map, despite a long list of reservations… It should be mentioned that there have always been differences in the two countries' approaches, whether in terms of the settlements or, for example, in terms of Hamas' participation in the Palestinian elections, but the level of coordination between the governments was maintained."
Tamir added that "the damage in the American public opinion's support is already apparent in recent public opinion polls, and the damage is expected to be even worse… Many circles in America feel these days that while the Obama administration is attempting to solve conflicts across the world, it must deal with the disobedience of the governments in Iran, North Korea and Israel.
'We're not sacrificed in favor of Muslims'
He warned that "the sense of conflict between the Israeli government and the Obama administration puts the American Jewish community in an extremely problematic place, where it must choose between the two… and this conflict draws many of them away from the State of Israel."
After expressing his concern over a recent poll showing that the support for US President Barack Obama in Israel is the lowest in the world, the consul general noted that "the Americans are trying to reduce the publicity of disagreements, while we are the source of making these differences public.
"As for the suspicions over the Obama administration's alleged intention and willingness to sacrifice Israeli interest for the sake of moving close to the Muslim world, I see no such indication," Tamir wrote.
"The Obama administration is determined to show leadership in order to deal with the two most strategic challenges Israel is facing: The threat of Iran and its messengers and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...
"There is not country in the world which can benefit more from the American move than us, and I wonder why we prefer to stress negative tactical issues over the positive strategic move, when we 'focus on the trees instead of on the forest.'"
Tamir concluded by recommending a "dramatic change" in Israel's relations with the American administration. "I suggest talking about our aspirations for peace and our support for the two-state solution in a more convincing manner and not as if we are giving in to American pressure…
"We can influence the ongoing American policy in terms of Iran, Syria and the Palestinian much more if we restore our status as partners to the administration's moves, rather than as a country which has to be communicated with through State Department briefings, as done with Venezuela or North Korea."
The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that "the letter in question is not worthy of a response." However, a senior official close to the prime minister said that "this is an unprofessional document worded like Friday evening chitchat, and reflects the writer's personal political opinion.
"The document's title and the fact that it was distributed to dozens of different elements leads us to conclude that it is a documents aimed at making the writer's political thoughts public, rather than a professional diplomatic text. It's a shame that an Israeli diplomat launched such an attack on Israel's policy, attempting to cause deliberate damage."
My C0mmentary: The fact that the US-Israeli Relationship is being questioned at all is a sign that we are living in perilous times. When you see the President or his envoys continually re-affirming a relationship you can be certain the relationship is strained. This does not bode well for America.
Jimmy Root Jr
Distant Thunder, Book One of the Lightning Chronicles A Prophetic Fiction Thriller Release Date: August 10, 2009 www.lightningchronicles.com Available on the website or at Amazon.com
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
40,000 Missiles Aimed at Israel Right Now!
Don't allow the present appearance of calm in the Middle East lull you to sleep. Three years after Israel fought a bloody war in Lebanon against Hezbollah, there are growing fears that hostilities could erupt again this time with the militant group better armed than ever.
According to Israeli, United Nations and Hezbollah officials, the Shia Muslim militia is today stronger than it was in 2006 when it took on the might of the Israeli army in a war that cost the lives of 1,191 Lebanese and 43 Israeli civilians.
Hezbollah has stockpiled up to 40,000 rockets and is training its forces to use ground-to-ground missiles capable of hitting Tel Aviv and anti-aircraft missiles that could challenge Israel’s dominance of the skies over Lebanon.
Brigadier-General Alon Friedman, the deputy head of Israel’s Northern Command, told The Times from his headquarters overlooking the Israeli-Lebanese border that the current stability was “in danger”.
He added that the peace, which has reigned over the rolling Biblical landscape for the past three years, could “explode at any minute”.
The fact is, Ezekiel 25, Jeremiah 12, and Psalm 83 all indicate that Israel will soon be forced to deal with the danger mounting against it. God said he would use his people Israel as an instrument of retribution against nations that have been arrayed against it since its inception. To think that things have improved simply because there hasn't been much news to report from the Holy Land totally misses the facts. We are in a calm before the storm moment. What does that mean for us? It means we must be interceding like never before on behalf of the lost, both Jew and Arab, in that region. We must also be praying for the peace of Jerusalem. Peace is more than just a state of being. Peace is an individual...the Prince of Peace...the only Redeemer...the only hope for Jerusalem. Pray with eyes wide open. Pray with a heart that reflects God's great passion for people. Pray, and pray hard.
UPDATE ON PUMP UP YOUR BOOK VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR FOR DISTANT THUNDER
Distant Thunder hit the NEWEST MOST RECOMMENDED BOOK on the USA Today List.
It is rising up the Amazon.com recommended list.
Internet Radio shows are calling to set up live interviews.
Reviewers who were ambivalent toward the book and its unknown author are signing on to do "expedited" reviews. Things are happening.
Help out by clicking on the daily tour sites and making a comment. Comments are read, and orders are placed. Help get an important message into the hands of as many people as God has appointed. That is the point! Here is the next few day's tour stops.
Aug. 5 – Let’s Talk Virtual Book Tours (interview) http://letstalkvirtualbooktours.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/talking-virtual-book-tours-with-prophetic-fiction-author-jimmy-root-jr/
Aug. 6 – First Chapters (book spotlight) http://firstchapters.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/distant-thunder-by-jimmy-root-jr/
Aug. 7 – Broowaha (interview) http://www.broowaha.com/article.php?id=5032
Thanks for getting the ball rolling.
Jimmy Root Jr
Author: Distant Thunder, Book One of the Lightning Chronicles
A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
According to Israeli, United Nations and Hezbollah officials, the Shia Muslim militia is today stronger than it was in 2006 when it took on the might of the Israeli army in a war that cost the lives of 1,191 Lebanese and 43 Israeli civilians.
Hezbollah has stockpiled up to 40,000 rockets and is training its forces to use ground-to-ground missiles capable of hitting Tel Aviv and anti-aircraft missiles that could challenge Israel’s dominance of the skies over Lebanon.
Brigadier-General Alon Friedman, the deputy head of Israel’s Northern Command, told The Times from his headquarters overlooking the Israeli-Lebanese border that the current stability was “in danger”.
He added that the peace, which has reigned over the rolling Biblical landscape for the past three years, could “explode at any minute”.
The fact is, Ezekiel 25, Jeremiah 12, and Psalm 83 all indicate that Israel will soon be forced to deal with the danger mounting against it. God said he would use his people Israel as an instrument of retribution against nations that have been arrayed against it since its inception. To think that things have improved simply because there hasn't been much news to report from the Holy Land totally misses the facts. We are in a calm before the storm moment. What does that mean for us? It means we must be interceding like never before on behalf of the lost, both Jew and Arab, in that region. We must also be praying for the peace of Jerusalem. Peace is more than just a state of being. Peace is an individual...the Prince of Peace...the only Redeemer...the only hope for Jerusalem. Pray with eyes wide open. Pray with a heart that reflects God's great passion for people. Pray, and pray hard.
UPDATE ON PUMP UP YOUR BOOK VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR FOR DISTANT THUNDER
Distant Thunder hit the NEWEST MOST RECOMMENDED BOOK on the USA Today List.
It is rising up the Amazon.com recommended list.
Internet Radio shows are calling to set up live interviews.
Reviewers who were ambivalent toward the book and its unknown author are signing on to do "expedited" reviews. Things are happening.
Help out by clicking on the daily tour sites and making a comment. Comments are read, and orders are placed. Help get an important message into the hands of as many people as God has appointed. That is the point! Here is the next few day's tour stops.
Aug. 5 – Let’s Talk Virtual Book Tours (interview) http://letstalkvirtualbooktours.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/talking-virtual-book-tours-with-prophetic-fiction-author-jimmy-root-jr/
Aug. 6 – First Chapters (book spotlight) http://firstchapters.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/distant-thunder-by-jimmy-root-jr/
Aug. 7 – Broowaha (interview) http://www.broowaha.com/article.php?id=5032
Thanks for getting the ball rolling.
Jimmy Root Jr
Author: Distant Thunder, Book One of the Lightning Chronicles
A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Israel-Lebanese-UN teams secretly start marking out border
I thought you might find this interesting.
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
Blue Line transferred from map to terrain
In deep hush, joint teams of the Israeli Defense forces, the Lebanese army and the UN Interim Peace Force - UNIFIL - with the quiet approval of the Lebanese Shiite Hizballah - began marking out the Blue Line dividing the two countries at the end of last week, DEBKAfile reveals. Friday, July 31, as soon as Tehran picked up on the project, it called for Arab volunteers to rally "in defense of the Lebanese border."
If completed, the agreed border will encompass three longstanding flashpoints: the divided Ghajar Village, the Shaaba Farms and the sources of Israel's water supply.
This is the first time Hizballah has cooperated in any attempt to mark out on the ground the 78.8 kilometer-long international border along the Blue Line existing hitherto only on UN maps laid out by the UN Security Council in 2000, when Israel pulled back from South Lebanon.
Washington and Jerusalem take Hizballah's assent as signifying that the pro-Iranian terror group has come around to supporting peace diplomacy - albeit through Damascus. But, according to DEBKAfile's military and intelligence sources, Hizballah takes the fact that the Lebanese and Israeli governments and the UN had to come asking for its permission as their de facto acceptance of its political and military domination of southern Lebanon.
The Israeli and Lebanese teams are working separately, each on its own side of the border, followed and coordinated by the UN peacemakers who hold the maps.
Israel expects the agreed marking out of the international border to once and for all refute Hizballah's claims of its military encroachments into Lebanon which it uses to justify its own incursions and adherence to "armed resistance" against Israel. On July 17, a crowd of Hizballah activists disguised as villagers seized an abandoned Israel observation post near Kfarshouba and hoisted flags.
The Blue Line differs only slightly from the international Lebanese-Israeli border determined in 1923 but the tiny discrepancies have sparked heated conflict. The work is therefore going forward slowly and painstakingly no more than a few meters each day. Israel too may find itself having to forego parcels of land.
Both teams are working under heavy guard as they approach the most sensitive patches, the divided village of Ghajar, and the Shaaba Farms at the foot of Mt. Dov. The Blue Line runs down the middle of Ghajar leaving the northern half in Lebanon and the southern under Israel control. But over the years, Israel has conferred citizens' rights, passports and benefits to the residents, most Allawi Muslims, of both halves.
They are now petitioning the Israeli High Court to stop the border demarcation and prohibit the transfer of the northern half to Lebanon. Further back in history, they claim, their village was part of Syria. A legal opinion bearing out their claims has been submitted to Israel defense minister Ehud Barak.
Another complication not unrelated to the Ghajar case is that of the Shaaba Farms only three kilometers away. This tiny 22-square- kilometer enclave is hotly disputed among Lebanon, Syria and Israel. It was captured by Israel after the Syrian invasion of 1967 and virtually annexed as part of the former Syrian Golan. Now it is claimed by both Damascus and Beirut, although each is prepared to hand it over to the other to get it out of Israeli hands.
The demarcation project can therefore expect to be stalled by Syria when it reaches the Shaaba Farms. At that point its case will start merging with Israel's military and diplomatic considerations with regard to the future of the Golan.
Another key point to keep in mind is that for Israel to relinquish Ghajar village and the Shabaa Farms means losing control of the Baniyas, Hatzbani and Wazani headwaters of the Sea of Galilee, its main source of water.
In an effort to keep the border demarcation under wraps, the Lebanese army last week declared a state of war alert on its border with Israel, which is still in effect, in the hope of letting sleeping dogs lie in Damascus and Tehran and avoid rousing Hizballah to change its mind.
But the Iranians were not fooled. Friday, July 31, Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki said apparently out of the blue: "I propose that the Arab states that did not take the necessary steps during the past aggression on Lebanon to make their volunteers fully available for Lebanon."
This message was addressed to Hizballah and most of all Syria.
Jimmy Root Jr
Distant Thunder
Virtual Tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotions is on. Today's tour stop is Aug. 3 – American Chronicle (interview) http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/111839
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Monday, August 3, 2009
Virtual Tour Begins
It's on! Today is the day. My Virtual Book Tour with Pump Up Your Books Promotions begins this morning. I'm in Murfreesboro Tennessee, but the tour begins with the conglomerate of newspapers that end in Chronicles. The online version that is. No, I do not de-materialize in some cyberspace transporter to each location, only to re-materialize with an element of DNA missing. No, these are specific interviews and articles that will appear daily throughout August and September.
Here is how you can help. At each tour stop below you can read and comment. In fact, your comment will help raise the level of awareness for Distant Thunder. Go for it.
Here are the tour stops for this week.
Aug. 3 – American Chronicle (interview) http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/111839
Aug. 4 – Between the Covers (book spotlight) http://bookexcerpts.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/distant-thunder-by-jimmy-root-jr/
Aug. 5 – Let’s Talk Virtual Book Tours (interview) http://letstalkvirtualbooktours.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/talking-virtual-book-tours-with-prophetic-fiction-author-jimmy-root-jr/
Aug. 6 – First Chapters (book spotlight) http://firstchapters.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/distant-thunder-by-jimmy-root-jr/
Aug. 7 – Broowaha (interview) http://www.broowaha.com/article.php?id=5032
See you in Cyberspace.
Jimmy Root Jr
Distant Thunder, Book One of the Lightning Chronicles....A Prophetic Fiction Thriller
The story is fiction....the prophecies are TRUE!
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Saudis reject Obama's plan for ties with Israel
Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal rejected the Obama administration's Middle East approach, and that rejection was much more comprehensive than a blunt refusal to improve relations with Israel in order to restart peace talks. In closed-door talks with US leaders, including secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the Saudi prince urged the US to get off their backs on the Israeli-Palestinian issue and deal more seriously and effectively with top-urgency action for stopping Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb.
After those talks, Saud said his government would not consider steps suggested by the Obama administration until Israel accepted Arab demands "to withdraw from all occupied Palestinian territories." Ishamael continues to stiffen his neck.
With Clinton looking on at a joint State Department news conference Friday, July 31, the Saudi foreign minister dismissed Obama principles one by one: "Temporary security and confidence building measures will also not bring peace," he maintained and rejected "incrementalism and a step-by-step approach."
What is required, he said is "a comprehensive approach that defines the final outcome at the outset and launches into negotiations over final-status issues, including the future Palestinian state, control of Jerusalem, the return of Palestinian refugees, water and security." These are the very issues seen by the Jews as non-negotiable. Appeasement on any one of these issues is a direct threat to national security.
This week, the Saudis shot into action to elicit more rejections from the seven Arab rulers who received personal letters from the US president asking for their cooperation in the peace effort by normalizing gestures towards Israel. By stipulating Israel's surrender on all its core issues with the Palestinians before negotiations even begin the Saudis render those negotiations superfluous.
It means that Israel will only be asked to arrange for the technicalities and timelines for its predetermined pullback to the pre-1967 (or 1949) lines, its handover of Jerusalem to Arab control, the distribution and administration of regional water resources and the return of the refugees and their descendants to the homes they forfeited on account of the 1948 Arab war against the new Israeli state.
Two motives account for this Saudi all-or-nothing dictatorial position on Middle East peace, DEBKAfile' s analysts reports:
1. Riyadh is loath to waste effort on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or any other elements of the Obama program such as détente with Syria when far more urgent business tops the royal agenda: The Saudis object strongly to the further entrenchment of the Shiite-ruled government in Baghdad and the restoration of Syrian influence in Beirut - both under US auspices. Washington is also seen to be making overtures towards Hizballah which can only strengthen the hand of the Lebanese Shiite extremists in the Lebanese government coalition.
Furthermore, they see the bitter rift between the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip and the Fatah faction governing the West Bank as irreconcilable and therefore an insurmountable barrier to Middle East peacemaking.
2. The Saudis maintain that Obama and his Middle East envoy George Mitchell have been sidetracked by minor regional issues from dealing with the primary concern of the Gulf and Middle East region, the looming threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. Until that cloud is lifted, they say, no other initiatives have a chance. Paradoxically, this reading of the Middle East impasse is shared by Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his defense minister Ehud Barak.
Saudi al Faisal's angry snub of the Obama administration's Middle East plans carries a clear message: First tackle the perils besetting us from the east and the north (Iraq and Iran) before you badger us about the Israelis and Palestinians. It also constitutes a probably military confrontation with Israel in the not-so-distant future. Psalm 83 gives clear evidence that the nations surrounding Israel will eventually become fed-up with the process and decide, once and for all, to solve the Jewish problem.
Jimmy Root Jr
Distant Thunder, Book One of the Lightning Chroncicles A Prophtetic Fiction Thriller
Virtual Book Tour Begins August 3rd.
Follow along on Twitter and Facebook http://twitter.com/jimmyrootjr/ http://facebook.com/jimmyrootjr/
Link to:http://virtualbooktoursforauthors.blogspot.com/2009/07/distant-thunder-virtual-book-tour-09.html
Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,
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