The Middle East Conundrum

The threat against Israel is significantly on the rise. A few months ago yet another peace process collapsed due to unrealistic demands from the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas and the forming of a coalition between Fatah and Hamas. The last straw was the kidnapping and murder of 3 Israeli teenagers and the firing of rockets on Israel by Hamas.

The stakes are significantly on the rise. The Islamic State (IS) declared that the ultimate goal is to conquer Jerusalem “and no gates will stop them.” Shaul Mofaz, Kadima party chairman and former Minister of Defense confirmed this notion at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzlia on Monday 8 September 2014 by saying: “Islamic State terrorists are active throughout the region, and are looking to move into Jordan, Gaza and Lebanon. But their goal is Jerusalem, just like Hamas.”

At a NATO summit held at Newport, Wales last week, world leaders committed their support for a coalition force against the Islamic State. The same urgency is yet to be seen to demilitarize Gaza as demanded by Israel. The Intelligence establishment of Israel confirmed that Hamas started again with its tunnel infrastructure after suffering severe damage during Operation Protective Edge. Intelligence sources also confirmed the resumption of the manufacturing of rockets by Hamas.

At the same time a warning is sounded from the Israel Defense Force, Northern Command of the threat Hizbullah in Lebanon poses to Israel. It is estimated that Hizbullah are in possession of 100 000 rockets of which 5 000 are long range with the capacity to carry higher explosive payloads. Channel 2 TV reported on Friday: the Israeli army is “making plans and training” for “a very violent war” against Hizbullah along the border with South Lebanon.

Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh threatens to revive rocket fire on 25 September, the first day of the Jewish New Year Festival, unless the Gaza blockade is lifted by then. Although it is highly unlikely that Hamas will be in a position to confront Israel so soon after Operation Protective Edge, the possibility exists that Hizbullah could open a second front in the north of Israel to assist Hamas in the south. It is expected that the Iron Dome Defence System will be heavily challenged in such a scenario.

In the final analysis: God never slumbers nor sleeps. If the people of Israel put their trust in the God of Israel, He certainly will protect them.

Hezbollah Upgrades Missile Threat To Israel