Is The Tide Turning?

Israel was castigated by the world media during the Gaza war, also known as Operation Protective Edge, but the tide is turning in unexpected ways. The Lord of Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

Tourism to Israel is booming again. Sunday, 28 September 2014 marked the most ever landing and take-offs from Ben Gurion Airport. The current instability in the Middle East seems not to deter people to visit Israel. There is a marked upsurge in solidarity with Israel, especially among Christians.

Aliyah from France, Ukraine, North America and some European countries increased dramatically due to the increase in anti-Semitism in these countries. Despite the negative media coverage about the situation in Israel, Jewish people are convinced that Israel is the only country where they feel save.

Even Lady Gaga after performing in Tel Aviv had only positive things to say about Israel. She said: “The world is wrong about Israel.”

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu met each other on the sidelines at the United Nations during the weekend. PM Netanyahu invited PM Narendra to visit Israel and call it “historic ties.” India will be a very important geopolitical ally and both countries will benefit economically and on the level of security.

On the other hand we saw Mahmoud Abbas started an intiative to isolate Israel in his speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations on Friday, 26 September 2014. He accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. His efforts boomeranged badly. The United States criticised Abbas for his aggressive speech. Some Israeli leaders even said that Abbas proved that he is not a partner for peace. The world saw the true colours of the Palestinian leaders.

In the midst of all these developments the US, Europe and some Arab countries started with a bombing campaign against ISIS. The problem with air attacks is that there is always the possibility of civilian casualties. Coalition air strikes hit grain silos in Syria overnight on Sunday, killing civilians. Hopefully, and all indications are that the world has a better understanding of the difficulties Israel faced in Gaza. A more realistic tone is starting to develop among Western leaders and most importantly, also among some Arab leaders.

Will the Jewish year of 5775 usher in a more realistic outlook to the complexities of the Middle East or is the latest developments only a pause before prophetic events roll out?