End-Time Prophecy Report: Saudis may purchase Pakistani atomic bombs

Article Source: Times of Israel

Saudi Arabia has reached out to its ally Pakistan to acquire “off-the-shelf” atomic weapons as a nuclear arms race begins to shape up with Shiite rival Iran, US sources said.

“For the Saudis the moment has come,” a former US defense official told the UK’s Sunday Times. “There has been a longstanding agreement in place with the Pakistanis and the House of Saud has now made the strategic decision to move forward.”

Tensions between Tehran and the kingdom have grown in the past few months as Saudi Arabia stepped up its air campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. King Salman of Saudi Arabia refused an invitation to attend a landmark summit hosted by US President Barack Obama last week, amid ongoing angst over US-led nuclear talks with Iran.

Former Saudi intelligence head Prince Turki bin Faisal expressed the kingdom’s desire for a nuclear weapon last month at the Asan Plenum, a conference held by the South Korean-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies. “Whatever the Iranians have, we will have, too,” he said, according to The New York Times.

Faisal also warned that the Iranian nuclear deal “opens the door to nuclear proliferation, not closes it, as was the initial intention.”

According to the Sunday Times report, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship for decades. Saudi Arabia has given Pakistan billions of dollars in subsidized oil, while the latter has unofficially agreed to supply the Gulf state with nuclear warheads.

“Nuclear weapons programs are extremely expensive and there’s no question that a lot of the funding of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program was provided by Saudi Arabia,” Lord David Owen, who served as England’s foreign secretary from 1977-1979, told the weekly publication.

“Given their close relations and close military links, it’s long been assumed that if the Saudis wanted, they would call in a commitment, moral or otherwise, for Pakistan to supply them immediately with nuclear warheads,” he added.

However, the report added, Lt.Gen. Khalid Kidwai, who helped pioneer Pakistan’s nuclear program, denied that Pakistan had ever granted Saudi Arabia access to its nuclear technology.

The main concern shared by US and European officials was that if Saudi Arabia were to acquire an atomic weapon, it could spur other Sunni nations to follow suit.

An anonymous British military official also told The Sunday Times that Western military leaders “all assume the Saudis have made the decision to go nuclear.”

The official added, “The fear is that other Middle Eastern powers — Turkey and Egypt — may feel compelled to do the same and we will see a new, even more dangerous, arms race.”

This position was also mirrored by other, non-Saudi Gulf states at a summit last week between the US and several Arab countries. One unnamed Gulf state leader attending the Camp David summit told The New York Times, “We can’t sit back and be nowhere as Iran is allowed to retain much of its capability and amass its research.”

Mystery of Antisemitism: Why is the Nation of Israel Hated So Much?

The  latest chapter of the ongoing battle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has caused anti-Israel protests across the world.  Antisemitism has risen globally in Germany, France, and Canada  . In Antwerp, Belgium, one the speakers during a protest chanted on a loudspeaker in Arabic to, "...slaughter the Jews(here)."  This is just one of the examples of the battle between Israel and Hamas in Palestinian territory in Gaza has been ongoing. Is there really a growing trend of antisemitism that is taking place worldwide?

In 2013, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) did a worldwide survey on antisemitism. They found the following results:

• Some 70 percent of those considered anti-Semitic said they have never met a Jew. Overall, 74 percent of respondents said they had never met a Jew.
• Thirty-five percent of those surveyed had never heard of the Holocaust. Of those who had, roughly one-third said it is either a myth or greatly exaggerated.
• The most anti-Semitic region in the world is the Middle East and North Africa, with 74 percent harboring anti-Semitic views. Eastern Europe was second at 34 percent. The least anti-Semitic region was Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) at 14 percent.
• The three countries outside the Middle East with the highest rates of anti-Semitic attitudes were Greece, at 69 percent, Malaysia at 61 percent and Armenia at 58 percent.
• About 49 percent of Muslims worldwide harbor anti-Semitic views, compared to 24 percent of Christians.
• The West Bank and Gaza were the most anti-Semitic places surveyed, with 93 percent of respondents expressing anti-Semitic views. The Arab country with the lowest level of anti-Semitic views was Morocco, at 80 percent. Iran ranked as the least anti-Semitic country in the Middle East, at 56 percent.
• The least anti-Semitic country overall was Laos, where 0.2 percent of the population holds anti-Semitic views. The Philippines, Sweden, the Netherlands and Vietnam all came in at 6 percent or lower.
• Approximately 9 percent of Americans and 14 percent of Canadians harbor anti-Semitic attitudes.
• Thirty-four percent of respondents older than 65 were deemed anti-Semitic, compared to 25 percent     of those younger than 65. Men polled were slightly more anti-Semitic than women.(source)

The ADL Survey found that at least 26% or 1.09 billion people worldwide held Anti-Semitic attitudes(source).  It looks as if antisemitism is alive and well in the 21st century! It's been less than 100 years since the Nazi Germany Holocaust when a satanic driven Adolf Hitler had over 6 million European Jews killed during World War 2 (source). Ever since ancient times, there have been attempts to totally annihilate the children of Israel off the face of the Earth. Why is that?

Ancient Biblical Times and Past History: Attempts to Annihilate The Nation of Israel 

Queen Esther, King Ashasuerus, and Haman Agagite

We can see this attempt at annihilation as early as ancient Egypt.  The Pharaoh that arose didn't know Joseph and put out a decree to have all the male newborn Hebrews killed (source). Another Biblical example is when the children of Israel/Judah were down in Persia.  Haman the Agagite plotted to have all the Jews massacred.  Had it not been for Queen Esther intervening for her people, the children of Israel would have been destroyed (source).

During the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a foreshadow of the Anti-Christ, many Jews were slaughtered.  Also, the temple was desecrated, fulfilling the first part of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 11. In the New Testament we see Herod the Great making a decree to have all males infants two years old and under slaughtered in Bethlehem in order to prevent the Messiah from coming forth (here). Throughout history there are there are examples of antisemitism , such as in the Middle Ages (ie German Crusades, First Crusade , Shepherds' Crusade), and during the Spanish Inquisition.

What is the great mystery of antisemitism around the world? Why is the nation of Israel hated so much? Is there a Satanic agenda behind this madness?

The Spiritual Truth Behind the Mystery of Antisemitism 

The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:12 speaks about satanic spiritual Principalities.  These spiritual powers have oversight over nations, cities, and regions in the satanic infrastructure. We can also see that in Daniel 10 it speaks about the Prince of Persia and the Prince Greece.  These spiritual princes are diametrically oppose to seeing the will of G-d fulfilled in the Earth as well as the covenant people of G-d. We see this example in the answer to the Prophet Daniel's prayers.  They were delayed due to a spiritual battle between the archangel Michael and these princes.  The archangel Michael is actually assigned to be the Prince of Israel and the protector of the nation of Israel (source/source). Michael battled against the Prince of Persia and Greece (here). Daniel states in Daniel 12:1, how in the latter days the Great Prince Michael will come to the aid of the children of Israel when they're in great trouble. Who are the princes? What are their functions against the nation of Israel?

           Deuteronomy 32:8-9(Septuagint) gives us a glimpse of the setup of these principalities:

"When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God. And his people Jacob became the portion of the Lord, Israel was the line of his inheritance."

Nimrod brought the people together in rebellion against G-d and His Kingdom in order to build the Tower of Babel.  In response,  G-d confounded their language and scattered them throughout the Earth  (Genesis 11).  He also gave them over to spiritual princes who rule behind the governmental power structure of these nations. Only Israel was given the Lord as an inheritance.  It was He who would rule over the nation of Israel.  All of the other nations that worshiped idol gods were, in essence, worshiping and being ruled by demon spirits (Psalm 96:5; Deuteronomy 32:17 ; Psalms 106:37-38; 1 Corinthians 10:20 ). The primary function for these principalities is to lead the nations that they rule astray from the will of G-d and to oppose His Word.  The Pseudepigrapha writings of the Book of Jubilees 15:31-32 says:

"But he chose Israel that they might be a people for himself. And he sanctified  and gathered them from all of the sons of man because(there are) many nations and many people, and they all belong to him, but over all them he caused spirits to rule so that they might lead them astray from following him. But over Israel he did not cause any angel or spirit to rule because he alone is their ruler and he will protect them and he will seek for them at the hand of his angels and at the hand of his spirits and at the hand of all of his authorities so that he might guard them and bless them and they might be his and he might be theirs henceforth forever."

It is these very principalities that are at work, along with their commander and chief Satan.  They are the ones behind antisemitism!  They really believe that if they can destroy Israel (God's covenant people), the prophesies concerning them, including the ones made all the way back with Abraham, would be null and void.    The main objectives of these "High Ones" is to prevent the full restoration of Israel spiritually, as well as Yeshua's(Jesus')  reign on the Earth as "The Messiah to Israel" and the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

In Genesis Rabbah 56:5 it says the following:

"Here God immediately rewards Israel when Abraham binds Isaac to the altar by binding the princes of the heathens—the angels who served as guardians to the heathen nations—thus making them subservient to Israel. But this fettering only lasts while Israel upholds its part of the covenant with God. When Israel fails to do so, God unfetters the princes, and the heathen nations take their revenge on Israel. (source H. Freedman and Maurice Simon, trans., Midrash Rabbah: Genesis, Vols. 1–2 (London: Soncino Press, 1939).

G-d initially made his covenant with Abraham to make him a great nation and the father of many nations.  He also promised that Abraham's descendants would be given the entire land of Canaan (Genesis 12, 15, 17). Through Abraham]s obedience to offer his only son (a.k.a the son of promise) as an sacrifice to the Lord, the Lord promised Abraham in Genesis 22:18 that in his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Israel was to be representative of G-d to all the nations of the earth, and through Israel,  salvation would come to the nations of the earth.   As we see in Genesis Rabbah 56:5, these demonic princes are restrained against coming to harm Israel because of Abraham's obedience to the Lord as long the nation of Israel upheld the covenant they had with G-d. When Israel failed to keep their side of the covenant. The princes became unrestrained, and the heathen nations took out  their revenge on Israel. We can see the manifestation of the spirit of antisemitism being carried out by the nations against Israel.  Principalities (Princes) are behind the spirit of antisemitism to exact its revenge against Israel.

It is said that Israel was the only nation that accepted the Torah of G-d, thereby accepting the dominion of G-d, and His kingdom on Earth.  However, the heathen nations rejected the dominion of G-d and His Torah.  The end result is that the heathen nations hate G-d and hate Israel as being a representative of G-d (here).

The End of Spiritual Conspiracy of Satan and Principalities Against Israel 

 

Satan and his principalities strive to destroy the nation of Israel.  They really believe by destroying the nation of Israel, it will prevent the second coming of Jesus Christ, overturn their satanic governmental structure that has been in place for centuries, and bring an end to Satan dictatorship of this present world system. They conspire to making mankind believe in lies, and not the Truth of The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This satanic spiritual government is the master of deception and rebellion. Satan and these Princes stir up antisemitism as an end-game to cause the nations of the earth to be driven by extreme hatred of the nation of Israel.   It is by this hatred that they will attempt to utterly annihilate Israel in the Great Tribulation that is soon to come.

However, Satan and his Princes conspiracy will come to nothing! The Book of Revelation reveals to us that the final outcome is that Satan and his army are defeated by Jesus Christ. Scriptures tell us the end result of Satan and his Princes is the final judgment, and that the final sentencing is the Lake of Fire (Eternal Damnation).

Isaiah 24:21King James Version (KJV)

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

 

Matthew 25:41King James Version (KJV)

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

Revelation 20:10King James Version (KJV)

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

        

       
             

       

   

Star Wars: Israel Produces "Laser Beam" Defense Tech

Story Source Virtual Jerusalem

The Associated Press reported Saturday that Israel has officially unveiled another cutting-edge defense system: a laser-based weapon against short-range missiles.

Dubbed the "Iron Beam," the system users fast-acting laser technology to shoot down incoming rockets at close range. 

"It's exactly like what you see in 'Star Wars,' " said Amit Zimmer, a spokesman for the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems company producing the beam, told the Associated Press. "You see the lasers go up so quickly, like a flash, and the target is finished."

The Iron Beam is designed to take down short-range missiles too fast to be targeted by Israel's wildly successful Iron Dome system, according to the Washington Times.

The technology was designed by 15 engineers over a five-year period, according to Zimmer, and is being pushed to the forefront of the next Singapore Air Show once the project is completed. 

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is the same company working with the US to develop the David's Sling and Arrow 3 defense systems. 

Arrow 3 is designed to intercept ballistic missiles that have a longer range and higher altitude than those covered by Arrow 2. The system is another vital component of the multi-layered defense system designed to protect the State of Israel, which includes the Arrow systems, the Iron Dome, and David's Sling. Arrow 3 covers the longest range of the missiles. 

David's Sling, which Israeli television said is designed to intercept missiles fired from a distance of 50 to 250 kilometres (30 to 155 miles), is due to cover the gap between Israel's current short-range and long-range defense systems, the Iron Dome and Arrow 2; it will be operational sometime over the next year, according to the most recent reports. 

Zimmer could not confirm the exact range of Iron Beam, according to the Times. However, a military official revealed to Reuters in January that the system would be capable of super-heating warheads with a range of up to seven kilometers. 

Rumors of War:Hezbollah and Hamas rocket threat outpacing Israel's defensive capabilities, expert says

Article Source: Haaretz.com

The Iron Dome anti-missile system in Haifa deployed in January. – Photo: Rami Shlush

Brig. Gen. (res.) Meir Elran of Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies says that as many as 1,500 short- to mid-range rockets could be launched each day in a war that would last for a month.

The Israeli response to the rocket threat still lags behind progress being made byHezbollah, Hamas and other groups, according to a report published this week by Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Meir Elran, head of the institute’s Homeland Security Program, told Haaretz that Israel hasn’t closed the gaps.

According to Elran, in a war that could last a month, as many as 1,500 short- to mid-range rockets might be launched at the north alone each day. And Israel would have to prepare for a war on two fronts – Lebanon and Gaza.

Elran says Israel has greatly improved preparedness in recent years both at Home Front Command and with its five Iron Dome anti-rocket batteries. But he says budgetary problems have slowed the acquisition process.

“Israel has still not made a system-wide decision to increase its investment in defensive measures, even at the expense of offensive capabilities. It still seeks to depend on American money. Israel will purchase a maximum of 10 batteries, when it needs double that number,” Elran said.

“If the IDF had invested even 5 percent of the resources in defense that it invested in offense, we would be in a different place today,” he added.

“It’s no secret that if war breaks out, the IDF will want to deploy the batteries near air force bases so planes can take off and land under rocket fire, and near national infrastructure. In the current state of affairs, we don’t have enough missile batteries to protect population centers.”

According to Elran, another weak point is the rate of Israel’s acquisition of protective kits against chemical attacks. “If the state thinks the threat is tangible, it should complete the protection of the whole population,” Elran said, referring to reports that only 60 percent of Israelis have kits. “If it doesn’t, that’s a sign it doesn’t believe that the threat is real.”

Elran added that the fact the government has not yet decided on a division of responsibilities on the home front shows “mistaken thinking by the Israeli leadership about the threat to the civilian population.”

On Wednesday, the Institute is holding its annual conference on the home front’s preparedness.

Home Front Minister Gilad Erdan, who will address the conference, has been fighting to expand his office’s responsibilities but has met opposition from Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to decide on the issue, a decision that may be postponed.

Rumors of War: Saudis Aiming Missiles at Israel and Iran

Article Source Israelnationalnews.com

Chinese Ballistic Missiles  

Saudi Arabia is targeting both Israel and Iran with powerful ballistic missiles, new satellite photography shown by military experts to the BritishTelegraph suggests.

Images analyzed by experts at IHS Jane's Intelligence Review has revealed a previously undisclosed surface-to-surface missile base deep in the Saudi desert, with capabilities for hitting both countries, theTelegraph reported on Wednesday.

Analysts who examined the photos spotted two launch pads with markings pointing northwest towards Tel Aviv and northeast towards Tehran, according to the report.

The pads are designed for Saudi Arabia's arsenal of lorry-launched DF 3 missiles, which have a range of 1,500-2,500 miles and can carry a two-ton payload.

The base, believed to have been built within the last five years, gives an insight into Saudi strategic thinking at a time of heightened tensions in the Gulf.

While Saudi Arabia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, it has long maintained discreet back channel communications as part of attempts to promote stability in the region.

The two countries also have a mutual enemy in Iran, though, which has long seen Saudi Arabia as a rival power in the Gulf. Experts fear that if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would seek to follow suit.

Analysts at IHS Jane's told the Telegraph that the kingdom is currently in the process of upgrading its missiles, although even the DF3, which dates back to the 1980s, is itself potentially big enough to carry a nuclear device.

The missile base, which is at al-Watah, around 125 miles southwest of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, was discovered during a project by IHS Jane's to update their assessment of Saudi Arabia's military capabilities.

It serves as both a training and launch facility, with the missiles stored in an underground silo built into a rocky hillside, according to the Telegraph. To the north of the facility are two circle-shaped launch pads, both with compass-style markings showing the precise direction that the launchers should fire in.

The Chinese-made missiles, which date back to the 1980s, are not remotely-guided and therefore have to be positioned in the direction of their target before firing.

"One appears to be aligned on a bearing of approximately 301 degrees and suggesting a potential Israeli target, and the other is oriented along an azimuth (bearing) of approximately 10 degrees, ostensibly situated to target Iranian locations," said the IHS Jane's article quoted by the Telegraph.

While the lorry-launched missiles can theoretically be fired from any location, the idea of having pre-planned directional markers is to ensure that they can be deployed in accurate fashion as quickly as possible, said Allison Puccioni, an image expert at IHS Jane's.

"There is a marked out spot for the launch truck to park in, which will facilitate an expedited launch," she told the Telegraph.

Robert Munks, deputy editor of IHS Jane's Intelligence Review, told the newspaper, “Our assessment suggests that this base is either partly or fully operational, with the launch pads pointing in the directions of Israel and Iran respectively. We cannot be certain that the missiles are pointed specifically at Tel Aviv and Tehran themselves, but if they were to be launched, you would expect them to be targeting major cities.

"We do not want to make too many inferences about the Saudi strategy, but clearly Saudi Arabia does not enjoy good relations with either Iran or Israel," he added.

Officials at the Saudi Embassy in London did not get back with a response when contacted by The Telegraph. The Israeli Embassy in London said. "We have no comment on this matter."

Rumors of War: Iran Still Racing Toward Bomb

Article Source ynetnews.com

Iran President Elect Hassan Rohani- No Change in Iranian Policy

Israeli PM tells cabinet, CBS Rohani's election has not slowed Islamic Republic's nuclear program; calls for harsher sanctions, 'credible military option', promises not to wait until its too late

“A month has passed since elections were held in Iran, and Iran continues to race toward the development of military nuclear capability,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.

The PM said that under President-Elect Hassan Rohani‘s leadership Iran is “expanding and perfecting its (uranium) enrichment while simultaneously developing a plutonium reactor to produce material for a nuclear bomb.

“At the same time, Iran is also developing its ballistic missile force. These (developments) threaten not only us, but the entire West. We are determined to stand behind our demands, which must also be the demands of the international community,” Netanyahu told his ministers.

The Israeli premier went on to list the demands from Iran: “Stop all uranium production, remove all enriched material (from the country) and close the illegal nuclear facility in Qom.

“We believe that now more than ever, in light of Iran’s progress, it is important (that the international community) tighten the economic sanctions and make Iran face a credible military option,” the PM said.

A Pentagon report stated that China, Iran and North Korea are aggressively developing nuclear missiles capable of striking the United States and proliferation among these nations of technology is rife, the British newspaper Daily Mail reported over the weekend.

The Department of Defense report, the findings of which were first published by the Washington Times, confirms the assessment of US intelligence agencies that Iran is set to test an intercontinental ballistic missile as early as 2015.

Rumors of War: Syria, Israel exchange fire on Golan Heights

Source Reuter by Dominic Evans

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria said its troops destroyed an Israeli vehicle that crossed into its territory from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday and warned that any attempt to violate its sovereignty would meet "immediate and firm retaliation".

Israel said the incident took place on its side of the Golan ceasefire line, that the vehicle was damaged but not destroyed, none of its soldiers were hurt and they returned fire.

The clash highlighted the potential for renewed conflict along a frontline that has become increasingly fraught after nearly four decades of calm overseen by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his father.

It also followed Israeli airstrikes near Damascus against suspected missile stockpiles two weeks ago, after which Syria threatened to retaliate.

Assad is battling a two-year-old uprising in which rebel forces, including radical Islamists, have taken swathes of rural territory and attacked army posts near the Golan frontier.

There are frequent reports of cross-border gunfire from Syria during clashes between army and rebel forces but Tuesday's incident was the first time since the start of the crisis that Syria's armed forces said they targeted Israel's military.

"Our noble armed forces destroyed an Israeli vehicle ... which entered from the occupied territories and crossed the ceasefire line," Syria's military leadership said in a statement broadcast on state media. The incident occurred at 1:10 am (2210 GMT, Monday), it said.

Shortly afterwards, Israeli forces fired two rockets towards a Syrian position, without causing any casualties, Syria said.

The Israeli military's chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz, said the Israeli army vehicle had been patrolling on the Israeli side of a border fence when it came under repeated fire.

"They fire on it once. They fire on it twice. They fire on it a third time, from a clear Syrian position," he said in a speech. "One time, okay. Two times, okay. Three times, too many. The position was destroyed."

Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said: "Our policy on Syria is clear: We are not intervening there, of course, in the civil war ... But as for the situation in the Golan Heights, we are not allowing and we will not permit a spillover of fire into our territory."

AGGRESSION

Tension in the Golan Heights region has been fuelled by the fighting on the Syrian side and several recent abductions by rebel fighters of U.N. peacekeepers, who have monitored a narrow zone of separation between Syrian and Israeli troops since 1974.

The abductions led the Philippines government to say it was considering withdrawing its troops from the UNDOF observer mission. Austria, the other main troop contributor, is concerned that French and British calls to drop an EU arms embargo on Syrian rebels would render its continued presence untenable.

Adding to the sense of alert, the militant Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said two weeks ago it was forming combat units to try to recapture the Golan, after Assad and Lebanon's Hezbollah said they would support such operations.

The announcement followed Israel's air strikes near Damascus against suspected missiles stocks destined for Hezbollah, which fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006.

Syria's Foreign Ministry sent a written complaint to the United Nations on Tuesday, saying Israel's actions violated the United Nations charter and a 1974 military disengagement agreement between the two foes.

Syria's military command said the incident showed that Israel was supporting the anti-Assad rebels and aimed "to raise their morale which collapsed after the tough blows struck by our noble armed forces ... especially in Qusair."

Syria's army, backed by Hezbollah, has launched an offensive to capture the central town of Qusair, which has been in rebel hands for most of the two-year uprising which has now killed more than 80,000 people, according to the United Nations.

"The blatant Zionist aggression confirms that any violation, or attempted violation of the country's sovereignty will be met with immediate and firm retaliation," the Syrian army said.

Israel conducts Airstrikes inside Syria hitting Hezbollah

Israel Prep for Next War with Hezbollah

Source Associated Press

Matthew 24:6 click here to read.

REVIVIM JUNCTION, Israel (AP) — On a dusty field in Israel's southern desert, the military is gearing up for the next battle against a familiar foe: Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

As the Syrian civil war intensifies, military planners are growing increasingly jittery that the fighting could spill over into Israel, potentially dragging the Islamic militant group that is allied with President Bashar Assad into the fray. After battling Hezbollah to a stalemate in 2006, the Israeli military says it has learned key lessons and is prepared to inflict heavy damage on the group if fighting begins again.

The Israel-Lebanon border has remained largely quiet since that last war. But Hezbollah has since replenished its arsenal and has waged a shadow war with Israel around the world. The fall of the Syrian leader or alternatively an Israel strike against Hezbollah's other main patron, Iran, could spark another full-fledged war.

"There is an increase in tension because of Syria," a senior commander in the military's northern command said about a possible battle with Hezbollah. The commander, who traveled south to observe Thursday's exercise here, spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military protocol.

In 2006, weeks of Israeli air raids killed more than 1,000 people, including hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, and key infrastructure was destroyed. But the heavy onslaught failed to prevent Hezbollah from firing some 4,000 rockets into Israel, and the fighting ended in a U.N.-brokered truce.

While the truce has largely held, Israel says Hezbollah has systematically restocked its arsenal with tens of thousands of even more powerful rockets and missiles capable of striking virtually anywhere in the Jewish state. Israeli military officials frequently say it is only a matter of time before the next war erupts.

In the meantime, Israel and Hezbollah have fought a covert war outside the borders of their countries. In 2008, Hezbollah's top military commander Imad Mughniyeh was killed in a car bombing in the Syrian capital of Damascus, an attack widely thought to be the work of Israeli agents.

Hezbollah, for its part, is thought to be responsible for a bus bombing in a Bulgarian resort town last July that killed five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver, as well as failed attempts to bomb Israeli diplomats in Thailand, India and Georgia.

Israeli military officials believe that Hezbollah, which is preoccupied with its own domestic problems and the precarious position of its Syrian ally, has no desire to reignite hostilities. But they say the Syrian civil war, as well as Israel's tensions with Iran, could easily upset the fragile balance.

As Assad's grip on power weakens, Israeli military planners fear that Syria, backed by Hezbollah, might try to open a new front in order to deflect attention. Israel also fears that sophisticated Syrian weapons, including a chemical arsenal, could be transferred to Hezbollah. Israel has all but confirmed it carried out an airstrike in Syria in January that destroyed a shipment of anti-aircraft missiles allegedly bound to Hezbollah.

Likewise, an Israeli attack on Iran would almost certainly draw a Hezbollah reprisal. Israel has repeatedly hinted it is prepared to attack Iran's nuclear installations if it determines that international sanctions and diplomacy have failed to curb the Iranian nuclear program. Israel and much of the West believe Iran is developing a nuclear weapon, a charge Iran denies.

Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of the potential link between Iran and Hezbollah.

"A nuclear-armed Iran would dramatically increase terrorism by giving terrorists a nuclear umbrella," he told members of the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee, known as AIPAC. "That means that Iran's terror proxies like Hezbollah ... will be emboldened to attack America, Israel and others because they will be backed by a power with atomic weapons."

Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has warned that anyone who thinks Hezbollah is vulnerable because of Syria's civil war is mistaken. He also said the group has all the weapons it needs in case war breaks out with Israel, and it would not need to import them from allies Syria and Iran.

"The resistance will not be silent regarding any aggression against Lebanon," Nasrallah said last month.

Israel is also taking a fiercer tone, saying it will act with far less restraint than it did in 2006, when it took out electric grids, roads and city blocks during the month long war that was sparked by a deadly cross-border raid by Hezbollah. Military officials say entire villages that host Hezbollah's arsenal would be considered fair targets.

During Thursday's exercise, near the Revivim collective farm, scores of Israeli reservists in full battle gear participated in a drill meant to simulate Israel's capture of a strategic hill overlooking a southern Lebanese village.

In the drill, three tanks kicked up dust as they charged forward and fired live rounds. In front of them, groups of soldiers lay flat on the ground and opened fire with propped-up guns as other soldiers stormed up the hill. Their targets were small cutout cartoon heads meant to represent Hezbollah fighters.

On a nearby Israeli army base, reservists have also been practicing urban warfare recently on a set made to resemble an Arab village, complete with concrete homes, narrow alleyways and mosque minarets.

Military officials say that while Hezbollah has upgraded its capabilities, Israel has also made important offensive and defensive changes since 2006, when it came under heavy criticism for its lack of preparedness and perceived sloppy performance.

They say the military now possesses sophisticated real-time intelligence and upgraded drones. For any potential land operation, it has fortified its armored personnel vehicles, activated a new tank defense that can shoot down anti-tank rockets and recently deployed "Iron Dome," a defense system that shot down hundreds of rockets during a recent round of fighting against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Despite its arsenal and political clout in Lebanon, Hezbollah's maneuvering space has been significantly reduced in recent years.

Hezbollah still suffers from the fallout of the 2006 war, which many in Lebanon accused Hezbollah of provoking by killing and kidnapping Israeli soldiers from the border area. Since then, the group has come under increasing pressure at home to disarm. Though Hezbollah has been accused of fighting alongside the military in Syria, the group has largely been cautious with regards to the Syria conflict, knowing that any action it takes could backfire.

In addition, the group's reputation has been tarnished because its leader has supported Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, but has backed the Assad regime in Syria.

Possible Radical Alliance Between Egypt and Iran

Source Atlanta Black Star

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used an Islamic summit in Cairo to try to thaw frigid relations with Egypt by meeting with President Mohamed Morsi and to stress Iran’s support of the Palestinians by meeting with Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

It was the first visit to Cairo by an Iranian leader in 34 years, but Egypt downplayed the significance of the meeting, saying it was routine to entertain visiting foreign leaders. Egypt has many reasons to keep Iran at arms length, particularly considering how much of an international pariah Ahmadinejad has become, especially to the U.S. and Israel, two nations with whom Morsi is keen on maintaining cordial relations.

But Ahmadinejad was not in a downplaying mood, saying he wanted a stronger alliance with Egypt and even offering the financially struggling nation a loan. He announced that Egyptian tourists and merchants would no longer require visas to visit Iran.

This renewed engagement between the two countries comes as the White House announced that President Obama would be visiting Israel, Jordan and the West Bank next month, likely on March 20, re-inserting himself into the tense atmosphere in the region in an effort to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which failed miserably the first time he tried early in his first term.

Egypt, with a population of 83 million, and Iran, with a population of 75 million, are the two most populous nations in the region, but their relations were cut off in 1979, when then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat entered a peace treaty with Israel and Iran was under the hostile throes of the Grand Ayatollah Khomeini. Over the years, the relations grew worse after Iran named a street in Tehran’s business district after Khaled Islambouli, the ringleader of the group responsible for assassinating Sadat. A mural of Islambouli added insult to injury. On the other side, Egypt offered asylum to the despised Shah of Iran after he fled his country.

In addition to concerns about how others would view Morsi’s engagement with Ahmadinejad, there is also the matter of religion. Many Egyptians still look with suspicion on Shi’ite Islamist Iran because Egypt is a predominantly Sunni Muslim nation. Also, Egypt is not pleased about Iran’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

As usual, Ahmadinejad blamed their frosty relations on outside forces.

“We must all understand that the only option is to set up this alliance because it is in the interests of the Egyptian and Iranian peoples and other nations of the region,” the official MENA news agency quoted him as telling Egyptian journalists.

“There are those striving to prevent these two great countries from coming together despite the fact that the region’s problems require this meeting, especially the Palestinian question,” Ahmadinejad said.

According to the Al-Ahram daily, Ahmadinejad offered to lend money to Egypt even though Iran is still suffering under international economic sanctions over its nuclear program.

“I have said previously that we can offer a big credit line to the Egyptian brothers, and many services,” he said.

Ahmadinejad said the Iranian economy had been affected by sanctions but it is a “great economy” that was witnessing “positive matters,” saying exports were increasing gradually.

“No change happened in the last two years but discussions between us developed and grew, and His Excellency President Mohamed Morsi visited Iran and met us, as he met the Iranian foreign minister. And we previously contacted Egypt to know about what is happening with Syrian affairs,” he said.

In his meeting with Palestinian leader Abbas, Ahmadinejad emphasized that Iran will defend the rights of the Palestinian people at all international organizations, according to the Tehran Times. He said that as Israel has become very weak, a bright future will await Palestinians if they remain adamant in their resistance struggle.

Abbas responded, “The Iranian brothers have stood by the oppressed Palestinian people under all circumstances and the Palestinian nation appreciates this help.”

Ahmadinejad Claims Iran is “Already a Nuclear State”

Source Jewish Voice International Ministries

In an interview with Egyptian media published yesterday, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is making the first visit between leaders of the two nations since the Iranian revolution in 1979, declared that Iran is “already a nuclear state.” He vowed that Iran would resist those who want them to “go backward.” In addition, he spewed out a number of anti-Semitic remarks, including the claim that the “Zionists are taking over the places of wealth, money, and politics in deceiving the world.”

On the visit, Ahmadinejad offered financial help to the Egyptian government, which is struggling on the brink of economic collapse. Things have gotten so bad in Egypt that the government’s official advice to the people (according to a report in the Washington Post this week) is to “avoid overeating” and they announced they are cutting the food subsidy by 400 calories per person per day. The decline of tourism and foreign aid since the radical Muslim Brotherhood took power has taken a serious toll on the Egyptian economy.

And on Israel’s northern border, the fighting in the Syrian civil war this week has been reported to be the heaviest in months. The capital of city of Damascus, which has been heavily defended by government forces, has come under intense attack. The ongoing struggle places the fate of Syria’s chemical and biological weapons in doubt. The Israelis reportedly have struck at least two military targets in Syria and neighboring Lebanon, including what is believed to have been a chemical weapons research facility.