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  • Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

    Reprinted in full with permission:
    SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2:00 PM

    Shalom from Jerusalem,

    I have just returned from a working vacation at a friend’s home in Europe following my three month speaking tour in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the US, Canada and Barbados. I arrived home just as the conflict between Israel and various Islamic terrorist groups was entering a new and extremely dangerous phase. Indeed, it increasingly appears that the Middle East may be on the brink of a full blown war, with extremely grave political and economic consequences for the region and the entire world.

    Israeli officials have now declared an official state of emergency in northern Israel, giving them the ability to order closed all businesses, public institutions and schools. This comes as thousands of stricken residents continue to flee the Galilee region for hopefully safer areas in the middle of the country. This follows today’s unprecedented Hizbullah rocket attacks upon strategic targets located along Haifa Bay, which significantly increases the chances that the region will erupt into a much larger conflict, as I will explain below.

    Late reports say residents in the Tel Aviv area are being warned to prepare for possible rocket assaults upon Israel’s largest urban center following Hizbullah threats today to launch a “full war” upon Israel. Such longer-range Hizbullah missiles are believed to be directly controlled and manned by Iranian Revolutionary Guards who have been stationed for many years with Hizbullah forces in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

    FULLSCALE MIDEAST WAR?

    When I sent out my technically-delayed monthly news update a few days after an Israeli soldier was kidnapped on June 25th during an audacious Hamas attack on an army outpost next to the Gaza Strip, I mentioned that, “Since the orders to Hamas are believed to be coming via Damascus from Iran, the potential for another major Middle East war is growing every day.” This of course is doubly the case concerning the unprovoked Hizbullah ground and rocket attack inside of Israel last Wednesday which left seven Israeli soldiers dead and two taken captive alive into Lebanon. This is due to the undisputed fact that the powerful Lebanese paramilitary force was founded (when I was working in Lebanon in the early 1980’s) by Iran, and is largely funded and commanded by the world’s largest and most dangerous Islamic fundamentalist state, assisted by Syria. (International media reports I’ve seen in recent days saying this is merely “an Israeli claim” are laughable, given that Hizbullah leader Sheik Nasrallah has been publicly feted in Tehran many times, as has Damascus-based Hamas leader Mashaal).

    During my latest speaking tour, I spelled out the five main strategic issues that I felt the new Olmert government would have to deal with in the immediate future. Among them was the Hamas takeover of the Palestinian Authority government and the serious Hizbullah threat along Israel’s northern border. I noted that the Hizbullah threat—and indeed the growing Hamas militancy—was directly connected to Iran’s nuclear program and its leader’s repeated vows (not threats, but pledges) since last December to wipe Israel off of the Middle East map. So in effect, Israel is already at war with Iran and Syria, although the conflict is still at this stage being fought against their proxy Lebanese and Palestinian forces.

    HAIFA ATTACKS

    Today’s rocket attacks upon Haifa are the most serious to date for several reasons. First of all is that fact that they produced the largest number of Israeli civilian casualties in any single rocket barrage since the 1967 war (at latest count eight are dead and around 20 wounded, several seriously). The victims were all working at a railway repair garage located along Haifa Bay. Even Saddam’s powerful Scud missile attacks in 1991 did not produce such a deadly outcome. Secondly is the indication that new Iranian-produced Raad 2 and 3 rockets, probably manned by Iranians themselves, hit Israeli soil for the first time.

    But the most serious aspect of today’s attack is the fact that it was directed at an area containing Israel’s largest sea port, fuel depots, oil refineries, and seaborne oil tankers. More than that, Israel’s main petrochemical plant, originally built under British rule in the 1930’s, is located along the Bay. Hizbullah said in a statement today that it deliberately avoided hitting that plant, but would do so if Israeli Air Force strikes continue upon Hizbullah strongholds in southern Beirut.

    As many of you personally know, I have spoken of this potentially disastrous situation to audiences around the world since 2003. When I interviewed the mayor of Haifa in March 2003 during the funeral of an American Christian teenager killed in a terrorist bus bombing, he told me Israeli government officials were not so concerned over the prospect that Saddam would hit Israel with chemical weapons during the then-pending US-British attack upon the Iraqi Baathist regime. Instead, he said they feared a massive Iranian-backed Hizbullah rocket blitz upon Haifa Bay’s chemical plants, which he told me could potentially produce thousands of casualties if deadly poisons were released upon Israel’s third largest urban area. Although Hizbullah claims it deliberately avoided hitting those targets today, analysts say they came far too close for comfort. Any such strike that released deadly poisons would produce severe consequences for sure.

    PROPHERTIC POSSIBILITIES

    Several have written in recent days to ask my opinion on the possible prophetic implications of the escalating crisis. It is clear to all that the fighting in Lebanon could easily mushroom into a direct Israel-Syria conflict, since the police state regime in Damascus actively supports and arms Hizbullah and has close ties to radical Iran. Just today Syrian officials stated that they would attack Israel if IDF jets strike any targets inside Syria.

    Iranian leaders say they will back Syria to the hilt if such a conflict erupts. While there were always questions as to Saddam’s chemical weapons capabilities before the Iraqi war began in early 2003, there is no question that Syria possesses huge quantities of deadly VX nerve gas and a significant arsenal of Soviet-produced strategic missiles, including multiple SS-21 warheads capable of delivering the deadly gas to all portions of Israel. The use of such weapons against Israeli civilian centers would spark an Israeli non-conventional response—probably a nuclear one—as Israeli leaders have long made clear.

    Thus, we could be on the verge of the fulfillment of a prophecy I have publicly spoken about since the mid-1980s, found in Isaiah 17. It details a future complete destruction of the city of Damascus and also great suffering in Israel, indicating an Israel-Syria conflict is being foretold. As many of you know, this is the opening scenario in my end time novel, THE END OF DAYS (beginning with Hizbullah strikes upon northern Israel), and is also detailed in my 2002 book ISRAEL IN CRISIS.

    GOG AND MAGOG?

    Some Christian and Jewish subscribers to my updates have suggested to me that we might instead be on the verge of the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39, which describe a massive attempted invasion of Israel led by a great power to the “far north” of Israel, assisted by Persia (modern Iran) and other regional countries. I detailed in both books why I believe that will only occur towards the very end of the prophesied final climax of history known as the time of Jacob’s Troubles, or the Tribulation. I think Iran’s prophesied inclusion in that massive assault—which Ezekiel says will end with God’s miraculous intervention and Israel’s full salvation—may well be a result of something that could occur at this very period of time; either the destruction of Damascus alone, or that along with an Israeli military assault upon Iran’s nuclear facilities.

    Obviously nobody but the Sovereign Lord knows for sure when these prophecies will be fulfilled, and so I remain very cautious about specific speculations. But it is clear to me and many others that all the ingredients for the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy at least are now in active play. Whether world powers outside the region will once again intervene and bring about a halt to the escalating conflict or not remains to be seen. But it is quite evident that terror-weary Israeli leaders are determined to deal with the huge and ongoing Hizbullah threat once and for all at this time, and probably with the Hamas organization as well. This is bolstered by the fact that world opinion concerning such radical Muslim groups has significantly hardened since the 9/11 Al Qaida attacks upon America, followed by the Bali, Madrid, and London assaults, along with the horrendous Chechen Muslim school attack in Russia and the recent carnage in India.

    Indeed, for all of the supposed ferocity of Israel’s assault upon targets in Lebanon over the past five days, the civilian casualty tool is still less than half those killed last week during the atrocious terrorist attacks in Bombay. On top of that, Israel does not deliberately target civilian targets, unlike its terrorist enemies. Still, I know many folks in Lebanon from my days working there, and am sorry for their current renewed suffering, as I am for those in the north of Israel where I lived (and slept in bomb shelters) for over three years. Prayer for all those concerned, and for regional leaders, is obviously urgently needed.

    Speaking of prayer, I found myself breaking into deep tears during periods of prayer and intercession during my recent vacation. At first, I did not fully understand why this was occurring, but then it began to dawn on me that we were probably on the verge of a major crisis, involving significant loss of life, when I first heard radio reports of the Hamas assault next to the Gaza Strip.

    I will send out more updates as the situation warrants, and will be doing my regular weekly radio news updates over the Moody Broadcasting Network beginning this Monday, and probably frequently after that if the situation continues to deteriorate. If no Moody stations or affiliates are located in your area, you can listen live on line between 5:00 and 6:30 EST in North America, which is 2:00 and 3:30 PM in the west and 21:00 to 22:30 GMT, via links on this web address: www.mbn.org Thanks for your prayers and concern at this critical juncture in His Story.

    ***********************************************

    DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived in Israel since 1980. His new DVD, titled “FOR ZIONS’S SAKE—REPORTING FROM THE LAND OF THE BIBLE,” is now available on both PAL and NTCS versions. Details are posted at his web site, www.ddolan.com

    HOLY WAR FOR THE PROMISED LAND (Broadman & Holman), his latest book, is an overview of the history of the Israel and of the bitter Arab-Israeli conflict that rages there, plus some autobiographical details about the author’s experiences living in the land since 1980. It especially examines the important role that militant Islam plays in the conflict.

    ISRAEL IN CRISIS: WHAT LIES AHEAD? (Baker/Revell), which examines the political and biblical prospects for a regional attack upon Israel, settlement in the disputed territories, and related topics, is also available for purchase, along with an updated edition of his end-time novel, THE END OF DAYS (21st Century Press).

    You may order these books at a special discount price by visiting his web site at www.ddolan.com, or by phoning 888-890-6938 in North America, or by e mail at: resources@yourisraelconnection.org

    TO RECEIVE THESE FREE ISRAEL UPDATES DIRECTLY, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS BELOW. YOU WILL ONLY RECEIVE DAVID DOLAN'S UPDATE AND ANALYSIS INFORMATION FROM THIS ADDRESS. THE LIST WILL NOT BE TRADED OR SOLD.

    TO SUBSCRIBE (or to unsubscribe), GO TO his web site, www.ddolan.com or to: http://65.194.234.16/subscribe.asp

  • #2
    War Update: By David Dolan

    Update from David right on the ground...

    TUESDAY JULY 18 7:00 PM

    Shalom from Jerusalem,

    We have had another civilian death from Hizbullah fire today, as a fresh rocket barrage came crashing down on many communities along the northern border and even deeper into Israel. The death took place in Nahariya, north of Haifa along the Mediterranean coast. A man who had just left his bomb shelter in the town after an earlier alert is the reported latest victim. Another rocket made a direct hit on an apartment building, setting it on fire. Binyamin Ben Eliezer, a government cabinet minister, was reportedly in the area when the dozen of so rockets struck the resort town, but was apparently unhurt. An earlier barrage struck the strategic Haifa port area once again, where some of Israel’s most sensitive and literally explosive industrial complexes are located. Ironically it actually hit the very same train repair depot that was attacked on Sunday, leaving eight Israeli male workers dead. As I stated on Sunday, Israeli officials are extremely concerned that such strikes could set off massive explosions if oil refinery storage tanks are directly hit, and even worse potential damage if nearby petrochemical plants are struck.

    Over 50 rockets were launched late last night, one striking the regional hospital in Safed northwest of Tiberius. Miraculously no one was killed, although eight were wounded and one wall was heavily damaged. So far 11 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the week-long conflict with the obviously heavily armed Syrian and Iranian-backed Hizbullah militia.

    My former hometown of Kiryat Shmona in the Upper Galilee was also targeted again this afternoon, as was the area around my former kibbutz, Hagoshrim, near the Golan Heights foothills. Other rockets have hit Tiberius in the past hour, along with Safed again and many other locations. This comes after a relatively quiet morning as Israeli jets apparently scaled back their bombing raids in the Beirut area to allow several nations to carry out sea evacuations of their nationals. However the air force continues to operate in the northeast area of Hermel near the Syrian border where Israeli security officials reportedly believe Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah may have escaped to on Saturday night, along with other militia leaders including the man thought to have been behind the horrific US Marine barracks attack in Beirut in October 1983 that left 241 American marines dead—the worst ever terror assault on US military personnel. I was in Lebanon when that took place, and the memories will never leave me. The radical Shiite militia leaders are said to be hiding there in a deep underground bunker. 0

    Meanwhile signs are growing that a limited army ground operation into southern Lebanon may be imminent. This was signaled by the calling up of three army reserve units overnight, to be sent into Judea and Samaria to free up regular soldiers for a possible cross border operation. Of course, such an operation will probably mean a significant upsurge in Israeli military casualties since Hizbullah has reportedly been planning for such an operation for many months, placing landmines and snipers at many locations. Despite that, many analysts concede that only such a ground operation can really clear the large Iranian-supported paramilitary force out of the border area. This comes as army officials say they believe that around 40 to 50% of Hizbullah’s capabilities have already been destroyed. But all are aware of Sheik Nasrallah’s televised claim on Sunday night that he has “surprises” up his sleeve for Israel, with some speculating he may even possess some chemical weapons, possibly acquired from Saddam’s Iraq.

    Meanwhile we now have concrete evidence that Hizbullah does indeed possess Iranian made “Zilzal” rockets with a range of about 200 kilometers, meaning they could reach the Tel Aviv area. This came when Israeli jets targeted one of the rockets near Beirut Monday afternoon, either as it was being fired or as it sat on the ground (if the latter, the accurate strike caused it to fly into the air in a dramatic scene which the Lebanese media mistakenly assumed was an Israeli warplane crashing down). So a security alert remains in effect in the country’s main urban and economic center. Here in Jerusalem, a stepped up terror alert remains in effect. I watched from my central Jerusalem window last night as policemen stopped Arab cars in my neighborhood to check on the occupants.

    Thanks to the many who have written to express that you are standing with us in prayer at this time. I cannot possibly answer all of you personally, but I do read and appreciate the notes. As I said before, I still feel safer here in the City of the Great King than I do driving on many American highways!! Also, I wish to ENCOURAGE ALL WHO ARE PLANNING TOURS HERE LATER THIS YEAR TO BE VERY SLOW TO CANCEL. The odds are that this current conflict—as dramatic as it is—will probably not last anywhere near that long, even if it escalates into a full war with Syria. Of course, all are right to watch and pray and act according to conditions and guidance, but please do keep in mind that your visits here are an important sign of solidarity and also vital to Israel’s economy, which is already suffering from the virtual work shutdown in the north of the country and the daily cost of the war.

    ************************************************** ************************************************** ***************************

    DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived in Israel since 1980. His new DVD, titled “FOR ZIONS’S SAKE—REPORTING FROM THE LAND OF THE BIBLE,” is now available on both PAL and NTCS versions. Details are posted at his web site, www.ddolan.com

    HOLY WAR FOR THE PROMISED LAND (Broadman & Holman), his latest book, is an overview of the history of the Israel and of the bitter Arab-Israeli conflict that rages there, plus some autobiographical details about the author’s experiences living in the land since 1980. It especially examines the important role that militant Islam plays in the conflict.

    ISRAEL IN CRISIS: WHAT LIES AHEAD? (Baker/Revell), which examines the political and biblical prospects for a regional attack upon Israel, settlement in the disputed territories, and related topics, is also available for purchase, along with an updated edition of his end-time novel, THE END OF DAYS (21st Century Press).
    You may order these books at a special discount price by visiting his web site at www.ddolan.com, or by phoning 888-890-6938 in North America, or by e mail at: resources@yourisraelconnection.org

    TO RECEIVE THESE FREE ISRAEL UPDATES DIRECTLY, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS BELOW. YOU WILL ONLY RECEIVE DAVID DOLAN'S UPDATE AND ANALYSIS INFORMATION FROM THIS ADDRESS. THE LIST WILL NOT BE TRADED OR SOLD.

    TO SUBSCRIBE (or to unsubscribe), GO TO his web site, www.ddolan.com or to: http://www.ddolan.com/subscribe.asp

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

      I wonder if Hiz-bullies have night-vision equipment. That and infrared sensors may give the IDF an advantage.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

        Thanks for posting these bro. It's good to have news from within Israel itself.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

          Thanks for posting that, Andy. David really is a great source of--up to the minute--information, and from a Christian perspective.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

            Reprinted in full with permission

            WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2006 2:30 PM

            Shalom from Jerusalem,

            Fierce ground clashes between Israeli and Hizbullah forces have broken out for the first time in the week long conflict, occurring just north of the Israeli Galilee town of Safed near Moshav Avivim. There are unconfirmed reports at this hour of two Israeli army deaths in the intense fighting, with others wounded. This came after a small IDF ground force crossed the international border earlier in the day to directly confront nearby Hizbullah fighters. As I stated yesterday, some sort of cross-border operation seemed imminent as more reserve units were being called up to free regular soldiers for such operations. A much larger operation to clear Hizbullah fighters from the border zone is expected by many analysts in the coming days.

            Further west, another Hizbullah rocket barrage struck the port city of Haifa and other areas this morning, directly hitting one apartment building and sending a huge plume of gray smoke over Israel’s third largest city. However the attack caused no deaths since building residents had either already fled the city or had rushed to nearby bomb shelters. Two people were lightly wounded from shrapnel elsewhere as dozens of rockets came crashing down. Around 1,000 Hizbullah rockets have struck Israeli territory in the last week—the largest barrage upon Israeli population centers since the 1967 Six Day war.

            Meanwhile at a special security cabinet meeting in Jerusalem this morning, senior government ministers decided to continue on with the military campaign until two captured Israeli soldiers are released and the Iranian and Syrian backed Shiite group stops firing rockets into Israel. This was the official statement issued after the cabinet session: "The intensive fighting against Hizbullah will continue, including attacks on Hizbullah infrastructure and command posts, its operational abilities, its armaments, and the leadership of the organization." This comes as army officials say they estimate they will need at least another 10 to 14 days to effectively destroy Hizbullah’s fighting capability. After the cabinet session, it was announced that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Jerusalem this coming Sunday.

            Action also intensified today along Israel’s other war front in the Gaza Strip and north of Jerusalem. The army crossed again into central Gaza in search of a captured soldier being held in the area. The operation involved at least 30 armored vehicles, mostly tanks. Five IDF soldiers were wounded in the initial phase of today’s operation. Several Palestinian rockets were fired into Israeli territory once again from the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile officials said that a rocket fired yesterday that landed near a western Negev kibbutz was a new and more lethal version of the Palestinian Kassam rockets that have struck Israeli territory hundreds of times in recent months. It was identified as a Grad-type rocket. In Nablus north of Jerusalem, three Palestinian fighters were reportedly killed in clashes with IDF troops who surrounded a building where various militants were believed to be holed up.

            As I wrote yesterday, I am scheduled to be interviewed on the prophetic possibilities of the ongoing conflict live via satellite on the Lesea television network Harvest program. That is broadcast at 9:00 AM EST, or 6:00 AM PST. However the international time I gave out on Tuesday was incorrect. It should read 13:00 GMT. That interview can be viewed live via their web site, www.lesea.com Click on the “view” bottom under the WHT satellite tag on the left of their home page.


            ************************************************** ************************************************** ***************************

            DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived in Israel since 1980. His new DVD, titled “FOR ZIONS’S SAKE—REPORTING FROM THE LAND OF THE BIBLE,” is now available on both PAL and NTCS versions. Details are posted at his web site, www.ddolan.com

            HOLY WAR FOR THE PROMISED LAND (Broadman & Holman), his latest book, is an overview of the history of the Israel and of the bitter Arab-Israeli conflict that rages there, plus some autobiographical details about the author’s experiences living in the land since 1980. It especially examines the important role that militant Islam plays in the conflict.

            ISRAEL IN CRISIS: WHAT LIES AHEAD? (Baker/Revell), which examines the political and biblical prospects for a regional attack upon Israel, settlement in the disputed territories, and related topics, is also available for purchase, along with an updated edition of his end-time novel, THE END OF DAYS (21st Century Press).
            You may order these books at a special discount price by visiting his web site at www.ddolan.com, or by phoning 888-890-6938 in North America, or by e mail at: resources@yourisraelconnection.org

            TO RECEIVE THESE FREE ISRAEL UPDATES DIRECTLY, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS BELOW. YOU WILL ONLY RECEIVE DAVID DOLAN'S UPDATE AND ANALYSIS INFORMATION FROM THIS ADDRESS. THE LIST WILL NOT BE TRADED OR SOLD.

            TO SUBSCRIBE (or to unsubscribe), GO TO his web site, www.ddolan.com or to: http://www.ddolan.com/subscribe.asp
            Last edited by Andy; 07-19-2006, 12:25 PM.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

              Finally some decent analysis in an article (post #1, haven't read the rest). This is what I like to see.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

                Originally posted by Dolan
                This comes as army officials say they estimate they will need at least another 10 to 14 days to effectively destroy Hizbullah’s fighting capability.
                This, to me, reads very matter-of-fact. It would seem to me that the hizbullah/Iranians would be taking such a statement rather seriously. I'm wondering ... will this make them attempt to step up their attacks against Israel? Or are they doing all they can already? If Iran can do more, why are they pretty much standing by as Hizbullah is being decimated? It would seem strange to hear your enemy, that you picked a fight with, saying, "... ahhh ... week .... week and a half .... we'll have destroyed Hizbullah's capability to fight.", and not be doing ALL that they can to make sure that isn't the case.

                It kind of reminds me of Iraq .... why would Saddam cower down in a hole while the whole country is over run by, not just an enemy, but the great satan enemy, and not instead fight back with all he has? In their case, it turned out that they didn't have much to fight with. (BTW, I'm NOT taking away at all from the seriousness of the SINCE roadside/suicide bombings.)

                Issachar
                The church is on Earth to save souls from a lost world, not to save the world from lost souls.

                Man learns about history, not from history. To learn from history requires wisdom. Cut off from God, he has none, so history repeats; no new thing under the sun.

                I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken - dylan

                Psalms 122:8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

                  Thanks for posting this Andy. It is helpful to read about all this from someone who is actually there. I am very concerned about the Zilzal missiles though.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

                    Since he's sending these daily now I am going to go ahead and "stick" this. This is really valuable info.

                    Reprinted in full with permission.

                    THURSDAY, JUNE 20 6:00 PM

                    Shalom from Jerusalem,

                    Armed clashes continue along the Israel-Lebanon border today, with reports that several more Israeli soldiers have been wounded in the exchanges after two were killed yesterday. That comes after the Iranian-proxy militia force audaciously tried to infiltrate the upper Galilee Israeli town of Metulla late yesterday, lobbing rockets into the town, followed by an attempt to cut the border security fence. The apparent goal was to take Israeli residents of Metulla hostage into Lebanon. Along with the heavy border fighting yesterday and today, the attack shows that the extremist Shiite militia is still very active right along the border even after a week of intensive Israeli air force bombings and tank and artillery fire. This comes after Israel dropped some 23 tons of bombs overnight onto a building in southeast Beirut believed to be covering a bunker containing Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah. Although the group claimed no Hizbullah leaders were killed in the strike, we have so far had no word from Nasrallah some 18 hours later, which some believe is a sign he was indeed killed or wounded in the massive strike.

                    Israeli officials are beginning to concede that the Lebanese Shiite militia force—funded and trained by Iran and commanded by an estimated 200 Iranian Revolutionary Guards stationed with them—is proving harder to neutralize than many had anticipated. Thus, a substantial Israeli ground operation is becoming more likely every day. This was basically confirmed today in remarks made by Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Armed Forces Chief Dan Halutz. While visiting portions of northern Israel hit hard by some 1,600 Iranian and Syrian produced rockets over the past week, Peretz told reporters that, "Hizbullah must not think that we would recoil from using all kinds of military measures against it.” He added that while Israel does not intend to reoccupy portions of Lebanon, it would “not retreat from any military measures that might be needed to finish the job.” This came after the army announced last night that all Lebanese civilians should immediately leave their homes in the southern border region with Israel, up to the Litani River. This is estimated to be tens of thousands of people, including residents of the biblical town of Tyre.

                    Even more telling, Chief of Staff Halutz issued his first official missive to his troops during the current conflict today, declaring that the fighting may last for “an extended period of time.” Here is a portion of his written comments: "The State of Israel is in the midst of fighting an extremist Islamic terrorist organization that denies our right to exist, and is operating under the auspices of Iran and Syria, which aim to threaten Israel's sovereignty. The fighting was aggravated after provocations by Hizbullah and Hamas, which carried out terrorist attacks in Israeli territory, in which a number of IDF fighters were killed and Corporal Gilad Shalit and reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were abducted. We are responsible for defending our country's independence and sovereignty, and for the security of its citizens.”

                    "The fighting in the north was tagged on to the fighting in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, and may continue for an extended period of time. This is a test for us. Our moral and ideological strength will reflect on the country's citizens and will aid their ability to face the threat on the home front. The society's strength and the trust has in the IDF strengthens us and will continue to do so. We will do whatever it takes to maintain the state's security. The terrorist groups misread the map and misinterpreted the resolve of Israeli society and the IDF. The army is operating on the Lebanese front to destroy terrorist infrastructure and terrorist-supporting infrastructure. We hit and will hit Hizbullah strongholds in Lebanon, as well as the organization's rockets, while also hitting Palestinian terror.”

                    ARE WE MISSING ANYTHING?

                    I just completed an interivew for a radio network program based in Ohio, and was asked if there is anything that western television news viewers are not being shown in the current conflict. I mentioned two things. Having viewed dozens of reports over the past 48 hours via CNN International, the BBC World Service, the British Sky network and its sister American Fox News Channel (all carried on Israel’s two main cable-satellite systems), I noticed that while all are naturally focusing on foreigners and Lebanese citizens fleeing the fighting in Lebanon, not one that I saw mentioned that around a quarter of a million Israelis have also fled their homes in the north in recent days to escape Hizbullah’s rockets that have already killed over a dozen civilians and wounded hundreds. This large exodus helps explain why the Israeli death toll has not been higher.

                    The flight for safety was personally illustrated to me last night when a close Israeli friend, who heads a youth ministry here in Jerusalem, told me that he and his wife and two children are hosting his wife’s aunt and her family who had fled their home north of the coastal town of Nahariya, which has been hit hard by rocket fire in recent days. He noted that other relatives wanted to join them, but there was simply no more room for them. Indeed, he told me his wife’s aunt was shocked to hear that a rocket had landed just outside her abandoned home yesterday. This refugee situation is being duplicated in tens of thousands of Israeli homes in the center and south of the country (most of them typical smallish apartments that don’t really have room for visiting families), but no one in the international media seems to be taking any notice of this aspect of the story.

                    Another thing I mentioned is that hundreds of thousands of Syrians moved into Lebanon during the 27 years that Syrian forces occupied two-thirds of the country, mostly for employment purposes, especially in recent years when the economy substantially expanded. Although some followed Syrian troops back into Syria last summer, many others did not, and therefore it is only reasonable to assume that at least a fair portion of the thousands of “Lebanese refugees” crossing the border into Syria in recent days—in a highly televised movement—are actually Syrians returning home to avoid the fighting. This is not at all to minimize the real suffering that the Lebanese population is going through at present, but just to illustrate that the story is often more complicated than the international media portrays.

                    Another thing I could have mentioned, but did not, is that I have not seen one international media report interviewing friends or relatives of the two young Arab Israeli brothers, aged just 3 and 7, who were brutally slaughtered when a Hizbullah rocket slammed into the alley where they were playing soccer last evening in the biblical town of Nazareth. As a journalist, I would have thought that this was a natural story to cover more intensively, but as far as I have seen it has not been the case, at least on the international outlets mentioned above. The two boys were from a Sunni Muslim family, and it would have been interesting to hear how such Israeli Muslims feel about a Shiite paramilitary force from a neighboring country lobbing rockets into their mostly Arab town—the largest Arab population center inside of Israel’s pre-1967 borders. By the way, as a result of the deadly strike, Israel television has stepped up home front command announcements in Arabic instructing the country’s million-plus Arab citizens how to better protect themselves during the current conflict.

                    ************************************************** ************************************************** ***************************

                    DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived in Israel since 1980. His new DVD, titled “FOR ZIONS’S SAKE—REPORTING FROM THE LAND OF THE BIBLE,” is now available on both PAL and NTCS versions. Details are posted at his web site, www.ddolan.com

                    HOLY WAR FOR THE PROMISED LAND (Broadman & Holman), his latest book, is an overview of the history of the Israel and of the bitter Arab-Israeli conflict that rages there, plus some autobiographical details about the author’s experiences living in the land since 1980. It especially examines the important role that militant Islam plays in the conflict.

                    ISRAEL IN CRISIS: WHAT LIES AHEAD? (Baker/Revell), which examines the political and biblical prospects for a regional attack upon Israel, settlement in the disputed territories, and related topics, is also available for purchase, along with an updated edition of his end-time novel, THE END OF DAYS (21st Century Press).
                    You may order these books at a special discount price by visiting his web site at www.ddolan.com, or by phoning 888-890-6938 in North America, or by e mail at: resources@yourisraelconnection.org

                    TO RECEIVE THESE FREE ISRAEL UPDATES DIRECTLY, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS BELOW. YOU WILL ONLY RECEIVE DAVID DOLAN'S UPDATE AND ANALYSIS INFORMATION FROM THIS ADDRESS. THE LIST WILL NOT BE TRADED OR SOLD.

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                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

                      even before the fighting broke out I have suspected that there was a lot of collusion going on behind the scenes, and that was why kim jong il and ahmadenijad were so arrogant and seemed to be baiting a fight. there is probably more firepower and more behind the scenes support being given to hezbollah and hamas than anyone is aware of. hezbollah is the hit man for the big guys.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

                        ... not one that I saw mentioned that around a quarter of a million Israelis have also fled their homes in the north in recent days to escape Hizbullah’s rockets that have already killed over a dozen civilians and wounded hundreds. This large exodus helps explain why the Israeli death toll has not been higher.
                        I hope that Mr. Bush knows this.

                        Israeli officials are beginning to concede that the Lebanese Shiite militia force—funded and trained by Iran and commanded by an estimated 200 Iranian Revolutionary Guards stationed with them—is proving harder to neutralize than many had anticipated. Thus, a substantial Israeli ground operation is becoming more likely every day.
                        If this is accurate, and it likely is, then all the talk around the world of this thing ending soon is just noise because "we ain't seen nuthin' yet!" If Israel is finding hizbollah more formidable than anticipated, then should they have to take on them PLUS the Lebanese army PLUS Syria and PLUS Iran, they will need help big time. Where does that come from? The only plausible help (speaking only of natural things here) would be the US. With Russia, et al ready to get involved, we are talking about a world war like no man has ever imagined.

                        I know that I'm saying a lot based on one statement ("beginning to concede"), but what else can that mean if accurate?

                        It'd be very interesting to see what the world would do if some obvious supernatural intervention took place.

                        Issachar
                        The church is on Earth to save souls from a lost world, not to save the world from lost souls.

                        Man learns about history, not from history. To learn from history requires wisdom. Cut off from God, he has none, so history repeats; no new thing under the sun.

                        I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken - dylan

                        Psalms 122:8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

                          Andy - thanks for these updates with great on-the-scene insights.

                          I don't know if anyone here ever listens to Rush - however today his entire first hour was a wall-to-wall monologue accurately detailing the facts and circumstances of this conflict.

                          He noted repeatedly that the 1,700 Hezbollah rockets that have now be shot into Israel did not just have as their source from Iran (and Syria) - but actually came from Russia to Iran...

                          Likewise he noted that the silkworm missile that damaged the Israeli naval vessel was from China - by way of Iran....

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

                            Reprinted in full with permission.

                            FRIDAY, JULY 21 3:00 PM

                            Shalom from Jerusalem,

                            Israel’s third largest city has come under Hizbullah rocket attack again this afternoon just as those Jewish resident who have not fled the port city were making final preparations for the Sabbath, which begins at sundown. The first attack came just as mid-day Friday Muslim prayers were ending, with at least five rockets striking the city, wounding several civilians, one of them seriously. Other rockets fell in Tiberius and several other locations. A second wave of rockets has just struck the city, with one of them reportedly hitting a tall apartment building. Around 30 rockets rained down upon Israeli territory on Thursday, a significant drop in the number of strikes from the previous day. Late reports say an Israeli artillery shell has hit a UN outpost in southern Lebanon.

                            The latest Hizbullah rocket blitz came after a relatively quiet night in terms of such attacks. However the border area with Lebanon is hardly peaceful, with intense clashes continuing all night and again today. Israeli media outlets are reporting that substantial numbers of IDF soldiers are already operating inside south Lebanon, apparently working to establish a new buffer zone designed to stop most of the rocket firings into Israeli territory. Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz indicated today that a large military reserve call-up may be imminent. Some 3,000 men reportedly received their notices today. This came after Lebanon’s Prime Minister said he may order his army to join the fight against IDF forces in the south of his country, which would significantly up the war ante.

                            The funerals for the four Israeli soldiers killed in fierce fighting yesterday are being held today. The deaths bring to 19 Israeli soldiers killed since Hizbullah forces ambushed an IDF patrol and sparked the conflict on July 12th. One Israeli airman was killed when two military helicopters collided near midnight last night in the upper Galilee. Ironically many Israelis learned of the tragic accident just before going to bed via the American Fox news channel, which had reporters near the scene of the accident who rushed to the scene. Israeli media normally withholds such news involving fatalities until next of kin are officially notified of the death. (See my personal story regarding that below).

                            Meanwhile Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah broadcast a statement over the Al Jazeera network last night, confirming reports that he had not been killed or wounded in a massive Israeli air strike on a site believed to cover his underground bunker in southeast Beirut. He boasted that his forces would prevail in the current conflict, adding he would not agree to stop firing rockets until Israel agreed to release Lebanese prisoners in exchange for two kidnapped Israeli reserve soldiers. While apologizing for the deaths of two Arab-Israeli boys in a missile strike on Nazareth Wednesday evening, Nasrallah went on to hail them as “shahids” (martyrs) in the Islamic holy war against Israel. Of course he didn’t previously ask the young brothers if they wanted to die for his jihad cause. Their father did tell CNN (which finally broadcast a story on the boy’s deaths some 26 hours after they occurred) that he blamed Israeli leaders for his son’s slaughter, taking the politically correct line as the Israeli-Hizbullah conflict continues to intensify.

                            LONG AND BITTER WAR?

                            The comment from the slain brother’s Arab-Israeli father might indicate just how difficult a battle Israel seems to be facing just ahead. The longer the conflict goes on, the more local and regional Arab public opinion is likely to harden against the world’s only Jewish-run state. This comes despite the fact that most Arabs are Sunni Muslims with no natural affinity for their Shiite cousins. Of course, Israeli leaders understand all of that, but see no other choice but to fight a group that has launched repeated and unprovoked attacks upon Israel ever since IDF forces fled Lebanon virtually overnight in May 2000.

                            Israeli leaders realize that Hizbullah is actually a Lebanese puppet force that is largely controlled by two regional Islamic powers, Iran and Syria. As the fighting goes on, it is becoming clear that the Iranian-funded and trained Hizbullah militia was far more prepared for this conflict than most Israeli security analysts and politicians had anticipated. In reality, Israel is not just battling a rogue militia force, but is already at war with both Syria and Iran. This means a much larger and longer conflict is probably in store than IDF generals were predicting just one week ago.

                            Indeed, the chances that the intense ground fighting, Israeli air force bombings and Hizbullah rocket strikes will lead to direct Syrian involvement is seemingly growing every day. One of Israel’s largest newspapers, Maariv, features a bold front page headline in today’s Friday edition declaring that Sheik Nasrallah has decided to do everything in his power to draw Syria into the fighting. The article notes that many international media outlets seem to be egging this on, running repeated reports of suffering Lebanese civilians demanding regional Arab military intervention.

                            Meanwhile increasing numbers of overseas tourists are canceling travel plans to the Holy Land. I spoke yesterday with a close friend who runs health clubs in several Jerusalem hotels and businesses. If fact he just opened a new facility in the beautiful Mount Zion hotel near my home. He told me that only last month he hired extra staff to handle his mushrooming workload, bringing his employee numbers up the level where they were just prior to the outbreak of the Palestinian Al Aksa attrition war in September 2000. Now, he has been forced to dismiss all of his new workers and several others who have been with him for a longer time period, in anticipation of a major tourist slump just ahead.

                            My friend also informed me that, following the birth of his second daughter last month and his turning 30 years old last April, he has been given a new non-combat assignment if he is called up to do army reserve duty. Instead of active fighting, he will be on a team sent to the homes of slain IDF soldiers to inform family members of their deaths. He added grimly that he would really rather be on the front lines of the conflict.

                            Thanks to all who have written in recent days to express your appreciation for these war updates and to say you are praying for us who are near or in the middle of the conflict. I hope you all have a peaceful weekend as you continue to watch events here in the Lord’s special Promised Land.

                            ************************************************** ************************************************** ***************************

                            DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived in Israel since 1980. His new DVD, titled “FOR ZIONS’S SAKE—REPORTING FROM THE LAND OF THE BIBLE,” is now available on both PAL and NTCS versions. Details are posted at his web site, www.ddolan.com

                            HOLY WAR FOR THE PROMISED LAND (Broadman & Holman), his latest book, is an overview of the history of the Israel and of the bitter Arab-Israeli conflict that rages there, plus some autobiographical details about the author’s experiences living in the land since 1980. It especially examines the important role that militant Islam plays in the conflict.

                            ISRAEL IN CRISIS: WHAT LIES AHEAD? (Baker/Revell), which examines the political and biblical prospects for a regional attack upon Israel, settlement in the disputed territories, and related topics, is also available for purchase, along with an updated edition of his end-time novel, THE END OF DAYS (21st Century Press).
                            You may order these books at a special discount price by visiting his web site at www.ddolan.com, or by phoning 888-890-6938 in North America, or by e mail at: resources@yourisraelconnection.org

                            TO RECEIVE THESE FREE ISRAEL UPDATES DIRECTLY, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS BELOW. YOU WILL ONLY RECEIVE DAVID DOLAN'S UPDATE AND ANALYSIS INFORMATION FROM THIS ADDRESS. THE LIST WILL NOT BE TRADED OR SOLD.

                            TO SUBSCRIBE (or to unsubscribe), GO TO his web site, www.ddolan.com or to: http://www.ddolan.com/subscribe.asp

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Mideast Crisis: By David Dolan

                              Andy - thanks again - these are amazing insights....

                              Sobering... also:


                              As the fighting goes on, it is becoming clear that the Iranian-funded and trained Hizbullah militia was far more prepared for this conflict than most Israeli security analysts and politicians had anticipated. In reality, Israel is not just battling a rogue militia force, but is already at war with both Syria and Iran. This means a much larger and longer conflict is probably in store than IDF generals were predicting just one week ago.

                              Indeed, the chances that the intense ground fighting, Israeli air force bombings and Hizbullah rocket strikes will lead to direct Syrian involvement is seemingly growing every day.

                              One of Israel’s largest newspapers, Maariv, features a bold front page headline in today’s Friday edition declaring that Sheik Nasrallah has decided to do everything in his power to draw Syria into the fighting
                              We may yet see Damascus gone prior to the rapture...?

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