Israel Update for February 2008

General Yahya Safavi, the top military advisor to overall Iranian strongman Ayatollah Khameini, added that "intense Hizbullah fury" over the killing of the Shiite group's senior military commander had "brought forward" the day when Israel would be wiped off of the world map. He also accused Israel of carrying out the Damascus bombing, aided by the United States and one unnamed Arab country, thought by some to be Saudi Arabia. This came after the Saudi government began flying in emergency weapons supplies to the pro-western Lebanese government, apparently in anticipation of an imminent showdown with Hizbullah forces and their Syrian and Iranian backers.

Code Red Alert

Israeli leaders quickly denounced the latest outbursts from nefarious Iranian political and military leaders, while sending a delegation of legislators from several political parties abroad to explain to foreign officials why the government feels it must take action to rebuff Iran's now constant stream of threats to vanquish the Jewish state. Meanwhile a dissident Iranian group said it had recently passed on solid evidence to the White House detailing the Iranian regime's continuing efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

Iranian leaders had the audacity to accuse Israel of ratcheting up tensions in the region by threatening to attack its nuclear program, as if it was not the regime's constant vows to annihilate Israel, while ignoring repeated UN calls to cease enriching uranium, which is essentially forcing reluctant Israeli leaders to deal with the rogue nation. A complaint against Israel was filed by Iran's UN ambassador on February 21. It cited PM Olmert's mid-January statement that "all options are on the table" regarding Iran's nuclear program as the basis for its absurd charge that it was Israel bringing the region to the precipice of all out warfare.

Israeli officials noted that a new International Atomic Agency report issued on February 22 confirmed that Iran's dangerous uranium enrichment program continues apace, in defiance of UN demands that it be immediately halted. Experts say uranium enrichment is a key component in any nuclear weapons program. An Israeli Foreign Ministry statement said the report "reconfirms the State of Israel and international community concerns that Iran is continuing its pursuit of nuclear weapons."

Legless Near Gaza

With over 400 Palestinian rockets and mortars fired into Israel during the first two months of 2008 alone, pressure on the government to do more to halt the barrage built up substantially during February. The boiling point came after a rocket landed near two Sderot brothers drawing money from an ATM bank machine in the besieged town to buy their father a birthday present. Eight year old Osher Twito, who had dreamed of becoming a national soccer player, lost his leg in the brutal February 9 attack. Doctors had no choice but to quickly amputate it below the knee to save the critically wounded boy's life. His 19 year old brother was also severely injured in the blast, which occurred as over 40 rockets were fired at the town in a period of 48 hours.

Coming just one week after two Hamas suicide bombers launched an attack at a shopping mall in the Negev town of Dimona, killing a 73 year old Israeli woman and injuring dozens of others, the rocket blitz was the final straw for hundreds of Sderot residents. They flocked to the Israeli capital to call for urgent action to halt the daily assaults. Joined by protestors from around the country, speakers at the impromptu rally demanded that PM Olmert resign, and called for a stepped up military response to the rocket barrage. Similar protests were held later in the month in Tel Aviv.

While Palestinian Authority leaders said again they do not support such assaults upon Israeli civilian centers, they also expressed strong opposition to any major IDF response to the stepped up Hamas attacks. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat warned that any significant military operation would halt struggling peace talks with Israel-which made headlines during the month when PA officials insisted the contentious issue of Jerusalem was already on the table; a claim Olmert's office quickly denied in an apparent attempt to keep the wavering Shas party in the wobbly coalition. Brazen Hamas officials threatened to murder kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit if any senior Hamas leaders are killed by army action.

Despite the Palestinian threats, Israeli officials said the situation in the Gaza Strip had become intolerable, forcing the government to take major action. This came as Israeli sanctions against the coastal zone led to further fuel shortages and other consequences that were criticized by US, EU and UN officials. The army was meanwhile preparing for a threatened Hamas attempt to send thousands of Gaza residents to overrun the security fence with Israel, as occurred along the southern border with Egypt in January.

In light of February's dramatic developments, it appears to this seasoned correspondent that 2008 will likely be a year of severe upheaval in the region. May all who love Zion keep fervent in prayer as Israel's leaders make critical decisions regarding the escalating threats imperiling the country's continued existence. "Be gracious to me Oh Lord. See my affliction from those who hate me, You who have lifted me up from the gates of death" (Psalm 9:13).