Latter-day Israel

            I was taught about Israel as a little girl, and I have kept my eyes on Israel as an adult.  I am very much aware that Israel holds a very important place in the events of the latter days; therefore, I am quite interested in any news item about Israel.  A recent article about the Israel-Gaza war by Charles Krauthammer instantly caught my eye because it was not only about latter-day Israel but also written by a man whom I consider to be very intelligent.  His article explains clearly why Gaza keeps attacking Israel.

                    Gaza and many in the international media claim that the Gaza attack on Israel was resistance to the Israeli occupation of Gaza.  Krauthammer debunks this theory:  "What occupation?  Seven years ago, in front of the world, Israel pulled out of Gaza.  It dismantled every settlement, withdrew every soldier, evacuated every Jew, leaving nothing and no one behind.  Except for the greenhouses in which the settlers had grown fruit and flowers for export.  These were left intact to help Gaza's economy - only to be trashed when the Palestinians took over.

                    "Israel then declared its border with Gaza to be an international frontier; meaning that it renounced any claim to the territory and considered it an independent entity.   In effect, Israel had created the first Palestinian state ever; something never granted by fellow Muslims - neither the Ottoman Turks nor the Egyptians who brutally occupied Gaza for two decades before being driven out by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.

                    "Israel wanted nothing more than to live in peace with this independent Palestinian entity.  After all, the world had incessantly demanded that Israel give up land for peace.  It gave the land.  It got no peace…."

                    So why did Gaza attack Israel if there are no Israelis occupying Gaza?  Krauthammer answered that question:  "Because Hamas (the governing power in Gaza) considers all of Israel occupied, illegitimate, a cancer, a crime against humanity, to quote the leaders of Iran, Hamas' chief patron and arms supplier.  Hamas' objective, openly declared is to `liberate' - i.e. destroy - Tel Aviv and the rest of pre-1967 Israel…."

                    Krauthammer reminds his readers that "Hamas first killed Jews with campaigns of suicide bombings" and Israel was forced to build a fence to protect its citizens.  After the fence was built, Hamas fired rockets "indiscriminately at civilians in populated areas."

The recent war between Gaza and Israel "started with a barrage of about 150 rockets into Israel."  Gaza currently has Iran-provided rocketry "that can now reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, putting 50 percent of Israel's population under its guns." 

Gaza has political support from numerous Middle Eastern nations, including non-Arab Turkey, Muslim Brotherhood-led Egypt, and Qatar.  The cease fire of November 21, 2012, will give Israel a respite, but Krauthammer - and many others - do not expect the cease-fire to last.

I was taught as a youth that in the "last days" all nations would fight against Israel.  I wondered for many years if that statement meant that the United States would also be fighting against Israel.  I have watched and listened carefully through the years to the words of our leaders and understood that Israel was our ally.  Things seem to be changing during the Obama Administration.  Obama has shown every indication that he would throw Israel under the bus if given the chance.  If the United States continues down the path we are now on, I believe that there is a good possibility that our military will be fighting against Israel!  I do not like this idea because I know from the prophecies how the war ends.  Even though Israel will suffer greatly, Jesus Christ will eventually appear and save the remaining Jews.  If we want to be on the side supported by God, we must stand with latter-day Israel!