December 2008
To Our WindowViewers
The following message is one in a series of reports that we mirror here at WindowView.
Mr. Dolan's is a professional reporter located in the Middle East. For those of us who neither live there nor understand a biblical perspective for the timeline rooted in events related to Israel, then this report begins to let us experience the global and biblical relevance for what comes out of the Middle East.
Dr. Peterson
Director, WindowView.org
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IDF OFFENSIVE BEGINS AGAINST HAMAS
By David Dolan
As I wrote in last weeks monthly Israel news review, with new national elections scheduled to take place in Israel in just six weeks, the Israeli government would be reluctant to respond to renewed Palestinian rocket assaults upon Israeli civilian centers around the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. But as I also warned, the decision to launch an assault was entirely in the hands of the Iranian-backed Hamas group. If it continued to allow the firing of dozens of rockets at nearby Israeli cities, towns and farms, then a IDF major response would prove unavoidable, even if the timing was not so good in a political sense.
After a week of such unprovoked and sustained Palestinian attacks, involving over 200 rockets and mortars that sent thousands of Israeli civilians to bomb shelters every day, the decision to act was made.
Just before noon today, the Jewish Sabbath, the Air Force launched a major operation, striking dozens of Hamas security targets in the southern Gaza Strip. Around 60 aircraft were reportedly involved in the initial air strike, destroying dozens of carefully selected Hamas and Islamic Jihad militia positions. A second wave of some 20 warplanes then hit selected targets in the central and northern part of the small coastal zone, killing the senior Hamas Police commander in the Gaza Strip and other top Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives and militia personnel.
Sadly, dozens of Palestinian civilians have also reportedly been killed—which is also unavoidable since the extremist groups which violently seized control of Gaza from Palestinian Authority security forces in a coup launched in June 2007, deliberately places many of their military and police positions in the middle of civilian neighborhoods, as is also the case with Hizbullah in Lebanon and even the Syrian and Iranian governments (Iran’s nuclear program is centered in such neighborhoods, as is Syria’s main chemical weapons outposts).
Hamas has already responded by launching dozens of additional rockets upon Israeli population centers, killing one civilian and wounding five others. More rocket and mortar attacks are being threatened and anticipated, along with possible terror attacks from cells operating inside Israeli cities.
But the main question is this: Will Hizbullah be ordered by Iran to back the radical Hamas group by launching its far more powerful Iranian and Syrian-supplied missiles at Israeli targets, which could include Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, if not Israel’s nuclear reactor in the Negev Desert? While vowing to fight to the death against the supposed “Israeli massacre,” a Hamas spokesman called today for such active “support” from regional Arab powers, saying Hamas would not be satisfied with “just condemnations.” Analysts warn that Iran may be eager to order Hizbullah into action in an attempt to wear down and preoccupy the IDF with a two front conflict, and thus possibly avert an Israeli air strike next year on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Israeli army leaders warned the nation today that the operation launched this morning against Hamas will be prolonged and intense. In an indication that a major ground operation will probably be forthcoming into the Gaza Strip in the coming days or weeks, media reports say some reserve army units are already being called up. This may also be partly in anticipation of a possible missile response from Hizbullah and/or Syria.
All this to say, another serious chapter is apparently beginning to unfold in Israel’s long and difficult struggle to survive and thrive in the mainly Muslim Middle East. Whatever occurs, it is definitely an appropriate time to get down on our knees in prayer.
DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived and worked in Israel since 1980.
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How does one really see the deeper informational side to Scripture? We recommend “footsteps” as the source for seeing the the truly functional details in Scripture.
G. Fruchtenbaum, Th.M., Ph.D.1982. Footsteps of Messiah - A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events. (Second ed. 2003)
THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE MESSIAH
A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events
Dr. Fruchtenbaum gathers the many pieces of the prophetic puzzle and places them in sequential order with the result summed up by Dr. Charles Ryrie in his foreword: "Those who read this book cannot help but be instructed and stimulated by his work." Footsteps is detailed, thorough and scholarly, yet written in a style that the average reader can easily understand. With a wealth of wisdom drawn from his Jewish background and extensive research, the author even tackles the "problem passages" to provide a comprehensive overview of the entire range of prophetic truth.
Over thirty years of teaching Eschatology since the original writing of this book has given Dr. Fruchtenbaum further reflections on some passages. He has added five new appendices to the book.
Obtain this book via Amazon.com (click on book icon above), or order direct from
publisher.
Hardcover (880 pp.) ... $35.00
ISBN: 0-914863-09-6
