August 13, 2005

More Israeli Concessions To Egypt And The Palestinians Ahead Of The Gaza Pull-Out Timeline Starting In Five Days. This Week’s List So Far As Updated By Debkafile. 
1. Every last trace of an Israeli presence will be removed from the Israeli-Egyptian Rafah border crossing. This facility passes henceforth to sole Palestinian-Egyptian control. Israel has given up on this point. Therefore, Mahmoud Abbas’ reported last-minute appeal to US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice to intercede with Israel was a piece of play-acting...

Turkey Captures Al Qaida Cell That Targeted Israel
ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey has captured an Al Qaida cell that intended to attack Israeli cruise ships in the eastern Mediterranean.

Turkish security sources said a senior Al Qaida operative led the 10-member cell in Turkey, based in the southern province of Antalya. The sources said the Al Qaida cell had tracked and targeted up to four Israeli cruise ships meant to dock in Antalya last week.

"The Syrian headed the cell and was responsible for gathering intelligence and planning attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Antalya," a security source said. "He is in custody."

Iran Significantly Enhances Shihab-3 Missile
NICOSIA [MENL] -- Iran has provided the first data of the capabilities of its enhanced Shihab-3 intermediate-range missile.

Iranian officials said the range and accuracy of the Shihab-3 have been significantly improved in 2004 with two flight tests of the enhanced missile. They said the missile underwent a redesign as well as integration of an advanced navigation and targeting system.

As a result, officials said, the Shihab-3 could now reach a range of 2,000 kilometers with a circle of error probability of one meter. Until 2004, the Shihab was said to have a range of 1,300 kilometers and a CEP of about a kilometer.

Iran Deploys 4,000 Centrifuges In Secret Facilities
LONDON [MENL] -- Iran was said to have constructed thousands of gas centrifuges required for the enrichment of uranium, a key process in the assembly of nuclear weapons.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran has released the content of an Iranian government document that reported the production of thousands of centrifuges for uranium enrichment. The document said the machines, produced in Isfahan and Teheran, were meant to be operated at secret facilities throughout Iran.

Comments
Palestinians are beginning to celebrate Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, which begins next week.  This of course, would be suicide for any other country, and certainly the U.S. would never agree to such a move if the rolls were reversed, but God is firmly in control.  Be sure to take a look at the above article entitled "More Israeli Concessions To Egypt And The Palestinians". It’s just the beginning of a long growing list of concessions Israel will give into in the near future.

Iran continues to refine and sharpen its nuclear weapons program right under the nose of the world at large.  Though everyone involved realizes it's only a matter of time before they reveal their secret arsenal most are content to look the other way.  You can bet this will comeback to haunt the world.  

Although, President Bush did state this week that he would not rule out military force if Iran continues their push to obtain nuclear weapons.  If this does happen, it will likely be a U.S. led coordinated air strike which will involve many countries and will destroy multiple targets at the same time.   I don't see a ground attack unless it becomes necessary.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  

As you may know, archeologist Dr. Vlendy Jones has pulled back the date for his proposed discovery of the Ark of the Covenant.  If all goes well he will attempt to raise funds and gather a team for exploration sometime in September 2005.  

If found, it would be significant, but its difficult to say how the Israeli government and people would react to this discovery.  A fact many forget is most Israelis are not that committed to their faith. Truthfully, it will probably make a bigger impact throughout the rest of the world and especially in the U.S. Whether it will spark a massive cry for the temple to be rebuilt is another thing, but at some point it will be rebuilt.

This is what I see for the future of Israel.  It would be nice to say that Israel will have an eleventh hour change of heart.  I don't believe that will happen and it's likely they will continue to give up more land.  Next in line will be the West Bank.  

This will serve to place Israel in a very vulnerable state and I have to believe that an attack is eminent.  Certainly, the prospect of an Israeli preemptive strike against Iran is very possible within the next twenty-four months, but I tend to believe they will march on Israel first (Ezekiel 38 & 39).  I see this situation playing out as a miraculous deliverance rather than an attack.  Truthfully, that’s the only thing the world will remember about it and it will be shocking!

These are very dangerous yet exciting times.  As I look and listen to many of the fundamental Bible believing ministers, teachers and scholars they all seem to have a message of urgency and expectation.  I am confident this sense of urgency is God’s divine message to His church.

Are you ready to meet the Lord?  If not your time is running out!