Though time has not allowed me to stay as up-to-date with current events as normal, I am aware of international news concerning Israel.  Here are a few happenings since I departed for Israel several days ago.

Greek’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was in Israel just before I arrived, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to confirm cooperation on energy projects in the Eastern Mediterranean.  As you  may know, huge gas fields have been discovered off the coast of Israel, as well as in other parts of the Mediterranean, and there are plans to build pipelines from some of Israel’s fields to other places (such as Cyprus). The once resource-poor Israel will soon be supplying natural gas to other countries!  Could those resources be the “hook in the nose” that draws Russia and the other northern invaders into Israel, as prophesied in Ezekiel 38?

I am also aware that Russia had delivered S-400 air defense missiles to its bases in Syria “to protect Russian aircraft.”  Putin promises that they are not aimed at use against their “partners” who are also fighting ISIS, nor will they conflict with the US-led efforts in Syria.  We’ll see how long that remains the case!

Finally, the Israeli Air Force has carried out additional airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in an area of Syria known to a transit point for ammunition and military equipment headed for terrorist possession.

While international news continues to revolve around Israel, some have asked, “Do you feel endangered at all in Israel?”  The answer is a resounding, “No!”  For one, Israel is well able to take care of herself militarily as things stand right now.  Secondly, even with lone wolf terrorist attacks within the country (ie – Palestinians running cars into bus stops, attacking Jews, etc), Israelis carry on with life.

Just today, one of our lecturers said, “We have lived with this throughout history!  People hate us!  It is just a fact of life, and we are not going to quit living just because someone commits terror!  If this was the US, cities would be shut down when these things occur.  Not here!  We will live life freely.  Besides, the things we deal with now are minor compared to other times in history!”

They feel secure!

…and you [Gog] will say, “I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, to capture spoil and to seize plunder [resources such as natural gas?]” …Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it?  You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north…'”
~Ezekiel 38:11-12, 14-15

Hmmmm!  Thoughts to ponder!