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NEWS FROM ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST

U.S. Senate approves amendment to keep embassy in Jerusalem

February 5, 2021 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “The United States Senate voted 97-3 late Thursday to support an amendment to the COVID-19 budget resolution that affirmed the country’s intention to keep its embassy in Jerusalem.

It was put forward by Republican Senators Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee.

Inhofe tweeted that the amendment ‘would make the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem permanent, effectively preventing it from being downgraded or moved. It’s an important message that we acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.’…”  (930 times God promises Jerusalem forever to the Jews.  Ours was the first nation to recognize the sovereign state of Israel in 1948, but we have moved further and further away.  God promised to Abraham: “…I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing:  and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” – Genesis 12:2, 3. Soon all Hell will break loose in the Middle East. Joel 3:2 warns today’s politicians that World War III occurs because of parting God’s land. It won’t succeed. Christ will return, stop the horrendous war and reign over the world from the Throne of David in Jerusalem forever – Revelation 11:18; Luke 1:32, 33.)

Nasrallah: ‘Israel will see things it hasn’t seen since its inception’

February 17, 2021 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah responded to the Israeli show of military threat, saying, ‘After all the recent threats from Israel, no one can guarantee that it won’t lead to war. Israel will see things it hasn’t seen since its inception,’ Israeli media reported on Tuesday.

The comment came in response to the IDF’s training exercise in preparation for the possibility of war in the North. The drill, conducted by the IAF, is called Vered Hagalil.

‘We are not interested in conflict or war, but if you force it upon us, we will fight,’ Nasrallah said…”  (Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.  I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” – Psalm 2:1-12.)

Iran could deploy 200 missiles in Iraq to attack Israel

February 16, 2021 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “With tensions rising with Iran, Israel is concerned that the Islamic Republic could deploy up to 200 long-range missiles in Iraq that could be used to attack the Jewish state. Iran is already believed to have hundreds of missiles that can reach Israel.

While the chances of a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran are deemed low, heightened tensions in the North amid the possibility of a confrontation in Syria or Lebanon, could also draw Iran to retaliate.

The rationale for Iran to deploy missiles in Iraq and launch them from there against Israel would be to try and prevent a direct IDF retaliation against targets within Iranian territory…”  (They may threaten Israel, but Psalm 121 states: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.  The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.   The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.  The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.)

Khamenei says Iran could boost uranium enrichment to 60%

February 23, 2021 — SpaceWar.com reports: “Iran’s supreme leader said Monday the Islamic republic could boost uranium enrichment to 60 percent if needed, hours before new limits on inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog went into force.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks came ahead of a deadline fixed by Iran’s parliament to limit some inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) unless US sanctions were lifted by Sunday.

Later, Iran’s ambassador to the UN agency, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the new limitations would take effect as of midnight (2030 GMT).

‘The necessary instructions have been issued to the nuclear facilities,’ he said…”  (Ezekiel 38:5 predicts that Russia, the Orient, and Persia [which changed its name to Iran in 1932] will see millions destroyed through atomic warfare in the Latter Years and Latter Days – Ezekiel 38:8, 16. Prepare to meet thy God Israel – Amos 4:12. This battle is described in Revelation 9:14 – 18: Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.  See the next three reports.)

Iran may pursue nuclear weapons, its intelligence minister warns

February 9, 2021 — The Times of Israel  reports: “Iran’s intelligence minister has warned the West that his country could push for nuclear weapons if crippling international sanctions on Tehran remain in place, state television reported Tuesday.

The remarks by Mahmoud Alavi mark a rare occasion that a government official said Iran could move toward nuclear weapons. Tehran has long insisted that the program is for peaceful purposes only.

‘Our nuclear program is peaceful and the fatwa by the supreme leader has forbidden nuclear weapons, but if they push Iran in that direction, then it wouldn’t be Iran’s fault but those who pushed it,’ Alavi was quoted as saying…”

Iran to install new centrifuges at nuclear facilities

March 1, 2021 — Israel National News reports: “The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) plans to install new generations of IR2M and IR6 centrifuges at the Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities, the Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

The installation of these centrifuges will be completed and gas will be injected within the time limit specified in the law passed by the Iranian parliament, said Abolfazl Amoui, the spokesman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament.

Amoui said that, based on the law, the AEOI should also produce 120 kg of 20 percent enriched uranium within a year…”

Ex-IAEA official: Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear plants won’t stop threat

February 11, 2021 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “While an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities may buy some time, it won’t eliminate the problem, warned Dr. Olli Heinonen, former deputy director-general at the International Atomic Energy Agency and a senior research fellow at the Stimson Center think tank, in an interview with Israel Hayom on Wednesday.

‘Technically, such an attack is feasible, even though several of the [nuclear] sites would be more difficult to attack than others,’ explained Heinonen to Israel Hayom. ‘But the entire matter starts with one thing: You need to know what you are bombing because if you don’t know, you have a serious problem on your hands. It’s easy to say, ‘We need to bomb Natanz, Fordo.’ Maybe there are other [uranium] enrichment sites. You need to know the status of these facilities. Are they still there? Are we familiar with them?’

‘An airstrike can help buy time, but it doesn’t eliminate the problem,’ stressed the former IAEA deputy director-general…”

Khamenei: We will demand actions from the US

February 18, 2021 — Israel National News reports: “Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday demanded action and not just words from the US as a condition for reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

‘The Islamic Republic will not be satisfied this time with words and promises,’ said Khamenei in a televised speech.

‘This time, only action, action. If we see action from the opposite side, we will act too,’ he stressed…”  (Iran will be blotted out when Russia, China, and Islamic nations fight Israel and her allies during Armageddon – Revelation 16:16.  The battle is described in Ezekiel 39:1 – 5: …thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:  And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured… Soon the war of wars will arrive from the North and East [Russia and China] – Daniel 11:44.  The battle is described in Ezekiel 38:1 – 5: …the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,   Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief [Russian] prince of Meshech and Tubal: [Moscow and Tubal, or Tubalsk – Southwest of the Russian capital]:  And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:  Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:  See the next two reports.)

Western powers warn Iran against ‘dangerous’ inspections limit

February 19, 2021 — SpaceWar.com reports: “European powers and the United States on Thursday warned Iran it would be ‘dangerous’ to carry out a threatened limit to UN nuclear agency inspections, warning such a move risked wrecking an opportunity to revive a landmark 2015 deal on its atomic drive.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian hosted his German and British counterparts in Paris, with America’s new Secretary of State Antony Blinken joining via videoconference, to discuss how to bring revive a deal left moribund by former president Donald Trump’s pullout in 2018.

Analysts say only a small window of opportunity remains to save the deal as Tehran ramps up its nuclear work in retaliation against the reimposition of sanctions that followed the US walkout…”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard begins drill near Iraq border

February 12, 2021 — Israel National News reports: “Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Thursday began a ground forces drill near the Iraqi border, The Associated Press reported, citing state TV.

The report said the annual exercise, dubbed the ‘great prophet,’ is ongoing in the southwest of the country and has aimed at readiness and assessment of forces. Drones and helicopters will be used in the drill as well.

The drill comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran and is the latest Iran has held as it tries to pressure President Joe Biden over the 2015 nuclear deal…”