President Trump

The Last Hour

January 19, 2021 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Is This Goodbye or See You Again?

O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me. Psalm 25:2

“What is truth?” asked Pilate when Yeshua/Jesus said to him:
“For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the TRUTH. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”

When we seek the truth, we seek Him with all of our hearts and soul, and we will find Him (Deut. 4: 29.) Yeshua said to Pilate, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6.).

We must abandon our own agenda, opinions, and what others – even those we most admire – think. It is fundamental that we seek Him personally, and not rely upon the relationship of anyone else, neither Pastors, Rabbis nor Imams.

Yeshua said that we, His sheep, know His voice; we know the TRUTH because we know Him personally. But how can we know what is true and what is false in this world?

What is happening in America?
In the government?
Are they seeking the truth?

Is it true that the election was stolen from President Trump and the Republicans?
Is it true that Trump instigated the riot in DC and therefore is rightfully being punished?
What about the impeachment? Will they succeed in removing Trump once and for all and disqualifying him from ever running for office again?

If the answer to all these questions is negative, will God execute justice in the last hour, and will the real truth be exposed, thereby saving President Trump and restoring him to the presidency?

President Trump is being accused of unpatriotism and inciting violence. However, Trump simply wanted to expose any fraudulence in the 2020 presidential election, believing that he had won.

When President Trump called for Georgia’s officials to verify voter signatures and that all voters were legal residents of the state, his request was denied. Former President Ronald Reagan advocated the practice of “trust but verify.” In the wake of a global pandemic and this most problematic election, one can reasonably legitimize President Trump’s reluctance to trust, and certainly his persistent call to verify.

According to the mainstream media and the Democrats, President Trump had no right to challenge the results of the unorthodox 2020 election practices.

The Democrats only won by a small number of votes. Despite a tidal wave of Trump-hatred, almost half the country believes that they were cheated. Meanwhile, the other side criticizes President Trump for challenging the outcome of the election.

January 6th

His appeal on January 6th to his supporters didn’t go so well. His statements were deliberately misconstrued by his enemies in the mainstream media, Congress, and even by some in the Republican party who were quick to distort his appeal as proof of his unworthiness for the Presidency.

The vast majority of the many thousands at the Capitol were there to show their strong and peaceful support for the President. (We have received reports from some who were actually there, confirming that 95 percent of the pro-Trump demonstrators were peaceful.) A small minority, however, expressed their anger in the form of violence and trespassing into the Capitol building despite the President’s loud and clear call for a peaceful protest. Despite significantly less destruction than during the “Summer of George Floyd,” nevertheless there were five deaths and the trespassers were undoubtedly in the wrong. Somehow, the Democrats, mainstream media, big tech, and the violent Left turned a blind eye to the perpetrators of violence.

Hypocrisy

Months earlier, racism was the excuse for the demolition of national statues, and although such actions were criminal and morally wrong, the democratic congressmen ignored the whole escapade. Now, as the focus has shifted to the DC violence, the purpose of discovering the truth of the 2020 election has been lost in the shuffle. As far as the anti-Trump crowd is concerned, the issue has been firmly settled.

Sadly, an honest and comprehensive forensic investigation into the 2020 election and the real cause for the riots on the Capitol may never take place. Until such trustworthy investigations occur, there will be no verification and therefore no; truth will appear not to matter, until and if God intervenes and supernaturally exposes the truth.

The Left which prides itself on its democracy is the first to suppress free speech, citing the January 6th riots as the need to do so. Ironically, during the last year’s summer violence, the Democrats aided the unlawful rioters by establishing bail funds. Furthermore, the leftist prosecutors refused to charge the rioters but are now quick to prosecute several pro-Trump demonstrators.
There were reports that several Black Lives Matter and Antifa members were masquerading as Trump supporters and inflamed the demonstration creating chaos. Sadly, the blame for the chaos is falling upon President Trump.

It remains to be seen if the truth behind the January 6 events will ever be known, and just how much truth, if any, will matter in American politics in the future.

After the riots at the U.S. Capitol Building, the FBI warned of additional threats in the nation’s capital and in all 50 states. According to reports, as many as 25,000 National Guard soldiers will be guarding the city as preparations are made for the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th U.S. President.

PRAY

However, to us as believers in Yeshua, Who is the Truth, truth does matter. Let’s pray that God reveals the hidden things behind the American current events before we believe the various opinions and biased news. We are praying for America, especially for the January 20th gathering in Washington DC. There are many police and military men and there is the danger of violence and even death.

Israel Favors Trump for President

October 31, 2020 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” 1 Timothy 2:1

Living in Israel, we mostly experience relative peace that enables Israel to develop and grow. However, this peace is periodically interrupted by terror attacks and even wars. Even in times of apparent peace, Israel’s enemies are in a constant level of warfare.

Recently in the south, the Israeli army uncovered yet another “terror tunnel” stretching from Gaza into Israel. Hamas in Gaza never stops building tunnels. Fortunately, the Israeli army has been able to destroy or seal dozens of them over the years.

President Obama – a Legacy of Enablement of Israel’s Enemies

In Gaza’s early phase of tunnel-building, Israel restricted the importation of building materials that could be used for tunnels. But the Obama administration blocked Israel’s restrictive measures, believing the materials were used for housing, schools, and buildings.

Inevitably, Hamas did use hundreds of thousands of tons of cement to build a maze of underground tunnels, bunkers, command posts, and shelters for its leaders, fighters, and rockets. Now Israel has to suffer and deal with the consequences of the Obama administration’s error.

Obama also forced Israel to accept a 10-month freeze on any building of Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria (known as the West Bank) to encourage the Palestinians to negotiate. The Palestinians never did after all.

Under the Obama administration, Vice President Joe Biden objected vehemently to Israel’s plans to build in a religious neighborhood of Jerusalem. Israel claimed that it has the right to build anywhere in its capital.

President Obama insisted that Israel accept moving back to the “1967 borders.” This would endanger Israel’s security, eliminate defensible borders, and put Israel’s security in the hands of the United Nations and Israel’s Arab enemies. Furthermore, Obama allowed the U.N. Security Council to pass its infamous Resolution 2334—opposed by almost every Democratic senator—which encourages a boycott against any Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria.

On the northern Israel-Lebanon border, Hezbollah has transformed itself, from a minor terror organization into a full-scale army, and is now a major threat. With Iranian backing, Hezbollah has accumulated an estimated 150,000 missiles. The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) has conducted recently a massive military exercises with both regular troops and reservists, involving the air force, navy, and ground forces, as well as the intelligence, technology, and logistics, teleprocessing, and cyber defense directorates in order to deal with the Hezbollah threat.

In 2006, in response to international criticism and pressure, Israel stopped acting against Hezbollah. Furthermore, the United Nations Security Council promises to keep southern Lebanon out of the terrorists’ control were never kept. This is a recurring cycle – Israel defends itself, the world protests and Israel relents in exchange for empty promises.

Obama gave Iran in the “deal” billions of dollars that were ultimately used to support terrorists throughout the Middle East, and in effect hindered Israeli defense against Iranian targets. Under Obama, Israeli attacks against Iranian proxies in Syria which threatened Israel’s security were off-limits. He wouldn’t compromise his Iran Nuclear Deal.

President Trump – a True Friend

Contrary to Obama, President Trump went to work on behalf of Israel immediately. He recognized the unified city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, opening the door for other countries to follow suit. Israel’s sovereignty over the Western Wall and Temple Mount is now more secure than ever.

Next, President Trump announced recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the strategically vital territory of the Golan Heights, ensuring that it will not fall into the hands of Iranian proxies.

The Trump administration has also clearly stated that Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, so-called settlements, are not illegal and are part of Israel’s Jewish heritage.

Under President Trump, Israel has launched numerous uninterrupted attacks against Iranian proxies in Syria. A series of unexplained explosions at Iranian nuclear and industrial facilities, attributed to Israel, have significantly hindered Iran’s weaponry program.

Just recently, President Trump coordinated with PM Netanyahu the historically successful Middle East peace effort called “The Abraham Accords”, opening formal relations between Israel and Arab Muslim Gulf States, and even with the former enemy African state of Sudan, which now prefers relations with Israel than with Iran. These normalizations with former enemy nations are truly amazing, which PM Netanyahu calls, “Peace for Peace” instead of “Land for Peace.”

Many left-wing leaders, including President Obama, were convinced that Israel could never achieve peace with Arab states without giving away vital territory to the Palestinians. Trump and Netanyahu have proven that Israel need not give away land or expel Jews from their homes to achieve peace.

All those achievements have made President Trump a great leader in favor of Israel and its security. During the Obama years, Israel was under constant diplomatic attack from the European Union with many expecting Israel to become isolated. This perception gave way to an international rise of the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions – solely against Israel) and anti-Israel protests around the globe. Now, thanks to US President Trump working closely with Israel’s PM Netanyahu, Israel is being sought after by many counties who shunned it just a short time ago.

President Trump and PM Netanyahu have produced a historic period that has transformed Israel’s international position and increased its state security. No wonder most Israelis favor Trump over Obama’s former vice-president Biden. Indeed, all of Trump’s initiatives, from recognizing Jerusalem to “The Abraham Accords” have had overwhelming support from politicians of all major Israeli parties.

Israelis fear Biden becoming president and undoing Trump’s accomplishments. They don’t want to go back to Obama’s days.

Pray … Pray … Pray

The Bible commands us to pray for those who are in leadership (I Timothy 2:1-4). This includes those who are contending to become leaders.

According to Scripture, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). The selection of leaders who understand and lead according to God’s righteous standards can bring great blessing to a nation.

Let the Holy Spirit lead you in your prayers of intercession for the United States. As believers, may we have faith to believe that our votes do make a difference. The United States of America was founded on the basis of voting for a candidate with a Godly reputation, according to what is best for the nation. Much prayer is needed for this critical process. Pray for discernment and clarity between truth and falsehood. Pray for physical protection for the candidates and their families, a hedge of protection around the different states, and the whole nation during this time of elections.

Let us focus our hearts on the Kingdom of God. Pray that the purposes of God be accomplished in the U.S. elections. Pray that the results of the elections will please the Lord and release His blessing.

The Deal of the Century Finally Revealed

February 28, 2020 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

“NO! God’s Word says not to divide the land.”

This was the first reaction of many believers in Yeshua/Jesus to President Trump’s “Deal of the Century.” The Israeli right-wing parties also chimed in,

“NO! there can never be a Palestinian state.

Israel’s claim to the land, including Judea and Samaria is based on the Bible and God’s promises to His people Israel. (Gen. 12:7; 15:18; 17:8; 28:13, and 35:12.) Consider, though, that in the long history of the Jewish people, God has had to repeatedly discipline His people, individually, as a nation, and as a people.

One of the most recent examples is the 2000 years of diaspora Jews spent in exile separated from the land of Israel. However, He has also promised to gather the people of Israel and bring them back to the land of Israel. Today, we witness these promises being fulfilled before our eyes. Israel has returned to the land of Israel as a nation.

While in exile, foreigners have occupied the land and lay claim to the land for themselves. Now Israel has a dilemma–how to deal with these non-Jewish occupants, all the while having the international community watching and ready to condemn any meaningful effort at compromise.

Israel liberated Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip during the 1967 Six-Day War. These are all lands Palestinians now want for a future state.

The First Plan designed with Israel’s interests as a priority

President Trump’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley stated,

“The top priority of the plan’s architects is always the national security of Israel. We knew that we couldn’t do anything that was going to compromise the security of Israel. But we also knew that the Palestinians deserve a better way of life.”

The reality is that for years Israel and the world have tried to deal with the reality that there are a few million Palestinians living in established cities and villages in Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. Every previous plan proposal focused on Palestinian interests as a priority. For the first time, there is a plan designed with Israel’s interests as a priority.

No one has been able to come up with a perfect plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. President Trump’s peace proposal is not perfect. But for Israel, there are many positive reasons to accept it.

As of today, the concept of two states for two peoples, living side by side in peace and harmony, with Israel going back to the borders of pre-1967 has never materialized. Any peace initiative suggested by world powers pressured Israel to make most of the concessions and compromises. At the same time, the Palestinians’ constant refusal was overlooked and Israel was always blamed for the failure of executing the plan. Israel has always expected to give up some land in exchange for Palestinian promises even though all previous “Land for Peace” deals have been quickly abrogated by the Palestinians.

Requirements and Conditions for the Palestinians

*A short summary of requirements for the Palestinians.*

President Trump’s “Deal of the Century” goes against the previous formulas, and places on the Palestinians the responsibility of either accepting ALL of the conditions before any negotiations for a Palestinian state can even begin, or to have no deal. It states that the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Judea-Samaria must stop the incitement to violence. They must show complete financial transparency and must completely stop payments to terrorists who harm Israeli citizens, including payments to families of suicide bombers–so-called Martyrs Payments. It calls for complete demilitarization of the West Bank and the disarmament of Hamas, the terrorist organization controlling the Gaza strip, which maintains a huge arsenal of Iranian rockets and missiles. It also requires the disarmament of all other terrorist organizations, such as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The Palestinian government is required to end its attempts to brand Israel as a war criminal in international courts; and mandates the elimination of the teaching of genocidal anti-Semitism in Palestinian schools and media. It requires respect for human rights and religious freedoms, by all parties, and the support of a free press. These conditions must be implemented before America’s recognition of Palestinian statehood. The conditions have an expiration period of 4 years.

There are two central conditions that Palestinians have never accepted nor will they accept. First–the recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish People in the land of Israel. Second, Palestinians must give up the “right of return” to Israel for so-called Palestinian refugees, by which they mean the 1948 Arab refugees and their descendants who now reside in countries all over the world.

Trump emphasizes that historically there were similar numbers of Jewish refugees from Arab countries, whose possessions were taken by the regimes, most of them were absorbed into Israel’s population. Established after 1948, the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East, which Trump stopped supporting recently) perpetuates the refugee problem instead of solving it. The Palestinians are the only refugees in the world who have not been assimilated into the countries they immigrated to, which include many Arab countries. Trump’s Peace to Prosperity plan creates various funding structures to help Palestinian refugee families living in Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria achieve citizenship where they reside.

Trump is offering the Palestinians the sum of $50 billion to build their future state’s infrastructure and boost its economy. However, they must give up their ‘destructive ideology,’ as previously explained.

Palestinian Rejection of the Deal

It is notable, the Palestinians rejected Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ even before it was announced, even before reading it. They continue to reject it. This is consistent with their rejecting any plan since partition was first proposed in 1937. Their reason for rejection has been consistent. No plan that results in a Jewish nation in the Middle East can ever be accepted. Every Palestinian leader and/or negotiator has always maintained it would mean personal political and physical death to ever accept an agreement that resulted in a Jewish state. If the Palestinians persist in rejecting negotiations, Israel will likely proceed with annexations as called for in the deal.

The plan gives Israel the right to security control of the entire territory of Judea and Samaria, including areas under Palestinian authority. This includes security at all international crossings. [Read more here about Judea and Samaria.] If there is eventually a Palestinian state (most unlikely, because they will refuse to accept ALL the conditions) it will have to be a completely demilitarized state, and Israel will have the right ‘to dismantle and destroy any facility in the State of Palestine that is used for the production of prohibited weapons or other hostile purposes.’ How will Iran and their proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas, feel about having their missiles removed?

The plan gives Israel sovereignty over 30% of Judea and Samaria, to begin with, and gives an agreement-in-principle to a Palestinian state eventually (when they agree to ALL the conditions, which they will not.) They have four years to decide after which the offer expires. Israel, however, will not wait long to implement their portion of the agreement which are steps to secure and further enhance Israel’s security.

The Jordan Valley will be Israel’s permanent eastern border, based on historical Jewish settlement rights and in consideration of Israeli security needs. And Israel can declare these borders without Palestinian approval. [Read more here about the Jordan Valley.]

President Trump declared all 150 Israeli towns and settlements in Judea and Samaria legal. With the annexation of that area into the State of Israel, Israeli military rule will end (as well as the term “occupation”). Israel will be free to build more homes in these towns and settlements without restriction. Not one person will be forced out of his home, ever, anywhere in the Land of Israel.

The Next Four Years

*Here is a map showing the previously designated A, B, and C areas.*

The Palestinians have four years to fulfill these requirements. Should the Palestinians refuse to accept the conditions, resulting in no negotiations with Israel, any territories set aside as part of a future Palestinian state will revert to their current disputed status, resulting in no Palestinian state. Israel keeps the annexed territories.

In the next four years, Israel promises to freeze new settlements in 50% of what has been designated “Area C”. (Area in Judea and Samaria under Israeli military control.) This will help Israel act against pirate Jewish building as well as illegal Palestinian settlements building in strategic areas, which they have been doing illegally with the support of funds from the European Union.

As a result, it changes Area A that is currently under Palestinian security control into Area B, which is under Israeli security control. This will completely change the map of Judea and Samaria.

As complicated as it will be, the plan is to build and construct infrastructure—roads, railroads, bridges, and tunnels in Judea and Samaria—to connect Jewish towns to one another and Palestinian cities and towns to one another. This is preferable to the evacuation and transforming of Jews from their homes, as would have been required under the two states’ plan. Also, the road construction will give many Israelis as well as Palestinians, much-needed employment.

A Misunderstanding

*Here’s a map of “the Deal”* *as it stands today. It is a work in progress.*

After revealing his ‘Deal of the Century’ on January 28, US President Donald Trump said among other things, “We will form a joint committee with Israel to convert the conceptual map into a more detailed and calibrated rendering so that recognition can be immediately achieved. The United States will recognize Israeli sovereignty over the territory that my vision provides to be part of the State of Israel.”

That is where the misunderstanding between Israel and the US started. Israeli reporters announced right away, based on what they heard from PM Netanyahu’s aides in Washington, that the PM intends to bring the annexation issue to a cabinet vote immediately upon his return to Israel. However, it became clear to Netanyahu that he misunderstood President Trump. Trump’s statements meant ‘recognition can be immediately achieved’ only after the work is completed ‘to convert the conceptual map into a more detailed and calibrated rendering.’

Special adviser to Trump and ‘architect’ of the peace initiative, Jared Kushner came out with a statement right away for Israel to wait with the annexation. Later on, he reportedly told journalists, following a briefing at the UN Security Council, that the process could take ‘a couple of months’.

US Ambassador to Israel, David Freedman told reporters that it will be a process to correct the general map of the plan to make it more precise. The border between Israel and a possible future Palestinian state is about 800-kilometers (497-miles).

The map shows the greater Israel extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, with a small Palestinian enclave in the West Bank which is cut off from the rest of the world and surrounded on all sides by the State of Israel. This enclave, even if given the title of “state”, could never be considered one in a conventional sense.

It will have no army nor control of its border or airspace and therefore, and, in complete contrast to the wording of the proposed peace plan, would not be freely open to commerce and investments. Israel will permanently retain all Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria as well as the areas surrounding them including the Jordan Valley.

What about Jerusalem in this Deal? See the next newsletter…

Please pray for wisdom for Israeli and US leaders on how to implement the plan, complete the revision of the map with Israel’s security as a priority, and in accordance with the Word of God and His plan for the restoration of the Land of Israel and the people of Israel in the Land.

URGENT! Israel Needs Your Prayers

December 11, 2019 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Why is there no functioning government in Israel, and why is Israel going for yet another election, the third in one year?

Surely I will gather the children of Israel from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land… of Israel…they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.“ Ez. 37:21-22

After the second and most recent election, the major candidates, Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz were unable to form a coalition government. There was a period of 21 days in which any Knesset member could be given the mandate to form a government, provided he was able to get 61 Knesset members to back him up. This period of time will end at midnight, December 11th. In the event no one is successful in gaining the required 61-member support, the Knesset will have to dissolve itself and the country will hold new elections.

Netanyahu has no plans to resign as PM of Israel despite the series of criminal indictments against him. This tough leader is standing strong, proclaiming his innocence while his opponents from the left, from the media and even from his own party, attack him relentlessly in an attempt to force him to step down. In the last two elections, Netanyahu didn’t receive the sufficient majority necessary to form a coalition but did receive enough votes to validate him as the Israeli politician with the strongest block.

Israeli basic law does not require a prime minister to step down while under indictment, nor his resignation if convicted, but only after all appeals are exhausted. Under the law, he remains innocent until proven otherwise in a courtroom after all appeals are exhausted. His opponents maintain that the reason he wants to stay in power as PM is to receive immunity, while he maintains the reason he wants to remain PM for at least the next 5 months is because he considers himself most qualified to lead the state of Israel in this period of critical security challenges and strategic opportunities with Iran and Hezbollah looming.

Netanyahu’s main concern is the challenges of the belligerent Iranian dictatorship that continues to threaten Israel’s very existence. There are also opportunities that include a strong and productive relationship with the most pro-Israel American president in US history. Astonishingly, even after Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced his intention to formally indict the PM, Netanyahu continued to conduct business as usual on all fronts, and deal with repeated military actions launched against Israel from Gaza and Syria. Simultaneously he conducts ongoing diplomatic meetings with world statesmen and asserts Israel’s interest in Judea and Samaria.

A week ago, Netanyahu said, “I spoke yesterday with President Trump, a very important conversation for Israel’s security. We talked about Iran, but we also talked at length about historic opportunities that stand before us in the coming months. Among them are the official annexation of the Jordan Valley as the recognized eastern border of the State of Israel, as well as a defense treaty with the United States; things we could only dream of previously, but now we have the opportunity to realize.”

Under Netanyahu’s leadership, as he conducted talks with world leaders to advance Israel’s strategic interests even when strong statements were necessary, Israel has emerged in the last 10 years as one of the world’s most influential nations. Israel today is considered to be the 8th world superpower. Netanyahu doesn’t want to lose this momentum. This is the time of the window of opportunities for Israel, this is the time of Trump. It is the most valuable time for Israel in its 72-year history. President Trump in a very short time, has done what no other US president has done for Israel;

moved the American Embassy to Jerusalem,
pulled out of the bad Iranian deal,
cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority and UNRAH,
acknowledged Israel’s right to the Golan Heights and settlements in Judea and Samaria.

Now Trump expects Israel to do her part, take action against Iran and Turkey and stand firm against the Palestinian Authority and Gaza. For this Israel needs a strong leader and a stable government.

In the past 21 days, there were meetings between Likud and Blue and White without results. Each accusing the other of unwillingness to compromise. Likud officials, however, accused Blue and White of continuous refusal to accept Likud’s “far-reaching concessions”, mostly that Netanyahu will serve first as PM for only 6 months instead of a year, with Gantz taking over for the next year and a half. Blue and White refused, claiming it didn’t fit Netanyahu’s legal status.

Blue and White also complained that Netanyahu refused to commit not to seek personal immunity in his corruption cases. Netanyahu accused Gantz of giving in to his partner, Yair Lapid, who wouldn’t permit him to form a joint government with Netanyahu, believing it would be a betrayal of their very reason for existing – anything but Bibi. So, this Wednesday at midnight (Israel time), if a miracle does not happen, the 22nd Knesset is expected to disperse, and Israelis will once again, for the third time this year go to elections. This means that Benjamin Netanyahu will continue to serve as prime minister for at least another five months as the head of a transitional government.

The miracle would be if Netanyahu were able to convince Avigdor Liberman in the last moment. “I am calling on Avigdor Liberman to undertake negotiations in ‘high gear’ in the 48 hours we have left to establish a strong unity government for Israel,” Netanyahu’s tweeted yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Knesset was voting Wednesday on a fast-tracked piece of legislation that would allow lawmakers to dissolve parliament and hold elections on March 2, 2020. If the bill isn’t passed by midnight, new elections will automatically be set for March 10.

Understanding President Trump’s Decision

December 31, 2018 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established…“
Romans 13:1

Posted: Dec 31, 2018
To understand the complexity of the situation in Syria, we have to understand that it is a war between the Sunni and Shi’a Muslims. [Click here to read more about who these Muslims are.] The Syrian war started at the time of the so-called Arab Spring in 2011 when protesters demanded the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad. His family, of the Shi’a Alawite-sect of Islam, has held the presidency in Syria since 1971. No one could have anticipated at that time the level of violence, trauma, and devastation that would result from that uprising for over seven years.

The conflict has been fought by different rebel groups and militias against the Assad regime, and against each other. With the rise of ISIS, It has expanded to include international powers such as Russia, Iran, some European nations and the United States.

Since then, Syria has been nearly destroyed, and the region was thrown into turmoil. Cities have been reduced to rubble by regime bombing, which had the far-reaching ramifications to nations around the world. Threats posed by terrorism, the migration crisis, and refugees. The number of casualties is too big to count, which is estimated at about half a million, and millions of refugees and internally displaced people, also too many to count.

The US started fighting ISIS in 2014. Much of the US operation in Syria has been waged by warplanes flying out of Qatar and other locations in the Middle East. After the airstrikes and increased fighting capacity of the allied ground forces, ISIS was degraded.

Fighting everyone all the time, ISIS lost their border areas, supply lines and communication, resources, and influence, they were finally driven from most of its territory in Syria’s north area.

In the beginning, then US president Barack Obama, assuming that Assad was going to fall anyway, took the side of the demonstrators and called on Assad to step down. However, Assad did not fall and didn’t step down. With the help of Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, He is still on the winning side. Not wanting to risk direct conflict with the Russians, the US accepted the fact that they (the Russians) are there to stay.

Assad who has lost territory, men, resources, and independence has gotten weaker through the years of fighting, but is still stronger than any of his opponents and rivals.

President Trump said that the United States was doing the work of other countries, including Russia and Iran, with little in return. He thinks it’s time others fight their own battles, and that US troops have no business in Syria since accomplishing their mission of helping fight ISIS.

Trump is true to his campaign promises to bring the 2,000 US troops back home. He wanted to do it earlier this year but gave in to his advisors not to pull the troops out of Syria before a peace agreement could be reached to end that country’s brutal civil war, and to keep them there to back up the Kurdish fighters and the Arab SDF militias (Syrian Democratic Forces) in their battle against ISIS.

However, this outraged NATO ally Turkey, which views Kurdish YPG forces as being an extension of a militant group fighting inside Turkey. [Click here to read more about the Kurds.] Turkey is still a key strategic ally of the US. In a phone conversation between Presidents Trump and Erdogan on Dec. 14, the Turkish leader promised that his army would not cross the Euphrates. Also during the course of their discussion, Erdogan reportedly agreed to cancel his order of the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system and to purchase a package of US Patriot missile systems valued at $3.5 billion instead.

Turkey’s planned purchase of the S-400 caused a rift between NATO member Turkey and NATO. The S-400 is not inter-operational with NATO systems. Turkish use of the system could endanger the American F-35’s stealth systems.

The White House announced that pulling US troops out of Syria does not mean that the Americans are leaving the coalition against ISIS, but rather, now that ISIS lost most of its strongholds, the White House is “transitioning to the next phase of the campaign.”

The US and Iraq are in advanced negotiations for the deployment to the Iraqi-Syria border of the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) – which drove ISIS out of Mosul. It would position US troops 30km north of the Euphrates River and near the Syrian border. “We will be watching,” promised Trump.

The US is planning to build a permanent base, including an air force base on the Iraqi side of the strategic Tanif pass. This will allow them to control the area and prevent Shi’a militia to cross over into Syria. This way, the US will still control the situation without physically having boots on the ground in Syria.

As the Sunni rebels regroup, what Trump’s move would accomplish is bringing back the balance of the Sunnis against the Shi’as. With the defeat of 95% of Isis, the US can concentrate on the fight against Shi’a Iran, with the proxy of the Sunni rebels and the Sunni Turkish army. That means that Sunnis will enlarge their independent state in Syria around Haleb. Sunni rebels and the Turkish army are deploying forces all the time from all sides.

When Israeli PM Netanyahu’s decision to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas last month and not go to war, after Hamas fired about 500 missiles at Israeli cities in one day, he was criticized by most of Israelis, who saw this as an act of weakness. Netanyahu said at that time that there was more hidden than meets the eye, and not everything can be exposed to the public. Now we realize that what the army was planning was an operation to expose the tunnels of Hezbollah in the north and avoid a massive invasion from the terror group into Israel.

Likewise, with Trump’s decision to pull out the 2000 US troops. We don’t see or know all the considerations in that decision. It will be unfolding as time and events go on.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American forces from Syria will not affect Israeli policy and that cooperation with the U.S. “will continue in full”. Israel will “continue to act against Iran’s attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria, and to the extent necessary, we will even expand our actions there,” said Netanyahu.

We know that the Lord has this situation well in hand. Of course, there is always more going on than meets the eye. “He who keepeth Israel neither slumbers or sleeps.” Please continue to pray for those decision-making leaders and the ones who influence them both in Israel and in your country. And pray for the soldiers who face enemies every day and need to know the Keeper of Israel in a personal way.

For the salvation of Israel and the nations,
In His love,
Simcha and Bella Davidov, Ashdod, Israel