Imagine what it would be like in the United States if, to the north, Canada was engaged in a bloody civil war while at the same time, to the south, Mexicans illegally entering the US were terrorists instead of ordinary people looking for a better life. Then add to the Mexican scenario that Cuba had sent tanks into the northern provinces of Mexico to help maintain order.
That might be what the tiny nation of Israel feels like with the Syrian Civil War to the north and the Egyptian army in the desert to the south. These kinds of things can get worrisome over a period of time. While all the action is happening primarily on the other side of the borders, the longer it goes on, the greater the chances are that some kind of conflict will occur right at, or flow across, the border.
Last month, Islamic terrorists attempted, but failed, in an attack in which eight Egyptian soldiers were killed. They managed to breach the border and headed toward a kibbutz where an attack would have taken place had the IDF not intervened with the cooperation of the Egyptian army. Subsequent to the attack Israel complained that Egypt had not been living up to its agreement to maintain order in the Sinai. Almost without hesitation, the Egyptian army sent tanks and troops into the Sinai, where they have remained there since.
The southern situation is somewhat problematic. It is based on a peace treaty with a country that is now under a Muslim Brotherhood regime – a regime whose goal is to make Jerusalem its capital. While the border needs to be policed, it’s also a bit like the hens themselves calling the fox over to guard that side of the hen house. But Israel doesn’t have “stupid” written across its flag. Having asked Egypt to “step it up a notch,” they can’t now say “go home,” although they did ask Egypt to withdraw some of their tanks.
Israel’s solution? Put a new IDF base on the Egyptian border to protect the hens inside the very same house that the fox is protecting on the outside. Overall, it’s a brilliant move. The base is officially a staging area for troops monitoring the Israeli side of the border. It’s also a plus for those drawing duty near the border, as the base is a modern oasis in what is a relatively inhospitable region weather-wise and could become even more inhospitable in other ways with the alleged influx of al-Qaeda terrorists on the Egyptian side.
To the north, Israel’s problem is only slightly different, but the Syrian civil war is becoming more and more problematic as the government, with the aid of Russia, China, and Iran keeps hanging on to power but is unable to stop the terrorists. More than 23,000 have now been killed in a year and a half of fighting. It was reported today that Turkish officers have now taken command of multiple units of the rag-tag rebels. Yesterday Turkey declared Syria “a terrorist state.” That declaration was not mere rhetoric. It established a legitimate, legal reason for Turkey to use military intervention in Syria. US, Turkish, and Israeli intelligence have been monitoring suspicious and unusual military movements in the south of Syria and in Hezbollah-dominated regions of Lebanon. The IDF has now placed its units on the Syrian and Lebanese borders on alert following concerns that the war will be taken into Israel from the north.
With Iran a threat from the east, Hamas and (potentially) Egypt to the south, and Syria and Hezbollah to the north, Israel can be thankful that it is protected by Almighty God from above. But Israel needs our prayers for their protection and peace. So our prayers will ascend to Heaven where God will hear and answer. Join with us, will you, as we pray for Israel and for the peace of Jerusalem.
To read the original article in the ISRAEL HAYOM website, click here:
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