Watchman of Zion

You may view the 5 minute update this week via audio:

1) Listen to the audio

In this week’s 5 minute update, we focused on:

1) The current status of the Israel / PLO peace process
2) The prospects for war with Syria and Iran

PLO Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the Palestinians will ask the UN General Assembly to recognize Israel as an observer state. The timing of the request will be decided next week by the Arab League. Full recognition of a PLO state can only come through the UN Security Council. Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas held talks with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi regarding the peace process. Abbas said that the “doors of the political process with Israel are shut.” Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr said Egypt’s 1978 Camp David peace treaty with Israel would only be upheld if Israel returns to its 1967 borders and agrees to make East Jerusalem the capital of a PLO state.

Meanwhile, the Kadima political party in Israel resigned from being a member of the coalition government of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a disagreement to continue to exempt ultra-Orthodox seminary students from serving in the Israeli army. In doing so, Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz, also resigned as deputy prime minister. Kadima joined the government 2 months ago giving Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the largest coalition government in Israeli modern history.

An agreement to divide Jerusalem and establish a PLO state is a tribulation event.

The link to these articles are as follows:

1) Palestinians to Revive UN Recognition Bid
2) Abbas tells Morsi ‘doors of political process with Israel are shut’
3) Egypt Attaches Strings to Peace with Israel
4) Israeli coalition unravels as centrist Kadima party quits over draft dispute
5) Israel’s largest party walks out of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition

Russia and China continue to support policies which enable Syrian President Bashar Assad to remain in power. This past week Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that threatened Syria with more sanctions. Despite strongly supporting the Syrian rebels, the US is not willing to provide them with heavy weapons to advance their efforts to overthrow Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian opposition were clearly told by the US that the US would not get involved in Syria on that level until after the US Presidential elections in November.

Four of Assad’s top men were killed by a 40-kilogram bomb hidden in the Syria ministers’ conference room located in a heavily fortified National Security building. Those killed included Assad’s interior and defense ministers. In addition, several high-placed generals in the Syrian army defected to Turkey. These events have seriously weakened Assad’s protective inner circle of trusties and have reduced his military and security options. The war being fought against Assad has now moved to the capital of Damascus. Last week, Syria staged a large-scale missile exercise testing Scud D missiles capable of carrying chemical gas warheads were tested. At the same time, US military sources reported that Syria has moved chemical weapons out of storage and distributed them to missile and artillery units. As a result of these developments, Israel called off weekend furloughs for a number of its army military units due to concern over the fighting in Syria. Israel is concerned that due to Assad’s situation, he may decide to launch a chemical missile attack against Israel in the near future.

A war with Syria where Damascus is destroyed (Isaiah 17)  is a tribulation event.

The link to these articles is as follows:

1) Russia, China veto western-backed Syria resolution at UN Security Council
2) Russia: Western pressure over Syrian conflict is ‘all about Iran’
3) US refuses to help Syrian rebels until after election
4) Assad’s top four men killed by hidden bomb. Urgent consultations in Washington, Jerusalem
5) Assad receives last warning to stop moving his WMD: Top generals defect
6) Russia says “decisive battle” underway in Syria
7) Residents flee Damascus as Syrian capital sees heaviest fighting so far in country’s ‘civil war’
8.) IDF on alert, cancels weekend breaks over Syria

With Iranian nuclear talks with the P5 + 1 powers at an impasse, the United States is, once again, concerned that Israel may be willing to launch in the near future a strike at Iran’s nuclear facilities. As a result, US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns met with top Israeli officials last week along with national security adviser, Tom Donilon. US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, also met with Israel over the same issue. Meanwhile, the US is concerned that Iran may be willing to try to shut the Strait of Hormuz where about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes on a daily basis. As a result, the US is building a missile-defense radar station at a secret site in Qatar and organizing its largest-ever mine sweeping exercises in the Persian Gulf. The radar base in Qatar will supplement two similar X-band radars already in place in Israel’s Negev and central Turkey. Together, the three sites will form an arc to detect missile launches from within Iranian territory. As a result of these things, there is growing concern that the US will be at war with Iran in the coming months.

A US war with Iran is a tribulation event.

The link to these articles is as follows:

1) What Is Hillary Clinton Doing in Israel?
2) ‘US bolsters ME missile defense to counter Iran’
3) Why Iran will ignite a regional war, sooner rather than later

From a Biblical prophetic perspective, the reason why the God of Israel would allow these events to happen is because it will result in the end of the exile of the house of Jacob and the reunification of the 12 tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Judah).

We will to be “watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem” and we will not rest until the God of Israel makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62).

Shalom in Yeshua the Messiah,

Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int’l

You may view the 5 minute update this week via audio:

1) Listen to the audio

In this week’s 5 minute update, we focused on:

1) The current status of the Israel / PLO peace process
2) The prospects for war with Syria and Iran

A committee appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin recommended that Israel legalize a majority of West Bank outposts regarded as illegal by the international community. It further concluded that “Israel does not meet the criteria of ‘military occupation’ as defined under international law” in order for the settlements to be regarded as illegel. The United States responded to the report by saying  that “We do not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity and we oppose any effort to legalize outposts.” Historically, Britain, France and the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, along with the United Nations and the Palestinians have all stated that the settlement are illegal under international law. Since this is so, what prevents the international community from breaking the stalemate in direct peace negotiations by imposing a solution? In impatience over the current situation, will Obama impose the borders of a PLO state upon Israel after the US elections?

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered to release PLO prisoners held prior to the 1994 Oslo agreement as a gesture to renew direct peace talks with Abbas. Abbas rejected the offer. He urged the US to pressure Israel over the settlements. Abbas continues to insist that he will not have direct peace talks with Israel unless Israel agrees to the following three conditions:  Israel halts construction in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, releases Palestinian prisoners and accepts the two-state solution on the basis of the pre-1967 lines.

An agreement to divide Jerusalem and establish a PLO state is a tribulation event.

The link to these articles are as follows:

1)  ‘Government must legalize settlements’
2)  US objects to law experts opinion legalizing Jewish settlements
3)  UK, France, Germany condemn Israeli settlement plans
4)  Ashton: Settlements are the key obstacle
5)  UN chief: Settlements are illegal, hamper peace efforts
6)  Abbas: “We Seek Real, Comprehensive Peace”
7)  PLO: Settlements are illegal
8) Minister: Abbas refused Israeli offer of selective prisoner release
9) Abbas urges US to pressure Israel over settlements

Russia and China continue to support policies which enable Syrian President Bashar Assad to remain in power. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman rebuked US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent criticism of China regarding Syria as “unacceptable.” U.N. peace envoy Kofi Annan suggested that Iran be included in talks regarding the future of Syria. The US condemned the proposal.  Around 5,000 global jihadists are positioned near Syria’s borders with Turkey and Lebanon attempting to infiltrate Syria to aid the opposition fighting against Syrian government. Their are reports that Syria may be breaking up into regions, sections or statelets according to Sunni and Shi’ite partitions. Finally, Western military sources gave warning to Turkey, Jordan and Israel that Syria could launch a conventional or chemical missile attack against them.

A war with Syria where Damascus is destroyed (Isaiah 17)  is a tribulation event.

The link to these articles is as follows:

1) Clinton’s criticism of China over Syria “unacceptable”
2) Annan says Iran must be player in Syria crisis talks
3) 5,000 global jihadists amass on Syrian border
4) Will Syria Remain a Unified State?
5) Israel advised to brace for Syrian missile attack – conventional or chemical

Nuclear talks between Iran and the P5 + 1 powers (Britain, France, Russia, China, US) and Germany held on July 23 made no progress. A new meeting is scheduled for July 24. Because of lack in progress in talks, the US is concerned that Israel may be willing to strike Iran. As a result, US President Barack Obama has ordered US intelligent agencies to monitor the Israeli government and military on a daily basis for signs that Israel would attack Iran. Because nuclear talks with Iran are not making any progress and concerned with the current situation in Syria, Russia is sending a flotilla of at least 11 warships eastern Mediterranean opposite Syrian shores. The US is sending two more aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf. The first arrives this month and the second arrives in August. In order to keep the Straight of Hormuz open in any possible war with Iran, the US announced that it is sending dozens of tiny, unmanned SeaFox submersibles that can detect and destroy mines seeking to block oil tankers from traveling through the Strait of Hormuz where 20% of the world’s daily oil supply travels on a daily basis.

A US war with Iran is a tribulation event.

The link to these articles is as follows:

1) Report: Obama orders U.S. intelligence to increase surveillance of Israel
2) EU, Iran diplomats to meet for nuclear talks in July
3) NATO, Russian naval-air buildup in E. Mediterranean, French units to Gulf
4) U.S. moving submersibles to Persian Gulf to oppose Iran
5) Two more US carriers, dozens of mini-subs rushed to Hormuz

From a Biblical prophetic perspective, the reason why the God of Israel would allow these events to happen is because it will result in the end of the exile of the house of Jacob and the reunification of the 12 tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Judah).

We will to be “watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem” and we will not rest until the God of Israel makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62).

Shalom in Yeshua the Messiah,

Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int’l

You may view the 5 minute update this week via audio:

1) Listen to the audio

In this week’s 5 minute update, we focused on:

1) The prospects for war with Syria and Iran

Syrian President Bashar Assad told Russia that he would need only 2 months to defeat the opposition revolt against his government. A conference held in Geneva, Switzerland of foreign ministers of the “action group,” which includes the Western powers and Russia and China  supported creation of a “transitional government body with full executive powers” in Syria, proposed by UN and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan. A statement issued following the meeting in Geneva called for “clear and irreversible” steps toward a political transition in Syria. It did not specify, however, whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must be excluded from a transition government, leaving its composition entirely up to the “mutual consent” of the Assad administration and the opposition. The US and Russia had a public disagreement regarding the meaning of the wording of the “mutual consent” aspect of the text. The US said that this meant that Assad must be removed from power. Russia disagreed. The Syrian opposition rejected the terms of the agreement. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the support of Russia and China is no longer tolerable. Clinton repeated the US call for a Security Council resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which allows the council to authorize actions ranging from diplomatic and economic sanctions to military intervention. A Russian official said: “If the Syrian regime is changed by force or if Russia doesn’t like the outcome, it most likely will respond by selling S-300s (which is a missile defense system) to Iran.”

Meanwhile, Israel continues to prepare for war with Syria and Lebanon. Elections are being held in Libya. The Muslim Brotherhood is expected to win after also being victorious in earlier elections in Egypt and Yemen.

A war with Syria where Damascus is destroyed (Isaiah 17)  is a tribulation event.

The link to these articles is as follows:

1) Assad to Kremlin: I can finish the revolt in two months, replaces army chiefs
2) Russia Blasts Interpretations of Geneva Conference on Syria
3) Clinton urges Russia, China pressure over Assad
4) Moscow may hand Iran S-300, breach arms embargo if Assad ousted
5) Senior IDF officer: Israel is preparing for the next Lebanon war
6) Libya elections: Muslim Brotherhood set to lead government
7) Polls open for landmark Libya vote amid fears of unrest

The fourth round of six power nuclear talks between Iran and the P5 + 1 powers (US, Britain, France, Russia and China along with Germany) at the technical level ended in Istanbul, Turkey without any agreement. No date has been set for another round of talks. Iran’s position in the talks is as follows:  1) The removal of all sanctions 2) Explicit guarantees of its ”nuclear rights” to enrich uranium 3) A refusal to close the Fordow nuclear facility. In response to the lack of progress in talks, Iran conducted war games saying that they successfully tested medium-range missiles capable of hitting Israel and US military bases. Meanwhile, the US increased its military presence in the Persian Gulf  with emphasis on preventing Iran from blocking shipment of oil from the Strait of Hormuz where much of the world’s daily oil shipments originate.

A US war with Iran is a tribulation event.

The link to these articles is as follows:

1) No new date for continuing nuclear talks with Iran
2) Details emerge on Iran’s priorities in nuclear talks
3) Iran starts war games after being hit with sanctions over its nuclear program
4) Iran: Missile tests a response to our enemies’ threats
5) Iran ‘ready to attack US bases’
6) ‘US quietly bolstering presence in Persian Gulf’

From a Biblical prophetic perspective, the reason why the God of Israel would allow these events to happen is because it will result in the end of the exile of the house of Jacob and the reunification of the 12 tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Judah).

We will to be “watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem” and we will not rest until the God of Israel makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62).

Shalom in Yeshua the Messiah,

Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int’l