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Is Israel finally poised to blow apart the aggressive, anti-West Iranian nuclear program? After months of speculation and counter speculation, and after years of appealing for effective international intervention, there are signs this morning suggesting the Jewish state may well be preparing to go to the wire on its own.
The Jerusalem Post (December 4) said it “has learned” that the Israel Defense Forces “is drawing up options for a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities that do not include coordination with the United States.”
Fox News picked up and aired the story across America.
While “Israeli officials have said it would be difficult, but not impossible, to launch a strike against Iran without receiving codes from the US Air Force, which controls Iraqi airspace,” said the Post.
Israel has not been given access to those codes yet. The US also refused to provide them during the 1991 First Gulf War, when Saddam Hussein threatened to burn half of the Jewish state with chemical weapons.
Although Hussein did not make good on his threat to use non-conventional warheads, he did send 39 SCUD missiles slamming into Israel. But the Jewish state bowed to American pressure to sit tight.
Maybe not this time.
“It is always better to coordinate,” a top Defense Ministry official told the Israeli paper. “But we are also preparing options that do not include coordination.”
The article include a link to a column written by the Post’s deputy managing-editor, Caroline Glick, on November 24.
“US President George W. Bush has six weeks left in power,” she wrote. While much of what Bush will leave behind him has already been determined, there were still a few things he could do “that will impact greatly both the world he leaves behind and how he is judged by history.”
The outgoing American should either order an attack on Iran’s nuclear installations himself or should permit Israel to fly over Iraq to carry out the attack.
By doing so he would “secure the lives of millions of people [and] secure his place in history.”
Meanwhile another report just being circulated is that Iran Wednesday deployed in the Persian Gulf “a 60-ship armada for [a] massive war readiness maneuver.”
DEBKAfile, (which is admittedly not the most reliable of sources) said the exercise included simulated attacks on what are meant to represent the three US aircraft carriers currently stationed in the gulf.
I don’t have access to any insider information about this situation. Here on the ground in Jerusalem there are no visible signs Israel could indeed be counting down to a strike. We would expect some kind of Home Front Command alert to ready us for the possible retaliation Iran has vowed will follow any Israeli attack.
Nonetheless, I feel led to circulate the following Bible passages at this time. I am praying them for Israel right now.
Israel: When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than you, be not afraid of them: for the LORD your God is with you, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be, when you are come near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people, and shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, you approach this day to battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be you terrified because of them; For the LORD your God is He that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. (Deuteronomy 20:1-4)
And you shall say: For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?God is my strength and power: and He makes my way perfect.He makes my feet like hinds’ feet: and sets me on my high places.He teaches my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.You have also given me the shield of your salvation: and Your gentleness has made me great.You have enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.I have pursued my enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yes, they are fallen under my feet.For You have girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me have You subdued under me.You have also given me the necks of my enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. (2 Samuel 22:32-41)
To Iranian leaders Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad I say, paraphrasing the words proclaimed by a brave shepherd boy as he went out to engage the Philistine’s non-conventional weapon - Goliath - a little over 3000 years ago: “You are preparing to come against Israel with nuclear-armed and other missiles, unleashing rockets via terrorists in Lebanon and Gaza, telling your Muslim followers that Israel’s demise is upon it. But Israel will come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. The LORD will deliver you into Israel’s hand; and Israel will smite you, and take power from you; and Israel will see to the end of your boasting and your bragging against the people God’s calls His own; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all Israel and the other nations in the Middle East will know that the LORD saves not with gun and tank: for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into Israel’s hands.”
And to Jerusalem I say: Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be you lift up, you everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.Lift up your heads, O you gates; even lift them up, you everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah. (Psalm 24:7-10)
