The UN General Assembly hall where the leaders of the world are now meeting.

(Washington, D.C.) — President Obama’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly just concluded. It was scheduled to last 15 minutes. It went for at least 40 minutes. The issues in the Middle East — notably in Syria, Iran and Israel — dominated the American leader’s remarks.

Here is the full text of the speech, and initial coverage:

POLITICO: “President Barack Obama outlined an engaged role Tuesday for the United States in the pursuit of peace in the Middle East and North Africa, as he signaled a new willingness to pursue diplomatic talks with Iran and called on the United  Nations Security Council to threaten consequences if Syria does not follow through on its promise to give up its chemical weapons,” reported Politico. “Iran will be a diplomatic ‘focus’ for the United States, Obama told the United Nations General Assembly, as he’s directed Secretary of State John Kerry to work with the European Union and the governments of United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China to engage in talks with Iranian President Hassan  Rouhani’s government.”

“I firmly believe the diplomatic path must be tested,” he said,  though the path may be rocky. Given the virtually nonexistent U.S.-Iran relationship over the past three decades, “I don’t believe this difficult history can be overcome overnight,” he said, because “the suspicions run too deep….But I do believe that if we can resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, that can serve as a major step down a long road towards a different relationship – one based on mutual interests and mutual respect.”

TIMES OF ISRAEL: The Israeli online news service, Times of Israel, was live-blogging the speech. Here’s part of what they reported:

• “Iraq showed us that democracy cannot simply be achieved by force, but rather that these objectives can better be achieved when we partner with the international community,” he said.
• In the short term, US foreign policy will focus on two issues: Iran’s “pursuit of nuclear weapons” and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Resolving these two key issues could help bring a broader peace.
• Iran “has threatened our ally Israel with destruction.”
• Resolving Iran’s nuclear issue could be a major step forward. America prefers to do so peacefully, but is determined to prevent the Iranian bomb. “We are not seeking regime change.” We respect Iran seeking peaceful nuclear energy. Iran must meet its obligations…..
• On Israel and the Palestinians, Obama says he was inspired by young Israelis on his visit in March.
• “I believe there is a growing realization in Israel that the occupation of the West Bank is tearing the democratic fabric of their country.” But Israelis have the right to have their country recognized in bodies like the United Nations, and Israelis have the right to live in security.
• The Palestinians have the right to live in peace and security in their own sovereign state.
• Just as the Palestinians must not be displaced, the state of Israel is here to stay.
• The entire international community must get behind the pursuit of peace.
• Israel’s security as a Jewish democracy depends on the realization of a Palestinian state.
• Arab world has to recognize the imperative for a two state solution.
• A solution would help isolate and defeat extremists throughout the region.
• “Let’s emerge from the familiar corners of blame and prejudice.”
• Breakthroughs on the Iran and Israeli-Palestinian issues would have a profound regional impact.

REUTERS: “U.S. President Barack Obama told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that there should be a basis for an agreement on Iran’s nuclear ambitions but that the roadblocks will be difficult to overcome,” reported Reuters. “Obama, in closely watched remarks on Iran based on a diplomatic opening offered by Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, said the United States wants to resolve the Iran nuclear issue peacefully but is determined to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. ‘The roadblocks may prove to be too great but I firmly believe the diplomatic path must be tested,’ Obama said. “He urged the U.N. Security Council to approve a strong resolution aimed at ensuring Syria keeps its commitments to give up chemical weapons and said the United States will provide an additional $340 million in humanitarian aid.”

WASHINGTON POST: “President Obama on Tuesday challenged the United Nations and its members to respond more actively to resolve the civil war in Syria, using the conflict as an example of the wider challenges facing the world five years into his White House tenure,” reported the Washington Post.

“Our response has not matched the scale of the challenge,” Obama told the U.N. General Assembly. “The crisis in Syria and the destabilization of the region goes to the heart of the broader challenges the international community must now face.”

“Obama used Syria’s crisis to highlight what he called the ‘convulsions’ reshaping the Middle East and North Africa, a tumultuous region that served as the centerpiece of his address,” the Post noted. “He said that for the remainder of his time in office, his Middle East policy efforts would focus resolving the controversy surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and pursuing Arab-Israeli peace. ‘Real breakthroughs on these two issues . . . would have a profound and positive impact on the entire Middle East and North Africa,’ Obama said. ‘But the current convulsions arising out of the Arab Spring remind us that a just and lasting peace cannot be measured only by agreements between nations.’ Obama outlined specifically how he believes the world should work together on Syria, beginning with the quick passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution enforcing a still-tenuous agreement for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to give up his chemical weapon arsenal, which U.S. officials say he recently used against his own people…..”

“The U.S president issued a stern warning to Iran —  saying, ‘We will not tolerate the development or use of weapons of mass destruction’ —  even as he acknowledged that his administration and a new government in Tehran are exploring the prospects of improved relations,” the Post reported. “The address — Obama’s fifth to the U.N. General Assembly took a much more  prescriptive approach to problems in the Middle East and Iran than his broader, thematic speeches of previous years. The tighter focus reflects a growing sense inside the administration that the president’s foreign policy legacy may be defined by events in the Middle East and North Africa, where secular and Islamic popular movements continue vying for political authority.”

Read President Obama’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly (as prepared for delivery), via the Washington Post.

OTHER KEY HEADLINES WORTH TRACKING:

• How an Iranian commander is running the war in Syria to protect Assad (New Yorker)
• Syria crisis: ‘Deadly blast’ hits capital Damascus (BBC)
• Russian offers troops to help remove Syria chemical arms (BBC)
• Abbas in New York condemns soldiers’ killings: Speaking at a dinner with Jewish leaders, PA president says idea of a binational state is gaining traction with Palestinians (Times of Israel)
• Palestinian murders Israeli off-duty soldier (Israel Hayom)
• Israel protests to US over “Palestinian Authority incitement,” after 2 IDF soldiers murdered in separate terror attacks (Jerusalem Post)
• Suicide bombers kill 81 at church in Peshawar, Pakistan (CNN)
• It’s open season on Christians in Syria and across the Muslim world (National Post/Canada)
• Egypt bans Muslim Brotherhood (AP)

——————————————–

• To learn more about the work of The Joshua Fund — and/or to invest in the work of blessing Israel and her neighbors — please visit www.joshuafund.net
• What is the “War of Gog & Magog”? Detailed study notes on Ezekiel 38 & 39.
• What is the future of Damascus? 24 pages of study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49.
• NYT best-selling novel, Damascus Countdown
• NYT best-selling novel, The Ezekiel Option
• Sermon on Bible prophecy and the future of Damascus — delivered at Topeka Bible Church (9/8/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Neil Cavuto on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/9/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Martha MacCallum on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/10/13)
• Answering those who dismiss Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 regarding the future of Damascus.
• Growing number of media stories focus on Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 prophecies on the future of Damascus.

>> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.

(Washington, D.C.) — “President Barack Obama is expected to build on diplomatic opportunities and signal his willingness to engage with the new Iranian government if Tehran makes nuclear concessions long sought by the US and Western allies,” reports the Associated Press. “Obama, in a planned address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday morning, also will call on UN Security Council members to approve a resolution that would mandate consequences for Syria if it fails to cooperate with a plan to turn its chemical weapons stockpiles over to the international community.”

Excerpts:

• The president’s address will be closely watched for signs that he may meet later in the day with Iranian President Hasan Rouhani, a relatively moderate cleric who has been making conciliatory gestures toward the US in recent weeks. Even a brief encounter would be significant given that the leaders of the US and Iran haven’t had face-to-face contact in more than 30 years.
• US officials say no meeting was planned, though they hadn’t ruled out the possibility that one might be added. The most likely opportunity appeared to be at a UN leaders’ lunch Tuesday.
• Rouhani was scheduled to address the UN General Assembly late Tuesday afternoon New York time.
• The possibility of a thaw in relations with Iran was expected to factor heavily in Obama’s address to the UN. In a preview of the president’s speech, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Obama would discuss “our openness to diplomacy and the prospect for a peaceful resolution of this issue that allows Iran to rejoin the community of nations should they come in line with their international obligations and demonstrate that their nuclear program is peaceful.”
• The US and its allies long have suspected that Iran is trying to produce a nuclear weapon, though Tehran insists its nuclear activities are only for producing energy and for medical research.
• American officials say Rouhani’s change in tone is driven by the Iranian public’s frustration with crippling economic sanctions levied by the US. But it is still unclear whether Iran is willing to take the steps the US is seeking in order to ease the sanctions, including curbing uranium enrichment and shutting down the Fordo underground nuclear facility.
• State Department officials said Secretary of State John Kerry would seek to answer that question Thursday when new Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif joins nuclear talks with the US and five other world powers. Zarif’s participation, which was announced Monday, sets up the first meeting in six years between an American secretary of state and an Iranian foreign minister, though it was unclear whether the two men would break off from the group and hold separate one-on-one talks.

Red storm rising?

(Washington, D.C.) — The Russian Bear is back.

A growing number of journalists, political leaders, and foreign policy analysts are noting that Vladimir Putin is aggressively positioning himself as a new and increasingly influential force on the global stage generally, and in the Middle East, in particular.

Consider recent headlines:

• Russia re-emerges as Mideast player (Associated Press)
• Putin shoves Obama aside as he seizes Syria agenda (New York Times)
• Syrian weapons deal helps Putin and Assad, say Russian observers (Los Angeles Times)
• Vladimir Putin New York Times op-ed sparks tension ahead of talks
• Sen. John McCain: Russia deserves better than Putin as president (UPI)
• Putin plans to diminish U.S., Obama (Clifford May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies)

Are such headlines warranted? I believe they are. The Russian leader had actually been fairly quiet over the last several years. But he is suddenly re-asserting himself in international affairs with a boldness and an arrogance we have not seen in some time. Consider his moves just in recent days:

• Putin has announced he will soon make a state visit to Iran to further strengthen Russian ties to the Persian power.
• Putin and his team are hinting they will increase arms sales to Iran
• ‘Russia to sell Iran anti-aircraft system, nuclear reactor’: S-300 deal said back on track; Moscow legislator threatens further weapons sales to Tehran if US strikes Syria
• Putin blames Israel for the Syrian stockpile of chemical weapons — “Putin said on Thursday that Israel’s alleged nuclear weapons stockpile only serves to make the Jewish state “a target” and creates ‘foreign policy problems.’ Putin’s comments…came in response to questions from reporters on the US and Russia-brokered deal to put  Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal under international  supervision,” reported the Jerusalem Post.
• Amidst a growing movement at the United Nations to force Israel to disclose and destroy its alleged stockpiles of nuclear and chemical weapons, Putin seems to be positioning himself to be the “peace-maker” in the Middle East, the one trying to rid the epicenter of WMD, and thus a sharp critic of Israel’s unwillingness to discuss what strategic weapons systems it may or may not have. (shades of The Ezekiel Option?)
• Putin convinced Obama to strike a deal with Syria regarding chemical weapons, even though he says he’s not 100% sure Assad will actually comply — many analysts believe Putin has played the American President, prevented an American military strike, and protected Assad, a key Russian ally, from being toppled.
• Putin: Russia to reopen Soviet-era Arctic military base
• Putin has announced he is considering running for a 4th term — that would make him modern Russia’s longest serving leader since Stalin, but why announce this now when elections are not until 2018?

Such moves fit a clearly emerging pattern. As I recently mentioned in this blog, Putin smells blood in the water — he has used the Syrian crisis to seize global leadership from Obama. Consider some of the other moves he has made in recent weeks:

• granted former-NSA contractor Edward Snowden asylum in Russia and refused to extradite him to the U.S.
• hosted the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia
• insisted Obama and U.S. has no evidence of chemical weapons being used by the Assad regime
• called Kerry a liar
• moved Russian warships into the Med
• promised to resupply Assad in case of war with the U.S.

Where is all this headed? What are Putin’s objectives? What will he do next? It’s hard to say at the moment, but Putin’s moves are troubling and it’s important to be watching him closely.

Some are asking me if Putin’s moves are leading us rapidly to the fulfillment of Bible prophecies, such as those found in Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39, what Bible scholars call the coming “War of Gog & Magog.” In such prophecies, a Russian dictator forms an alliance with Iran and other Middle Eastern and North African countries to attack Israel in the “last days” of history before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Others are asking me if Putin is “Gog,” the Russian dictator of whom Ezekiel writes. My answer is that it is too early to draw such conclusions. Putin is certainly Gog-esque. That is, he is making moves that would be consistent with the preparing for the fulfillment of Ezekiel prophecies. That said, we must be cautious. We simply don’t have enough data yet to draw conclusions. It is important not to overreach. Perhaps someone far worse is going to emerge to lead Russia. Perhaps the fulfillment of the Gog & Magog prophecies is still many years off.

The important thing is to:

1. help more Christians and non-Christians become aware of the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39
2. keep a close eye on Putin and his colleagues in the Kremlin
3. watch particularly to see if Putin intensifies his alliance with Iran, and begins taking the lead in denouncing Israel and calling for Israel to be disarmed
4. pray for Putin and for the people of Russia
5. continue praying for Netanyahu and the people of Israel
6. pray for the Khamenei, Rouhani and the people of Iran
7. encourage and strengthen the Church in the Middle East and in Russia, so that they can be a light in the darkness right now, regardless of how soon or faraway the prophecies will come to pass.

COLUMN WORTH NOTING: Putin to visit Iran for first time in six years. Historic trip will raise renewed interest in the “Gog & Magog” prophecies.

“Vladimir Putin has accepted an Iranian invitation to visit the country and meet with newly elected President Hasan Rouhani, a spokesman for the Russian president confirmed,” reports the Times of Israel.

“Putin has been invited to Iran, and he will certainly take advantage of this kind invitation,” the Interfax news agency quoted spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Friday. “The dates of the visit will be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.”

“The announcement came on the heels of a report that Russia had agreed to sell to Iran the advanced S-300 air defense system and construct a new nuclear reactor at the Bushehr site,” the Times noted. “Putin met with Rouhani on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Friday. During the meeting, Rouhani extended an invitation to Putin, who accepted, the Iranian semi-official Fars news agency reported. In July, there were reports that Putin would travel to Iran in August to revive negotiations over the country’s controversial nuclear program, but those plans appeared to fall through.”

This will be the second time Putin has traveled to Iran. The first was a two day trip on October 16-17, 2007. I wrote about the historic nature of that trip at the time. It was, after all, the first time a Russian leader had made a state visit to Tehran for the purpose of meeting with Iranian leaders in modern history. It thus raised many questions, including whether we were slowly but surely moving step-by-step towards the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 in which Russia and Iran form an alliance against Israel in the “last days.” It so happened that I was speaking about such prophecies at an event for military officers at the Pentagon and in private meetings with Members of Congress just days after Putin’s visit.

——————————————–

• What is the “War of Gog & Magog”? Detailed study notes on Ezekiel 38 & 39.
• What is the future of Damascus? 24 pages of study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49.
• NYT best-selling novel, Damascus Countdown
• NYT best-selling novel, The Ezekiel Option
• Sermon on Bible prophecy and the future of Damascus — delivered at Topeka Bible Church (9/8/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Neil Cavuto on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/9/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Martha MacCallum on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/10/13)
• Answering those who dismiss Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 regarding the future of Damascus.
• Growing number of media stories focus on Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 prophecies on the future of Damascus.

>> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.

>> Senior Israeli minister: Iran is on course to develop a nuclear bomb in 6 months

(Washington, D.C.) — With the eyes of the world riveted on Syria, Iran and Israel — and interest in the current crisis, the prospect of a possible coming larger war, and the prophecies of Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 concerning the future of Damascus growing — I’m getting emails, Facebook comments and Tweets asking me many questions about my recent novel, Damascus Countdown. It’s encouraging to see people so engaged in the book and the scenario it portrays, and curious about what the future really holds.

That said, not everyone who is interested in such things has the time to sit down read a work of fiction given their already busy lives.

So I’m very grateful to Brilliance Audio for producing Damascus Countdown — and all of my works of fiction and non-fiction — as audiobooks.

These audiobooks are available in abridged and unabridged formats, on CD, on MP3, and versions that can be immediately downloaded onto your iPod, or into iPhone, Android or other smart phones.

I love listening to all kinds of audio books, fiction and non-fiction, on my phone, whether I’m doing errands, driving long distances, on an airplanes (and I do a lot of flying), or on vacation.

If you haven’t listened to one of my books on audio yet, Damascus Countdown might be a good place to start.

You can find my audio books — produced by Brilliance — at your favorite local book retailer, and/or online through retailers such as:

• Amazon
• Audible.com
• Barnes & Noble
• Christian Book Distributors
• iTunes
• Lifeway
• Parable

>> Podcast #8: Joel addresses Iran Alive Ministries Banquet in Dallas, TX, on Jeremiah 49:34-39 and the future of Iran (9/13/13).

(Washington, D.C.) — Last night, comedian Stephen Colbert poked fun at the interview Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto recently did with me, and my novel, Damascus Countdown, in a segment entitled, “Syria conflict & End Times Prophecy.”

I didn’t actually see the show, but friends emailed me the link to the video on the Colbert Nation homepage.

In case you’re interested, you can watch it by clicking here.

Dr. Hormoz Shariat, “the Billy Graham of Iran,” and me broadcasting the Gospel and Bible prophecy into Iran via satellite TV.

(Washington, D.C.) — Is another cataclysmic war in the Middle East going to break out soon?

With the eyes of U.S. and Western leaders on Iran, Syria and Israel, some experts believe such a war is inevitable. I hope not. I’m praying for peace. But there’s no question tensions are growing. Iran is approaching the “red line” on nuclear weapons. Syria has already used chemical weapons. Netanyahu and his national security team seem to be seriously considering once again the possibility of launching a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The stakes are very high.

That said, there are other questions we should be asking, particularly regarding Iran. These include:

• Is there any good news in Iran today?
• Does Bible prophecy give us clues about the future of Iran?
• Is God working in that historic and important country, and if so, how?
• How can followers of Jesus Christ make an impact on Iran with the Gospel?
• How can we pray for the believers in Iran, and for all the people of Iran?

Last Friday, I addressed these questions at a special banquet in Dallas to help promote awareness of — and raise funds for — Iran Alive Ministries. We’ve just posted the audio of my address as a new podcast. During the message, I focus specifically on the Biblical prophecy regarding the future of Iran that we find in Jeremiah chapter 49, verses 34 through 39.

To listen to this podcast, please click here.

Iran Alive Ministries was founded and is led by Dr. Hormoz Shariat, whom I describe as “the Billy Graham of Iran.” Hormoz used to be a Radical Shia Muslim in Iran shouting, “Death to America!” around the time that the Shah fled from power and the Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979 and launched the Islamic Revolution. A few years later, Hormoz came to faith in Jesus Christ. Today, Hormoz is the most widely seen and heard and effective evangelist in all of Iran. He and his team reach millions of Iranian Muslims with Bible teaching, Gospel presentations, church services, and live Q&A programs via their satellite TV network in Farsi that broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may recall I profiled Hormoz, who has become a dear friend, in my non-fiction book, Inside The Revolution: How The Followers of Jihad, Jefferson & Jesus Are Battling To Dominate The Middle East and Change The World. He was also featured in the documentary film , Inside The Revolution, which has been dubbed into Farsi and plays once a month on Hormoz’s satellite TV network.

During my visit to Dallas, I was honored to be invited onto the satellite TV network on three separate occasions to speak directly to the people of Iran (with Hormoz translating my words into Farsi). In one interview Hormoz did with me, I shared my spiritual journey of how I came to faith in Jesus Christ and why God loves the people of Iran, and why I do, as well. In another program, Hormoz asked me to explain the prophecy of Jeremiah 49:34-39 concerning the coming judgment of Iran, and the coming spiritual awakening in Iran. In the third program, I preached on Matthew 28:16-20 — the Great Commission — in church service broadcast on Friday evening in prime time in millions of homes throughout Iran and the Persian-speaking community around the world. It’s hard to describe the sense of responsibility I felt to speak the Word of God clearly and directly and lovingly to the Iranian people in their homes, in their living rooms. Please pray that the Lord would really do a great and mighty work through those programs, and in the daily programs that this network does on a regular basis.

I hope you’ll take time to listen to this podcast. It runs about 35 minutes or so. Please also pray for the people of Iran to hear the Word of God and say yes to Christ. To learn more about Hormoz and his ministry, please go to www.iranaliveministries.org. You can also follow Hormoz on Twitter — as I do — @HormozShariat.

• To read an interview I did with Hormoz on my blog several years ago, please click here.

—————————

• 24 pages of study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49.
• NYT best-selling novel, Damascus Countdown, about an Israeli preemptive strike on Iran — and Iran & Syria retaliating with WMD
• Sermon on Bible prophecy and the future of Damascus — delivered at Topeka Bible Church (9/8/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Neil Cavuto on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/9/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Martha MacCallum on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/10/13)
• Answering those who dismiss Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 regarding the future of Damascus.
• Growing number of media stories focus on Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 prophecies on the future of Damascus.

>> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.

Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, host a Bible study group in Jerusalem, Sept. 17 (Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)

One of the most interesting but least known aspects in the life of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is that he has developed quite an interest in studying the Bible in recent years. The premier was not raised in a religious home growing up. But as he has gotten older, he has developed a noticeable curiosity in the ancient Scriptures. 

• Netanyahu occasionally quotes the Bible in major speeches (such as the time he spoke at Auschwitz and said Ezekiel 37 had come to pass).
• He once told Larry King that he likes to study the Bible on Saturday mornings with his son, Avner.
• Last year, he even started a Bible study with various Jewish leaders and scholars that meets every few months in his official residence, as I have noted in the past (see here, here and here).

These are excellent steps by the Prime Minister, and he should be commended for them. Indeed, let us pray that the study of the Word of God has a powerful, personal impact on the Prime Minister and his family and each of his colleagues and guests. Let’s pray that many Israelis would follow the Prime Minister’s lead and begin reading the Holy Scriptures again, and that Bible studies in people’s homes would spring up all over the Land of Israel. Let’s pray that pray that more and more Israelis — Jews and Arabs — would develop a new and deeper curiosity about Bible prophecy, both the dramatic prophecies in the Scriptures that have already been fulfilled, and those that will come to pass soon. We explored such themes during the 2013 Epicenter Conference in Jerusalem this summer, which focused on “The Power of the Word to Change A Leader,” “The Power of the Word to Change A Nation,” and “The Power of the Word to Change the World.” I commend these messages to your attention.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister carved out two hours from a very busy schedule to convene his Bible study group again the fourth such meeting. They studied why the Lord punished Moses by not allowing him to enter the Promised Land.

Here’s the article from the Jerusalem Post:

Netanyahu puts Iran’s nukes on hold, spends a late afternoon discussing Moses

By Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post, September 18, 2013

(Jerusalem, Israel) — Syria can wait, Iran is not going anywhere. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu set aside two hours Tuesday afternoon to discuss with a group of rabbis and scholars why God did not let Moses pass over to the Promised Land.

“And  Moses went up from the plains of Moav to the Mountain of Nebo,” Netanyahu read in his baritone voice from the last chapter of Deuteronomy. “And the Lord showed  him all the land of Gil’ad, to Dan, and all Naftali, and the land of Ephraim and Menashe and all the land of Yehuda, as far as the utmost sea… I have caused thee to see it with thy eyes, but thou shall not go over there.”

Moses’s  punishment seemed so cruel, Netanyahu said to those gathered, which included the  two chief rabbis for the first time since he initiated a periodic Bible study circle in his home last year in memory of his father-in-law Shmuel Ben-Artzi, a noted Bible teacher and enthusiast.

“Because he hit the rock he was not allowed into the land. What is the logic behind that, it seems unjust?” 

One of the participants, Binyamin Ish Shalom, the founder of Jerusalem’s Bet Morasha, explained that Moses was not punished for any sin he committed, but  rather because one type of leader was needed to lead the Jews out of slavery and into freedom, and quite another was needed to lead them as a free, sovereign  people inside their own land.

Another participant, Prof. Zaki  Shalom of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, said the saga of Moses’s death showed that leaders give to their people, but do not always get back what they gave in kind. Moses, he posited as Netanyahu listened intently, expected his people to entreat to God on his behalf, but no entreaties came.

Netanyahu said that he has traveled all over the world, and has always wanted to go to  Mount Nebo on the east side of the Jordan River. The occasion once presented itself, he said – not saying when or under what circumstances — but he fell ill and his wife and sons went in his stead. He said he still hopes to make the visit someday. Then he noted the irony.

“Moses could not enter the Promised Land, and we merit that privilege to be here in the land of our forefathers thanks to him and thanks to the struggle of our people,” he said.  “And we bless every second. It is a great privilege to read this great book and  to know that we are fulfilling what God commanded our people. The fact that this is our inheritance and that we are here to stay — in that way we are fulfilling the legacy.”

The Prime Minister’s Office, along with the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, organized the event. It was the fourth meeting of this study  circle, which is a reincarnation of a tradition that David Ben-Gurion had began  when, as prime minister, he hosted a regular Bible study circle. Begin also held regular Bible study sessions.

—————————

• 24 pages of study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49.
• NYT best-selling novel, Damascus Countdown, about an Israeli preemptive strike on Iran — and Iran & Syria retaliating with WMD
• Sermon on Bible prophecy and the future of Damascus — delivered at Topeka Bible Church (9/8/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Neil Cavuto on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/9/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Martha MacCallum on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/10/13)
• Answering those who dismiss Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 regarding the future of Damascus.
• Growing number of media stories focus on Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 prophecies on the future of Damascus.

>> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.

Netanyahu talking at the cabinet meeting Tuesday morning. (Photo by Emil Salman/Haaretz).

(Washington, D.C.) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is nearing a decision on an Iran strike. As he does so, he will soon come to the United States. The Israeli leader and his top national security team will meet with President Obama at the White House on September 30th. The premier will then address the U.N. General Assembly on October 1st.

Netanyahu’s expressed mission: To persuade the U.S. and Western powers to intensify — not ease up on — pressure on Iran to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons and the fuel to build them.

The big question: Is Netanyahu’s real mission to prepare the world for war?

Admittedly, there has been talk of such a war numerous times in recent years. But few realize just how close Netanyahu was to ordering the attack.

Media reports indicate that Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak were ready to order a strike on Iran in 2010, but faced stiff opposition from the head of the Mossad and other top defense and intelligence officials, and thus backed off.

On August 2nd, 2012, readers of this blog will recall that I wrote this column: “COULD ISRAEL STRIKE IRAN IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER? Ahmadinejad calls for ‘annihilation’ of Israel; Netanyahu warns U.S. time is running out to stop Iran.”

Just last month, a former senior Israeli official confirmed that Netanyahu was, in fact, extremely close to ordering an attack on Iran in the fall of 2012 — with the support of top Israeli defense and intel officials — but was pressured not to do so by President Obama.

Israel’s former National Security Advisor Giora Eiland “discussed the Israeli plan and Washington’s objections during a closed conference two weeks ago, saying that Netanyahu had originally intended to order a strike on Iran sometime between September and October of 2012, at the height of the US presidential campaign and around the same time as Netanyahu’s famous speech at the United Nations,” reports the Times of Israel. “The report claimed that Netanyahu was requested by the Obama administration to call off the attack, possibly so as not to interfere with the American electoral process. The former general was quoted as saying that although Israel is not controlled by the US, it does take American considerations into account with regard to issues of global significance. ‘On many subjects Israel can perform independently,’ Eiland was quoted as saying. ‘The construction in Jerusalem, the attack on Gaza as well as other regional issues — we don’t need to ask the Americans before we take action, even if they don’t like it. But, when an issue involves something of American interest, we cannot act against their will.’ However, ‘changing times’ could allow for an Israeli strike in the future, Eiland reportedly said, also noting that in light of Washington’s apparent lack of appetite for military action in Syria, the chances of an American strike in Iran were slim.”

In October 2012, then, Netanyahu famously declared before the U.N. General Assembly Iran would likely reach the “red line” between spring and summer 2013. He indicated if the world did not take decisive action, Israel would have to.

Since then, while the U.S. and Western powers have increased economic sanctions, the Iranians have not stopped enriching uranium. To the contrary, they have continued making nuclear weapons fuel, hardening their facilities, and moving steadily towards an arsenal of nuclear warheads and the missiles to deliver them.

I believe, therefore, that Netanyahu and his team have been steadily preparing — once again — for war with Iran. In July of 2013, as you may recall, I wrote a blog headlined: “Has the end game begun? Privately, senior Israeli officials now warning Iran war could come in 2013. Netanyahu preparing public.”

Jerusalem’s concerns have since been affected by two developments:

1. The emergence of new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in early August, which seems to be lulling the Obama team into a false sense that Tehran is moderating and becoming more willing to cooperate.
2. The use of chemical weapons in Syria by the Assad regime — and President Obama’s weak, dithering, vacillating approach towards the Syrian crisis — which has further worried the Israeli government, and caused them to believe that maybe they really have no choice but to act on their own.

“It is not exactly starting off as a happy New Year in Jerusalem,” I noted in a September 5th column for National Review Online. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his security cabinet are mortified by what they are seeing unfold — not in Damascus, but in Washington. To be sure, Israeli leaders are concerned but not surprised by the horrific blood-letting that is underway between the evil Assad regime and the demonic forces of al-Qaeda and their radical Islamic partners. But the Israelis are stunned and dismayed by the vacillating, lurching, confused, and chaotic approach to decision-making of President Obama and his top advisers….[B]ehind the scenes, Netanyahu and his team have never felt more alone. If President Obama is so distrusted by the American people and her representatives in Congress that he cannot build solid support for limited military strikes against Syria’s chemical-weapons facilities, the Israelis are coming to the painful realization that there is no chance for the president to pull together support for preemptive military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Zero. Nada. Zilch.”

This is the back drop for Netanyahu’s upcoming trip to the U.S. to meet with top administration officials, and address the international community. And despite all the talk in recent weeks about Syria, Netanyahu is signaling in advance his focus remains Iran above all else.

“In a week and a half, I will go to the United Nations General Assembly, and before that I will meet with President Obama. I intend to focus on stopping Iranian nuclear program. Really stopping the nuclear program,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting Tuesday, according to a report by the Times of Israel.

“The prime minister presented four criteria for doing so: ‘1. Halting all uranium enrichment; 2. Removing all enriched uranium; 3. Closing [the Fordo enrichment facility at] Qom; and 4. Stopping the plutonium track,'” noted the Times. “Evidently responding to suggestions that the US might be willing to lift or reduce some sanctions on Iran in return for diplomatic progress, Netanyahu added: ‘Until it is genuinely stopped, the pressure on Iran must be stepped up, not eased or reduced.’ On Monday, the German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that Iran was willing to close its uranium enrichment facility at Fordo in return for an easing of Western sanctions. Quoting an intelligence source, the magazine reported that Iran’s new president, Hasan Rouhani, might consider closing down the heavily fortified Fordo facility, near the holy city of Qom, and allow international observers to supervise the destruction of the centrifuges, if the West were to lift the sanctions regime it has placed on Iran’s oil industry and central bank. Rouhani could make the offer later this month at the United Nations General Assembly, the report said.”

The Times also reported:

• On Sunday, the prime minister met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Jerusalem following the joint Russia-US deal announced Saturday regarding Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile.
• In comments aimed at his hosts, Kerry said the deal, if successful, “will have set a marker for the standard of behavior with respect to Iran and with respect to North Korea and any rogue state, [or] group that tries to reach for these kind of weapons.”
• Netanyahu thanked Kerry for his efforts to purge Syria of chemical weapons and linked the agreement with Syria to the ongoing campaign to curb Iran’s controversial nuclear program.
• “We have been closely following – and support – your ongoing efforts to rid Syria of its chemical weapons,” Netanyahu said Sunday. “The Syrian regime must be stripped of all its chemical weapons, and that would make our entire region a lot safer.
• “The world needs to ensure that radical regimes don’t have weapons of mass destruction because as we’ve learned once again in Syria, if rogue regimes have weapons of mass destruction, they will use them. The determination the international community shows regarding Syria will have a direct impact on the Syrian regime’s patron, Iran. Iran must understand the consequences of its continual defiance of the international community, by its pursuit toward nuclear weapons… if diplomacy has any chance to work, it must be coupled with a credible military threat.”

Will Netanyahu order an attack on Iran? This remains to be seen, but signs are pointing in that direction.

Yet again, we need to pray for peace, but be prepared for the possibility of another war in the epicenter.

—————————

• 24 pages of study notes on Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49.
• NYT best-selling novel, Damascus Countdown, about an Israeli preemptive strike on Iran — and Iran & Syria retaliating with WMD
• Sermon on Bible prophecy and the future of Damascus — delivered at Topeka Bible Church (9/8/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Neil Cavuto on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/9/13)
• Interview with Fox’s Martha MacCallum on the Bible and the future of Damascus (9/10/13)
• Answering those who dismiss Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 regarding the future of Damascus.
• Growing number of media stories focus on Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49 prophecies on the future of Damascus.

>> Track the latest developments and analysis on Twitter — @JoelCRosenberg.

Aaron Alexis, 34. (Fort Worth Police Department / via AP/Washington Post)

(Washington, D.C.) — Family, friends and a nation are mourning those who were brutally murdered in a shooting rampage at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday. Now federal and local investigators are trying to get to the bottom of who the shooter really was, how he could possibly have received “secret” clearance to be on a Navy base given his history of violence and mental instability, how he got weapons onto the base, and whether he had accomplices.

As we pray for the Lord to comfort the loved ones of those lost — and to heal and comfort those who were wounded — here are the latest developments in this latest American mass murder saga:

• HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS: “U.S. law enforcement officials are telling The Associated Press that the Navy contractor identified as the gunman in the mass shootings at the Washington Navy Yard had been suffering a host of serious mental issues, including paranoia and a sleep disorder,” reports AP. “He also had been hearing voices in his head, the officials said. Aaron Alexis, 34, had been treated since August by the Veterans Administration for his mental problems, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the criminal investigation in the case was continuing. The Navy had not declared him mentally unfit, which would have rescinded a security clearance that Alexis had from his earlier time in the Navy Reserves.”
• HISTORY OF VIOLENCE: “Aaron Alexis lived for a time in a bungalow in the woods near a Buddhist temple in Fort Worth, where he occasionally joined Thai immigrants in meditation,” reported the Washington Post. “Aaron Alexis died Monday in a gun battle with police at the Washington Navy Yard after he allegedly killed at least 12 people. Along the way, the man named as the shooter in Monday’s mass killing at Building 197 was discharged from the Navy Reserve, arrested after firing a bullet through his downstairs neighbor’s ceiling and then asked to leave his Fort Worth apartment. One Navy official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Alexis was discharged in January 2011 for “a pattern of misconduct” and that the 2010 gun incident in Texas played a role in his departure. Another Navy official said Alexis was given a ‘general discharge,’ a classification often used to designate a blemished performance record. In some cases, a general discharge can make it difficult to land a civilian job. But Alexis, 34, had no such trouble. He moved from Fort Worth to Washington about a month ago, friends said, and was hired as an hourly tech employee for The Experts, a Hewlett-Packard subcontractor that is updating computer systems at Navy and Marine Corps installations worldwide. He was scheduled to begin work at the Washington Navy Yard this month.”
• HOW DID HE GET WEAPONS ONTO THE BASE: “Authorities investigating Monday’s D.C. shooting spree believe the gunman  brought a shotgun, legally purchased from a suburban Virginia gun shop, to the Navy Yard and acquired additional weapons at the scene, according to three law  enforcement officials,” reported the Washington Times. “The officials said Aaron Alexis of Fort Worth, Texas, a 34-year-old discharged Navy engineer, entered the building with a Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun that he’d  purchased last week in Lorton, Va., and was later found with two additional  weapons, a Glock handgun and an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. One scenario authorities were investigating was that he obtained the handgun and  the rifle at the scene, possibly from victims. But officials cautioned the  evidence analysis was still very fluid Monday night.”
• WAS IT TERRORISM? At first glance, there doesn’t appear to be a linkage between Alexis and any terror group, or extremist group. We’ll have to see how the investigation develops. But this headline is worth noting from Friday, September 13th: “Al Qaeda calls for attacks inside United States.”
• OBSESSED WITH VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES? The U.K. Telegraph reports “Washington navy yard gunman ‘obsessed with violent video games'” — reportedly played up to 16 hours at a time.

Russian President Vladimir Putin poses for photographers with his Iranian counterpart, Hasan Rouhani, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Friday, September 13, 2013 (photo credit: via YouTube/Times of Israel).

(Dallas, Texas) — “Vladimir Putin has accepted an Iranian invitation to visit the country and meet with newly elected President Hasan Rouhani, a spokesman for the Russian president confirmed,” reports the Times of Israel.

“Putin has been invited to Iran, and he will certainly take advantage of this kind invitation,” the Interfax news agency quoted spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Friday. “The dates of the visit will be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.”

“The announcement came on the heels of a report that Russia had agreed to sell to Iran the advanced S-300 air defense system and construct a new nuclear reactor at the Bushehr site,” the Times noted. “Putin met with Rouhani on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Friday. During the meeting, Rouhani extended an invitation to Putin, who accepted, the Iranian semi-official Fars news agency reported. In July, there were reports that Putin would travel to Iran in August to revive negotiations over the country’s controversial nuclear program, but those plans appeared to fall through.”

This will be the second time Putin has traveled to Iran. The first was a two day trip on October 16-17, 2007. I wrote about the historic nature of that trip at the time. It was, after all, the first time a Russian leader had made a state visit to Tehran for the purpose of meeting with Iranian leaders in modern history. It thus raised many questions, including whether we were slowly but surely moving step-by-step towards the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 in which Russia and Iran form an alliance against Israel in the “last days.” It so happened that I was speaking about such prophecies at an event for military officers at the Pentagon and in private meetings with Members of Congress just days after Putin’s visit. Below I include a reprint of the column I wrote at the time.

——————————

WHAT PUTIN’S HISTORIC VISIT TO IRAN MEANS

By Joel C. Rosenberg, October 19, 2007

Washington leaders are asking if unfolding events in the Mideast were foretold in the Bible.