Monthly Archives: July 2017

Turkey continues moving to the dark side: Erdogan cuts major military deal with Russia.

July 27, 2017 By in Epicenter

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Turkey is continuing its steady, dangerous march to the dark side.

The latest troubling developments:

  1. This once-loyal and trustworthy NATO ally is now planning to buy an advanced, state-of-the-art military system from Czar Putin amidst growing political, economic and military ties between Russia and Turkey.
  2. Turkey’s leader is calling on millions of Muslims to “flock” to Jerusalem and go to the al-Aksa Mosque and Dome of the Rock (on the Temple Mount) as often as possible, ostensibly to overwhelm Israeli security and to insist on Islamist sovereignty over the holiest site in Judaism, thus potentially provoking more unrest and even violence.

Last year, I warned that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pronounced “Air-doh-wahn”) entered office poses as somewhat of a moderate but is emerging as an Islamist Radical and a serious and growing challenge to the U.S. and the West.

“Driven perhaps by visions of restoring Turkey to the power and glory of the Ottoman Empire at its peak, Erdogan is aggressively fashioning himself into a brutal dictator,” I noted. “He’s cracking down on Internet freedom. He’s seizing churches. He’s seizing media outlets that speak out against him. He’s using the crisis in Syria not to go after ISIS — as he claims — but to bomb the Kurds who are at war with ISIS.”

Things have not gotten better over the past year.

I’ll write more on the tense situation in Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, and Jordan in the days ahead.

For the moment, let’s focus on the new Turkish military deal with the Russians.

“There is no harm in Turkey’s missile defense system purchase from Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said in response to U.S. top general’s concerns over the issue, adding that the two countries have already signed a deal for the delivery of the S-400 missiles,” reports the Daily Hurriyet, a leading Turkish news outlet.

“Why will it cause tension? A country should be in search for the ideal ways for its own security,” Erdogan said, addressing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers in parliament on July 25….

“We have now taken steps with Russia about this issue. Deals have been inked. In God’s will, we will see S-400 missiles in our country and precede the process with joint production,” the Turkish leader said.

More excerpts from the story:

  • Turkey was not able to cooperate with the U.S. over the missile system, the president noted, adding that this was why Turkey was seeking alternatives.
  • Erdoğan’s remarks came days after U.S. Gen. Joseph Dunford, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, claimed that Turkey and Russia could not agree on the procurement of the missile defense system.
  • “It would be a concern, were they to do that, but they have not done that,” Dunford reportedly said at a security forum in Aspen, Colorado on July 23, when asked about media reports on Turkey purchasing the Russian system.
  • The U.S. general called the reports “incorrect.”
  • However, his remarks contradicted with former statements by Turkish and Russian officials….
  • Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin said late June that Moscow and Ankara had agreed on the delivery of the S-400 mobile systems but that the Kremlin had not approved a loan for the deal.    
  • The S-400 system was introduced in 2007 and can carry three types of missiles capable of destroying ground and air targets, including ballistic and cruise missiles. It can track and engage up to 300 targets simultaneously and has an altitude ceiling of 27 kilometers.

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Tensions spiking after two serious terrorist attacks in Israel, including one on the Temple Mount. Please pray for calm.

July 22, 2017 By in Epicenter

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Tensions are flaring again in Israel and the disputed territories in the wake of two shocking sets of murders by Radical Islamists terrorists:

  • Last night, a Jewish grandfather and his son and daughter — having Shabbat dinner and celebrating the birth of a new grandson — were savagely stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist who broke into their home.
  • One week ago, three Palestinian terrorists smuggled firearms onto the Temple Mount and launched a surprise attack against three Israeli Druze police officers, killing two of them before they were stopped.

Please pray for comfort the families and friends of those who were murdered. Pray for healing and comfort for those who were wounded in the attacks.

Please pray, too, for wisdom for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to know best how to calm the situation before it explodes into widespread violence, as well as for the U.S. administration, Jordanian leaders and other regional leaders who have influence.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas could start by denouncing these terrorist acts, and working harder to arrest terrorists and prevent future attacks.

At the same time, there needs to be a quick consensus on how best to prevent violence on the Temple Mount. Israel needs to work closely with the Jordanians and Palestinians on this. After the attack on the Temple Mount last week, the Israelis installed metal detectors and are now requiring every Muslim who wants to go up on the Mount to go through those detectors. This is already required of all Jews and Christians who want to visit the holy site. Yet Palestinian leaders are denouncing the move and demanding the Israelis remove the metal detectors. Other Arab and Islamic leaders are doing the same.

Why? Metal detectors are used to protect visitors to Mecca, the Vatican and in sensitive religious and political sites all over the world. If there is a better way, fine, make the case. But to criticize Israeli leaders for trying their best to protect a site sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians in the wake of a terrorist attack is nonsensical and hardly creates and atmosphere conducive to peace and security.

Developing….

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Dispatch from Berlin: President Trump deserves credit for pushing NATO to increase defense spending in face of growing threat posed by Russia.

July 22, 2017 By in Epicenter

Germany-Joel-BrandenburgGate2

(Berlin, Germany) — Over the past few days, I’ve been in Berlin for a series of meetings with my 20 year old son, Jacob.

We’ve visited the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Pergamum Museum (housing priceless archaeological treasures from the Middle East, including the famed Ishtar Gate from ancient Babylon), and a memorial built to honor the Jews murdered during the Holocaust. We also saw a section of the Berlin Wall. Neither of us had ever been to the German capital before and I must say it’s been a bit surreal to be in a city that was once the epicenter of such evil and yet is now safe, and free, and the capital of a major American (and Israeli) ally.

In between meetings, I’ve been working on the edits of the manuscript for my latest international political thriller, The Kremlin Conspiracy, which releases next March. In that novel, a new American President faces an increasingly dangerous and volatile Russian leader who is plotting a military attack against the NATO alliance.

More on the novel in due time. For now, let me make a few comments on the actual American President and how he is handling NATO and the Russia threat.

Readers of this blog know that last year I was quite critical of then-candidate Donald Trump. One of my concerns was that Mr. Trump did not appear serious about strengthening NATO to protect America and our European allies from the grave and growing threat posed by Vladimir Putin and the Russian military. Indeed, Mr. Trump made numerous comments during the campaign highly critical of NATO. He also suggested he might not honor Article 5, the mutual defense pact that says an attack on one NATO member will be regarded as an attack on all, and that all members will come to that member’s aid.

Six months into the new administration, however, I need to commend President Trump. Pundits may criticize his tactics, but the facts are clear: the President has persuaded most NATO leaders to significantly increase their annual defense spending. He has chosen a Vice President, Defense Secretary, CIA Director, Director of National Intelligence and other senior national security officials who are serious about the threat of Russia and serious about strengthening NATO. The President has also wisely proposed a $93 billion increase in U.S. defense spending and (finally) made it clear he supports Article 5.

NATO-spending-graphic

This is a big deal. Previous efforts by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama to persuade NATO to increase military spending failed. Indeed, for many years, defense budgets in most NATO countries — including the U.S. under Mr. Obama — were declining precipitously, even though Russian defense spending has grown 23% since 2000.

Consider the facts:

  • NATO just announced it will increase defense spending by $46 billion in 2017.
  • This represents a 4.3% increase.
  • In fact, 25 of the 28 NATO members have announced they are increasing their annual defense budgets.
  • Currently, only 5 of the 28 members spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense, even though in 2014 all the NATO members promised to do so. These five are the U.S., Greece, Estonia, the U.K., and Poland. (To see what each country spends, click here.)
  • That said, Romania has just announced it will be the 6th country to hit the 2% mark, and other countries are finally moving towards that goal.
  • What’s more, Latvia and Lithuania — two Baltic states who (along with Estonia) feel deeply threatened by Putin — have just announced they are dramatically increasing their defense spending and will both hit the 2% target by 2018.

“We are moving in the right direction when it comes to burden-sharing and defense spending,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.

Even Germany — whose leader, Chancellor Angela Merkel, has been highly critical of President Trump’s insistence that each NATO member pay its fair share — has decided to increase its military budget. (see here, here, and here.)

“Germany, under fire from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for not meeting NATO’s defense spending goal, is boosting military budgets,” reports Reuters. “German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen….said Germany was boosting military spending by nearly 2 billion euros in 2017 to 37 billion euros, or 1.22 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). It is due to reach 39.2 billion euros by 2020.”

President Trump is absolutely right to call out NATO countries for making a public commitment to mutual defense spending of at least 2% of GDP yet not doing their fair share. The European countries that comprise NATO have large, modern economies. They have a combined annual GDP of some $20 trillion. They face a serious and growing threat not only from Russia but from the Islamic State and other radical Islamist terror groups. They can afford to more. They’ve promised to do more. Yet right now they are leaning heavily on the U.S., which invests 3.61% of GDP on defense spending — almost double its fair share — and is in the process of investing substantially more.

One last point for now: Radical Islam is not the only threat we face in the West. Radical Russian nationalism and imperialism may prove to be an even more serious threat, especially given that Moscow has nuclear weapons while the violent Islamists do not (yet). Thus, while I’m encouraged that the Trump-Pence administration is persuading NATO to finally move in the right direction, I remained deeply concerned that most NATO leaders are insufficiently concerned by the magnitude of the threat posed by Vladimir Putin and the Russian military. Putin has invaded and occupied parts of Georgia, Crimea and eastern Ukraine in recent years. Putin is selling arms to the ayatollahs in Iran, and has sent military forces into Syria to bolster the regime of Bashar al-Assad, a mass murderer who is presiding of the destruction of his entire country. Do we really believe Putin’s aggression has run its course? A recent study by the RAND Corporation found that the three Baltics States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) are currently so poorly defended by NATO troops that Moscow could launch a surprise attack and capture at least two of them in just 60 hours.

I will write more about such concerns in the weeks and months ahead. But given my time here in Berlin, I thought it would be worth bringing up some of these topics now.

ARTICLES WORTH NOTING:

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Visiting with the Vice President — and introducing him to one of our sons.

July 11, 2017 By in Epicenter

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(Washington, D.C.) — It was a very special day at the White House.

Noah turns 13 on Thursday and part of his present was getting to join Lynn and me in a meeting today with Vice President Mike Pence in his West Wing office.

VP-Noahmeets

This was Noah’s first time ever to visit the White House, and certainly his first time meeting a Vice President, and it was pretty cool. Noah got the VP’s autograph and actually got to sit at his desk.

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Noah also met Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Principal Deputy Press Secretary, who gave him a tour of the White House Press Briefing Room and let him stand behind the podium. It was fun to give her a copy of my latest novel.

One of Pence’s aides also gave us a tour of the VP’s ceremonial office in the Old Executive Office Building — and if that weren’t enough, Noah got some White House brand Hershey’s chocolates, too.

VP-SandersNoahpodium

The Lord has opened some remarkable years for us over the years. We don’t deserve these opportunities, and we’re humbled by them. But what an extra special blessing to be able to share them with our children.

VP-JoelNoah-NorthLawn

Lynn and I are very grateful for our friendship with the Pences. We’ve known them since Mike was in Congress and they are a real class act — humble, down to earth, and truly Midwestern nice. The VP was particularly kind to welcome Noah and us like this amidst a crazy busy summer and it was an unexpected blessing to be able to catch up with him.

We count it an honor to be able to pray for the Pences, and for the President and the First Family and their staffs, and we hope you’re praying faithfully for them, too.

VP-Joel

P.S. — Here’s a photo we took with Mike and Karen a few years ago when he was the Governor of Indiana leading a trade delegation to Israel and we spent such a fun evening with them  in Jerusalem. Honestly, they haven’t changed a bit. Just as warm and kind today as they’ve ever been.

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(Four of these are Official White House Photos by Joyce N. Boghosian. The rest were taken by Lynn and me.)

[Official Required Disclaimer: These (four) photographs are provided by THE WHITE HOUSE as a courtesy and may be printed by the subject(s) in the photograph for personal use only. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not otherwise be reproduced, disseminated or broadcast, without the written permission of the White House Photo Office. This photograph may not be used in any commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.]

Coming March 6th: THE KREMLIN CONSPIRACY. “The Real Book Spy” website posts exclusive story on my next novel title, cover and plot details, plus links to pre-order.

July 10, 2017 By in Epicenter

KremlinConspiracy-coversmall

(Washington, D.C.) — This morning, The Real Book Spy — one of the leading websites that tracks and reviews new mysteries and thrillers — has posted a story revealing key details of my next novel.

Here are excerpts, including my brief interview with the site’s founder.

Exclusive: See The Cover Art And Plot Details For Joel C. Rosenberg’s Next Thriller

Following his latest jaw-dropping New York Times bestselling novel, Without Warning, Joel C. Rosenberg is set to release a brand thriller next March called The Kremlin Conspiracy.

Without Warning was the final novel in Rosenberg’s J.B. Collins trilogy about a New York Times reporter who investigates The Islamic State. The Kremlin Conspiracy will be the first book in a new series and will introduce readers to Marcus Ryker, a former United States Secret Service agent.

Scroll down to see the cover art and plot synopsis for The Kremlin Conspiracy, then keep scrolling to read exclusive comments from Joel C. Rosenberg about his new novel….

“After eleven novels that have focused primarily on the Middle East and the threat of Radical and Apocalyptic Islam — and one historical novel about the Holocaust — I felt it was time to shift gears,” said Rosenberg, speaking exclusively to The Real Book Spy.

“I needed a new challenge and wanted to focus on a different part of the world, different enemies. In this case, I kept finding myself drawn to Russia. Moscow was once known as the seat of the “Evil Empire” and I believe it is once again emerging as the center of the most dangerous government on the planet. Remember, Iran, al Qaeda and ISIS just dream of having nuclear weapons. Moscow not only has them but also has the long range ballistic missiles to hit every city in NATO and the United States. If they reemerge not simply as a geopolitical challenge but an aggressive enemy, the world will be headed down a very dark road.”

Dubbed a “modern Nostradamus” by U.S. News & World Report after his first novel, The Last Jihad, came out in 2002, Rosenberg has been known to write headline-beating thrillers. With Russia dominating many news cycles, it makes sense that authors are writing related stories into their books. But for Rosenberg, there’s a personal connection too.

“One of the reasons I was drawn to writing about Russia is that I have Russian roots. My grandparents on my father’s side were Orthodox Jews who escaped out of Czarist, anti-Semitic Russia in the early years of the 20th century. I visited the Soviet Union in the summer of 1986 when I was in college. In 2004, my father and I traveled to Moscow to do research for Epicenter and The Ezekiel Option. I guess I find myself fascinated with — and somewhat haunted by — both the history and the future of Russia.”

While Rosenberg might be fascinated with Russia, it’s safe to say that Book Spy followers are fascinated with Rosenberg’s writing. Without Warning was by far the most pre-ordered novel of 2017 among our followers, and for good reason — it’s one of the year’s best thrillers and features one of the most shocking, jaw-dropping endings in recent memory.

As for how far along he is with the new book, Rosenberg told us: “I just turned in the manuscript on June 21st. The novel releases on March 6th. I’m as excited about this one as any novel I’ve written so far.”

Readers anxious to get their hands on The Kremlin Conspiracy can pre-order Rosenberg’s forthcoming thriller by clicking here!

Exactly one year from now: Join us for The Joshua Fund tour of Israel & the Epicenter Prayer Summit in Jerusalem.

July 10, 2017 By in Epicenter

Epicenter-PrayerSummitDear friends —

It is with great excitement about God’s love for the people of Israel that I cordially invite you to join us for the Epicenter Prayer Summit, which will be held in Jerusalem the evening of Wednesday, July 11th, and all day Thursday, July 12th, 2018.

The Summit will be the centerpiece of The Joshua Fund’s next “Prayer & Vision Tour” of Israel which will take place July 3 – July 15, 2018.

Please consider joining us both for the tour and the Summit.

If you’re a pastor or ministry leader, consider custom-designing a tour that would be perfect for your congregation by contacting Inspiration Cruises & Tours.  We pray that many congregations will take this opportunity to visit Israel and join us in Jerusalem for the Epicenter Prayer Summit.

Or, if it won’t work for you to bring a whole tour, consider coming just as a couple, or with a few friends, to attend the Summit and spend some time touring Israel without being responsible for a larger group.

Keynote speakers for the Summit include Anne Graham Lotz, Dr. Ronnie Floyd and me. Also speaking will be local pastors and ministry leaders on the frontlines of the faith. We will be joined by leaders of various Jewish, Israeli Arab and Palestinian Arab ministries as they share with the Summit participants about what they see the Lord doing from their unique vantage points. They will also be sharing real-time prayer requests for their ministries, as well as praying for unity among the brethren in the Land.

The focus of the Summit will be the urgency of praying for the peace of Jerusalem, preaching the Gospel to all people in the Epicenter and asking the Lord to pour out His Holy Spirit to bring about a revival in His Church and a sweeping spiritual awakening in the Land and throughout the region. Please prayerfully consider joining us. I would love to see you there!

Yours to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus,

Joel C. Rosenberg

Chairman and Founder of The Joshua Fund

> Pastors and ministry leaders:  to begin planning your own tour of Israel in July 2018 that allows you to bring your people to the Summit, please click here.

> Lay people: to learn more about The Joshua Fund’s next tour of Israel — and to register while there is still space — please click here.

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What Does The Future Hold? Insights from the Hebrew prophets — and resources to help you study & teach Biblical eschatology.

July 7, 2017 By in Epicenter

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(Schroon Lake, New York) — This week I’ve been teaching at the Word of Life conference center, nestled in the heart of the gorgeous Adirondack Mountains.

It’s been such a blessing to be here with my family. We’ve loved meeting so many people from all over the U.S. and Canada, teaching the Scriptures, answering people’s questions, and taking advantage of so many outdoor activities, from swimming and kayaking to jet skiing and tubing to miniature golfing and so many other activities.

Word of Life is a wonderful ministry with a rich history of teaching the Scriptures to young and old. I highly encourage you to learn more about them and consider attending one of their Bible conference and/or youth camps.

My series this week was called, “What Does The Future Hold? Insights From The Hebrew Prophets.” It was divided into four sessions.

  1. Session One — What Does The Future Hold For Syria? (Isaiah 17 & Jeremiah 49)
  2. Session Two — What Does The Future Hold For Jordan? (Jeremiah 48 & 49)
  3. Session Three — What Does The Future Hold For Egypt? (Isaiah 19)
  4. Session Four — What Does The Future Hold For Israel, Russia & Iran? (Ezekiel 38 & 39)

Soon, I hope to post links to either the audio and video of the sessions. For now, I promised those who attended the sessions that I would post links to notes I’ve previously published on the importance of studying and teaching Bible prophecy, and on the specific prophecies we studied together during the week. I’ve also included a link to books on eschatology and other Bible prophecy resources that I recommend.

I hope you find them helpful.

Bible Prophecy Resources

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Without Warning — my new thriller about ISIS operatives launching terrorist attacks inside the U.S. using chemical weapons captured in Syria, and the hunt for the ISIS leader by a secret coalition of Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE — is now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD, Lifeway, and your favorite general market and Christian bookstores. To order online, please click here.

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