Hamas, Islamic Jihad agree to stand together in future fight with Israel

December 19, 2019 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas will join forces in the next round of fighting with Israel, PIJ Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhalah said on Thursday.

During the last flare-up between PIJ and Israel, Hamas mostly stayed out of the fighting in a move that drew criticism from several Palestinian factions and some PIJ officials.

The violence erupted after Israel assassinated senior PIJ military commander Baha Abu al-Ata on November 12.

Nakhalah, who is based in Lebanon, said that his group has reached agreement with Hamas ‘to jointly respond to any [Israeli] aggression.’ He warned that any Israeli military strike against the Gaza Strip won’t pass without a response.

Nakhalah repeated PIJ’s commitment to the ‘path of jihad (holy war) notwithstanding the challenges and sacrifices.’

Hamas and PIJ leaders met in Cairo recently as part of Egypt’s effort to secure a long-term ceasefire between the Gaza-based factions and Israel…”  (The nations may say: “…Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance” – Psalm 83:4.  It won’t work.  God declares: “… I will give them [Israel] an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off” – Isaiah 56:5.  See the next report.) 

Abbas spokesman: The pressure on Israel will continue

December 27, 2019 — Israel National News reports: “The Palestinian Authority (PA) will continue its efforts to work with international parties to pressure Israel to allow holding the Palestinian elections in eastern Jerusalem, a senior official said on Thursday.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, said in an official statement quoted by Xinhua that ‘the pressure on Israel will go on until it accepts the participation of our people in Jerusalem in the elections.’

‘President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership insist that there will be no elections without holding it in East Jerusalem no matter what the pressure will be like on the Palestinian side,’ said Abu Rudeineh…” 

Hamas official: The goal is ‘liberation of Palestine’

December 16, 2019 — Israel National News reports: “Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar said on Sunday that Hamas does not see the parliamentary and presidential elections in the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a goal in itself, but rather as a means of strengthening the plan of resistance against Israel.

In an interview with Al-Aqsa TV, Zahar said Hamas would accept any outcome of the elections in accordance with the wishes of the Palestinian public.

The alternative to the plan to fighting Israel is ‘destruction, settlements, theft of land and Judaization of territory,’ he added.

In a direct appeal to the Fatah movement headed by PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Zahar said that Fatah must agree to the minimum requirements which include the cessation of the security coordination with Israel and the strengthening of the Palestinian resistance organizations…”  (Genesis 15:18 states: “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates”  and in Joshua 1:4 we read: “From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.”  These verses encompass all of the land modern Israel currently possesses, plus all of the land of the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), plus some of Egypt and Syria, plus all of Jordan, plus some of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Israel currently possesses only a fraction of the land God has promised.  See the next two reports.)

‘Jerusalem is ours and will only be Islamic-Christian’

December 3, 2019 — Israel National News reports: “PLO Supreme Council for Youth and Sports head Jibril Rajoub wrote on his Facebook page: ‘Our brothers are here – and foremost among them His Honor [PA] Prime Minister [Muhammad Shtayyeh], government ministers, members of the PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah Central Committee, commanders of the PA Security Forces, and pillars of the private sector… in order to say to this fascist and Nazi occupation that Jerusalem is ours, and that Jerusalem will only be Islamic-Christian.’ This from Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).

Rajoub gave this speech in front of PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh, government ministers, members of the PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah Central Committee, commanders of the PA Security Forces, and leaders of the private sector at a dinner hosted by the PA presidential institution in honor of the visiting Saudi Arabian national football team…”

Luxembourg said pushing for EU states to recognize Palestine

December 9, 2019 — The Times of Israel reports: “Luxembourg is pushing its fellow European Union states to recognize Palestine, in response to the recent US declaration that it no longer views Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law, Channel 13 news reported Sunday.

The report said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn sent a letter to new EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and to EU foreign ministers, saying the only way to save the two-state solution was to create ‘a more equitable situation’ between Israel and the Palestinians.

‘It is time to start a debate within the European Union on the opportunity of a recognition of the State of Palestine by all its Member States,’ Channel 13 quoted him as writing.

‘The recognition of Palestine as a State would neither be a favour, nor a blank check, but a simple recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to their own State,’ he wrote. ‘In no way would it be directed against Israel.’…”

Iranian official threatens to ‘flatten’ Tel Aviv

December 10, 2019 — Israel National News reports: “Morteza Ghorbani, a senior adviser to Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami, threatened Israel on Monday in response to Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz’s statement that an Israeli attack on Iran is a possibility.

‘If Israel makes a mistake, even if it is the smallest one, against Iran, we will flatten Tel Aviv into dirt from Lebanon,’ Ghorbani told Iranian media, as quoted by Yediot Aharonot.

‘Iran does not aspire to possess nuclear weapons, and Israel is too small to make a mistake with us,’ he added.

‘Our fighters’ fingers are on the trigger on the order of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. If the Leader gives an order to attack Israel with missiles – the Zionists will raise their hands and surrender,’ claimed Ghorbani.

The comments come after Katz told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that ‘an Israeli attack on Iran is an existing possibility that is under discussion.’

‘We will not allow Iranians to acquire nuclear weapons and if we are forced into a situation of no other choice – we will also respond with military force,’ Katz said…”  (Almighty God has stated: “…I will give them [Israel] an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off” – Isaiah 56:5.  Everlasting means everlasting.  God promised to Abraham in Genesis 22:17: “…in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore…”    “And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt; To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.  Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.  Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for ever” – Deuteronomy 4:37 – 40.  See the next three reports.)

IDF preparing for confrontation with Iran – Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi

December 26, 2019 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “The IDF is preparing for a limited confrontation with the Islamic Republic as Israel continues to act against Iranian entrenchment, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi warned on Wednesday.

‘There is a possibility that we will face a limited confrontation with Iran and we are preparing for it,’ Kochavi said at a conference in honor of former IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak at the IDC Interdisciplinary Center in Herzilya.

‘We will continue to act and responsibly,’ Israel’s top military officer said, adding it would have been better had Israel not been the only one engaged in the effort to stop Iran.

The IDF, he said, is carrying out operations both publicly and below-the-radar to prevent the enemy from obtaining precision missiles, even if those operations bring about a confrontation…”

Iran working on nuclear-capable missiles: European powers

December 6, 2019 — SpaceDaily.com reports: “Britain, France and Germany have accused Iran of developing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles in a letter dismissed by Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Thursday as ‘a desperate falsehood’.

UN ambassadors for the three countries said in the letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres that Iran’s actions were ‘inconsistent’ with the UN resolution enshrining a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

But Zarif on Twitter said the Europeans were covering up their own ‘miserable incompetence’ at abiding by the nuclear deal and were ‘bowing to US bullying’.

The letter referred to footage shared on social media in April this year of the test flight of a new Shabab-3 medium range ballistic missile variant that was ‘technically capable of delivering a nuclear weapon’.

The European powers also pointed to three other launches this year, including that of the Borkan-3, a new medium-range ballistic missile tested by Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen on August 2…” 

Report: Iran stashing missiles in Iraq that can reach Israel

December 6, 2019 — Israel National News reports: “Iran is stockpiling short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq that can reach Israel, according to a New York Times report that cited American intelligence and military officials.

The hidden rockets are part of a larger effort by Iran to intimidate countries in the region and assert its power, the Times reported. Short-range missiles generally have a range of just over 600 miles, so one fired from just outside of Baghdad could reach Jerusalem.

Iran’s effort to build up its arsenal comes as the United States has sent thousands of troops to the region with plans to send more. The arms in Iraq are reportedly intended to dissuade the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia from attacking Iran…”