GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 165

Talk Of A Multi-Front War

A Strategic Threat

According to an article from The Jerusalem Post we hear what a former Shin Bet head weighs in on the two state solution:

The two-state solution is a "strategic and security threat to Israel," former head of Shin Bet Yoram Cohen said at the Makor Rishon conference in Sderot on Tuesday.

"On the one hand, we witnessed the monstrous infrastructure that developed in the years after Israel's departure from the Gaza Strip and its brutality.

"On the other hand, over the years, we became aware of the chronic weakness of the Palestinian Authority, and especially the lack of governance in the cities and Palestinian refugee camps and the lack of willingness and ability to effectively fight terrorism," he stated.

Cohen also went on to add this about Israel taking control of Gaza:

The "one country" idea "is equally dangerous, for the national interests of the State of Israel," he continued.

"In my understanding, we are required to take calculated steps for maximum separation from the Gaza Strip and gradual functional separation from the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria while defining a maximum future goal in the form of "while defining a future maximum goal in the form of 'autonomy plus.'"

He appears to be saying that something totally different is needed, but like so many others no one seems to agree on the issue.

A member of the war cabinet, Benny Gantz offered his opinion the post-war Gaza plans:

Minister-without-portfolio Benny Gantz also attended the conference and spoke on the post-war plan for the Gaza Strip. "Establishing a regional international administration for Gaza is an operational necessity now and a future political solution," he noted.

"Establishing a front that will suppress Iran is an integral part of victory," he added.

Regardless we know what God thinks on this and that is the land was given to Israel and no one should divide it up:

At that time, when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem,” says the Lord, 2 “I will gather the armies of the world into the ‘Valley Where Jehovah Judges’ and punish them there for harming my people, for scattering my inheritance among the nations and dividing up my land. (Joel 3:1-2, TLB)

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Like a little child pulling off one petal of a flower after the other, Joe Biden continues to vacillate between supporting and chastising Israel over its handling of the war against Hamas. We read about a recent exchange with Netanyahu and Biden in an article from The Times Of Israel:

Joe Biden reassured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call yesterday that he is not trying to push him out, the Axios news site reports.

The report, citing two people with knowledge of the conversation, says that Netanyahu complained about repeated attacks against him by US politicians, singling out US Sen. Chuck Schumer, who last week called on Israel to hold new elections, saying he believed Netanyahu had “lost his way” and was an obstacle to peace in the region.

The Prime Minister voiced his complaint about public comments made about him and how the war is being handled:

During the call with Biden, Netanyahu complained about Schumer’s speech and Biden’s endorsement of it, Axios said, adding that he claimed the attacks against him in the US are interference in Israel’s internal politics.

Biden, despite publicly saying that Schumer gave a good speech which clearly called for new elections to oust Netanyahu, said he is not for new elections:

Axios quotes the sources as saying that Biden pushed back and told Netanyahu he is not trying to undermine him and has no intention to intervene in Israeli domestic politics.

The report says the conversation helped clear the air between the two amid an increasing rift.

So which of the two sentiments are true? Biden and his supporters are not being upfront about their real feelings and I’m pretty sure Netanyahu knows he’s being played and will do what’s best for Israel period as he should. It’s sad the these political games are occurring during a critical time for Israel, but I pray that their leaders have the discernment to know what to do in spite of the pressure and duplicity they are facing on the international stage.

Multi-Front War Views

While Israel is prepared to fight on all fronts, they don’t want to fight a war from all sides, either. However, as we read in an article from The Jerusalem Post they may have to:

Hamas official Osama Hamdan, based in Lebanon, told the Hezbollah-linked Al-Manar this week that “the battlefield is not confined to Gaza” and that Hamas’s goal is to create a multifront threat to Israel.

Hamas has sought to increase its power in Lebanon, and Hezbollah has allowed Hamas to threaten Israel from there. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has launched thousands of missiles at Israel since Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel.

In the past Israel tried avoid such multi-front attacks, but times have changed:

Israel has tried to avoid escalation on the other fronts while concentrating on Gaza. Yet the mere fact that terrorist armies – Hezbollah and Hamas – have generated such a massive threat illustrates just how much they have grown over the last decades. Israel, in the old days, was able to confront multiple fronts, like in 1967 and 1973; Israel was not concerned about fighting both Hamas and Hezbollah along with other terrorist groups in the 1990s.

Today, however, Hamas and Hezbollah are stronger. Israel is defeating Hamas battalions in Gaza, but it is doing so slowly, and there are growing concerns that Hamas is trying to regroup in northern Gaza, necessitating raids into Shifa, Zeitoun, and Shati.

Hamdan said that Israel is facing an “extensive resistance front,” referencing threats to Israel from Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and other places. He said Israel has not met its objectives.

The first business of order by these Iranian proxies is to take out Netanyahu:

“After 163 days, the resistance is still capable in the field battle,” Hamdan said. He also wants to exploit internal divisions in Israel, saying that “all eyes are on the next elections in the occupied territories,” with “planning underway for the post-Netanyahu era.” Hamas has sought to take advantage of these domestic issues in the past; launching Oct. 7 was a key part of that plan.

The Future Is Unclear

The article goes on to point out that the measured approach by Israel is exactly what Iran wants:

What this means is that Israel’s attempt to focus on one front and not get distracted by the Houthi attacks or dragged into a major war with Hezbollah still leaves question marks about what comes next. Iran has sought to exploit this multifront conflict, and it’s not clear if Iran’s policy is a low-level threat in which it can dictate the level of threat as much as it wants, heating various fronts when it chooses to.

So far, Iran has been able to keep this up for five months, which is more than Israel’s enemies achieved in 1967, in 1973, or in any other conflicts. What this means is that Iran has advanced its pawns closer to Israel and gambled on Israel’s proportionate responses.

Will that work, though is what many are wondering:

For some commentators, Israel’s response in Gaza has been a phenomenal success and a quick victory in a complex urban battlefield. The big question is whether Iran sees it the same way. The propaganda from Iran and its proxies indicates that it is not ready to concede.

So what will it take to win this war? I believe that there will come a point where the different proxies will tire of toying with Israel and demand that they just attack in full force, a plan some thought was the plan from the beginning before Hamas jumped the gun. Even Iran said something similar early on in the war as they intimated that the Muslim world will be patient but their patience will not last forever. Hezbollah has asked Iran for the green light to attack fully as have the Houthi rebels in Yemen. While peace is being pushed and sought for I see all the signs of Israel being attacked from all sides sooner than later. I pray and so should you that if it does happen, the God of Israel will be on their side.