Watchman Newsletter

'We are at war,' Israeli PM Netanyahu says after Gaza militants infiltrate

NPR (Link) - Daniel Estrin (October 7, 2023)

TEL AVIV, Israel — In a deadly surprise attack unprecedented in its scale, Gaza militants infiltrated several Israeli towns and military camps early Saturday and fired more than 2,000 rockets from Gaza toward central and southern Israel, leading to multiple Israeli casualties, the Israeli military said.

Israel’s national rescue service said about 40 Israelis were killed.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 198 Palestinians were killed. Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra told NPR the majority of those killed were militants. The Health Ministry also said at least 1,610 Palestinians were wounded.

The Israeli military declared a "state of war alert," is calling up reservist soldiers and has announced strikes on neighboring Gaza.

"We are at war," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement in front of Israel’s military headquarters.

Peace with the Saudis is easy – they just want the Temple Mount

Israel Today (Link) - Ryan Jones (September 27, 2023)

How does trading one Muslim landlord for another advance Israel’s restoration?

As holy as it is to the Jewish people, Israel has no problem bargaining with the Temple Mount for perceived political gain. After liberating the sacred plateau from hostile Muslim rule in 1967, Israel promptly handed it back to a hostile Muslim body, the Jordanian Waqf.

Now the Saudis are saying that the most important thing to them in a peace deal with Israel is greater influence over the Temple Mount and guarantees regarding the “rights” of Muslims at the site.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 2023 United Nations General Assembly

Watch Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the UN General Assembly.

'GOOD NEGOTIATIONS': Saudi crown prince says 'every day' is a day closer to peace with Israel

Fox News Bret Baier Podcast (Link) - Bret Baier (September 22, 2023)

This is very interesting information in light of my recent study I began again from scratch on understanding Daniel 2, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, Revelation 12, 13, 17, and 18 in relation to each other and how that shows the history of kingdoms in relation to Israel as well as paints a picture of the political climate before and into the kingdom of the antichrist.

• 3:46 - On Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel, when asked to characterize it if they were close, he said “every day we get closer. It seems for the first time it’s a real one, serious, we’re going to see how it goes.”
• 9:32 - On Saudi Arabia’s relationship to Iran
• 12:17 - On Saudi Arabia’s relationship to China and BRICS
• 14:52 - Russia and Ukraine
• 17:11 - On hit on journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey and crackdown on dissent
• 20:34 - on 9/11
• 22:11 - on Saudi US relations
• 26:22 - On Saudi Arabia beat Argentina in the World Cup and sports changing tourism dynamic
• 29:28 - Changes Prince Mohammed bin Salaman and others are bringing, succession, and “custodian of the two holy mosques”

Researchers baffled by unique, mysterious Jerusalem structure from First Temple era

The Times of Israel (Link) - Michael Horovitz (August 30, 2023)

Archaeologists recently unearthed two unique structures used for an unclear purpose during the First Temple period 2,800 years ago in Jerusalem’s Old City, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Wednesday.

The installations, dating to around the 9th century BCE and found at the City of David archaeological site, were likely an important part of the economy, due to their proximity to the royal palace and temple, the IAA stated.

Researchers have struggled to pinpoint their precise use since no site of its kind has ever been found in Israel.

“The excavators found the first installation at the northeastern end of the Givati Parking Lot excavation, which includes a series of at least nine channels that were smoothed. On top of the rock cliff that encloses the installation to the south can be found seven drain pipes, which carried liquid from the top of the cliff, which served as an activity area, to the channel installation,” the IAA said in its description of the site.

The second site includes five channels that could carry liquids, according to the statement.

Dr. Yiftah Shalev, a senior researcher at the IAA, said efforts to identify the exact purpose of the site have been fruitless.