Watchman Newsletter

How Israel May Respond to the Iran Attack

Time (Link) - Anna Gordon (April 15, 2024)

Israel’s leaders met today during a war cabinet meeting to discuss the country’s response after Iran launched a combination of 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles towards Israeli soil in the early hours of Sunday morning. It was the first time the Islamic Republic, long hostile to the Israeli state, directly attacked Israel after decades of proxy conflict.

Iran says that its attack was launched in response to an Israeli strike Apr. 1 on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, which killed a senior individual in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards along with eight other officers. So far, Iran’s attack seems to have caused minimal damage. No deaths have been reported, though one 7-year-old appears to be in life threatening condition after shrapnel from an intercepted Iranian missile fell directly on her home.

Israel had support from American, British, and French partners who helped it thwart “99% of Iranian aerial threats,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said. Jordan also intercepted some of the Iranian projectiles that flew over its territory, despite fiercely criticizing Israel’s war in Gaza, which has killed at least 33,00 people including 13,000 children.

Iran says it gave warning before attacking Israel. US says that's not true

The Jerusalem Post (Link) - Reuters (April 15, 2024)

Turkish, Jordanian and Iraqi officials said on Sunday that Iran gave wide notice days before its drone and missile attack on Israel, but US officials said Tehran did not warn Washington and that it was aiming to cause significant damage.

Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles on Saturday in a retaliatory strike after a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria.

Most of the drones and missiles were downed before reaching Israeli territory, though a young girl was critically injured and there were widespread concerns of further escalation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Sunday that Iran gave neighboring countries and Israel's ally the United States 72 hours' notice it would launch the strikes.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said it had spoken to both Washington and Tehran before the attack, adding it had conveyed messages as an intermediary to be sure reactions were proportionate.

Gantz: Israel will respond when time is right, must continue to strengthen regional alliances after successful defense against Iran

The Times of Israel (Link) - Sam Sokol (April 14, 2024)

Israel must strengthen the “strategic alliance and the regional cooperation” that allowed it to weather yesterday’s Iranian attack, war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz declares in a statement.

“Iran is a global problem, it is a regional challenge and it is also a danger to Israel, and yesterday, the world clearly stood together with Israel in the face of the danger. Israel against Iran, the world against Iran – this is the result. This is a strategic achievement, which we must leverage for Israel’s security,” he says.

“This event is not over – the strategic alliance and the regional cooperation system that we built and stood its significant test need to be strengthened precisely now. Israel proved yesterday that it is an anchor of military and technological power, and an anchor of security in the Middle East,” he continues. 

“Faced with the threat of Iran – we will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran, in the way and at the time that suits us. And most importantly – in the face of the desire of our enemies to harm us, we will unite and become stronger,” Gantz adds, seemingly indicating that he does not support immediate retaliation against Iran itself.

“Even today, we must remember that we have not yet completed our tasks – primarily the return of the hostages and the removal of the threat against the residents of the north and south. We will continue the campaign, with determination and responsibility. And together – we will win.” †

A New Era of Saudi Diplomacy Has Arrived

The National Interest (Link) - John Calabrese (April 6, 2024)

Over the past three years, Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy has evolved from a confrontational and interventionist posture to one that emphasizes constructive engagement and bridge-building with other regional powers. Riyadh has embarked on an intensive diplomatic change of tack, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and fueled by abundant petrodollars, robust economic growth, and growing self-assurance. Engagement allows Saudi Arabia to devote its energies to the economic transformation agenda of Vision 2030 while also enhancing its global influence. However, the renewal of conflicts, both within and outside the Middle East, has revealed Saudi diplomacy’s limitations and highlighted the kingdom’s persistently high level of geopolitical risk.

What these red cows from Texas have to do with war and peace in the Middle East

CBS News (Link) - Chris Livesay (March 5, 2024)

Jerusalem — When Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida began a speech marking the 100th day of the war in Gaza, one confounding yet eye-opening proclamation escaped the headlines. Listing the motives for the Palestinian militant group’s Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, he accused Jews of “bringing red cows” to the Holy Land.

The cows he was talking about are red heifers, which now graze at a secure, undisclosed location in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Some Jews and Christians believe they’re key to rebuilding the Jewish temple that once stood in Jerusalem, and to beckoning the Messiah.

To understand, you have to look back almost 2,000 years in the tumultuous history of the Middle East, when the ancient Romans destroyed the last temple in Jerusalem.

To rebuild it, fervent believers point to the Bible’s Book of Numbers, which commands the Israelites to offer “a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.”

Only with that offering, they insist, can the temple rise again.

'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.

Israelis Come to See Red Heifer and Discuss the Temple

Israel Today (Link) - Ryan Jones (July 16, 2023)

Again the biblical red heifer is in the news, sparking renewed discussion about a future Third Temple in Jerusalem.

Hundreds of Israelis reportedly visited the Jewish settlement of Shiloh in central Samaria last week to welcome the first of three pure red heifers to arrive from the United States. Shiloh was the first biblical capital of Israel and the place where the Tabernacle stood for hundreds of years before King David moved it to Jerusalem.

The three red heifers will be housed at the Ancient Shiloh heritage site and a center will open there dedicated to researching the phenomenon. The heifers will be kept in a fenced-off area, and visitors will not be able to touch the animals.

The mysterious red heifer, or Parah Adumah, is first mentioned in the Book of Numbers, when God instructs Moses and Aaron to take “a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid.” The ashes of a red heifer are necessary for purification prior to conducting biblical sacrificial ceremonies. 

Likud MK Amit Halevi Proposes Plan to Divide Jerusalem’s Temple Mount

Jewish Press (Link) - Hana Levi Julian (June 7, 2023)

Likud Knesset member Amit Halevi is promoting a plan to divide the Temple Mount between Jews and Muslims.

Under the plan, Muslims will receive the southern Al Aqsa Mosque and its annexes and the Jews will receive the central and northern area, including the Dome of the Rock, the place on which it is believed that the Holy of Holies stood in the Temple.

In addition, Halevi suggests removing the Kingdom of Jordan’s authority over the Temple Mount by launching a process to remove its decades-long political status achieved through agreements with Israel.

The Temple Mount is not considered to be under Israeli sovereignty due to Jordan’s political status there, Halevi noted, saying it is a “sin to history” to give status to a foreign nation on the sacred site.

“Why not give them status in the Dizengoff Center as well? This is a terrible mistake. This status should be abolished. I know it’s an agreement between countries, but we have to deal with it. It requires change even if the process that will take time.”

Federal Reserve announces July launch for the FedNow Service

Federalreserve.gov (Link) - Press Release (March 15, 2023)

The Service will Debut with Financial Institutions and the U.S. Treasury on Board

CHICAGO – The Federal Reserve announced that the FedNow Service will start operating in July and provided details on preparations for launch.

The first week of April, the Federal Reserve will begin the formal certification of participants for launch of the service. Early adopters will complete a customer testing and certification program, informed by feedback from the FedNow Pilot Program, to prepare for sending live transactions through the system.

Certification encompasses a comprehensive testing curriculum with defined expectations for operational readiness and network experience. In June, the Federal Reserve and certified participants will conduct production validation activities to confirm readiness for the July launch.

"We couldn't be more excited about the forthcoming FedNow launch, which will enable every participating financial institution, the smallest to the largest and from all corners of the country, to offer a modern instant payment solution," said Ken Montgomery, first vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and FedNow program executive. "With the launch drawing near, we urge financial institutions and their industry partners to move full steam ahead with preparations to join the FedNow Service."

Many early adopters have declared their intent to begin using the service in July, including a diverse mix of financial institutions of all sizes, the largest processors, and the U.S. Treasury.

Prophetic Anticipation Builds: Unblemished Red Heifers for Temple Ceremony Soon Come of Age

CBN (Link) - Chris Mitchell (March 17, 2023)

MOUNT OF OLIVES, JERUSALEM, Israel – Last September, five red heifers arrived in Israel amid great fanfare, because some Jews and Gentiles believe red heifers are a key element leading to the building of the Third Jewish Temple.

The heifers are now in a secure, undisclosed location in Israel. Plans include moving them, sometime soon, to a visitor’s center in Shiloh, where the tabernacle of the Lord once stood for nearly 400 years.

The book of Numbers explains that ashes of the red heifer are used to purify priests for their service in the Temple:

“Now, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come. You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him … its offal shall be burned … for the water of purification; it is for purifying from sin.’” (Numbers 19:1-5)

These red heifers are now between 1½ and 2 years old. To replicate the ceremony mentioned in the Bible, they need to be at least 3 years old. And within that time span, they cannot have a blemish or anything that would disqualify them for the ceremony, even one white or black hair.

Is it time to ‘normalize’ the Temple Mount?

The Jerusalem Post (Link) - Nave Dromi (September 13, 2020)

It is no coincidence that the deal to normalize relations between the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates is called the “Abraham Accords.” The patriarch, common to both Judaism and Islam, is revered by both as the progenitor of both religions and peoples.

Both Jews and Muslims believe that Abraham was told to sacrifice his son, while commentators differ on the identity of the son. Jews of course believe that the binding of Isaac was a scene set on the Temple Mount that earlier was the point of creation and later became the location for the two greatest houses of worship for the Jewish nation.

Isaiah prophesied the Temple Mount in the future “will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

Perhaps it would be prudent to finally realize this prophecy by allowing Jews and Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount in harmony and accord, without one trampling on the rights and liberties of the other.

Three Babylonian Inscriptions About the Exile

Bible Archaeology Report (Link) - Bryan Windle (March 22, 2019)

 

When two people synchronize their watches, they set them so that they match each other, telling the same time. In archaeology, a synchronism is a connection between the literary (biblical) description of a person, place or event in history, with remains from the material culture (inscriptions, etc.). Many archaeological discoveries have established synchronisms between Israel and the surrounding nations which confirm historical details in the Bible. I have highlighted synchronisms with Egypt through three Egyptian inscriptions that refer to Israel, as well as synchronisms with Assyria through three Assyrian inscriptions that refer to Hebrew kings. In this article, we’ll look at three Babylonian inscriptions and how they synchronize with the Israelite nation around the time of the exile.

Consensus? 500+ Scientific Papers Published In 2018 Support A Skeptical Position On Climate Alarm

NoTricksZone (Link) - Kenneth Richard (January 3, 2019)

In 2018, over 500 scientific papers were published that cast doubt on the position that anthropogenic CO2 emissions function as the climate’s fundamental control knob…or that otherwise serve to question the efficacy of climate models or the related “consensus” positions commonly endorsed by policymakers and mainstream media sources.

More than 500 scientific papers published in 2018 affirm the position that there are significant limitations and uncertainties inherent in our understanding of climate and climate changes, emphasizing that climate science is not settled.

Biblical City of Sodom was Blasted to Smithereens by a Massive Asteroid Explosion

Newsweek (Link) - Katherine Hignett (November 22, 2018)

An asteroid that burst in a searing aerial explosion may have destroyed the Bronze Age city of Tall el-Hammam 3,700 years ago, archaeologists reported Saturday.

The city, which lies in the Middle Ghor region of the Jordan Valley, is considered a plausible site for the biblical city of Sodom by some researchers. But this conclusion is hotly debated within the field.

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God for their sinful behavior, according to the Christian Bible.

Scientists presented their preliminary findings at the annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Denver, Colorado.

Has the ‘Signature’ of Biblical Prophet Isaiah Been Discovered?

National Geographic (Link) - Kristin Romey (February 21, 2018)

A clay seal from the eighth century B.C. that was discovered in a Jerusalem excavation may bear the name of the biblical prophet Isaiah, according to a new article in Biblical Archaeology Review.

In the article, titled “Is This the Prophet Isaiah's Signature?,” author and archaeologist Eilat Mazar suggests that the ancient Hebrew script impressed into the damaged half-inch oval of clay may have once read “Belonging to Isaiah the prophet.”

If the interpretation of the lettering on the 2,700-year-old seal is correct, it would be the first reference to Isaiah outside of the Bible. The Hebrew prophet is described as a counselor to the Judean king Hezekiah, who ruled from the late eighth to the early seventh century B.C.

Israeli archaeologists find 2,700-year-old 'governor of Jerusalem' seal impression

Reuters (Link) - Jeffrey Heller (January 1, 2018)

Israeli archaeologists unveiled on Monday a 2,700-year-old clay seal impression which they said belonged to a biblical governor of Jerusalem.

The artifact, inscribed in an ancient Hebrew script as “belonging to the governor of the city”, was likely attached to a shipment or sent as a souvenir on behalf of the governor, the most prominent local position held in Jerusalem at the time, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.

Archaeologists Find Gate to Headquarters of Famed “Ironclad” Sixth Legion in Northern Israel

Smithsonian (Link) - Jason Daley (December 28, 2017)

 

istorians have long known Rome stationed two legions in Judea after the First Jewish Revolt against Roman rule between 66 and 70 C.E. One legion was stationed in Jerusalem, but the headquarters of the other was only confirmed in 2015 in modern-day northern Israel. Now, as Philippe Bohstrom at Haaretz reports, archaeologists digging at the site of the Roman legion encampment have uncovered part of a gate to the headquarters of the fabled Sixth Legion.

Solar Eclipse Mentioned in Bible DID Occur 3,224 Years Ago

Daily Mail UK (Link) - Shivali Best (October 29, 2017)

Scientists believe they may have pinpointed the date of the oldest solar eclipse ever recorded.

The event is mentioned in the Bible, and occurred on 30 October 1,207 BC – exactly 3,224 years ago today.

Scientists believe the findings could have consequences for dating events in the ancient world, including the rules of Egypt’s Pharaohs.

The President Of France Wants Eurozone Members To Transfer Their Sovereignty To A United States Of Europe

The Economic Collapse Blog (Link) - Michael Snyder (July 19, 2015)

The President of France has come up with a very creative way of solving the European debt crisis. On Sunday, a piece authored by French President Francois Hollande suggested that the ultimate solution to the problems currently plaguing Europe would be for every member of the eurozone to transfer all of their sovereignty to a newly created federal government. In other words, it would essentially be a “United States of Europe”. This federal government would have a prime minister, a parliament, a federal budget and a federal treasury. Presumably, the current national governments in Europe would continue to function much like state governments in the U.S. do. In the end, there may be some benefits to such a union – particularly for the weaker members of the eurozone. But at what cost would those benefits come?

Iranian Commander: ‘Erasing Israel Off the Map’ Is ‘Non-Negotiable’

Mohammad Reza Naqdi, head of the Basij militia unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, has surfaced to reassure the world that death for Israel is still very much on the table on the eve of the P+5 nuclear talks, and will never be negotiated away as part of any nuclear deal with President Obama.

Israel National News reports Naqdi saying that “erasing Israel off the map” is “non-negotiable” on Tuesday.

This is the same officer who previously boasted that Iran would keep arming Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank until Israel was annihilated. “The Zionists should know that the next war won’t be confined to the present borders and the Mujahedeen will push them back,” he said in 2014.

Lawsuit: CSUN Scientist Fired After Soft Tissue Found On Dinosaur Fossil

CBS LA (Link) (June 24, 2014)

Attorneys for a California State University, Northridge scientist who was terminated from his job after discovering soft tissue on a triceratops fossil have filed a lawsuit against the university.

While at the Hell Creek Formation excavation site in Montana, researcher Mark Armitage discovered what he believed to be the largest triceratops horn ever unearthed at the site, according to attorney Brad Dacus of Pacific Justice Institute.

Upon examination of the horn under a high-powered microscope back at CSUN, Dacus says Armitage was “fascinated” to find soft tissue on the sample – a discovery Bacus said stunned members of the school’s biology department and even some students “because it indicates that dinosaurs roamed the earth only thousands of years in the past rather than going extinct 60 million years ago.”

Earth may have underground 'ocean' three times that on surface

The Guardian (Link) - Melissa Davey  (June 12, 2014)

After decades of searching scientists have discovered that a vast reservoir of water, enough to fill the Earth’s oceans three times over, may be trapped hundreds of miles beneath the surface, potentially transforming our understanding of how the planet was formed.

The water is locked up in a mineral called ringwoodite about 660km (400 miles) beneath the crust of the Earth, researchers say. Geophysicist Steve Jacobsen from Northwestern University in the US co-authored the study published in the journal Science and said the discovery suggested Earth’s water may have come from within, driven to the surface by geological activity, rather than being deposited by icy comets hitting the forming planet as held by the prevailing theories.

“Geological processes on the Earth’s surface, such as earthquakes or erupting volcanoes, are an expression of what is going on inside the Earth, out of our sight,” Jacobsen said.

“I think we are finally seeing evidence for a whole-Earth water cycle, which may help explain the vast amount of liquid water on the surface of our habitable planet. Scientists have been looking for this missing deep water for decades.”

Islamist Super-Bloc Begins Forming in the Middle East

The Clarion Project (Link) - Ryan Mauro  (November 6, 2013)

A monumental strategic shift is taking place in the Middle East as an Islamist super-bloc is forming. Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood are making up with Iran and Hezbollah. Egypt and the Gulf states are forming their own alliance. The U.S. outreach to Iran and the Brotherhood has left it missing from the equation.

The Syrian civil war has pitted the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey against Iran, Hezbollah, Iraq and the Syrian regime since 2011. Now, with a bloody stalemate resulting in consequences each side fears, the two sides are looking for ways to make amends.

Turkey has been trying to move its relationship with Iran past the ancient Ottoman-Persian rivalry for years. The Erdogan government gave secret U.S. intelligence to Iran and in early 2012, informed Iran about ten of its nationals meeting with Israeli intelligence inside Turkey.

One of the architects of the Turkish-Iranian relationship is Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan, who the Israeli Defense Minister described as a “friend of Iran.” Some Israeli officials privately refer to him as the “station chief in Ankara” for Iranian intelligence.

These statements about Fidan’s role is not hype. The recent U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Iraq, James Jeffrey, put it this way: “Hakan Fidan is the face of the new Middle East.”

Obama Plans To Force Israel To Accept A Palestinian State With Jerusalem As The Capital

The Truth Wins (Link) - Michael Snyder  (November 5, 2013)

If Israel and the Palestinians do not agree on a “two state solution” by the end of this year, the Obama administration plans to propose its own solution and force it on the two sides in early 2014.  For Obama, the goal is to have this agreement in place in time to influence the November 2014 mid-term elections.  Unfortunately for Israel, the Palestinians have absolutely no incentive to move off of their current demands because Obama has been promising them a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital since very early in his presidency.  So the Palestinians have no motivation to negotiate in good faith since they already know that they are going to get what they want in the end anyway.  Ultimately, Obama plans to force Israel to give up the West Bank, East Jerusalem and control over the Temple Mount in exchange for a “promise of peace” that is not even worth the paper that it will be printed on.

When it comes to Israel, the arrogance that Obama is displaying is absolutely appalling.  For example, Obama made the following statement about Israel earlier this year...

“Israel doesn’t know what its own best interests are.”

Oh, but Obama does?

Not only does Obama believe that he knows what is best for Israel, he also plans to force them to do it.

Iran: Armageddon at hand, prepare for war

WorldNet Daily (Link) - Reza Kahlili (July 29, 2013)

Iran is again asserting that Armageddon is at hand and that the Islamic regime’s followers, indeed all of Islam, must prepare for a monumental change in the world.

Officials of the Islamic regime last month held their annual conference on the Mahdism Doctrine to prepare for the coming of the last Islamic messiah, the Shiites’ 12th Imam, Mahdi.

Shiites, whose clerics rule Iran with an iron fist, believe that at the end of times, Mahdi, a 9th century prophet, will reappear with Jesus Christ at his side, kill all the infidels and raise the flag of Islam in all four corners of the world, establishing worldwide Islamic governance.

Ali Larijani, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, said at the conference that, “I hope (Iran’s) Islamic Revolution is that of the righteous government before the coming,” according to Fars News Agency, the regime’s media outlet run by the Revolutionary Guards.

“Righteous government” is a key to Mahdi’s return, the Shiites believe.

“It has been stated in the Islamic hadith that a wave of uprisings (such as the current upheavals in the Arab world) … takes place before the main uprising and that the righteous government (takes place) before the coming, which I hope (Iran’s) Islamic Revolution is that.”

Palestinian Minister Hints Peace Deal Would be Temporary Arrangment Before Conquering Israel Outright

The Blaze (Link) - Sharona Schwartz (July 24, 2013)

As Secretary of State John Kerry pushes full steam ahead to try to bring the Israelis and Palestinian back to the negotiation table, a new video is casting doubt regarding true Palestinian intentions and tactics. Palestinian Authority Minister of Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash in an on-camera sermon on Friday hinted any peace deal secured would secretly be only a short-term arrangement by comparing it to a truce the Muslim prophet Mohammed negotiated but broke two years later.

This is just the latest example of Palestinian leaders discussing their stepwise plan to liberate Palestine from the “river to the sea,” starting with the late Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.

At the Friday Ramadan services, which were attended by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and broadcast on Palestinian television, Habbash explained to Muslim worshipers that Palestinian Authority officials “only through the wisdom of the leadership, conscious action, consideration, and walking the right path” are headed toward “achievement, exactly like the Prophet [Mohammad] did in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, even though some opposed it.”