A portion of my weekly update from Israel for those interested:
Shalom from Israel! The mood in my country is tense. While the operation in Gaza is going exceedingly well, we know that the big war has yet to commence. The conflict with Hezbollah must come, and it will come. When it does, it will be brutal for the entire nation. Hezbollah is much better armed, much better financed, and much better trained than Hamas. The Iron Dome and our other air defense systems can only do so much against the thousands of rockets that will come racing across our northern border. I fully expect that by the time it is all said and done, the skyline of Tel Aviv will look different, as will many other parts of the country.
The hardship many families are feeling most now, and expect to only get worse, is the separation of spouses from one another and parents from their children. My wife and I already have one of our children who has been called up into the military. We expect that number to rise to three of our four within the next several months. Many have been away from home since the beginning of the conflict, and the resulting closing of businesses and the accompanying financial hardships have been devastating.
Once again, the months ahead will be a difficult time, but a necessary one. We cannot live any longer with the constant threat from a belligerent and active terrorist army just across our border. Again, this will not be a war with Lebanon, but it will be a war in Lebanon. Hezbollah is fully entrenched in that country, and they have so infiltrated the nationās government and leadership infrastructure that the large percentage of Lebanese citizens who desperately want them out have no power or authority to do anything about it.
The war in Israelās north will likely not remain just in Lebanon. The many terrorist militias that are based in Syria make it probable that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will have a dual-northern front. Already, Israelās military has moved four divisions, or approximately 100,000 soldiers, to the north. This is four times the usual number.
Many of Israelās allies are pressuring us toward an end of hostilities, as are some growing oppositional voices within the nation. I wish we could oblige, but we cannot. If we allow our enemies the peace and the time needed to retrench and rearm, they will undoubtedly one day reengage. And this time theyāll come back even stronger than before. We canāt allow that to happen.
The pressure the U.S. is placing on Israel for an end to the war and a subsequent two-state solution is driving a wedge between two historically strong allies. What is most aggravating is that the two-state hard sell is purely political in nature. This present administration sees an election coming up, and the incumbent desperately needs this win. His international track record has been atrocious as is evidenced by how many global militarized conflicts have erupted since he has taken office. If the current resident of the White House remains in office for another term, the relationship between the United States and Israel will likely be irreparably damaged.
Please pray for wisdom for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his leadership team. Pray the same for the generals leading the actions of the IDF. And pray for safety for those of us who will be on the receiving end of the Hezbollah missiles, as well as for the innocent Lebanese citizens who are trapped in the war zone created by Hezbollah.
