Reminiscing of Yom Kippur 1973
The
world watches the war of words between Israel and Iran. President Ahmadinejad’s call for the
annihilation of the Zionist regime has lost its edge because of
overuse. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s
reply that Israel has the right to defend itself is as expected as the sun
rising in the morning. However, tensions
rose to a new high last week with the comment by Iran’s Defense Minister Ahmad
Vahidi that “of course this confrontation has
always continued; however, since we are in the era of The Coming, this war will
be a significant war” (Mashregh news). He was referring to Imam Mahdi, the Shi’ites’
12th Imam who they believe will reappear to kill all infidels and establish a
global Muslim caliphate . This is the
first official confirmation that the mullahs think we are living in the
end-times, that the Mahdi’s return is imminent and that they can hasten it by
bringing on destruction and mayhem in a scale never seen before. Can you say “nuclear weapons”?
Simultaneously, the
Jewish people are celebrating their High Holy Days. Rosh Hashanah was celebrated between sunset
of September 16 and nightfall of September 18. Yom Kippur will take place between sunset
September 25 and nightfall of September 26.
This brings memories of 1973 and the Yom Kippur War, when the combined
armies of Egypt and Syria attacked the Jewish State on the holiest day of the
Jewish calendar. It was nothing short of
a miracle that Israel survived the attack.
Later on the Israeli government appointed the Agranat Commission to examine the
failures leading up to and during the early stages of the war. It called for the resignation of four senior
officers, including the commander of military intelligence Maj. Gen. Eli Zeira,
while clearing Prime Minister Golda Meir from responsibility.
According to the Times
of Israel, newly released documents reveal that the Mossad knew a week in
advance that Egypt was planning to launch a surprise attack on Yom Kippur but,
in the Times’ words, “did not pass
the information on in an orderly and explicit way to Prime Minister Golda
Meir’s office”. Yes, Israel won the war,
but the failure to launch a pre-emptive strike almost led to the destruction of
the Jewish State.
Fast
forward to 2012. Yom Kippur will be next
Wednesday. And once again, Israel is
being threatened with utter destruction.
What would you do, if you were the Prime Minister of Israel? Pre-emptive strike on the Iranian nuclear
facilities? Wait? I know that PM Netanyahu holds a Bible study
in his office. He is well aware of God’s
promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He
also knows that in the Old Testament the Lord has fought WITH Israel, not
INSTEAD OF. I am not privy to the
intelligence available to PM Netanyahu, but I am convinced that he will strike
Iran.
