Shalom from Catania, Sicily! I must admit that as I’m leaving Israel, it is with concern and frustration. Every single person in my country’s military, intelligence, and government knows that the commencement of a very big war is not a matter of if but when.

In the past, America has been the stabilizing power that has kept the dogs at bay. But now, what once was the most powerful nation on earth is being led by an incredibly weak administration that is humiliatingly desperate to make a deal with Iran, seemingly at all costs.

If this new Iran deal goes through, instead of giving the US more influence in the region as they hope, it will essentially render America irrelevant in the Middle East. I love the US; it is like a second home to me. It breaks my heart to see what has become of this country that I have so admired and respected.

The Washington elite believe that if they can only come up with a good deal for Iran, the ayatollahs will gratefully accept it and hold to it. But that is not in their DNA. This administration is expecting those in the Middle East to think and act like Westerners. That’s not going to happen.

They also assume that Israel will go along with the deal because they are dangling the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia as some great reward. Again, that’s not going to happen either. We would love a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia, but agreeing with a new Iran deal is far too exorbitant a price.

Soon, the Biden administration will roll out their terrible new deal. Only a compromised and foolish Democrat-led government, along with their liberal, progressive EU buddies, will believe in it. The Israelis won’t buy it. The Saudis won’t buy it. The Iranian regime will gladly sign it, but they won’t hold to it.

Israel, for the sake of its own survival, will end up having to act alone to stop Iran from going nuclear. And that’s when it will all blow up.

So, that’s why as I look forward to what is ahead in Italy and Romania, much of my heart is still back home in Israel. I know that God has His hand on His nation and on His people. I pray for His intervention in the process of this new deal, and that He somehow restores the strength, reputation, and positive influence of the United States of America.

Netanyahu Assures Nation and World of Israel’s Readiness

As I mentioned above, Israel is preparing for war. On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the beginning of a meeting with members of the security cabinet to send a message to his country’s citizens and to the world. “We are confident we can deal with any threat on our own, and also with other means…. The reality in our region is changing rapidly. We are not stagnating. We are adjusting our war doctrine and our options of action in accordance with these changes, in accordance with our goals which do not change.” He also took time to reaffirm that Israel was “committed to acting against the Iranian nuclear program, against missile attacks on the State of Israel, and against the possibility of the convergence of the arenas, what we call a multi-front campaign.”

Terror Attack on Israel/Egypt Border

A rare terrorist attack took place on the border between Israel and Egypt. Early Saturday morning, two Israeli soldiers were shot and killed by a member of the Egyptian security services. Because their location was remote, their bodies weren’t discovered until hours later. Once they were found, a manhunt took place, and the gunman was found. A shootout occurred during which the Egyptian and a third Israeli soldier were killed. The Egyptian government claims that it was all a misunderstanding that began as the security agent was pursuing drug smugglers. To Israel, the evidence points much more toward terrorism. Prime Minister Netanyahu is demanding a full investigation and clear answers.

Iran Develops Hypersonic Missile

With much celebration and fanfare, Iran unveiled their first hypersonic missile on Tuesday. The “Fattah” can reach speeds of Mach 13-15 and has a range of 1400 km. Just for reference’s sake, it is 1200 km from Iran’s border to Tel Aviv. This new missile is also capable of performing maneuvers outside the atmosphere that make it almost impossible to destroy.

Thankfully, if the US administration gets that Iran Deal signed, we in Israel won’t have to worry about the ayatollahs strapping a nuclear warhead to a Fattah missile, right? Phew, is that ever a relief!

UN Chooses Iran as Vice President of General Assembly

In a quintessential move which demonstrates what the United Nations truly is, the august body, designed for bringing about peace and harmony throughout the world, has this week voted Iran as vice president of the General Assembly.

This is despite the fact that Iran has murdered or executed well over 500 protesters and imprisoned tens of thousands more in the last nine months since the death of Mahsa Amini who was killed while in custody of the morality police.

It ignores the country’s defiance of the UN’s nuclear watchdogs and the Islamic regime’s stated goal of wiping Israel, a fellow UN member, off the face of the map. I suppose we shouldn’t expect more. It’s just more Utter Nonsense passed by the Useless Nincompoops of the United Nothing.

UAE Leaves US-led Naval Alliance

Not long after leaving a US-led maritime coalition, the UAE appears to be joining a new naval alliance. Led by Iran with the assistance of China, this coalition would include Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Iraq, and, possibly, India and Pakistan. This is just one more evidence of the shift of power in the Middle East from the West to the East.

Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Exports

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia announced that they would cut oil production by 10%. The move, which will drop their output from 10 million barrels a day to 9 million, will likely cause higher prices around the globe. When asked the purpose of the move, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz said at a news conference, “This is a Saudi lollipop. We wanted to ice the cake. We always want to add suspense. We don’t want people to try to predict what we do…. This market needs stabilization.” Ummm, thanks, Prince, for that clarification.

Russia Destroys Ukrainian Hydro-Electric Dam

According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia blew up the Nova Kakhovka hydro-electric dam on Tuesday. The destruction of the dam caused the Dnipro River to flood many towns and cities downstream. Kherson, a city of more than a quarter-of-a-million people was completely flooded. Many consider this to be the most severe, destructive attack by the Russians since the beginning of the war. Moscow, however, denies any hand in the action.

Indian Train Crash Kills Almost 300

A signaling error on Friday led to a collision between two trains in Odisha state in eastern India. At least 288 people have been confirmed dead in the crash with more than 850 others injured. It is the deadliest train crash in India in over two decades. Pray for the families of the dead and the recovery of the injured. Ask the Lord to show Himself in this time of great tragedy and loss.