The Bible Prophecy Channel

Sunday, 26 January 2014

The New Triangle of Egypt, Israel, and Hamas

The Washington Institute 17-Jan-14

With Israeli acquiescence to de facto alterations of the 1979 peace treaty, Egypt has deployed substantial military forces into the Sinai to combat terrorists. But Israel remains hesitant about Cairo's inclination to increase pressure on Hamas in Gaza.

Over the past year, Israel and Egypt have used a little-known, legally permissible understanding -- the Agreed Activities Mechanism -- to bypass restrictions on the number and type of Egyptian forces permitted in much of the Sinai. In doing so, they have made de facto modifications to their 1979 peace treaty without resorting to the diplomatically risky procedure of "reviewing" the treaty itself. As a result, considerable Egyptian army forces are now constantly deployed in central and eastern Sinai (Areas B and C of the peninsula, respectively), in a manner and scope never envisaged by the teams that negotiated the treaty more than three decades ago. Going forward, this new reality on the ground is unlikely to be reversed and is bound to have profound consequences for Egyptian-Israeli security cooperation, Cairo's ongoing counterterrorism campaign, and the fate of Hamas in the neighboring Gaza Strip.

TREATY VS. REALITY

The Military Annex of the 1979 treaty imposed strict limitations on the number of soldiers and type of weapons Egypt could deploy in the peninsula, as well as where they could be deployed. Specifically, it prohibited Cairo from stationing any military forces in Areas B and C other than lightly armed police or border guards. Since last year, however, the Egyptian military presence in these areas has often reached an order of battle approaching the size of a light mechanized division -- in other words, roughly equivalent to the maximal 22,000 troops permitted along line A in western Sinai, an area not subject to the same stringent Annex restrictions.

This de facto change in the way the treaty is observed and implemented came about through a series of quiet bilateral understandings smoothly negotiated under the auspices of the Multinational Force of Observers (MFO), currently led by veteran U.S. diplomat David Satterfield. By way of the Agreed Activities Mechanism, a long-existing understanding reached under the MFO and never publicized widely, Israel agreed to allow the introduction of Egyptian troops into "prohibited" regions in central and eastern Sinai, and later a steady expansion in size and quality of military equipment. Today, Cairo regularly employs Apache attack helicopters, armored carriers, and elite commando battalions in these areas, as well as occasional F-16 overflights, one or two tank companies, and more. Under Maj. Gen. Ahmed Wasfi, the Second Army has essentially based its headquarters in al-Arish, the capital of Sinai's northern governorate, for some time. In addition, smaller units from the Third Army were granted permission through the AAM to deploy in southern portions of the Sinai.

The purpose of Egypt's deployment is nominally explained away as "exercises," but it has never been a training mission for the units in question. Moreover, by renewing the arrangements monthly, Cairo and Israel have created a situation in which a sizable contingent of the Egyptian army is a permanent feature of the Sinai landscape. Discontinuing this unofficial change to the Military Annex no longer seems logical -- rather, the situation seems destined to become an unannounced revision of the treaty, one that does not necessitate renegotiation of any of that document's clauses. And by sidestepping calls in Egypt for formal revision of the Military Annex, the parties avoid the risk involved in opening the treaty to a review process that could spur a multitude of politicians to tear it apart.

THE SINAI CAMPAIGN

Over the past few months, the Egyptian army's new configuration in the peninsula has helped it gain the upper hand in the battle against terrorist militias that have found safe haven there. After isolating and largely clearing the populated northeastern Sinai -- sometimes using brutal scorched-earth tactics against Bedouin villages, encampments, and neighborhoods -- the army put many terrorist factions on the defensive, most notably Ansar Beit al-Maqdis. Around twenty top terrorist commanders have been killed thus far, though Ansar leader Abdullah al-Ashqar has escaped capture.

The next move is expected to be a spring offensive against the main terrorist stronghold in Jabal Halal, also known as "Sinai's Tora Bora," where around a thousand armed militiamen are now sheltering. A secondary objective would be the Jabal Amer area close to the Israeli border. In both cases, Egyptian forces will most likely resort to aerial bombardment and artillery shelling rather than storming with infantry. Some terrorists have already left the Sinai for fear of the coming attack.

Israel has an obvious interest in the success of Egypt's campaign, since Sinai terrorists have attacked several Israeli targets across the border via suicide bombings, missiles, and ambushes. In fact, Israel has long encouraged Cairo to adopt a more proactive posture in pursuit of these terrorists.

For their part, Egyptian officials view the Sinai militants as a direct threat to the security of mainland Egypt. Indeed, suspicions that Ansar Beit al-Maqdis and other factions operate across the Suez Canal have been substantiated. These groups have already claimed responsibility for attacks such as the December 24 car bombing in front of central security headquarters in the delta city of Mansoura, which killed sixteen security personnel. Terrorists have also attempted to disrupt shipping through the Suez using rocket-propelled grenades, spurring Cairo to implement special security measures around the canal, including installation of a new reconnaissance system with American advice.

These Egyptian concerns -- coupled with Israel's fear that the same terrorists might attack its own shipping route in the Gulf of Aqaba, as well as Eilat Airport and various population centers along the 250-kilometer frontier -- have laid a solid base for the kind of deep bilateral cooperation now witnessed in the Sinai. The level of coordination and exchange of information is at an all-time high, and top commanders from both countries are now in almost daily communication.

For its part, the MFO has proved to be a reliable, discreet, and effective tool for facilitating Egyptian-Israeli exchanges removed from public scrutiny. It plays the invaluable role of ensuring that both parties abide by their understandings, providing an address through which to quickly resolve problems and prevent crises. The MFO is therefore an indispensable contact point in the Sinai's changed military situation.

THE HAMAS DILEMMA

The Egyptian army now views the Hamas regime in Gaza as an enemy, publicly blaming it for assisting Sinai terrorists. The military claims to have obtained reliable information that terrorists in the peninsula and even mainland Egypt have been smuggled into Gaza at one point or another, undergoing training in explosives and other military activities at Hamas military bases. Cairo has also accused two key figures from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military arm, of overseeing this training: Raed al-Attar, commander of the group's southern brigade in Rafah, and Ayman Nofal, ex-commander of the central brigade who was jailed in Egypt during Hosni Mubarak's presidency but escaped back to Gaza during the 2011 revolution. Egyptian intelligence is well aware of the ongoing deal between Hamas and Salafi jihadists in Gaza: namely, Hamas does not prevent the latter from collaborating with their colleagues in Sinai, while the Salafists agree to avoid actions that might spark clashes with Israel along the borders of the strip.

Meanwhile, Egyptian military authorities have urged the national media to adhere to a harsh anti-Hamas campaign. In the past ten days alone, several unidentified high-ranking officers have called for either a direct strike on Gaza or a campaign to turn the strip's population against their unpopular government, the latter with the support of the Palestinian Authority and, tacitly, Israel.

In line with these views, Egyptian authorities have repeatedly asked Israel to consider creative new ideas for increasing nonmilitary pressure on Hamas. Yet the two countries have yet to reach a common strategy on that front. Whereas Egyptian military leaders believe that demolishing the Muslim Brotherhood's political power at home requires getting rid of the group's Palestinian sister movement in Gaza, Israeli authorities are reluctant to push Hamas to the brink of collapse for fear of the unknown: namely, who would replace Hamas if its regime were brought down by mass protests? Israelis are concerned about anarchy erupting in the strip or, perhaps worse, a takeover by even more radical actors such as Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad or Salafi jihadists.

For its part, Hamas has been taking measures to forestall any mass demonstrations or other efforts to sabotage its governance. This includes making clear and credible threats to the populace that any riots will be met with live ammunition from the start.

CONCLUSION

The Egyptian army's substantial deployment in previously forbidden areas of central and eastern Sinai -- together with the increase in Egyptian-Israeli security cooperation and the isolation of Gaza by restricting traffic at the Rafah terminal and blocking more than a thousand smuggling tunnels between the strip and the Sinai -- has created a new geopolitical configuration in the peninsula, one worthy of U.S. support. Stabilizing and pacifying Sinai would remove the danger of terrorist operations that threaten both Egyptian-Israeli relations and the safety of shipping through the Suez Canal and its connecting sea lanes. Such an outcome would also loosen Hamas's grip on Gaza; indeed, some Hamas leaders have already expressed willingness to extend concessions to the Palestinian Authority and seek formal reunification of the West Bank and Gaza. This is but one indication that the new realities in the Egypt-Israel-Hamas triangle are bound to have a major impact on the Palestinian scene.

Ehud Yaari is a Lafer International Fellow with The Washington Institute and a Middle East commentator for Israel's Channel Two television.

The Russia-EU summit downgraded to a short meeting

New Europe 17-Jan-14

The Russia-EU summits have always been spread over two days, comprising a dinner including Russian president Vladimir Putin, the president of the Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the Council Herman Van Rompuy, and many other EU high officials.

Initially foreseen for 27-28 January, the “summit" will now consist of a meeting of only a couple of hours. On 28 January, Putin is supposed to arrive by 13.30, and a press conference is already announced for 16.00 h.

EU officials wouldn't comment on this, but the drastic downgrading of the summit reflects Putin’s displeasure with the EU’s position on Ukraine and on many other issues, including Syria.

The displeasure is so high, that, as demonstrative gesture, no concrete topic will be discussed during the meeting, leaving the Europeans wondering how to draft the final communique. One formula already circulating is that the participants will proceed to an "in-depth reflection about the EU-Russia relationship".

During the on-going crisis in Ukraine, the Kremlin, especially through the foreign minister Serghei Lavrov, was vociferously critical of the EU’s “interference” in favour of the Ukrainian opposition, as EU officials regularly appeared on Kiev’s central square in the middle of the demonstrations.

Putin's discontent with EU the started during the autumn of 2013, when the EU asked Russia to end using trade agreements to block East European nations from seeking closer relations, or signing special trade and association agreements with the bloc. In October, the EU foreign ministers even discussed possible trade measures to be considered against Russia in response to political and economic pressure exerted by Moscow on East European nations.

European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Štefan Füle even said then that “Russia's pressure on Ukraine in the issue of signing the Association Agreement with the European Union is unacceptable”, an unusually harsh statement by Commission’s standards.

Putin is known to take personal offence to any criticism against Russian politics. Gone are the times when Schroeder, or Tony Blair, or especially Berlusconi, were cavorting with their personal friend Vladimir Putin. The former Communist countries that entered the EU brought a radical change in perception. Even the recent collapse of the European Nabucco gas project in favour of the Russian South Stream pipeline should be placed in this context.

Meet the Grand Duke of Russia… in Brussels

New Europe 19-Jan-14

In an exclusive interview with New Europe, the Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia - the 33-year-old heir apparent to Maria Vladimirovna, the Grand Duchess of Russia - spoke about his title, the evolution of the throne and his work in Europe.

In Brussels, you just celebrated the 400th anniversary of the House of Romanov. What does this important name mean for you? Does it make you feel proud?

All people need to remember their ancestors and try to be worthy of them, follow their examples and learn from their mistakes. Some people know about their ancestors more and some less. I was lucky in this sense because the history of our lineage is well known and can be traced for almost 700 years, during which more than 300 years, my ancestors were brought forward to rule Russia. Kinship with other dynasties binds us to the world’s history. This imposes a serious responsibility on me. Like any man, I strive to achieve positive results in life. However, like any man I can make mistakes. But my efforts on a number of initiatives cannot be comparable with the achievements of my ancestors. I know that people judge us very harshly and demandingly because they compare what we do to the acts of our predecessors. This is why I do my best in order to fulfil my duty to represent the honour of my homeland, my compatriots and the good name of the Romanovs, trying always to embody the strong values and traditions I have been brought up in and always trying to put my name at service for good causes.

Is there a historical member of your family that has most inspired you from a moral or professional point of view?

I never cease to admire the will and energy of Peter the Great and his willingness to sacrifice. He demanded a lot from others, but was just as demanding of himself. Even his death became a symbol of these qualities. He became fatally ill, saving a stranded soldier of a boat in the icy waters during winter. Peter I by his own example proved that any work is worthy of respect, that there is no “non-prestigious” profession because all professions serve the betterment of a society. He mastered many sciences and crafts. In my work, I try to follow his example given the fact that he did not stubbornly try to keep all on his own, and did not to assume that all that was foreign was better, with his extensive travel and learning of a bigger world he tried to combine the best of both worlds to make his country stronger. Other ancestors I could mention, Alexander Nevsky, Nicholas I and Alexander III, all these sovereigns, each in his own way, have embodied the most positive qualities of Russian monarchs.

Can you tell us about your work?

I started working in Brussels in 2001 as an assistant to the MEP and President of the Juridic Committee Ana de Palacio. I later worked with MEP Pilar Ayuso and eventually I was in the cabinet of Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Transports and Energy Loyola de Palacio. I later moved to Luxembourg to continue my work in the General Directorate of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM).

In 2010, I started working for Norilsk Nickel, a Russian company and the first global producer of nickel. I started as an adviser to the general manager of the company on European related issues, and soon after I was given the responsibilities of president of Norilsk Nickel Europe in London and Brussels representing the companies interests in front of the institutions of the European Union. I also became a member of the board of directors of an association of Nickel-related companies that came together with other similar companies from across the globe to solidify our industry’s position and reputation within the European Union. I am currently pursuing a variety of initiatives - some commercial and some charitable. I am working on the creation of a public affairs, communications platform in Brussels (Romanoff & Partners) which will specialise not exclusively in representing the interests of Russian and Eastern European corporations and public interests within the European Union.

I am also working on the charitable side with the creation of The Russian Imperial Foundation for Cancer Research. It is a foundation that aims to give the opportunity to fight what is nowadays one of the greatest plagues worldwide and a major cause of mortality in Russia. We are now in the process of gathering medical experts from around the world to help us find the best way to focus our efforts. I am also hoping to give a chance to our Russian medical experts and students to be as prominent as they once were. With a little luck and God’s help we can maybe do our part to put in check this great evil of our times.

Do you have any contact with the English or the Spanish royal families?

Of course, we are in touch with our relatives. We correspond with each other regularly .We congratulate each other during the holiday seasons - there are various dynastic ceremonies. It is an integral part of the social work of the imperial house.

In Europe, there are monarchical countries that show a more modern image to the public. What do you think about this change of mentality?

A monarchy is an expression of values and traditions, but it must not remain frozen in time. Monarchs are the maximum expression of a state’s institutions and are deeply linked to the various aspects of their nation and of their societies. Each historical period has had an evolution and monarchs are the ones who in many cases have driven this process. I’m thinking about Peter the Great and his big commitment in modernising Russia, or Catherine the Great who brought into her nation the ideals of the era of the enlightenment. Considering the enormous processes of liberalisation and globalisation, I believe monarchy has evolved as well. It has become more modern though still being representative of its nations and citizens, without discarding the historical and traditional values and traditions that it embodies.

Signs of Our Times January 2014 Edition

“A TIME OF TROUBLE SUCH AS NEVER WAS”
The vision given to the prophet Daniel (from whose writing the above quotation is taken) described the condition of the world in which we now live. The angel was describing a state of turmoil described variously as “The Last Days,” “The Time of the End,” “The latter days.” This short period of time will culminate in what is scripturally referred to as “The day of the LORD,” ”The great and terrible day of the LORD,” “A day of wrath” and other, less spe-cific, references. Unfortunately, it is not going to be pleasant for the vast majority of global humanity Those readers of SOT who have followed our reasoning in the previous editions will recognize that the passage quoted above from Daniel 12 follows immediately the prophecy of the battle between the king of the north and the king of the south (Iraq/Iran vs. Saudi Arabia and its allies). The “king of the north” ends his campaign in defeat at the hands of “Michael the great Prince” (Israel’s Messiah – Jesus Christ) in Israel, east of Jerusalem.
The place has been specified as the valley where King Jehoshaphat led the people of Judah out to confront the Arab horde which was attacking Jerusalem at that time. However, God had confounded the Arabic war machine and by the time the Jewish army had arrived on the scene, the Arabs had turned on each other so viciously that not one survived!
So it will be on “the day of the LORD.” Let us examine some of the prophecies:
Let us look at a few more “day of the LORD” prophecies.
From the pen of Zephaniah the prophet we see that this day of destruction receives a number of the above titles:
WARNINGS abound in both Old and New testaments about this “Day of Wrath!” Unfortunately many Orthodox churches have neglected this vital message – vital especially in our day when “the transgressors have come to the full.” [Daniel 8:23].
The Apostle John received the last message that our Lord Jesus gave – The Book of Revelation. John was given glimpses of the future – including “the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;” and he wrote this: “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” [Revelation 6:17].
SIGNS OF OUR TIMES
Joel 3:9 [RSV] Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare war (“sanctify”) “make a holy war”, stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, "I am a warrior." 11 Hasten and come, all you nations round about (Jerusalem), gather yourselves there. Bring down thy warriors, O LORD. 12 Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the nations round about [i.e. ALL Israel’s Arab neighbours].
Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15 Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Joel 2:31 the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hastens greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloomi-ness, a day of clouds and thick darkness, … BUT NOTE THIS …. Zephaniah 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.
After Paul’s warnings in Romans chapter 1 of the diseases God will inflict on those who practice Sodomy and Lesbianism, Paul writes in verse 29 that all those men who are full of “all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:” AND WHO … “knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death… after their hardness and impenitent hearts” treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile……………..”
January 2014 Vol. 26 No. 1
DANIEL 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book..”
IS this the message that Christians hear? We know that Jesus Christ saves us – but saves us from what?
Some imaginary devil who supposedly rules deep down in a fiery hell? Or that Jesus takes an imaginary immortal soul to bliss in heaven? None of this in the Bible. Instead it is the “devil” {literally “false accusers”} that ends in “the lake of fire” – which is a symbol of “the second death.” The final judgment on all sin and sinners. The Bible says: “The soul that sins shall die!”[Ezekiel 18:4 & 20], while on the contrary the Bible assures those who “turn to serve the living and true God; and - wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus,” that they will be “delivered us from the wrath to come.” [1 Thessalonians 1:9 & 10].
THE FAITHFUL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST are delivered from the wrath to come! This is the message of Scrip-ture! SOT always ends with the hope that our Lord Jesus will COME to save us, i.e. “to raise the dead in Christ,” and take with them “those who are alive and remain” to meet our returning Saviour so that we may “be ever with Him” – in the Kingdom of God on earth [1 Thess. 4:14-18]. Our aim is to help our readers as well as ourselves to be prepared for His Coming by understanding that “GOD rules in the Kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever He will and sets up over it the basest of men.” [Daniel 4:17]. In other words that GOD IS IN CONTROL! The events SOT mentions are a slice of what is happening in this little globe called Earth. But God is not confined to Earth!
The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 8:3 “When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established; 4 what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him?” BUT God is mindful of man and has given us His Son that we can have eter-nal life in His Kingdom when Jesus comes as “King of kings and Lord of lords” to cleanse the Earth of evil. When there will truly be “Glory to God in the highest; Peace on Earth and Good Will toward men.” SO …. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Yes! We are seeing all these things. Dick Tracy and Buck Rogers (fictional characters of bygone years – remembered only by the very aged) have long since been surpassed in the realities of our time. The cruelty of man has no bounds. His inventions are all dangerous – often fatal - and the expression of his immoral thoughts more vividly displayed than Shakespeare or Dante could ever have imagined. “Transgressors are at the full”- or are they? The sum total of mankind’s immorality and ingenuity has resulted in the world we see around and within us today!
God has given mankind His Word, known in the English tongue as ‘The Bible.’ He has preserved it through centuries of opposition. It has cost the lives of many faithful men who succeeded in translating and publishing it. Today many millions of copies lay neglected, rejected or opposed in households all over the world – sadly – for it contains the ONLY way of escape from the calamities it foretells that are to envelope our planet in the near future.
Israel is the focal point of all prophecy. Israel is God’s witness that He is in control. Israel is back in their Land! SOT may comment on events which seem quite distant to the Land of Israel, but even remote occurrences may prove to be significant in their later development. Usually if SOT can see a connection to Bible prophecy. For example: (1) China has recently extended its territorial waters to take in the disputed islands just south of Okina-wa called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. This has angered the governments of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, all of whom have a claim to these small islands. All these nations use the surrounding waters as fishing grounds. Japan has purchased them from their original owners, angering China. The situation is quite tense. While this seems very remote from Israel, in the prophecy concerning “the kings of the north and south” there is this statement concerning the “king of the north” (which SOT suggests is Iran): “But tidings from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go forth with great fury to exterminate and utterly destroy many” [Daniel 11:44] causing this aggressor to move into Egypt and eventually, Israel where he is destroyed. We will watch if and how this develops.
(2) SOT often comments on the monetary crisis; the Vatican; or, the rise of Germany to European dominance for example. But SOT sees the rise of Germany as the “beast whose terrible wound was healed” foretold in Revela-tion 13 to dominate world finances. That the Vatican is the reality of the symbolic woman “Babylon the Great” [Revel. ch.17].
(3) Closer to Israel we see the “Arab Spring” as the fulfillment of the many prophecies which tell that the Arabs will continue to destroy themselves in conflicts against each other, as they have done many times in past Biblical his-tory when they attempted to overthrow Israel and thwart the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
So, much lies ahead. The crux of the matter is found in John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” “Even so, Come! Lord Jesus.”

Egypt to Hamas: We're Coming for You

Israel Today 19-Jan-14

In a scenario Israelis would have found too far-fetched to believe just a few years ago, Egypt is set to become the Jewish state's new best friend in the fight against Hamas terrorism.

Having finally put down the Muslim Brotherhood after its hijacking of the 2011 pro-democracy revolution, the Egyptian military has been making not-so-subtle threats against the Palestinian terror group.

Hamas is an off-shoot of and closely aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood. When senior Muslim Brotherhood official Mohammed Morsi briefly became Egypt's president, Hamas-ruled Gaza erupted in celebration.

The new military rulers in Cairo know that they cannot be truly done with the Muslim Brotherhood without eradicating the Hamas threat, too.

Since last summer, the Egyptian army has destroyed over 1,200 tunnels running under the Sinai-Gaza border, dealing a severe blow to the Hamas economy.

Now, officials in Cairo say the regime intends to launch a series of campaigns to undermine Hamas' legitimacy in Palestinian society and put the group on the run.

Egypt will reportedly begin bolstering Hamas' rivals in Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction, while also instigating in Gaza the same kind of street rallies that brought down Morsi's government.

Hamas officials in Gaza called the Egyptian threats "delusional."

Meanwhile, Israel is remaining relatively mum on the development. But during a press conference in Jerusalem last week, Dov Weissglas, former chief of staff to Ariel Sharon, said Israelis had to "pinch themselves" to make sure they weren't dreaming when first reading the news of Egypt's shift.

Netanyahu to UN: Can You Handle the Truth?

Arutz Sheva 19-Jan-14

Hiding the truth about the Jewish nation’s connection to the land of Israel will not advance peace, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Sunday at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting.

Netanyahu reacted to the decision made by UNESCO, the UN’s cultural body, to postpone an exhibition on Israel’s Jewish history due to concern that it “might be perceived as endangering the peace process.”

The exhibit “won’t endanger negotiations. Negotiations that are based on the facts, on truth, cannot be endangered,” Netanyahu declared.

However, he warned, other UN behavior does hurt the chances for peace. “What does undermine talks is some states’ automatically summoning Israeli ambassadors over trivial matters, while serious violations by the Palestinian Authority get no response,” he charged.

“The biased approach to Israel does not advance peace – it delays peace,” he continued. “It strengthens the PA’s refusal to move forward in negotiations.”

The Prime Minister also had a warning for Hamas, in response to recent rocket attacks on Israel, and the Israeli response that followed.

“We are determined to maintain quiet in the south. We do this through a policy of preventative strikes, and also with a firm response to those who hurt us, or try to hurt us.

“I suggest to Hamas that it take this policy of ours into account,” he said.

The Bible Prophecy Channel