END TIMES WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS

Juniper Oak 23 involves thousands of troops practicing land, sea, air, cyber and space drills in Israel in an implied warning to Iran. by Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The American military and the IDF began a week-long series of joint exercises in Israel involving thousands of troops in every sphere of combat.

“Juniper Oak is a Combined Joint All-Domain exercise which improves our interoperability on land, in the air, at sea, in space, and in cyberspace with our partners, enhances our ability to respond to contingencies, and underscores our commitment to the Middle East,” said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command (CentCom).

Some 6,400 American personnel are practicing military scenarios with about 1,100 Israeli soldiers. Most of the Americans are at sea with the participating U.S. carrier strike group, which will go on joint maneuvers against simulated maritime threats with six Israeli missile ships and a submarine.

In the air, over 140 planes, including the most advanced F-35 Stealth jets, B-52 bombers, F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighters, unmanned aerial vehicles and refueling aircraft will fly “missions” together.

Electronic warfare exercises will test the joint abilities of the “armchair warriors” – one of the most important fronts in any future war.

The drills will end with an extensive live-fire exercise simulating the overpowering of enemy air defenses both on the ground and in the sky, as well as ground forces’ use of both U.S. HIMARs long-range rockets and Israeli missile systems, and American laser-guided bombs.

The IDF spokesman made a point of noting that during the exercise there will be a considerable amount of military traffic throughout the country, and echoes of explosions will be heard in the South.

U.S. and Israeli spokespersons have said the simulations are “relevant to a whole range” of scenarios or regional threats, although a senior U.S. defense official acknowledged that “Iran may draw certain inferences from that. It’s really meant mostly to kick the tires on our ability to do things at this scale with the Israelis against a whole range of different threats.

“But, you know, it would not surprise me if Iran sees the scale and the nature of these activities and understands what the two of us are capable of doing.”

The 23rd rendition of Juniper Oak is “the most significant exercise between the United States and Israel to date,” the official said.

There is a second American message behind the massive exercise, according to a statement the official made to NBC News – this one directed to other parts of the world.

“What we think this exercise demonstrates is our ability in being able to flex to another high priority area of responsibility and conduct an exercise on this scale in the Middle East” while still being highly occupied with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and concerned over the growing threat perceived from China, the official said.

PROPHESIED WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS

The Israel Air Force and the United States Air Force held the largest joint aerial exercise in years, simulating strikes against Iran’s nuclear program and mid-flight refueling.

The two-day drill took place over the Mediterranean Sea and Israel. Fighter jets from both countries simulated long-range flights and striking distant targets, increasing readiness for combat scenarios with Iran.

The Israel Defense Forces and the American military’s Central Command have conducted several joint drills over recent years.

Two Israeli and one American F-16 fighter jets fly alongside one another during a joint exercise in southern Israel in January 2022.

(Israel Defense Forces) In July of 2022, President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a Joint Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership – also known as the Jerusalem Declaration.

The declaration stresses the U.S. commitment “never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and that it is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome.”

The joint drill was the subject of meetings in Washington last week between IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi and U.S. officials, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, and CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla.

While there, Kochavi was awarded the Legion of Merit by the U.S. Armed Forces in recognition of his achievements in “establishing Israel’s position as a leader of groundbreaking operational capabilities in the Middle East,” and strengthening the Israeli-American strategic alliance, a statement from the military said.

Kochavi was also recognized for stewarding the U.S.-Israeli military-to-military relationship through a transition period, as U.S. European Command handed over its geographic combatant command responsibility for Israel to U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations and regional cooperation in the Middle East.

Some NIS 3.5 billion ($1 billion) has been earmarked from the IDF’s NIS 58 billion ($17 billion) defense budget for the next year military activity relating to combating Iran.

Outgoing Defense Minister Benny Gantz earlier this month warned Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu to think “very carefully” before striking Iran.

“Israel has the ability to act in Iran. We have the readiness, development capabilities, and long-term plans we are managing. We need to prepare for this possibility, and we will also need to consider this issue very carefully before carrying it out,” he said.

God has warned us of exactly what will unfold in the end times that precede Jesus’ return to restore righteousness to His world so we should not be taken by surprise God is in control.

And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.Mark 13:7-8

DEFENCE MINISTER: ISRAEL ON ITS WAY TO WAR

“We have examined all the options and Israel’s final resort is to strike at Hamas,” Defence Minister Liberman said.

This report by Jack Gold, World Israel News, on rumour of war with Israel fits what Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse would be evident in the last days in the lead up to the last seven years prophesied by Daniel (70th week) and confirmed in Revelation.

“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24:6-8

Egyptian mediation has failed and Israel is on its way to war. That was the message Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman delivered Monday to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.

Israel has recently seen an increase in the intensity and the volume of violence and attacks emanating from Gaza, which culminated in Wednesday’s rocket attack on Israel which destroyed a home in Beersheba.

Defense Minister: Israel is on its way to war

Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman (C) arrives to a Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Knesset, on October 22, 2018.

Palestinian riots on Israel’s border with Gaza are not “popular protests” as Hamas depicts them but rather carefully orchestrated violence organised by the terror group, he said.

“Fifteen thousand people do not show up by foot at the border fence,”  Liberman said. “We have been talking since March 30 about the tens of millions [of shekels] Hamas has spent … They pay for every person killed $3,000, each seriously wounded $500, and a moderately injured [rioter receives] less than $200.”

No deal with Hamas

“When we talk about an arrangement and I’m expressing my opinion here – I do not believe in any arrangement with Hamas. It does not work, it has not worked in the past, it will not work in the future,” the defence minister stated.

Israel has “reached a situation where there is no alternative – anything other than the hardest, heaviest blow that we are capable of dealing Hamas in the Gaza Strip – will not help. We are in a state of ‘no choice,’” he added. “We have arrived at that point where we need to arrive at decisions, we have examined all the options.”

Hamas has called for war on Israel, and Hamas means what it says, he noted, and “therefore, we need to reach clear conclusions, and beyond the conclusions we need actions.”

The Security Cabinet met Wednesday night to consider its response to a rocket attack from Gaza. Its discussion was not made public.