Israel has attacked Iran

Near the end he concludes with a warning that the United States may withdraw support for Israel, potentially aligning with the prophecy, and emphasizes the need for individuals to be spiritually prepared for the Rapture and to pray for peace in Jerusalem. Could you explain what the "Rapture" is?
 

Stoppelmann said:
The Suffering Servant is a term used to describe the figure in Isaiah 53 who suffers on behalf of others and brings salvation and blessing to the world. Christians believe this figure is a prophecy about Jesus Christ, the ideal and perfect Israel who fulfils God's mission in righteousness.

However, the prevailing rabbinic interpretation from 1000–1500 CE of Isaiah 53 ascribes the “servant” to the nation of Israel, who silently endured unimaginable suffering at the hands of its gentile oppressors. This came about because of the influence of Rashi — probably the most influential scholar in Jewish history – who pioneered the claim that the servant of Isaiah was Israel. He lived through a terrible time of Jewish persecution. Crusaders often targeted Jews both directly and as a source of income for their travels.

In traditional Jewish thought, the return to Israel is often associated with the Messianic era, a time of redemption and peace when the Messiah will arrive to fulfil God's promises to the Jewish people. Some interpretations suggest that Jews should only return to Israel in their entirety when the Messiah comes to establish this era. However, most Zionists are not religious, and so their concern is not with that but with a political goal, which was devised in the 19th century in America.

Zionism's method is an aggressive occupation of the country, the expulsion of the indigenous Arabs, and the building of a society based on the American model. Not only was the Balfour plan rejected by (Muslim, Christian and Jewish) Arabs living there but the support of the surrounding Arab nations was portrayed as an act of aggression rather than seeing the Zionist tactics as aggression. Evangelical Christians support Israel because they see it as a requirement for the return of Christ.
Click to expand...
If past wrongs were a justification for war today, every continent in the world would be aflame with ongoing wars.
 

What we know so far about Israel's strike on Iran — and what could happen next​


Israel launched missiles into Iran late Thursday in the retaliatory strike it had promised — and that Western leaders had sought to temper — following Tehran's attack on Israel on Sunday.

A senior U.S. military official confirmed to NPR that the Israeli military had conducted missile strikes against Iran. But little else is known about the extent of the strikes and any potential damage, as both Israel and Iran appeared to downplay the attack on Friday morning — which analysts suggest points to an effort to de-escalate regional tensions.

"This is a very dangerous moment, but I think Israel has done about as intelligent a thing as they can do under this circumstance," Gen. Frank McKenzie, retired commander of U.S. Central Command, told Morning Edition. "No one knows exactly what happened and maybe, just maybe, we'll avoid any possibility of significant escalation as a result of it."

​

Details about the attack remain scarce. Citing a military official in the central city of Isfahan, Iran state news agency IRNA said loud sounds heard nearby were that of air defenses intercepting a "suspicious target," with no damage reported in the area.

Isfahan is home to several military facilities, including Iran's largest nuclear research complex. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on social media that the nuclear sites were not damaged.

There were also reports of explosions in Iraq and Syria. Syria's state-run SANA news agency said Israel targeted air defense sites in its southern region, causing "material damage."

World leaders are calling for a de-escalation of the conflict and continued efforts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the hopes of averting a wider regional conflict.

Trita Parsi, the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told Morning Edition that by downplaying the strike, Iran seems to have found a way to avoid the retaliation it had promised in the case of an Israeli attack — at least for now.

"Given the circumstances of where we are, this could have turned out much worse," Parsi added. "But it's not over yet, so we shouldn't draw too big of a conclusion quite yet."

How are Israel and Iran responding?​

Reaction to the strikes appears fairly muted in both countries.

In Iran, state TV apparently laughed off the attack, and social media posted mocking memes. Iran temporarily suspended flights at airports nationwide but resumed them on Friday morning.

Israel's Home Front Command System, which issues threat alerts to civilians, didn't raise its threat level. The country didn't suspend flights, but German airline group Lufthansa announced Friday morning it would suspend flights to Israel and Iraq until at least early Saturday due to the "current situation." (It had already suspended Tehran flights through the end of April.)

Israeli officials were largely quiet in the aftermath of the attack — the Washington Post reports they complied with a gag order — with a few notable exceptions.

​

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, tweeted out a single word — Hebrew slang meaning "weak" — by way of criticizing the strike.

Iranian state-affiliated news agency Tasnim seized on his comment, saying Israeli authorities are "making fools of themselves." Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called the tweet "unforgivable," saying Ben-Gvir had embarrassed Israel "from Tehran to Washington."

The tension over Ben-Gvir's tweet encapsulates the fervor of the debate within and beyond Israel about how the country should respond to Iran's attack, the first launched on Israel from its own soil.

https://www.npr.org/2024/04/19/1245838551/israel-iran-attack​

 
Lara said:
I didn't catch that in this video. That would be another subject for another thread and probably why it was at the end.
It would take us way off topic regarding Israel and Hamas. Let's not derail this thread. You can start another thread.

Click to expand...
At 44:40 He specifically says in the prophecy next is the Rapture of the Church. This is the ultimate reason, no? The whole thing leads to the Rapture is what the point is. This is highly suspect propaganda...not to be taken as anything other than "guessing".

Please like you say : "let's not derail this thread with propaganda, and try to present the facts, not opinions.
 
Iran’s powerful attack on Israel seems to be backfiring. The House, in a rare display of multi-party unity these days, has voted to push through more aid for Israel along with Ukraine and Taiwan. Perhaps the Iranian leaders have overplayed their hand?
 
Ongoing since Biblical times: For every attack there is a retaliation, which is regarded as an attack...which in turn deserves retaliation. It's really hard to take sides in a mutual combat situation...is one side more wrong or right than the other? Killing is killing.
 
Nathan said:
Ongoing since Biblical times: For every attack there is a retaliation, which is regarded as an attack...which in turn deserves retaliation. It's really hard to take sides in a mutual combat situation...is one side more wrong or right than the other? Killing is killing.
Click to expand...
:) Yes, and self-defense is self-defense.
 
Am I the only one who is sick and tired of the USA thinking it can run everything. The middle east is a hot bed of hatred. All hate all.
All they know is killing somebody, all the time. If one thinks religion is at the base of it is really Nieve. Its Hatred and very cruel people. Sure we have PGA golfers running around there in their tiny tight panties, but it's all about money. Meanwhile the people are full of hatred.

Look the Moslems have been attacking Israel since forever. The Nazi killed many in their camps. The Jews are so screwed. If they had a brain they would just nuke the Moslems, let the dust settle and move to Australia. So basically, the Jews are just Cowards that do not destroy their enemies like the rest of us do. Either nuke the F'r's or not. The Jews keep hedging, keep using a wool rug, etc. Done subject.
 
Last edited:
All I can add to this is that next week, there will be a lot of interesting discussions at family Passover seders around the world.

As some of you may know, the seder always end with a recited wish by everyone around the table: "Next year in Jerusalem!" That was written probably centuries ago, when Jerusalem was the ultimate hope in the minds of many Jews, but inaccessible to them. Even Jews in America and western Europe, as well as many other places, who are perfectly free to move to Jerusalem any time they want, still recite that line. Why? Probably, as Tevya sang, "Tradition."

But the Jewish community is split now. Very few Jews are caught up in "End Times" or any other religious hocus pocus. It's political, pure and simple, and therefore probably can't be discussed here. But I've always thought that "next year" business is both tragic and mildly amusing. Probably many people conducting a seder have slightly modified the words to: "Next year, peace in Jerusalem!"
 
At one time, it was a pleasure to visit the Holy Lands and follow the path of Jesus. Today, it’s high risk to just get off the plane in Ben Gurion International Airport or Tel Aviv.
 
Israel strikes Iran last night in retaliation to Iran's drone attack.

What we know about Israel's missile attack on Iran​

US officials say Israel hit Iran with a missile in the early hours of Friday, in what appears to have been a retaliatory strike after weeks of escalating tensions between the two countries.

There are competing claims about the scale of the attack on the Isfahan region and the extent of any damage, with Iranian state media downplaying its significance.

It comes after weeks of soaring tensions between the regional rivals, which have already seen an Israeli attack on an Iranian compound in Syria, and Iran launch an unprecedented assault against Israel.

Here is everything we know about the latest incident so far.

How do we know there has been a strike?​

Israel does not routinely confirm its military actions, which have targeted Iranian-backed armed groups in Syria and Iraq on many occasions.


However, US officials have confirmed to the BBC's partner CBS News that an Israeli missile did hit Iran.

US sources say a missile was involved in the attack, while Iran says it involved small drones.

Iran's government tightly controls access to the country. The BBC does not have direct access to the central region of Isfahan, where this incident played out overnight.

What weapon may have been used?​

So far, there has been a lot of speculation regarding the type of missile used.

BBC Verify has tried to identify the weapon by analysing images of wreckage posted from an area in neighbouring Iraq, 60km (45 miles) south-west of the capital Baghdad.


Sabreen News Photo posted by Iraqi news outlet Sabereen News on Telegram reportedly showing remains of an Israeli missile in central Iraq
Sabreen News
Sabereen News posted photos showing what it said was Israeli missile debris in central Iraq
Among experts, there now seems to be a wider consensus in thinking that a two-stage missile was used - and was probably air-launched. Many identify the debris with Israeli-produced Blue Sparrow missiles.

Justin Crump, a former British Army officer who runs risk intelligence company Sibylline, agreed that the debris seen in the pictures was probably from a missile booster "with the warhead having detached and presumably gone on to achieve its mission - this is the motor which falls to earth".

"The booster has attachment points typically used to connect to an aircraft and its general size suggests it may have been an air-launched system," Crump said.

Although we cannot yet independently verify the exact type of missile, it is known that Israel has developed this type of weapon.


"Israel has previously used such weapons in Syria, so this is well within their capabilities," Crump added.

What is Iran saying about the strike?​

Some Iranian officials and media have confirmed there was an attempted strike but are downplaying the significance of it. There have been no reports of casualties.

Iran's Fars news agency says explosions were heard near an army base and air defence systems were activated.

Explosions heard in the Isfahan area were "due to air defence firing at suspicious objects" and there was no damage, a state media channel quoted a general as saying.

IRIB Iranian state TV
IRIB
Official media in Iran been keen to play down reports of a strike in Isfahan

The semi-official Tasnim news agency, which is close to the powerful Islamic Revolution Guard Corps military wing, posted a video of a nuclear facility in Isfahan which did not show any signs it had been hit.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed there was no damage to Iran's nuclear sites.

Hossein Dalirian, a spokesman for Iran's National Centre of Cyberspace, said there had been "no air attack from outside borders".

He said Israel had "only made a failed and humiliating attempt to fly quadcopters [drones]" which had been shot down.

Iran imposed restrictions on commercial flights in the hours immediately after the strike but they have now been lifted.


Explosions were also reported overnight in Iraq and Syria - where armed groups backed by Iran operate - but it is unclear if they were directly linked to the Isfahan strike.

The Syrian defence ministry said an air defence site in the south of Syria had been hit by an Israeli missile in the early hours of Friday morning local time. Israel has not confirmed it was behind the strike.

Why was Isfahan targeted and why now?​

Isfahan province is a large area in the centre of Iran which takes its name from its largest city.

The region is home to significant Iranian military infrastructure, including a large air base, a major missile production complex and several nuclear facilities.

Israel would usually tell the US in advance about military action, but Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani told reporters at the G7 meeting in Capri that Washington had only been "informed at the very last minute".


Speaking at the summit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to be drawn on the attack, saying only that the US had "not been involved in any offensive operations".

Map showing Israel and Iran

This latest strike comes less than a week after Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, an incident seen as a dramatic escalation in tensions.

Despite its vast scale and unprecedented nature, Iran's attack was largely unsuccessful, with the vast majority of projectiles shot down by Israeli air defences with the help of the US, UK and other allies.

That unprecedented attack on Israeli soil was in response to a strike against a building on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria on 1 April.


Israel has not publicly confirmed it was behind that strike either, but it is widely accepted that it was.

Will this increase tensions between Israel and Iran?

The full significance of this latest strike is still becoming clear and it is not yet known whether Iran will seek to respond.


BBC security correspondent Frank Gardener describes the scale of Friday's attack as limited and potentially designed to ensure the conflict goes no further.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will come under competing pressures from some of his own generals and political allies to push back against Iran, according to BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen.

EPA
Both Iran and Israel have powerful militaries but have avoided direct conflict
Israel has come under huge international pressure from the US and other Western allies not to take any action which risks turning the long-running proxy war between the two Middle East rivals into a direct conflict.

This flare-up in hostilities comes against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, where the Israeli military is fighting Iran-backed Hamas.


What has the reaction in Israel and around the world been?​

Some of the responses from within Israel have highlighted the country's political divisions.

Ultranationalist Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the strike on Iran as "feeble" or "lame".

In response, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called for him to be sacked, and said his remark had ridiculed and embarrassed Israel.

The UK government said it would not speculate on the strike, but said Israel should avoid "significant escalation" while exercising its "right to self-defence".

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on all sides to refrain from further action.


How has the world economy reacted?​

There are concerns a worsening conflict in the Middle East could disrupt oil supplies.

Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose by 1.8% to $88 a barrel after the attack.

Oil prices had jumped by as much as 3.5% initially but the price stabilised when it became clearer the strike was limited.

The price of gold - which is often seen as a safe investment at times of uncertainty - briefly came close to a record high before falling back to nearly $2,400 an ounce.
What we know about Israel's missile attack on Iran
 
I think the most important detail right now is that Iran seems to have "laughed it off" and we can only hope this is finished rather than turning into a regional war. Seems each country has saved face.
 
Naturally said:
Israel believes that Iran poses an existential threat as evidenced by Tehran's rhetoric, its build-up of proxy forces sworn to Israel's destruction, its funding and arming of Palestinian groups including Hamas and of the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah, and what it believes is Iran's secret pursuit of nuclear weapons, though Iran denies seeking to build a nuclear bomb.
Click to expand...
Islam is an existential threat to all non-Islamic countries, evidenced by the jihad doctrine in the Islamic Quran and the number of Islamic jihadists who have attacked people all over the world, including the United States on 9/11/2001. Israel is fighting the war for all of us.
 
TabbyAnn said:
Islam is an existential threat to all non-Islamic countries, evidenced by the jihad doctrine in the Islamic Quran and the number of Islamic jihadists who have attacked people all over the world, including the United States on 9/11/2001. Israel is fighting the war for all of us.
Click to expand...
Of course, as in all discussions, there is an alternative perspective. It may not be one that we agree on or support, but we should consider it all the same. Considering the history of supposedly Christian nations, there are, for example, very few countries that the British Empire never invaded. Mostly, it was in countries where another European state had set foot. Muslims often refer to Western powers as "the crusaders," which reveals their memory of history. The West has a history of colonising countries and exploiting them, whereas in the past, we know of an Islamic Empire, which was surprisingly tolerant for the time, especially towards other monotheists, even if we may not see that today.

I suggest that we mistake the resistance of Islamic states as "terrorism," because we have always been taught that way. I abhor the present Iranian regime, especially for their treatment of women, but we must understand that this state rose as a resistance to the Shah, who may have instigated rapid levels of industrial and military modernisation as well as economic and social reforms but he overthrew the prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, who had support from Iran's national parliament to nationalise the formerly British-owned oil industry. There, you see the interests of the West in the region, which today are no different, except that the British influence has waned.

The back and forth in the region has been due to Western and Soviet influences but also interventions, which have prevented the normal development into a modern state. Many socialist moderates were killed in Iran, some say by the CIA because of the fear that they would allow the Soviets to have influence. The same has happened in other countries, but before we say that the Soviets were doing the same, we don't really want to compare ourselves to the Soviets, do we?
 


Back
Top