Northern
Borders on High Alert 
The intelligence report submitted to the Israeli cabinet yesterday,
Sunday, March 9, predicted grave dangers to Israeli security in the coming
year. More troubling, however, is the deep concern of increased terrorism
during the rest of this month. What has prompted this deeper concern at the
moment?
1. At the Arab League summit in Damascus February 29th, Syria made known
that the situation in Lebanon is to be on the proverbial "back burner" for now
and all attention should be focused on Gaza.
Israeli intelligence has
warned that in the interim Hamas and Jihad Islami would make every effort to
ignite the Gaza front in order to unite the Arab rulers behind a dramatic Arab
resolution in support of the Palestinian Islamists. This tactic would transfer
the Gaza issue's center of gravity from Cairo, which is brokering a Hamas-Israel
ceasefire deal, to the more radical Damascus regime.
Hamas keeps on stalling talks in Cairo and raising its demands. Amos
Gilead, security adviser in Israel's defense ministry, who traveled to Cairo
Sunday to try and break the deadlock, came back empty-handed. Gilead's
assessment included a warning that Hamas is poised to generate a flare-up of
rocket attacks the moment it suits Syria and Iran.
2. The second issue of deep concern is that the coming Arab League summit
will for the first time host an
Iranian head of state. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be seated beside Syrian
president Bashar Assad as guest of
honor to parade the Tehran-Damascus axis' pre-eminent role in Arab Middle
East affairs, with Iran setting the pace.
This prospect has raised military "blood pressures" across the entire
Middle East.
Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak suddenly declared this morning, that
Israel continues to be responsible for the Gaza Strip after its pull-out and its
status in both Gaza and the West Bank is that of an occupation force. In an
interview, he endorsed the Hamas
line which called on Israel to halt military operations not only in Gaza
but also on the West Bank. This, despite the fact that just weeks ago, Mubarak
was furious with Hamas when they breached the border fence with his
country.
Over the weekend, the US navy built up its deployment opposite the
Lebanese coast with the USS Ross guided missile destroer and the USS Philippine
Sea cruiser.
Syria responded by placing its air and naval bases, where too Russian
warships are docked, on a state of preparedness.
Israel's new national intelligence report affirms that the United States'
declining role in the region has left a vacuum for radical elements to fill. Its
authors, the chiefs of military intelligence, the Mossad, Shin Bet and the
foreign ministry's intelligence unit, warned of the heightened threat from
missiles in the arsenals of a future nuclear-armed Iran (within two years) and
Syrian. A Hizballah attack and a stronger Hamas were also in prospect.
In the coming two weeks,
Syria, Iran, Hizballah and Hamas will be further tightening the military and
terrorist loop around Israel - to the north, the south, and among Palestinians
and Israeli Arabs, at the expense of Israel's deterrent strength.
According to military sources, including but not limited to Debkafile, Hizballah is completing its
preparations for revenge on Israel, whom it accuses of killing its military
commander Imad Mughniyeh last month. The latest estimate is that the Shiite
terrorists will strike on the border and/or inside Israel, rather than hit
overseas targets. The Israeli government has
some very serious issues on the table at the moment. Will they face the reality
or continue down the unrealistic path of recent weeks and
months?
Pray for the peace - and
protection - of Jerusalem - and all of Israel,
Blessings and shalom to all of
you,
Leah | 
