As I returned back from my recent ministry tour in the USA during the month of August, the weekend newspaper was waiting for me in my living room. Two weeks without reading Israeli news were a bit too much for me. I was so thirsty for news. In the Weekend paper there was a large interview with Avigdor Lieberman, a hard-liner cabinet member in the current Israeli government. The headline of the Article was taking a whole page. It was “ DAMASCUS FIRST!”

The thing is that Lieberman who is the minister for Strategic threats on Israel was clearly stating that Damascus should be paying for its double-game and for harboring and training terrorists.

just a few days ago Syria had reported that Israeli warplanes were fired at while flying deep inside Syrian air space. Shortly after Turkey had reported that 2 empty fuel tanks belong to Israeli F-15s were found in an open field right on the Syrian border. Syria blames Israel for Aggression but refuses to say what exactly happened. Turkey demands explanations but nothing more. Russia keeps silent. America keeps silent. The Arab world keeps silent and above all – Israel says absolutely no word!

Russia’s attempt to invade back into the Middle East included the erasing of Syrian debts worth of billions of Dollars in return to Russian presence in Syrians Sea-Ports. From there the road to arm-deals with Syria as well as collaboration with Iran to rebuild Syria Army was short. Both Russia and Iran were watching America’s presence in the Middle East as a threat. Syria is the way for both to come back to the reality of the “cold war” Middle East.

Quoting anonymous Israeli official, Al-Arabiya news channel says Israeli aircraft that entered Syrian airspace on Thursday were sent to destroy Russian-made missile systems recently acquired by Damascus. Russia denies the selling. Damascus denies the purchase. In fact both denies its existence.

In other words – Israel bombed “nothing that exists” although weapons were destroyed – and more so - Russian and Syrian soldiers got killed.

Iran was the first to denounce, but they have a very good reason to do so: Iran has just purchased many units of this same air defense system to guard its nuclear sites. The system known as Pantsyr –S1 is the last word in air defense system capable of detecting aircrafts from 30 kilometers away and shooting at 10 of them at the same time. Well, the system obviously did not do its job if both Israeli-jets returned back home unharmed.

A former Israeli- Arab Knesset member who is now in Lebanon analyzed the situation and reported saying:

"Based on (Israel's) recent statements regarding Russia's deployment in Syria, the purpose of the operation was apparently a strike on antiaircraft missile facilities or on other ground targets.

"This could also have been an attempt to expose a breach in Syrian radar, allowing somehow to make way to Iran.”

The bottom line is very clear to both the Syrian and the Iranians:

Damascus can be easily destroyed. The road to the attack on Iran’s nuclear sites is open!

There is much more to be said about this incident – however this is not the right time and the right place to do so. The next biblical event I can see that will be fulfilled is the below scripture:

The burden against Damascus.

“Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city,

And it will be a ruinous heap.

Isaiah 17:1

Blessings,

Amir