Today is Israel’s 71st birthday and unfortunately, the world’s most dangerous hot spot, the Middle East, looks like it could be heading to a meltdown, given the following chronology of very recent events, most of which directly tie to Iran:

4/10/19 – The U.S. voices its support for Israel’s 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights, the most important defensive territory in Israel, as its geography prevents Syria and Iran from launching a ground attack on the country, or shooting directly into towns and villages from up on top. Israel gained control of the 500 square mile area in the 1967 Six-Day War after being attacked from that spot by Syria. Alan Dershowitz has pointed out that “No country in history has ever given back to a sworn enemy territory that has been captured in a defensive war.” The Islamist world expectedly reacts very negatively to the U.S. pronouncement. 

4/21/19 – Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah predicts a war with Israel this summer. It is common knowledge that Hezbollah is funded by Iran, who pulls Nasrallah’s strings and has done so since the early 1980’s. News reports for some time now have indicated both sides have elaborate plans in place for another war and it pops up into the news far too often. Hezbollah, and for that matter Hamas, has also bragged that they now have missiles whose range can strike almost anywhere in Israel.

4/23/19 – The U.S. announces reinstated economic sanctions on Iran, greatly reducing the amount of oil it can export to foreign countries, which strangles Iran’s finances.

4/25/19 - Two U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups operate in the Mediterranean Sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln , which is now headed to the Persian Gulf and the John C. Stennis, with 50 F-18’s on board. The Navy’s Kearsage Amphibious Ready Group and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit totaling more than 4500 men has been there since about the beginning of the year. 

5/4/19 – Hamas and Islamic Jihad, also both significantly funded by Iran, launch about 300 rockets from Gaza into Israel, causing Israel to retaliate, leaving victims on both sides and for now, a delicate second cease fire in two months.

5/5/19 - Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said on Israel radio that “to get rid of Hamas, we have to conquer Gaza.” You can’t be more direct than that. 

Today, 5/8/19 – Iran announces that it will stop complying with the nuclear accord reached a few years back with the U.S. It will now stockpile excess uranium and heavy water used in nuclear reactors. In other words, no surprise, Iran still wants to build a nuclear weapon.

Combining all of these facts which have happened in just the past few weeks, plus the 50 others I haven’t mentioned from the past year, spells a possible catastrophe. Israel’s sworn enemies are increasingly vocally brazen about attacking Israel and having the means to do so. As for us sitting in our family rooms, Google it: Iran has stepped up its efforts to hack U.S. computer systems and is now super pissed that its economy is bleeding more due to the U.S. sanctions. They have hated America since Ayatollah Khomenei - - we are the infidels; and they hate us even more now. 

Undoubtedly, if Israel is attacked, particularly by missiles from all directions, it will have no choice but to aggressively retaliate. They will not sit like lambs waiting for slaughter. And what if Iran sends even one missile into Israel. It will not be a 1 for 1 return volley. Does it become a ping pong game of bombing each others cities? Do the Russians get involved? And what if the U.S. military buildup is occurring because either our government knows something we don’t, and is preparing for a war, or the President just wants to show force for the sake of it, which is not always a prudent move when dealing with fanatics that already hate you and who believe their holy book authorizes terrorism. What else would explain the U.S. military buildup in the Gulf? 

We can only hope and pray this whole situation doesn’t spin out of control, and that somehow the temperature in the Middle East gets turned down.