Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog My next political thriller, “Without Warning,” releases March 14.

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

My next political thriller, “Without Warning,” releases March 14. Here are the details. (And yes, you can pre-order now.) by joelcrosenberg Last night, a blog dedicated to reporting anything and everything about spy novels and political thrillers published the first story on my next novel -- its title, cover, and release date. It's all true, so I thought I'd post the article here for you. A number of you have already been writing with questions. Here are answers to two of them: Yes, you can now pre-order the novel through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, ChristianBook.com, GoodReads, or wherever you like to buy books. Yes, we are planning a book tour. Currently, we're sifting through various speaking invitations in locations all over the country. I'll post more on that -- and more details about the novel, including exclusive excerpts -- in the months to come. ------------------------------- Joel C. Rosenberg’s Next J.B. Collins Novel, ‘Without Warning,’ Scheduled To Hit Bookstores On March 14, 2017 By TheRealBookSpy Having been called a “modern-day Nostradamus” by U.S. News and World Report,  author Joel C. Rosenberg has made a career out of turning heads with the headline-beating themes and scenarios featured in his novels. While the bestselling author technically writes fiction, his books (or parts of them) have a remarkable history of coming true after publication. Rosenberg, who has already penned two brilliant series (one starts with The Last Jihad, the other with The Twelfth Imam), is currently two books into his latest series following J.B. Collins, a foreign correspondent for the New York Times.  Beginning with The Third Target, which came out in January of 2015, the story follows Collins as he makes his way into the heart of ISIS territory after hearing whispers suggesting that the terrorist organization successfully smuggled chemical weapons out of Syria. Initially hoping to confirm or deny those rumors, a second question soon plagues the young reporter, who begins to wonder if ISIS does, indeed, have chemical weapons, which country might they be planning to use them against? Later that same year, the second book in the series, The First Hostage, was released. Picking up just seconds from where The Third Target ended (at a rather nail-biting cliffhanger, I might add), Collins finds himself in another unique, high-pressure situation, as he’s the only reporter with insider access to cover the worldwide response to ISIS’s latest attack. With no new titles being released in 2016, Rosenberg’s fans have anxiously been awaiting any and all updates on the third Collins novel. Good news, though. Not only is the wait for updates finally over, but the countdown to the release of Rosenberg’s next novel officially starts now! Without Warning, the highly-anticipated follow-up to The First Hostage from Joel C. Rosenberg and Tyndale House Publishers, is scheduled to hit bookstores everywhere on March 14, 2017. (Scroll down to check out the awesome cover art, and to read the official plot details.) From the publisher: “As he prepares to deliver the State of the Union address, the president of the United States is convinced the Islamic State is on the run, about to be crushed by American forces once and for all. But New York Times foreign correspondent J. B. Collins tells the president he’s dead wrong. With the Middle East on fire, the Israeli prime minister dead, and Amman in ruins, Collins fears a catastrophic attack inside the American homeland is imminent. He argues that only an all-out manhunt to capture or kill Abu Kahlif―the leader of ISIS―can stop the attack and save American lives. But will the president listen and take decisive action before it’s too late?” Judging by the plot synopsis, it sounds like Without Warning will be well worth the wait as Rosenberg appears to have written another timely thriller that feels all too plausible in today’s world. Without Warning, one of the first must-read books of 2017, is already available for pre-order wherever books are sold. joelcrosenberg | August 25, 2016 at 8:19 am | Categories: Epicenter | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-5t9

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog: A chilling headline ripped from the pages of #TheThirdTarget & #TheFirstHostage: “How the Islamic State Seized A Chemical Weapons Stockpile.”

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

A chilling headline ripped from the pages of #TheThirdTarget & #TheFirstHostage: “How the Islamic State Seized A Chemical Weapons Stockpile.” by joelcrosenberg When I sit down to write a novel, I don't set out to predict the future. Rather, I set out to write about worst case scenarios that could come to pass if our leaders are blind-sided by evil they ignore or misunderstand. This was the case when I began writing my first novel, The Last Jihad, in January 2001. That was a novel that opened with a group of Radical Islamic terrorists hijacking a jet plane and flying a kamikaze mission into an American city, an attack that sets into motion a U.S. war against Saddam Hussein. That was also the case when in the fall of 2013 I began writing The Third Target, the first installment in my latest series of political thrillers. After doing months of research, meeting with two former CIA directors, a former head of Israel's Mossad, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Jordan, and numerous of military and intelligence experts, I set out to write a novel about a New York Times reporter named J.B. Collins who hears a rumor that ISIS has captured a cache of chemical weapons from a military base in northern Syria. As that novel, and the second in the series -- The First Hostage -- unfold, Collins and two colleagues slip into hellish, war-torn Syria to track down and interview an ISIS operative to confirm the story. Along the way, Collins and his team not only discover that the terror group has these horrific weapons but that the leaders of ISIS hold to an End Times theology that is driving them to wage genocide against Christians, Jews and any Muslim that doesn't follow their brand of Apocalyptic Islam to establish and expand their so-called Caliphate or Islamic kingdom. That was fiction when I wrote it -- but no longer. Unfortunately, this worst-case scenario appears to be coming to pass. As time passes, we are learning more and more about the eschatology of the ISIS leadership (as I explained more detail in my last column). We are also learning that ISIS does now have weapons of mass destruction. Consider excerpts this chilling report from the latest issue of Foreign Policy magazine: "How The Islamic State Seized A Chemical Weapons Stockpile." Abu Ahmed told us about how the Islamic State of Iraq & the Levant (ISIS) came to acquire some of the world’s most fearsome weapons, which were claimed as spoils of war from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces months before its creation. Roughly four months before the split between the Nusra Front and ISIS, in December 2012, dozens of Syrian jihadi fighters climbed a hill toward Regiment 111 — a large army base near the town of Darat Izza, in northern Syria. That town had been taken roughly five months earlier by a coalition of rebel groups. But while they had besieged Regiment 111 since the summer of 2012, they still had not succeeded in capturing the base from the troops loyal to President Assad.  The weather had turned bad in winter, however, making it more difficult for the Syrian Air Force to hold off the rebels with airstrikes. Moreover, the base was huge, sprawling over almost 500 acres, and difficult to protect from all approaches.  Syrian Army soldiers inside Regiment 111 successfully defended their base during the first rebel attack in early November 2012, killing 18 Nusra fighters in the process. But the cold December wind only fortified the rebels’ resolve. The base was a goldmine: home to guns, artillery, ammunition, and vehicles. And deep inside Regiment 111’s bunkers lay something even more valuable — a cache of chemical weapons.... Within a day, the combined jihadi forces had broken through the lines of the Syrian Army. Shortly after, Regiment 111 was fully under jihadi control. They found large stocks of weapons, ammunition and, to their surprise, chemical agents. They were, according to Abu Ahmad, mainly barrels filled with chlorine, sarin, and mustard gas. What followed was the distribution of the war spoils. Everybody took some ammunition and weapons. But only the Nusra Front seized the chemical weapons. Abu Ahmad watched as the al Qaeda affiliate called in 10 large cargo trucks, loaded 15 containers with chlorine and sarin gas, and drove them away to an unknown destination. He did not see what happened to the mustard gas. Three months later, both the Syrian government and rebel groups reported an attack in Khan al-Assal, near Aleppo. The international media said that 26 people had been killed, among them 16 regime soldiers and 10 civilians. Both the Syrian regime and opposition claimed that chemical weapons had been used — and both accused the other of having carried out one of the first chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian war..... To read the full article, please click here. To misunderstand the nature and threat of evil is to risk being blindsided by it. Let us pray our leaders wake up to the true magnitude of the threat posed by ISIS and stop taking half-measures. It's time to declare war on ISIS, take the gloves off, and do everything in our power -- in close cooperation with our allies, especially those in the region -- to end this scourge of evil once and for all. —————————– Order The First Hostage today — the new political thriller about genocidal ISIS leaders plotting a terrorist attacks against Israel, Jordan and the United States — available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. ———————-—- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks on the U.S. and our Mideast allies. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and prayerfully consider making a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution. Thanks so much! Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | August 18, 2016 at 5:44 am | Categories: Epicenter | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-5rn

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog: “ISIS may be testing chemical weapons as terror group rapidly expands,” reports Fox News

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

“ISIS may be testing chemical weapons as terror group rapidly expands,” reports Fox News in a headline ripped from #TheThirdTarget & #TheFirstHostage. by joelcrosenberg (Washington, D.C.) -- In a chilling story that seems ripped from the pages of The Third Target and The First Hostage, Fox News is reporting that "there is growing evidence that ISIS is experimenting with chemical weapons," and that "the number of foreign fighters [has] hit a new high." Last year, just 20,000 foreign fighters were operating as part of the ISIS shock troops, Fox reports. Now that number has skyrocketed to 36,000, and they come from 120 countries. Former deputy CIA director Mike Morrell, testifying before Congress on ISIS's development of chemical weapons capabilities, warned that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the leaders of ISIS "have made two things very clear publicly in documents that have come out. One is that if they acquire these weapons they would use and they wouldn't care that the vast majority of those killed were civilians. and they have also provided a religious justification very similar to Al Qaeda’s, in fact I think it is identical to Al Qaeda’s justification for using such weapons." This is not the first report of ISIS pursuing chemical weapons. I first cited a spate of news stories about this last August. It should not be surprising that the Islamic State is pursuing the development and deployment of chemical weapons. Its leaders and members have apocalyptic, genocidal ambitions. They want to find ways to kill larger and larger numbers of "infidels." They want to bring about the end of the world as we know it, and usher in the coming of the their messiah known as the Mahdi, all to build a global Islamic kingdom or caliphate. Their fervency and urgency and their barbaric savagery is what is attracting so many foreign fighters. This is the very premise of my latest series of political thrillers. Unfortunately, what I've written about as fiction is not fiction at all -- it's the ISIS game plan and it is extremely dangerous. President Obama and the presidential front-runners give no evidence that they understand the threat of Apocalyptic Islam. But it's time to take their heads out of the proverbial sand. The threat is real, and it's growing. Excerpts from the Fox News report: There is growing evidence that ISIS is experimenting with chemical weapons as the number of foreign fighters hits a new high, according to current and former government officials. Photos taken by the Kurds in northern Iraq last summer and fall and reviewed by Fox News show burns and blistering on the skin that a source on the ground there said are consistent with the use of chemical agents. The agents were described as "odorless, colorless and absorbed through the clothing," causing burns or illness hours later. "I think it's, could be a perfect testing ground," former FBI intelligence officer Timothy Gil Sr. said. "They (ISIS) were particularly interested in using these chemicals in confined space environments, soft targets like shopping malls and movie theaters." Gill who is doing his own independent research for an upcoming international conference on weapons of mass destruction said there is a disturbing trend, that ISIS is using safe havens in Syria, Iraq and potentially Libya as laboratories to learn how chemical agents impact the battlefield, with the goal of sharing their expertise via social media with ISIS followers outside the region. "It's enough to use in a crude weapon that could really push the panic button," Gill said. "This now provides an opportunity to say 'this is working, we're now going to push this out to any potential lone wolf, lone actor that may have a background in chemistry.'" A doctor who was in northern Iraq last year and asked not to be identified for security reasons, said he treated Kurdish fighters whom ISIS used as "lab rats for WMD," adding that the variety of burns and illnesses over several weeks suggested to him that "mustard gas, precursors, as well as neurotoxic acids" were being tested.... While ISIS tries to broaden its use of unconventional weaponry, the terror group also has broadened its appeal. A US intelligence official confirms to Fox News the number of foreign fighters has hit a new high -- more than 36,000 from 120 countries since the conflict began in 2011, including at least 6,600 from Western countries. A year ago, at the worldwide threat hearing on Capitol Hill, where the U.S. intelligence community publicly presented its global view on terrorism, the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper said that since the conflict began, more than 20,000 foreign fighters from 90 countries had travelled to the region.  A key figure is the number of countries affected, with the extremist ideology now drawing followers from 60 percent of the world's nations. During congressional testimony before the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday, former senior intelligence officials said ISIS is expanding. "ISIS has gained affiliates faster than Al Qaeda ever did -- from nothing a year ago, there are now militant groups in nearly 20 countries that have sworn allegiance to ISIS," former CIA deputy director Mike Morell said.  "They have conducted attacks that have already killed Americans." On the development of unconventional weapons, Morell added, "They have made two things very clear publicly in documents that have come out. One is that if they acquire these weapons they would use and they wouldn't care that the vast majority of those killed were civilians. and they have also provided a religious justification very similar to Al Qaeda’s, in fact I think it is identical to Al Qaeda’s justification for using such weapons." The Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL (ISIS) recently briefed reporters in Washington DC, emphasizing the overall trend line is in the right direction, pointing to progress securing the Turkish border to stem the flow of foreign fighters. "This is a challenge like we've never seen before," Brett McGurk said, "The world has never seen something like this, upwards of 35,000 now foreign fighters from 100 countries all around the world supercharged by social media and Twitter and everything. ————– Order The First Hostage today — it’s now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. FACT SHEET: The Iranian leadership’s Apocalyptic Beliefs FACT SHEET: The Islamic State’s Apocalyptic Beliefs What the next US president will need to know about Iran and Islamic State.(my column in The Jerusalem Post) ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | January 13, 2016 at 7:32 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3TR

Joel Rosenberg - “The failed political adviser who became a writer and predicted the invasion of Iraq.”

Joel Rosenberg “The failed political adviser who became a writer and predicted the invasion of Iraq.” (My interview in the Israeli newspaper, Ma’ariv) by joelcrosenberg

Earlier this month, after speaking at the Jerusalem Leaders Summit on the differences between Radical and Apocalyptic Islam, I was interviewed by a columnist for Ma'ariv, a popular Israeli daily.

We discussed the subject of my speech, but she became much more interested in my failed political consulting career, my life as the author of political thrillers, and my faith in Jesus.

The article -- linked below -- was published in Hebrew. But here is an English translation, if you're interested.

The failed political adviser who became a writer and predicted the invasion of Iraq

By Tal Schneider, Ma'ariv, November 15, 2015

(Jerusalem, Israel) -- All the candidates who've worked with Joel Rosenberg lost, so he became a writer of bestselling security thrillers portraying the Israeli prime minister attacking Iran.

In an interview he says what he has learned from working with Netanyahu, and how Jesus changed his life

After working as an aide for Benjamin Netanyahu, the media mogul Steve Forbes who ran the US presidential race, the American right-wing political candidates and even Natan Sharansky, Joel Rosenberg came to the conclusion that a seasoned political consultant and leader in his field he will not be. A short time later Rosenberg, an evangelical Christian loves Christ and loves Jews, decided to write political thrillers.

A decade later, his books -- all of which are terrifying scenarios and prophecies, such as genocide, using chemical weapons held by ISIS or the Israeli prime minister who does not listen to the advice of an American president leads a preventive war against Iran -- have become bestsellers.

A week and a half ago, Rosenberg was one of the speakers in the Jerusalem Leaders Summit, a gathering of organizations conservatives and rightists reached by political leaders from Europe. The conference, organized in part by The Heritage Foundation, dealt with security threats to democratic countries. Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) and Member of Knessets Yoav Kish, Tzachi Hanegbi, and Avi Dichter, all from the Likud, were among the speakers.

....As a former political adviser to Republican presidential candidates, Rosenberg has this to say about the race for the Republican fascinating president of the United States, where the participating colorful candidates like Donald Trump or Ben Carson....

Q: Who do you think is suitable for the job?

A: You won't catch me answering that. I will only say that the president or the next president of the United States should be ready to go to war with Iran. And whoever it is will have to be a person with experience, vision and an action plan. Unfortunately, some of the candidates currently do not have any experience. I would like to know better their worldview in our region. What do they know about the threats here?

Q: So according to this approach, you have backed Hillary Clinton, having the most experience?

A: No, no. You need to have a plan of action [to neutralize Iran and ISIS] and vision. Experience is not enough. And I remind you that Clinton supported the nuclear agreement with Iran, the agreement gave Iran two ways to get a nuclear bomb -- whether they comply with the agreement and or whether they cheat and get The Bomb. The next president must be prepared for this, and some of them have no idea what to do.

"Help me to be helpful"

Rosenberg is an American who lived most of his life in Washington, DC. He is the son of a Christian mother and his father was an Orthodox Jew who discovered Jesus in the 70s.

He was educated as a Christian and as an adult became a devout believer. Jesus is his great love, and when he wants, during the interview, to illustrate why not to pick a Republican [presidential] candidate too early in the campaign, he takes the Bible out of the bag, and turns pages to I Samuel.

"Samuel comes to Bethlehem without knowing which of Jesse's sons is to be the next king," says Rosenberg with excitement. "Samuel did not know the boys and God did not tell him [ahead of time] whom to choose. He points to the oldest, and God says to him: 'No, it's not that one.' He goes to the next in line, and God says no. And this continues on. David is not even in the room at that point."

The moral of Rosenberg's story is also about the Republican race -- all options are open. Who can be elected? I asked. "Even someone from the middle or bottom of the polls," he says.

"We must wait and not be impressed by the people leading [in the polls] right now."

What Rosenberg does not try to hide is the fact that his political advice -- sometime in the 90s and beginning of the decade -- was not successful. He worked for several conservative right-wing candidates and was former senior adviser to the two Republican presidential campaigns of the editor in chief of FORBES magazine, Steve Forbes (1996 and 2000). Forbes lost both cases. Rosenberg had also worked for senior figures such as former Republican Jack Kemp and Bill Bennett. Later, he worked on the U.S. advisory team of the Natan Sharansky.

Then, in September 2000, immediately after the failure of the Camp David talks, while Ehud Barak was Israel's prime minister, Rosenberg was recruited Rosenberg to be part of a political consulting team for Benjamin Netanyahu.....Netanyahu was prevented home from winning, and the campaign was short-lived.

"I was a political consultant in Washington," says Rosenberg. "All the candidates with whom I worked lost. Natan Sharansky resigned from politics. Then Netanyahu hired me with a team of consultants in Washington.  It was supposed to be a 'comeback campaign.' We started to coordinate interviews in the American media, working on Op-Eds and more. Bibi was very strong in the polls. We worked with him for a few months until it became clear that he was blocked from running. Sharon ran and won instead.

Q: So you've decided to leave politics? 

A: Yeah. I failed as an advisor. At the age of 34, my friends had already begun to get rich. I sat in my office in Washington and saw that I work for these candidates, but do I help them much? I sat down and thought to myself: I already have three children, but I failed. I said, "Lord, help me to be a useful person."

Q: What did God say?  

A: Personal failure can sometimes bring a lot of clarity in life. I learned from the people I met, including Dore Gold and Benjamin Netanyahu, and I came to the conclusion that instead of advancing various messages through politics, I will write political thrillers. My political knowledge and experience can be woven into the plot and images. I could write fiction instead of opinion columns. So I wrote a political thriller about the suicide pilots carrying out a kamikaze terrorist attack and smashing the planes into a presidential motorcade in Denver, Colorado. This would lead to a war in Iraq.

Q: You turned from political adviser to prophet? 

A: Well, I started writing the book in January 2001....Then came the terrorist attacks ofSeptember 11th. The third plane took off from the airport near my home in Virginia, passed over our house and crashed into the Pentagon, not far from me. A few months later, President Bush delivered the annual State of the Union address, and referred to the "axis of evil" countries, and I realized that Iraq is going to be a target. My agent called and said, "Joel, this is a signal, we must publish the book." So in November 2012, just before Thanksgiving, my first book, The Last Jihad, was published, and immediately entered the bestseller list.

Q: How did you manage to predict what's going to happen? 

A: People call me a modern Nostradamus. But I have not tried to foresee the events. Five months before the U.S. entered Iraq, my book was on the shelves and became a big hit. I was interviewed by hundreds of radio stations and media outlets. People have asked me: "How did you know in advance?" I said it was literature, narrative. But the plot and underlying assumptions are based on reality.

Q: Did President George W. Bush read your book before the invasion of Iraq?

A: I do not know. I have not talked to him about the book.

Q: Does Netanyahu reads your books? 

A: I think the team that surrounds him read the books. But he and his team have real life to deal with. I learned from politicians how to produce a political argument. Today I create novels and narrative to explain to the world the truth.

Q: What truth?  

A: The truth that Radical Islam is coming to America. I learned that from Netanyahu and Sharansky. You can see now how evil is increasing . People need to read that Radical Islam is coming to the United States. People do not deal with it seriously. In fact, my concern is not just Radical Islam, but Apocalyptic Islam, which is currently in two places: the Islamic Republic of Iran and ISIS.

Q: Is this the new Hasbara (Hebrew for "public relations")? 

A: My novels are not hasbara, but they can help educate people. As a result of the novels I am invited to lecture, talk to the media, to discuss the issues. There are currently two political entities -- ISIS and Iran -- whose leaders are driven by theories of End Times. They believe the messiah will come to establish a global Islamic kingdom. It is not normal Radical Islam, but beyond that -- they believe the messiah will bring the annihilation of Israel and the United States.

Q: Your books are a mix between imagination and reality, are they not? 

A: Yes. In my books comments, I use quotes made ​​by the Islamic apocalyptic leaders...I certainly create characters and scenarios of what might happen if Western leaders do not understand the threat. One of my previous books was about an American president who presses an Israeli prime minister to avoid war in Iran. My imaginary Israeli Prime Minister realizes he has no choice and he launches the attack.

Q: Your character is based on Netanyahu? 

A: In a way, yes. And the media has reported that at least three times Israel was planning to attack Iran.

Q: But Netanyahu did not attack, and according to reports, specifically former Defense Minister Ehud Barak put pressure to attack.

A: That's right. But mine is a fictional character. Perhaps the Prime Minister in my book is a combination of Netanyahu and Ehud Barak....

Rosenberg's new book, The Third Target, mixes reality with imagination. A New York Times journalist heard rumors that ISIS took over the storehouses of chemical weapons in Syria, and he decides to enter Syria to find out the truth, says Rosenberg about the plot of the book. Together with another journalist, they reveal a huge conspiracy about ISIS planning to commit genocide. At this point, ISIS has already taken on two countries, Iraq and Syria, and they want to take over a third country. The plot thickens.

Over a year ago, Rosenberg moved with his family to Israel.

"I found Christ," he says. "I wish every Muslim, Buddhist or Jew in the world will discover Jesus as me. If an Evangelical Christian tells you he does not want others to believe in Christ, he is not telling the truth. I have traveled all over the world to talk about my love for Jesus. Jesus changed my life. I do not believe in coercion or fraud, but I would absolutely love for everyone to hear the gospel and make a decision on their own."

Rosenberg says he feels a strong connection to Israel.

"I'm tied to Israel since the 80's," he says." I have come to visit here for many years, and studied here during college."

The vision of the prophet Ezekiel says all the Jews will return to Israel eventually, Rosenberg notes. Ezekiel's prophecy began to be fulfilled, but not all the Jews have returned yet.

"I raise money to help Israel. I bring Evangelicals to visit. My goal is that all Jews will return. I do not feel threatened by Orthodox Jews. I know this society is diverse and tolerant. There is a real democracy here and that is one of the strengths of Israeli society."

___________________

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___________________

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joelcrosenberg | November 19, 2015 at 8:39 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3oA

Why I write novels about “worst case scenarios.” - Joel Rosenberg

Why I write novels about “worst case scenarios.” (My interview with a South African newspaper on “The Third Target”) by joelcrosenberg

Screen shot of an August 12th profile in a South African newspaper.

The following article was published on by a South African newspaper, The Citizen, based on an interview I did last month.

Thought you might be interested in what interests reporters and readers in other countries.

STORIES THAT MATTER: AUTHOR PENS ANOTHER CAPTIVATING POLITICAL DRAMA

By Genevieve Vietra, The Citizen, August 12, 2015

Joel C Rosenberg’s popularity is a result of two equally compelling elements. Firstly, he’s a talented fiction writer, brilliant at narrating thrilling political debacles that will make you squirm. But even more exhilarating is his ability to predict future events before they happen.

No, he does not claim to be psychic or have any supernatural ability, but rather, as a former communications adviser, Rosenberg has worked with a number of US and Israeli leaders – including Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, Natan Sharansky and Benjamin Netanyahu – observing the ins and outs of political culture and current events.

“One of the things I love to do is write novels about worst case scenarios that could happen in the not-too-distant future,” he says.

“I’m not specifically trying to predict the future. But as darkness falls upon this world and the forces of freedom seem to be in retreat, I am trying to imagine what could be coming just over the horizon.”

His aim is to encourage readers to think about how they should live in such dark and dangerous times.

“Are you going to live fearful, passive, hidden lives or are you going to act with great courage to do the right thing, to warn people of danger and get them safety?” he asks.

As a result, his characters often wrestle with profound moral and spiritual questions. “Evil, unchecked, is a prelude to genocide,” he says.

Rosenberg’s latest offering, The Third Target, tells the story of a New York Times foreign correspondent who hears rumours that an al-Qaeda splinter cell, Islamic State, has captured a cache of chemical weapons inside Syria – a story he wants to pursue at all costs.

Knowing terrorist forces are already trying to bring down two Arab governments in the region – Iraq and Syria – will he obtain the information and needed forces to prevent such calamity?....

His aim is twofold – to both entertain and educate.

“My first objective is to entertain you,” he says, “to thrill you, keep you up all night reading my books so at 5am you finally send me an angry Facebook message or Tweet cursing me for keeping you up all night when you really have to go to work or school in a few hours.

“My second objective is to intrigue you, educate you, take you into a world you never imagined going before, and perhaps even on an intellectual and emotional and spiritual journey you weren’t expecting. I want people to see the world differently when they’ve finished reading one of my books. I want them to ask questions they never thought of asking before – of themselves, of others, of God.”

One fascinating observation is the wide variety of people who read his books. These include former generals, former CIA directors, current and former ambassadors, business leaders, religious leaders and so forth.

“I have to make sure my books are carefully researched,” he says.

————————–

• Pre-order your copies of THE FIRST HOSTAGE now in hardcover, e-book or audio formats — it releases on December 29, 2015
• Order The Third Target today — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks.
• To read The Twelfth Imam series -- a trilogy of novels I wrote about an American President pressuring an Israeli Prime Minister not to launch unilateral military strikes against Iran, but Israel feeling forced to do so anyway -- please click here.
• --------------------------------------------
• Order Implosion: Can American Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?
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joelcrosenberg | September 1, 2015 at 4:49 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3ll

Is ISIS now using chemical weapons? - Joel Rosenberg

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Is ISIS now using chemical weapons? Sounds like “The Third Target,” but U.S. intelligence says the evidence shows the Islamic State now has weapons of mass destruction. by joelcrosenberg (source: UK Mirror) (Washington, D.C.) -- U.S. intelligence officials believe that jihadists operating under the direction of the Islamic State have not only captured chemical weapons -- most likely in Syria -- but have actually used such weapons of mass destruction on the battlefield. They are also investigating the possibility that ISIS is mass producing such weapons and asking where will ISIS strike next? I realize this seems like the plot of my most recent novel -- The Third Target -- and its forthcoming sequel (The First Hostage, to be released on December 29th). But this isn't fiction. Unfortunately, this is all too real. Consider the following headlines from the past few days: Islamic State Suspected of Using Chemical Weapon, U.S. Says (Wall Street Journal) Report: U.S. Suspects ISIS Used Chemical Weapons in Iraq (Reuters) Poisonous gas attack by ISIS leads to fears terrorists are mass producing chemical weapons (UK Express) The Troubling Truth Behind ISIS Chemical Weapons Claims (U.S. News & World Report) The notion of the Islamic State having chemical weapons is a chilling one and a potential game-changer. The Kurds appear to have been the first ISIS target. But if ISIS has more such weapons stockpiles, against whom will they use them against next? The U.S.? Israel? One of our European allies? An Arab state like Jordan or Egypt? As more information comes out, I'll keep you informed. In the meantime, please keep praying for U.S., Western and Middle Eastern leaders to get serious about crushing and truly defeating ISIS, not just pinprick attacks that are not truly neutralizing this serious and growing threat. Here are excerpts from the article in the Wall Street Journal: Islamic State militants likely used mustard agent against Kurdish forces in Iraq this week, senior U.S. officials said Thursday, in the first indication the militant group has obtained banned chemicals. The officials said Islamic State could have obtained the mustard agent in Syria, whose government admitted to having large quantities in 2013 when it agreed to give up its chemical-weapons arsenal. The use of mustard agent would mark an upgrade in Islamic State’s battlefield capabilities, and a worrisome one given U.S. intelligence fears about hidden caches of chemical weapons in Syria, where Islamic State controls wide swaths of territory. It raises new questions about the evolving threat posed by Islamic State and the ability of U.S. allies on the ground to combat it. Frontline Kurdish, Iraqi and moderate Syrian forces say they aren’t getting enough U.S. support now to counter Islamic State’s conventional capabilities. Officials say these forces may need specialized equipment and training to help protect them against unconventional weapons if they become a fixture on the battlefield. U.S. intelligence agencies thought Islamic State had at least a small supply of mustard agent even before this week’s clash with Iraqi Kurdish fighters, known as the Peshmerga, U.S. officials said. That intelligence assessment hadn’t been made public. The attack in question took place late Wednesday, about 40 miles southwest of Erbil in northern Iraq. A German Defense Ministry spokesman said about 60 Peshmerga fighters, who help protect Kurdish areas in northern Iraq, were reported to have suffered injuries to their throats consistent with a chemical attack while fighting Islamic State. Mustard agent, first employed as a weapon in World War I, can cause painful burns and blisters, immobilizing those affected by it, but it is usually deadly only if used in large quantities.... The possibility that Islamic State obtained the agent in Syria “makes the most sense,” said one senior U.S. official. It is also possible that Islamic State obtained the mustard agent in Iraq, officials said, possibly from old stockpiles that belonged to Saddam Hussein and weren’t destroyed.U.S. intelligence agencies are still investigating the source and how it could have been delivered this week on the battlefield, officials said. Islamic State has taken control of territory in Syria close to where President Bashar al-Assad’s forces stored chemical weapons, including mustard agent. The regime said in 2013 that all of its mustard stockpiles had been destroyed, either by Syrian forces themselves or by international inspectors..... Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former commanding officer of the British army’s chemical-weapons unit, said the use of mustard agent by Islamic State could give a boost to the group’s psychological warfare campaign. “You mention chemical weapons, people immediately freeze and are irrational. That’s why Islamic State wants to use them,” he said. ————————– Pre-order your copies of THE FIRST HOSTAGE now in hardcover, e-book or audio formats — it releases on December 29, 2015 Order The Third Target today -- the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Order Implosion: Can American Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time? Learn more about The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net) – educating and mobilizing Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, and caring for the poor and needy with food and other humanitarian relief – read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution. I’m excited to announce The Joshua Fund’s 2015 “Prayer & Vision Tour of the Holy Land.” Come with me and walk where Jesus, the apostles and the prophets walked. Study the Word of God. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all the people of the epicenter. Meet and worship with local believers. Serve the poor and vulnerable. Discover the Lord afresh, and even be baptized in the Jordan River. This is a journey that could change your life! Here are the details. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg Receive every blog post automatically via the RSS feed. joelcrosenberg | August 17, 2015 at 6:29 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3kv