Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog - PROVOCATION: Putin sending 100,000 troops to borders of NATO states

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PROVOCATION: Putin sending 100,000 troops to borders of NATO states — expels US diplomats — as tensions with West spike. Here’s the latest. by joelcrosenberg Though much of the world's attention is understandably riveted right now on North Korea and their chilling nuclear threats against the U.S., tensions with Russia are also spiking and require urgent attention. Consider just a few key developments that have occurred in recent weeks: Moscow is gearing up for massive war games later this Fall that could put upwards of 100,000 Russian troops on the borders of the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Each of these countries are NATO members. Each lived for decades under the cruelty of Soviet occuption. Each are increasingly worried Putin may be interested in seizing them and putting them once again under Russian hegemony. It's a concern I share but am concerned not enough leaders in the West do. If such provocations weren't enough, Vladimir Putin has just expelled 755 American diplomats from Russia, effective September 1st. Putin has further "ratcheted up military provocations against NATO forces across Eastern Europe" by sending Russian warplanes to make "provocative flybys of NATO ships and aircraft," by deploying "new military hardware to its Kaliningrad exclave, a territory nestled between the Baltic countries and Poland, which are all NATO members" and by conducting "cyber warfare attacks on the electoral processes of multiple NATO countries, including, but not limited to, the U.S., Germany and France," according to a U.S. defense analyst writing in Newsweek, All this, of course, comes after decisions by Putin to invade and seize Crimea and Eastern Ukraine since 2014. To reassure our NATO allies that we will stand with them and honor Article V -- NATO's mutual defense pact stating that an attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against all -- President Trump gave a major (and very good) address in Warsaw, Poland, on July 6th, which I would commend to your attention. Poland is a key NATO partner and one of America's closest allies in Eastern Europe. On July 31st, Vice President Pence visited Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, where he addressed NATO forces and met with leaders from all three Baltic States. This was also an excellent speech which I would encourage you to listen to or read. (here is audio and the text of the speech) Then, Vice President Pence visited Georgia, which was invaded and partially occupied by Russia in 2008, and Montenegro, NATO's newest member, where he rightly denounced Russian "aggression" and "occupation." What's more, Congress has overwhelmingly passed -- and President Trump has just signed -- new economic sanctions on Russia to respond to Moscow's efforts to interfere with American elections in 2016. The Senate vote was 98 to 2 in favor of the sanctions. The House passed the measure 419 to 3. At the same time, as I recently wrote about from Berlin, President Trump is wisely continuing to press every NATO member to keep its commitment to invest at least 2% of its annual GDP on defense. Currently, only five countries are keeping that critical pledge -- the U.S., Greece, Estonia, the U.K., and Poland. That said, Romania has just announced it will be the 6th country to hit the 2% mark. What’s more, Latvia and Lithuania have just announced they are dramatically increasing their defense spending and will both hit the 2% target by 2018. Other countries are beginning to step up, as well. We need to be praying for U.S. and NATO leaders to have the wisdom and courage to bolster their forces in the Baltics and dramatically increase their deterrence against Moscow throughout Eastern Europe. We don't want to see a scenario in which an emboldened Czar Putin feels tempted to invade anyone else. I've been keeping an especially close watch on such developments as I finish editing the manuscript of my new political thriller, The Kremlin Conspiracy, which is scheduled for release in North America on March 6th. More on this soon. Excerpts from the New York Times story on upcoming Russian war games: "Russia is preparing to send as many as 100,000 troops to the eastern edge of NATO territory at the end of the summer, one of the biggest steps yet in the military buildup undertaken by President Vladimir V. Putin and an exercise in intimidation that recalls the most ominous days of the Cold War," the New York Times recently reported. "The troops are conducting military maneuvers known as Zapad, Russian for 'west,' in Belarus, the Baltic Sea, western Russia and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad," the Times noted. "The drills will feature a reconstituted armored force named for a storied Soviet military unit, the First Guards Tank Army. Its establishment represents the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union that so much offensive power has been concentrated in a single command." The Times story added that "the move is part of a larger effort by Mr. Putin to shore up Russia’s military prowess, and comes against the backdrop of an increasingly assertive Rssia. Beyond Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election in support of the Trump campaign, which has seized attention in the United States, its military has in recent years deployed forces to Syria, seized Crimea and intervened in eastern Ukraine, rattled the Baltic States with snap exercises and buzzed NATO planes and ships." ——————— To pre-order The Kremlin Conspiracy — my next political thriller which will be released on March 6th, 2018 — please click here. ———————- Pastors and ministry leaders:  to begin planning your own tour of Israel in July 2018 that allows you to bring your people to the Epicenter Prayer Summit, please click here. Lay people: to learn more about The Joshua Fund’s next tour of Israel and attend the Epicenter Prayer Summit in Jerusalem — and to register while there is still space — please click here. ——————— Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and strengthen the Church in Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much! Click here to read the 2016 Joshua Fund Donor Report — and watch the short videos, as well Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. joelcrosenberg | August 10, 2017 at 7:05 am | Categories: Epicenter | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-82U

An Oath to Defend Israel ✡ "He Shall Not Break His Pledge" - Israel365

If a man makes a vow to Hashem or takes an oath imposing an obligation on himself, he shall not break his pledge; he must carry out all that has crossed his lips. Numbers 30:3 (The Israel Bible™)   אִישׁ כִּי־יִדֹּר נֶדֶר לַיהוָה אוֹ־הִשָּׁבַע שְׁבֻעָה לֶאְסֹר אִסָּר עַל־נַפְשׁוֹ לֹא יַחֵל דְּבָרוֹ כְּכָל־הַיֹּצֵא מִפִּיו יַעֲשֶׂה במדבר ל:ג ESH kee yi-DOR NE-der la-do-NAI o hi-SHA-va sh’-vu-AH le-SOR i-SAR al naf-SHO LO ya-KHAYL d’-va-RO k’-khol ha-yo-TZAY mi-PEEV ya-a-SEH

Today's Israel Inspiration Numbers 30 discusses the laws regarding vows and oaths.  Hashem takes these matters very seriously, and commands that any commitment to do something must be fulfilled.  In fact, violating one’s vows is a sin. This commandment teaches how important it is to be true to one’s word: Hashem expects us to keep our word, just as He keeps His.  Today, we are witness to Hashem’s fulfillment of His promise, made through His prophets, to return His people to the Promised Land.  We hope to see the fulfillment of the rest of the Divine promise, that the People of Israel will live peacefully in the Promised Land, very soon. While Hashem is responsible for the return of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel, the brave soldiers of the IDF are responsible for defending and protecting Israel's citizens. Show your support to the heroes of Israel » The "Monkeys" of the IDF Meet the Lotar Unit of the IDF who are responsible for rescuing hostages.   Watch » Israel Putting An End to PTSD Former Israeli army mental health officer Moshe Farchi has developed a simple yet effective model for dealing with trauma which reduces Post Traumatic Stress Disorder   Read more » Honey From Israel! Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year is only a few weeks away! It is customary to eat apples dipped in honey on Rosh Hashana as an omen for a sweet year ahead. Order your honey directly from the Land of Israel now in time for the new year! Buy Now! » Plant a tree to demonstrate your support for Israel's soldiers.   PLANT NOW » Today's Israel Photo A rare glimpse into the work of IDF paratroopers as they land in their new training field in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ; If you enjoy your Israel365 daily email newsletter, please consider donating to one of our causes or buying products from our store and blessing the Land and the People of Israel.   Thank You to our Israel365 Store Customers "Todah Rabbah" to Cheryl M. from Texas; Pauline R. from France; Sonja B. from Norway; Barbara V. from Washington. Shop the Israel365 Store »  Thank You to our latest Tree Donors "Todah Rabbah" to Zbigniew K. from Washington; Belinda R. from Texas; Daniel W. from Florida; Oscar H. from Tennessee. Plant Vineyards in Samaria »   Thank You to Our Holocaust Campaign Donors "Todah Rabbah" to Robert S. from Australia; M Rose T. from Washington; Aafke T G. from Norway; Christopher A. from India. Donate to Holocaust Survivors Now »  Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel!   Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “Support and Pray for Israel” It’s great to hear from you and make new friends from all over the world. Please send me an email and let me know how you are enjoying Israel365 (don’t forget to say where you are from!).   Stay in Touch » I support and pray for Israel. As the Scripture says, pray for the peace of Jerusalem and I do. --Richard Razvillas Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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Adam Bisnowaty is one of the NFL’s only Jewish athletes ...- ABE FRIEDMAN JEWISH TIMES/TIMES OF ISRAEL

'One of the first things I tell people is that I’m Jewish' New York Giants player shows Jewish pride on and off the field.

Adam Bisnowaty is one of the NFL’s only Jewish athletes — and if his Hebrew tattoo doesn’t tip you off, maybe the matzah in his locker will

BY GABE FRIEDMAN  JEWISH TIMES/TIMES OF ISRAEL August 6, 2017


NEW YORK (JTA) — As a rookie in the National Football League, New York Giants offensive lineman Adam Bisnowaty is splitting most of his time before the season starts in September between grueling practices and long team meetings.

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To lighten the mood, veteran players ask the newbies each preseason to sing in front of the team. Bisnowaty figures that when it’s his turn, he’ll go with “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel.”

Bisnowaty, 23, is Jewish — a rarity in professional football — and comfortable talking about it with his teammates.

“One of the first things I tell people is that I’m Jewish,” he told JTA. “People don’t meet a lot of Jewish football players, so I always like to bring that out and just open up, so it’s nice and easy.”

Bisnowaty — who stands 6’6″ (almost 2 meters), weighs about 300 pounds, and sports long, curly brown hair — has become a minor celebrity in Jewish circles after a New York Post article from last month revealed that he has a large Hebrew tattoo on his left arm. The tattoo translates to “I am what I am,” a phrase God says to Moses when the latter asks what to call him.

The Jewish food company Manischewitz heard about Bisnowaty and sent him an array of snacks, from boxes of matzah to potato pancake mix.

The matzah provoked curiosity in his teammates.

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“I promised them I’d bring in the snacks and let them have a go at them,” Bisnowaty said.

He hopes the matzah will help him do more than ingratiate himself with his teammates. Bisnowaty was a four-year starter at the University of Pittsburgh, his hometown school, and is projected to snag a spot on the Giants roster this season — but nothing is certain. Some say he could be an immediate starter, others say he might make the team but not be active, or listed as eligible to play, for most games.

The beefy lineman is among several 300-pounders tasked with blocking defenders from hitting veteran quarterback Eli Manning, a two-time Super Bowl MVP and brother of future Hall of Fame signal-caller Peyton Manning. Heading into April’s NFL draft, scouts said Bisnowaty compensates for a lack of raw athleticism with his size, strength and positive attitude. The Giants traded up to select him in the sixth round.

Adam Bisnowaty at a New York Giants training camp practice at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, July 30, 2017. (Evan Pinkus/via JTA)

Like most professional sports leagues, the NFL is not exactly full of Jewish players. Brothers Mitch and Geoff Schwartz — both offensive linemen — were in the league at the same time from 2012 to 2016. Mitch is a Kansas City Chief; Geoff, who played for the Giants in 2014 and 2015, retired in 2017 after seven seasons in the league. Bisnowaty said some of his teammates like to say “We got another Schwartz in here!”

Other notable active Jewish players include star wide receiver Julian Edelman — in recent years he has embraced his Jewish background — and backup safety and special teams ace Nate Ebner, both of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

What makes Bisnowaty even more of an NFL aberration is his Israeli heritage. His father grew up in the Jewish state and ended up staying in the US in his late 20s after having a kidney transplant there. Bisnowaty’s uncle David is the first Israeli to become an elected parliament member in the southeastern African nation of Malawi.

Although the family celebrated the major Jewish holidays growing up, the divorce of Bisnowaty’s parents along with his time-consuming interest in football eventually pushed Judaism mostly out of his life. He told JTA he wants to rekindle his interest in the religion, and he may have a bar mitzvah at some point.

Geoff, left, and Mitch Schwartz are the first pair of Jewish brothers to play in the NFL since 1923. (Olivia Goodkin and Lee Schwartz/via JTA)

Football, especially at the college level, is heavily influenced by religious Christianity, including coaches and ministries that cater to athletes. But Bisnowaty said he has never been the target of anti-Semitic slurs or bullying in his football career. As he sees it, players asking him to wear a yarmulke to team meetings are just breaking the ice and having a good time.

Still, Bisnowaty was aware of how rare a Jewish football player is when he got the Hebrew tattoo. He said it was an opportunity for him to show his Jewish pride.

But flashing a tat in the locker room is one thing. It took a bit of courage to show it off in another setting.

“I wanted to hide it from my mom,” he said with a laugh, “so she didn’t find out about it right away.”

The Biblical City King David and Jesus Would Avoid Today - ARI RABINOVITCH/REUTERS CHARISMA NEWS

Sewage flows in Kidron Valley, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, July 6, 2017. (REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)

The Biblical City King David and Jesus Would Avoid Today

8/8/2017 ARI RABINOVITCH/REUTERS  CHARISMA NEWS

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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There is a foul smell coming from the biblical Kidron Valley.

It's so bad that King David and Jesus, who are said to have walked there thousands of years ago, would today need to take a detour to reach Jerusalem.

For decades now a quarter of Jerusalem's sewage has flowed openly in the Kidron valley, meandering down the city's foothills and through the Judean desert to the east. At its worst, the pollution leaks into the Dead Sea.

The stream runs back and forth between land under Israeli and Palestinian administration, making a fix hard to find. But finally it seems a solution has been reached.

Authorities on both sides have agreed to drain the valley of sewage. According to the plan, a pipeline will be constructed carrying the wastewater directly to new treatment facilities. Each side will fund and build the section that runs through its territory.

Until that happens, however, about 12 million cubic meters of sewage continue to flow through the valley each year.

"Of course it's damaging the environment and the ecological system," said Shony Goldberger, director of the Jerusalem district in Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry.

"It's dangerous and hazardous to the health of the people in many ways."

Added to Jerusalem's sewage along the stream's 30 km. (19 mile) descent through the occupied West Bank is effluent from Bethlehem and nearby Arab villages.

Plants grow anomalously in what should be a dry wadi, animals come to drink, and mounds of baby wipes flushed down thousands of toilets sporadically coagulate along the banks. Sewage seeps into the earth, risking contamination of ground water.

Towards the end of the journey it gathers in a makeshift collection pool and much is used to irrigate date trees, which have a high tolerance for pollutants. But every so often, gravity pulls the refuse towards the lowest spot on earth, the Dead Sea.

"It's like a brown stain," Goldberger said. "It stays disconnected from most of the salty water of the Dead Sea."

With Israeli-Palestinian peace talks at an impasse, projects that require even minor cross-border coordination seldom get done. Israel captured the West Bank in a 1967 war, but under interim peace deals the Palestinians exercise limited self-rule in part of the territory.

"After decades of not being able to solve the problem, for a thousand and one reasons, professional and political, we reached an agreement for building a pipeline in the valley," Major General Yoav Mordechai, the coordinator of the Israeli government's activities in the West Bank, told Reuters.

The Palestinian Water Authority said the agreement was reached out of an "interest to clean the area," but emphasized the two sides were working separately.

While they are both are optimistic, some skepticism remains, since similar plans in past never gained traction.

"We were talking about it, planning it, every time it took two, three, four years. You think you have it, and then the light at the end of the tunnel turns out to be a truck coming at you," said Goldberger.

"I hope this solution will reach the stage where it is built." 

© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

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