Rumble
IDF: We destroyed up to 80% of Syrian army capabilities, hundreds of aircraft took part in
‘Operation Bashan Arrow’
IDF Bombs Damascus Airport, the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, and wipes out Syria’s Air Force
Russia Pulls out of port in Syria as Israel sinks the entire Syrian Navy along the Mediterranean.
With his takeover of Syria, Turkey’s Erdogan takes big step toward rebuilding Turkey’s Ottoman Caliphate
OK for Everyone Else to Take Over Syria, But Not Israel?
Israel Defends Itself!
Turkey has seized more than 5000 square miles of Syria as well as bankrolling and militarily supporting the new Sunni Islamist takeover of Syria. Russia has large bases and troops in multiple areas of Syria. Until recently, Iran had 50 bases and many military points in Syria and Hezbollah has thousands of troops. Of all these countries in Syria, Israel’s minor intervention is the smallest and most defensive, yet they are widely condemned while all the much bigger interventions are ignored!
Israel Destroys
Syria’s Military Assets
12/12/24 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
Takeover of Syria
But at the end of November, the fighting and Islamist uprising in the north of Syria began to grow.
Turkish President Erdogan’s longstanding hatred of Syrian President Assad had Turkey weighing in on the side of the Islamists who are led by a former ISIS leader, arming them to fight the Syrian government troops.
More and more rebel groups began loading up their weapons and soon the force pushed southward. Aleppo, Hama, and Homs were all taken. Southern rebels saw what was happening and they, too, grabbed their AK-47s and set off. Soon, the rebels were entering Damascus and Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia where he was warmly welcomed partly due to the $158 billion bank account he brought with him.
Who are the Major Players?
Essentially, the primary aggressors in the takeover of Syria are Sunni, Islamist rebels. The largest of these is Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), which has taken the lead in establishing the new government. The leader of this rebel group is Ahmed al-Sharaa. Although this is the man’s real name, until this past weekend he was known as, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. His al-Jolani persona, was notorious for its previous ties to both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS). Not the best track record with which to launch a new government. So, now it’s back to al-Sharaa. Unfortunately, he can’t change the names and reputations of his fellow, anti-Assad, Sunni groups like, the Syrian Free Army (SFA), the Syrian National Army (SNA), the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS), and the Southern Operations Room (SOR), a group made up of Druze tribes and other Syrian opposition groups.
Needless to say, it isn’t very encouraging to Israel to have these radical Islamists now trying to form the new government of Syria. What could go wrong?
But Israel can take encouragement from three sources. First, the rebel groups are fighting each other. These aren’t a bunch of buddies who decided to team up and attack. HTS took the lead and when the rest saw them gaining ground, they joined in. But these guys hate each other and may start pointing guns at each other. Second, these groups have revenge against Assad on their minds. In one prison alone, Sednaya, north of Damascus, records were found indicating 29,000 executions taking place on the grounds. A mass grave was found containing the skeletons of prisoners who had been slaughtered, then their bodies dissolved in acid. These were the family and friends of the rebels. They’re out for blood. And not just of the Assad regime, but of the Iranians and Russians who propped up the president and his vicious military.
Operation Arrow of Bashan
The third source of encouragement for Israel is their own military. Iran and Russia had spent a lot of money outfitting Assad’s incompetent army. Prime Minister Netanyahu and the IDF were determined that this war materiel would not fall into the hands of the rebels. Thus, they launched Operation Arrow of Bashan. In only two days this week, Israel destroyed 80% of Syria’s military capabilities.
This breaks down to the destruction of two major navy facilities where 15 naval vessels were docked. At the same time, dozens of sea-to-sea missiles were destroyed. The Syrian air force was massively damaged, their airfields were blown up, and their anti-aircraft batteries were decimated. Scud missiles, cruise missiles, surface-to-sea missiles, surface-to-air missiles, UAVs, fighter jets, attack helicopters, radars, tanks, hangars, and so much more were all blasted to pieces. There were air strikes on 130 assets, including weapons depots, military structures, launchers, firing positions, research centers, training centers, weapons caches, and chemical weapons stores.
The take-offs and landings this week from Israel’s airfields was non-stop! As that was taking place, IDF tanks were in the buffer zone between Syria and Israel widening the gap to ensure safety on the Israeli side of the border. For the first time since October 7, 2023, it is now safe for many of the northern Israelis to go back to their homes.
Current Syria
It is evident that nearly everyone wants this war over as soon as possible, including the rebels. Ahmad al-Sharaa of the HTS said, “We have turned to stability. The Syrian people are exhausted, and we will not enter into another war.” Will they keep moving to Israel? No, says al-Sharaa. “Our concern was about Iran and Hezbollah who carried out the massacres.” By all appearances, al-Sharaa wants to somehow go “mainstream.” He has installed the prime minister of his unrecognized rebel state as the new prime minister of the Syrian Transitional Government, with a term running until March 2025. Both the United States and the United Nations are already considering removing HTS from its list of terrorist groups if al-Sharaa can keep his people from going too crazy.
Unfortunately, Ahmad al-Sharaa can only control his own people, and even then only to an extent. Throughout Syria, at this moment, there are mass executions and ethnic and religious cleansing taking place by HTS and SNA forces. And you can be sure others are carrying out their fair share of atrocities. Syria is not the place to be if you are a Christian or a Shiite Muslim. It’s for this reason that the United Kingdom is saying, “You’ll have to show us a lot more if you’re getting off our terrorist list.”
We can cheer that the Syrian dictator Assad is out, but we must remember that these are not better people. They’re radical Islamists under the direction of the Islamist ruler Erdogan in Turkey. True, Russia and Iran are not pulling their strings. But with very little oversight at all, it all could get much crazier.
Quick List, Winners & Losers
Losers
1. Bashar al-Assad and his government – although a $158 billion nest egg makes the cold Moscow winters a little warmer
2. Russia – they no longer have power in Syria, and they aren’t wanted
3. Iran – their 45-year strategy of building proxy militias has just been blown sky high. They are in a greatly weakened state, and they better watch their backs when Trump gets into office. It’s likely their nuclear program could disappear
Winners
1. Syrian rebels – they’d been fighting to push the Assads out for decades. They’ve finally done it. Unfortunately, they are being way too exuberant in their street justice
2. Turkey – they’ve been pouring money and manpower into training and equipping these Islamist rebels. Now they have influence in the new Syria
3. Israel – Neither Iran nor Russia is entrenched on their borders anymore. Instead, it’s just a bunch of crazies with their own problems
What Does this Mean for Israel?
The displaced Israeli citizens in the north can begin to move back home. Not all are ready to do so, but they can if they want. If you had told me a few months ago that by December both Hamas and Hezbollah would be gone, I would have told you that you were dreaming. But this is what the Lord has done. Both terrorist groups are decimated to the point of being non-threats. That doesn’t mean Israel will give up hunting down threats. It’s just that they no longer have to worry about an invasion from the north or the south.
Israel is in a very strong place right now. Netanyahu has done what he said he would do; he has brought safety back to Israel. Many doubted him and many still do, but he has proved his mettle and will go down in history as the greatest Israeli leader of all time.
The Trump Effect
Israel is also in a great place because of the U.S. elections. Many in the incoming Trump administration are more Zionist than some in Israel’s government. With the incoming Israeli-U.S. united front, Iran should be quaking in their boots. We’ve already seen the Iranian axis fall; next we may see their nuclear program collapse. Preventative airstrikes on the Iranian nuclear program are already being discussed by President Trump’s transition team who also report that the incoming Trump administration will bring a ‘drastic shift’ in U.S. Iran policy! Thank you Lord!
It also looks very good for Israel in the Middle East. With the incoming Trump presidency, we could see both the Saudis and the Indonesians lining up for normalization with Israel under the Abraham Accords. With the collapse of Iran’s axis, Hamas has been left hanging. With prayer and strong negotiations, we could finally see a hostage deal soon. Trump has already made it clear that the U.S. will step in to see the hostages returned quickly. Already Israel’s Defense Minister Katz and America’s Secretary of Defense Austin are talking about the negotiations with Hamas. The terrorists counted on two things: the public outcry for the hostages would overcome the government and Netanyahu would be forced to back down. Neither happened. Hopefully, individual Hamas members will give in to temptation and take the proffered $5 million for every hostage returned. Then they can slip away scot-free to enjoy their boon, at least until they get a secret visit from the Mossad.
Prophetic Clock Moves Forward
These times are historic as God’s prophetic clock continues to set the stage for the coming Tribulation period. Syria now sits like Afghanistan next to Israel. And the control of Syria which is now largely under Turkey’s wings is a game changing development toward the coming 10-King Caliphate. Ever since October 7, 2023, Israel has had to reminded themselves that “God is still on the throne.” This past week, He reminded them that He was there all along working and maneuvering His purposes. Then, when the timing was right – Bam! – He stepped in and did something marvelous before our eyes. The Lord is good and He proves over and over that He will never neglect to take care of His people.
