Israel Attacks Syria Targets after Drone Violation
While I was sleeping in on Shabbat a few weeks ago, after an exhausting day of travel the day before, from Nepal to Israel, Iran sent a drone into Israeli airspace. Israeli officials called this a “severe and irregular violation of Israeli sovereignty.”
The drone was in Israel for just over a minute before an Israeli attack helicopter took it out just south of the Sea of Galilee. The drone was sent from an Iranian base in Syria’s Palmyra region. Israel responded with force.
Watch: Israeli Helicopter shoots down Iranian Drone
The Times of Israel reported that Israel targeted 12 sites and according to a military statement, it included, “three aerial defense batteries and four Iranian targets that are part of Iran’s military establishment in Syria.”
Syria’s air defense systems have been severally damaged and I am not sure that the IAF (Israeli Air Force) is finished. Many of the Russian-made sophisticated anti-aircraft batteries were destroyed. The IAF faced substantial anti-aircraft fire from Syria. For the first time in 36 years one of our F-16 jets was shot down. The two pilots ejected over northern Israel and survived, although one is in serious but stable condition.
Watch: Israelis video pilot parachuting from F-16
תיעוד: נטישת מטוס ה-F16 שנפגע בסוריה. משדר מיוחדhttps://t.co/KnfzacsJOW pic.twitter.com/u7dHTiLget — החדשות (@NewsChannelIL) February 10, 2018
Israeli forces targeted and destroyed the drone base from where it came. The Syrians cried foul, saying the base was only used to target ISIS. And yet, somehow, the drone crashed in Beit Shean, Israel, quite a distance from Syria.
The Purim Connection
The deep concern in Israel is that Iran now has military bases in Syria. Syria, a country devastated by civil war, causing half a million deaths so far, is in tatters. Iran is seizing the opportunity to use Syria as a proxy country. Iran’s border is about 1,500 kilometers from Israel. But Syria and Lebanon (where Iran has tremendous influence over Hezbollah) both border Israel. Iran hates Israel and wants to destroy her. As I am writing we are six days from the feast of Purim, where we remember that God protected the Jews of Iran (ancient Persia) from Haman’s genocidal plan. Yet the same anti-Semitic demonic forces are still working through the Ayatollahs of Iran, seeking to annihilate Israel.
Prayer Points:
Pray for our political and military leaders to use wisdom in how we respond.
Pray for supernatural protection over Israel.
Pray for the peace-desiring people in Syrian, that they would have a democracy free from Iran.
Pray for a move of God amongst the Muslims of Iran and Syria.
Pray for a move of God in Israel.
Pray for the full recovery of the pilot.
