The Unsettled Middle East

As always it seems the chaos of the Middle East leads my concerns for the upcoming weeks. Israel is still trying to consolidate their victories, U.S. still seems to be reaching toward the Arabs, Muslim etc. for deals and investments. Not sure I would want to get in bed with radicals. Trump seems not to notice their bad behavior. Deals made, but no money yet? All eyes will continue to be on Jerusalem that, as Bible prophecy indicates, is a stone of stumbling for the nations. Iran’s still a threat, Hezbollah still not disarmed, and Hamas still playing the same old games. Will we never learn? No, I don’t think so. Deals with deceit will never work. Time to unleash the firepower and finish the job. We are almost back where we started. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Content below taken from http://www.billkoenig.com

Trump, Netanyahu, the UN, and Iran: A High-Risk Week for Israel

This was one of the most geopolitically consequential weeks of the year for Israel, marked by unusual U.S. messaging, UN momentum against Israeli sovereignty, and large-scale military posturing by Iran. As the region reconfigures itself politically and militarily, Israel faces a tightening strategic environment that will require clarity, resolve, and decisive policy judgment.

Trump Pushes for Netanyahu Pardon — While Warning Israel on Syria

Former U.S. President Donald Trump continued publicly calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be pardoned of all charges related to his ongoing corruption trials in Israel. Trump framed the cases as politically motivated, urging closure for the sake of Israeli stability and unity.

However, the tonal contrast of the week was unmistakable.

Even as Trump advocated for Netanyahu’s legal relief, he personally warned Israel not to intervene militarily inside Syria, signaling that Washington does not want Israeli action disrupting sensitive regional balances — particularly where Russian, Iranian, and Syrian forces intersect.

This dual posture — unconditional rhetorical support for Netanyahu as an individual, paired with caution toward Israeli military activity — reflects Trump’s realpolitik approach: transactional, flexible, and often unscripted. For Israel, it presents both opportunity and risk.

Strong backing for Netanyahu is politically valuable, but a U.S. administration urging operational restraint in Syria could create strategic handcuffs precisely when Iran is embedding itself deeper across the northern theater.

UN Empowered Through Gaza Deal — and Moves Against Golan Heights

Trump’s Gaza stabilization plan has effectively re-elevated the United Nations into a central role in Gaza administration and long-term conflict architecture. The UN, after years of diminished influence, is suddenly positioned again as a gatekeeper for post-conflict arrangements.

The consequences were immediate.

This week, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Israel’s withdrawal from the Golan Heights — one of the most strategically vital security buffers Israel possesses. The timing could not be more significant:

• A UN empowered by the Gaza framework

• A UN resolution targeting sovereignty over the Golan

• An international system once again conditioned to pressure Israel

For decades, the Golan Heights has been Israel’s northern shield — the high ground preventing Syrian and Iranian forces from threatening Galilee. A UN-backed withdrawal demand signals that international campaigns to erode Israel’s territorial legitimacy are escalating again.

Trump’s deal may have been designed for stabilization, but its practical outcome is that the UN now possesses renewed authority to define territorial questions, which historically has not favored Israel.

The Strategic Danger of Non-Ideological Foreign Policy

Unlike administrations with clearly defined pro-Israel ideological foundations, Trump’s foreign policy operates on pragmatic deal-flow, not doctrinal alignment. That flexibility can generate agreements — Abraham Accords proved that — but it also risks exposing Israel to rapid shifts in U.S. posture.

Non-ideological diplomacy means alliances are fluid, conditional, and transactional.

This week demonstrated that fluidity. Support for Netanyahu’s pardon suggests closeness. Warnings on Syria and a UN-empowering Gaza framework signal distance. Together, these create uncertainty — and uncertainty is a battlefield advantage for Iran, Hezbollah, and the UN diplomatic bloc.

Israel is entering a moment where the greatest threat may not be military — but diplomatic isolation combined with strategic ambiguity from its closest ally.

Iran Simulates War — and Threatens 2,000-Missile Barrage

Iran, sensing the moment, staged large-scale military exercises in the Gulf of Oman, firing ballistic and cruise missiles at simulated targets designed to reflect wartime conditions.

Just weeks ago, Iranian officials warned that if war with Israel erupts, Tehran would unleash 2,000 missiles at the same time — a saturation attack intended to overwhelm Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow, and the multilayer missile defense grid.

The 12-day war already demonstrated what smaller barrages can achieve. Two thousand simultaneous launches would represent a magnitude beyond anything Israel has ever faced.

Iran is signaling capability, intent, and confidence.

Northern Front — Israel vs. Hezbollah

In the shadow of Iran’s drills, Israel continued striking Hezbollah infrastructure inside Lebanon, targeting launch sites, weapons depots, and command channels. Hezbollah is relentlessly working to reconstitute its arsenal and precision-missile capacity, seeking parity or superiority in a future war.

Israel, fully aware of this trajectory, is racing to degrade Hezbollah faster than Hezbollah can rebuild.

This is a detention-attrition cycle — but one inch away from a regional ignition point.

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