June 23, 2023 | Messianic World Update | Concerning Developments in China and Israel

Shalom everybody. I'm Monte Judah with Lion and Lamb Ministries, and today is Friday, June 23rd, 2023. In this edition of Messianic World Update, we will be discussing the concerning developments in China and Israel.

Recently, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State of the United States, made a trip to China, hoping to find ways to cooperate with the country. However, the trip did not go as planned, and there were some Chinese snubs towards the Secretary of State. As a result, Blinken made the statement that the United States would not defend an independent Taiwan. This statement can be seen as a green light for China to attack and capture Taiwan within the Chinese Communist Party.

Although President Biden initially stated that the United States would defend Taiwan, the White House later walked back his statement. The US policy regarding Taiwan is currently unclear, and it seems that the executive branch of the United States government is not led by President Biden. There is a group within the White House and the administration that is running the country, and this is concerning for American citizens.

Turning our attention to Israel, there have been serious conflicts within the West Bank, particularly in the Judean and Sumerian Mountain regions, where Palestinians are living under the control of the Israeli government. With Mahmoud Abbas becoming weaker, there is no obvious successor to lead the PA. As a result, Hamas from Gaza is spilling over into the West Bank, trying to take control. Iran is also slipping in and trying to take control, and terrorists are popping up everywhere, particularly in and around the city of Jenin.

Several terrorist cells have been formed in the West Bank, fully armed with weapons that have come across the border from Jordan and are supplied by Jordan and Iran. These terrorists have begun to carry out suicide attack missions, targeting Israelis. In one incident, Palestinian terrorists went to a gas station in the West Bank, went into the restaurant, and started shooting people. Five Israelis were killed, and several others were wounded.

Another incident involved Palestinian terrorists setting up a roadside bomb inside Israel, which wounded several IDF soldiers. A large group of Palestinian terrorists then came out with weapons and started shooting at the entire convoy, which led to the IDF calling in an Apache helicopter. This is unusual, as the IDF rarely uses this kind of weapon system against Palestinians. The situation is getting increasingly worse, and various factions and groups are trying to jockey for power among the Palestinians by demonstrating their ability to hurt Israelis.

The Israeli government has had several security meetings regarding these rising tensions in the West Bank. In response to the recent attacks, Israel deployed a drone to monitor the Palestinians and hit a car carrying three Palestinian gunners with a drone.

As summer approaches, tensions in the West Bank are expected to escalate. We urge everyone to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for all that's going on in the region.