Netanyahu Becomes Israel’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister

jerusalem
Benjamin Netanyahu has overtaken David Ben Gurion to become Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. Mr. Netanyahu’s first tenure lasted from 1996 to 1999. This second stint began in 2009 and continues to this day.

United States President Donald Trump tweeted this on Sunday:

Certainly, there is a lot of truth in those comments from President Trump.

In fact, a lot of the growth of Israel’s economy can be attributed to the efforts of Mr. Netanyahu while he has been prime minister and during his tenure as finance minister under Ariel Sharon.

Haaretz wrote last December:

There is nary an economic indicator that doesn’t look good. Gross domestic product has risen an average of 3 percent or more annually, unemployment is at a record low, employment is at a record high, more ultra-Orthodox and Arabs are joining the labor force, and the national debt has fallen to 60 percent of gdp.

That last statistic is especially notable when compared to the United States debt-to-gdp ratio, which has climbed to 105 percent.

In 2019, there doesn’t seem to be an economic slowdown taking place.

Israel is also a world leader in scientific research and technology innovation and development. This was also one of Netanyahu’s goals when he became prime minister. Militarily, Israel appears to be stronger than ever. While it isn’t the largest military in the Middle East, the Israeli Defense Force is technologically superior, more highly trained and better equipped than all the others. This allows Israel to have tremendous confidence in its military, intelligence and security establishments.

Threats have indeed increased over this period, but as they do, the nation of Israel puts more and more trust in the leadership of Mr. Netanyahu to protect it.

No one can deny that, whether it’s the economy, the military or even relations with other nations, Israel has flourished under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu. But will this period of growth be sustained? And if it can be, is there a danger that Israel will become overconfident in its position?

TheTrumpet.com managing editor Brad Macdonald has a new article coming out next week that explores this question. In it, he compares the thriving relationship between the United States and Israel to an ancient biblical alliance between the northern tribes of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. As he brings out, periods of the greatest material success often translate into overconfidence. And that overconfidence, at least anciently, led to God humbling the nation.

Britain Proposes EU Maritime Force to Safeguard Shipping From the Persian Gulf

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Parliament on Monday that the proposed European military coalition would seek to “support the safe passage of both crew and cargo” in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

According to the Associated Press, “Hunt announced precious few details of the proposed protection mission, but said Britain’s European allies will play a major role in keeping shipping lanes open.”

Britain is seeking to build this coalition quickly in light of Iran’s July 19 seizure of British oil tanker Stena Impero, which it still holds off the coast of Iran.

What’s interesting about this decision is the fact Britain is trying to invoke a European force to safeguard shipping, rather than just join with the United States, which has already proposed such a force.

A lot of Brits don’t particularly like their nation to be seen as just following after Mr. Trump. Proposing a European force instead could be pandering to that public dislike of the American president.

It’s also interesting that this idea was floated just as Britain received a new prime minister. Considering Boris Johnson is reportedly a friend of Mr. Trump, perhaps this decision will change.

It’s also possible that Mr. Trump would favor a European intervention given that he has called repeatedly for Europe to protect its own interests and backyard militarily, and not rely on the United States.

At the Trumpet, we look at these events through the prism of Bible prophecy.

As we have noted, Bible prophecy indicates that Iran is going to get control of numerous sea passageways connecting the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. These include the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and even the Suez Canal.

Bible prophecy also indicates that, at least in part, it is Iran’s control of these sea lanes that actually motivates a forceful response. But that response will not come from the United States, nor from Great Britain. It will come from a German-led Europe.

Whether or not this European intervention force materializes right now, the fact that Britain has had support from other European nations to form such a force shows that Europe is starting to see that Iran poses not just a threat to Israel, but also a threat to Europe itself.

To read more about this coming clash between Europe and Iran and where it will lead, please request our free booklet The King of the South, by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry.