German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock reopened Germany’s embassy in Damascus, Syria, on March 20, during her second visit since Bashar Assad’s fall. Baerbock’s stated goal: “a political new beginning between Europe and Syria, between Germany and Syria.” After 13 years of civil war, ex-terrorist Ahmed al-Sharaa now rules Syria—and Germany wants an alliance.

“With this embassy reopening, we are saying quite clearly: Germany is back in Damascus,” Baerbock noted, adding that Germany has “an overriding interest in a stable Syria.”

While many may hope Germany’s involvement will make the extremists more moderate, recent history sounds the alarm. Both the terrorists and Germany have a terrible track record.

Baerbock’s trip to Syria occurred just two weeks after a violent clash in Syria that caused the slaughter of hundreds of civilians. After an insurgency of Assad loyalists and reported attacks on security forces, Sharaa’s troops accused the Alawites, a religious minority, of causing the unrest and responded with a bloodbath.

This isn’t surprising for a terrorist group that just took over the country. Baerbock condemned the “targeted killing of civilians” as a “terrible crime.” She added that the clashes have “massively cost confidence” and that the transitional government “must have control over the actions of the groups in its own ranks and bring those responsible to account.”

But just before her Middle East trip, Germany pledged €300 million (us$326 million) in support, conditioned on stability in the country. “As Europeans, we stand together for the people of Syria, for a free and peaceful Syria,” Baerbock said.

Now a small diplomatic team is stationed in Damascus to support Syria’s political transition and supposedly monitor stability. Germany is signaling readiness to shape Syria’s future. But anyone who thinks this will be for the good of Syria, the Middle East or the world hasn’t been paying attention.

In 2013, the German government confirmed that successive German governments in the years 2002 and 2006 had approved deliveries of chemicals to Syria that were likely used to make sarin gas. This was just after Germany helped Iraq develop chemical weapons.

Spiegel reported in 2013: “Syria’s dictator Assad may have used chemicals from Germany to produce the poison gas sarin. As early as 1988, Saddam Hussein killed thousands of Kurds with the help of German companies. But little has changed in terms of export practice since then.”

Thousands of people have suffered horrific deaths choking on poisonous gas, made possible by Germany. Yet most people remain unaware of these dark dealings.

There are also indications that Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction were shipped to Syria before the United States’ intervention. (Read Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry’s article “Iraqi WMD: A Deadly Cover-up?” to learn more.) Syria thus has chemical weapons produced on the ground with German help and those imported from Iraq, which were also produced with German help.

In December, the German government presented an eight-point plan to create stability in Syria. Among other things, it offered its help in “securing and destroying chemical weapons.”

Anyone who remembers how 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust should be alarmed by these developments. Can we trust terrorists and Germany to destroy these chemical weapons? Who can guarantee that they won’t be used against the neighboring Jewish state?

While we do not know specific details about Syria’s future and its chemical weapons program, the Bible reveals chilling details about this alliance.

“They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance” (Psalm 83:3-4).

As The King of the South explains, the nations involved in this “crafty counsel” include modern-day Turkey (“Edom” and “Amalek”), Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states (“Ishmaelites”), Jordan (“Moab” and “Ammon”), Syria (“Hagarenes”), the Palestinians of Gaza and the West Bank (“Philistines”), Lebanon (“Gebal” and “Tyre”) and Germany (“Assur”).

These nations have one thing in common: They hate Israel. But many of them, including Germany, may pose as Israel’s friend until this prophecy is fulfilled. Mr. Flurry explains:

Many Iranian leaders have vowed to wipe the Jewish nation off the map. But the latter’s enemies listed in Psalm 83 have what appears to be an even deeper hatred. They want to obliterate even the name of Israel—forever!

This Islamic alliance with the king of the north is about to attack the modern descendants of Israel. Bible prophecy says the end-time nations of Israel are unusually fearful and gullible, like a “silly dove” (Hosea 7:8-12). Their enemies take advantage of their weaknesses to destroy them (Hosea 5:5). God only protects the nations of Israel from grave danger if they are obedient—which they are not in this end time.

Psalm 83 shows that this will lead to a surprise military attack aimed at destroying all Israel. This includes not just the Jewish state but also other Israelite descendants such as the U.S. and Britain. (Request The United States and Britain in Prophecy for more information.)

This is one of the strongest warnings in the Bible. A terrifying betrayal is about to occur. God will allow terrible evils to get our world’s attention. But He also promises to intervene. To learn more, read Chapter 4 of The King of the South.