Speaking at the Munich Security Conference last February, three of Germany’s top leaders—President Joachim Gauck, Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier—delivered speeches recognizing the need for Germany to bear more of the burden of international security and endorsing a more robust, proactive and interventionist German foreign policy.

This week, Germany was given a prime opportunity to implement its new foreign policy.

In an interview with the Bild on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called on Germany to help find a lasting solution to the conflict in Gaza. In particular, Lieberman called on Germany to revive the 2005-2007 EU Border Assistance Mission (eubam) in which European inspectors monitored traffic at the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border. “Germany and the EU must dispatch inspectors to Gaza to monitor the Palestinians’ trade with the neighboring countries,” Lieberman said, and “Germany should take responsibility as the leader of such a mission.”

Throughout the interview, Lieberman left no question as to who Israel believes ought to take the lead in Gaza. “Germany, as the political lead nation in Europe, must play a pivotal role in the Gaza conflict,” he stated.

On Wednesday, a German diplomatic source told Reuters that the EU was planning on doing exactly this. The same day, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that ambassadors from Germany, France and Britain had presented Israel with a document outlining a possible international agreement over Gaza. The document called for the rehabilitation of Gaza with “an international mechanism” in place to ensure resources were used to rebuild the strip, and not to rebuild Hamas, Haaretz wrote. The document also said that the EU could restart its border mission in Gaza.

By Friday, momentum was clearly building for the reactivation of the EU mission on the Egypt-Gaza border. Although the EU mission appears inevitable, Berlin is moving ahead cautiously, and is downplaying its leadership role. “Together with our European partners we are ready to make a contribution, such as an EU mission to oversee border crossings,” German Foreign Minister Steinmeier stated. “At present we are holding intensive talks with all sides to create the conditions for such a solution.”

Steinmeier’s words and tone will only intensify Israel’s (and Europe’s) desire for German leadership and intervention. No one wants to be led by the arrogant control-freak scrambling for power. It’s more reassuring and far easier to submit to the strong, humble, capable guy who doesn’t want power or responsibility (or at least appears that way).

In time we’ll know if the arrival of European inspectors in Rafah is of major prophetic significance. (There’s a chance it could evolve into a military mission.) But if the 2005-2007 eubam is anything to judge by, the presence of European inspectors will have marginal benefits for Israel and for peace.

As Trumpet executive editor Stephen Flurry wrote in 2010 amid discussion about another EU mission in Gaza, “Under the EU’s careful supervision, [in 2005-2007] Hamas managed to smuggle enough weaponry into Gaza to take over the government in a violent coup. Terrorists snuck in from Iran, and $68 million in cash was smuggled through the checkpoint in one year alone.”

What is noteworthy and of major prophetic significance is that Israel this time did not turn to a multinational force, or even to Europe in general. Lieberman’s remarks clearly show that Israel’s leaders are looking to Berlin as Europe’s leader and decision-maker and the nation they must trust and rely on. This, in some ways, is logical. Germany is obviously the clear-cut leader of Europe—the nation with the wealth, resources and geopolitical influence to get things done. The Islamists in Gaza hate America as much as they hate Israel, therefore any stipulation for U.S. inspectors in a broader peace agreement would be flatly rejected. Besides, Israel can’t be certain America would even provide such assistance. Europe, despite the frightening anti-Semitic outbursts in various European cities, is perceived to be more neutral and objective.

Finally, compared to most of the rest of the international community, Germany—at least its government—is one of Israel’s closest friends and partners. Angela Merkel has spoken often about Germany’s special duty to protect Israel, and the chancellor has drawn close to Israel, even establishing a tradition of holding joint cabinet meetings with Israel. Under Merkel, Berlin has given Israel significant discounts and generous terms on the purchase of several submarines capable of carrying nuclear missiles.

Watching Germany over the next few weeks and months will be fascinating. The nation, as we have reported, is a rising global power and is viewed with tremendous respect and admiration by most of the world. America and the West have no problem with Berlin assuming more responsibility, exerting more global leadership, and becoming more involved politically and militarily in the world’s hotspots. In fact, they crave German leadership. Meanwhile Germany, at least in word, has indicated that it’s prepared to increasingly take on the role of global alpha dog. Moreover, as the bevy of global crises—Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Europe’s financial crisis—continues to intensify, the need for Berlin to intervene and lead intensifies.

This month marks the 100-year anniversary of World War i, a war that marked the beginning of a three-decade putsch by Germany to subjugate Europe and establish a Teutonic world order. In this world, Germany would have been the chief power, the arbiter of peace, the nation all others would look to for guidance and inspiration. Now think about the world today. One hundred years later, conditions in Europe and across the world are such that Germany is perhaps closer than it ever has been to world rule. America has abdicated the role. Russia and China are powerful, but their power is neither stable nor sustainable. Who else does Germany have to compete with? With a little finagling and no doubt some exertion and pain—and under the right leadership—Germany could conquer Europe and establish a German-led European world order, effectively accomplishing what it failed to achieve in World Wars i and ii.

I know that sounds foolish and preposterous, but so did the notion of intractable trench warfare, prolonged global military conflict and tens of millions of dead people in 1910 and 1935. Surely one of the great lessons of World War i (and ii) is that we can never underestimate human nature and man’s proclivity for self-destruction. Truth is, history tells us it would be foolish and preposterous not to consider the possibility of another global conflict, one in which Germany once again plays the feature role.

What about Israel’s invitation to Germany to take leadership of the crisis in Gaza, and the broader trend of Israel looking to Germany for assistance? Perhaps it seems logical, at least on paper and in the moment, but both history and Bible prophecy warn that it too is foolish and preposterous. You know the history of Germany and the Jews. To learn the prophecy, start with our article “Can Israel Trust Germany?”