The Inevitable Middle East Flashpoint

A while back, I posted an article about Jerusalem and how world events would center around that city in the coming months and years.  If you haven't paid attention, the march to the gates of that ancient city is well underway.

ISIS is only part of the equation, as the entire Arab world--in particular Iran and its proxies--would love to burn Israel and dance on the dead bodies of Jews.  Maybe it's just an act, right?  All the world is a stage, after all.

Here are three points to consider in the coming days:

Jerusalem, the city worth nothing and everything.

The Holy City of Jerusalem, sacred to Abrahamic faith, is a flashpoint for international conflict.

One city capable of drawing the world into a devastating war.

This is not hyperbole, people.

History repeats itself, and its center has often been Jerusalem.

For Israel and Gaza, Peace is Always Impossible

Another cease-fire broken between Gaza and Israel; are you surprised? This is the story, the way it happens, how it works, and (most importantly) it's all part of the plan. When someone in your group throws away a chance to get some humanitarian aid into Gaza, someone has to think about the consequences.

Are you spotting the pattern? I've got a few more things to say about this catastrophe.

If the Islamic State Conquers Baghdad...

There's a lot going on in the world right now, especially in the Mid-East, but the once headline-grabbing ISIS advance (and subsequent declaration of an Islamic Caliphate) seems to have taken second place to events around Israel, Ukraine, and Family Dollar (trending higher than Gaza on Google News, as of this writing).

What happens when the I.S. overruns Baghdad?  What are strategic and political complications?

Gaza going BOOM

The latest story from Reuters (read it here), paints the picture of a defiant Israel determined to punish Hamas, even if it means leveling Gaza in the process.  Several incidents, such as the destruction of schools and even explosions killing kids, are rapidly empowering sympathetic feelings for the Palestinians.

What's the end game in Gaza?  Will world opinion force Israel to back off the attacks?

The Next Crusade: Israel

Here's the NY Times article I read recently.

Check out this graphic that puts the Gaza casualties into proper perspective.

Summary: There's some serious business going on in the Middle East (ME) right about now--to be fair, it always has been going on, but it's particularly "hot" at the moment.  Though it's far from the deadliest, I think the Israeli operations in Gaza and unrest in the West Bank are nuclear in terms of international relations.  It's a complicated topic, isn't it?  Read on for more discussion.