The diplomatic furor over a meeting to protest an anti-Semitic TV program in Turkey illustrates just how truth is turned on its head in 2010.
Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, formerly ambassador to the U.S., evidently didn’t smile this week while discussing with his Turkish counterpart the aforementioned program. Most disturbing in the subsequent media firestorm has been the fact that Israeli media are targeting Ayalon.
Michael Freund astutely pointed out that Ayalon showed some backbone; in many quarters, Jews aren’t supposed to do that.
Israel is a small country. Surrounded by vicious enemies. To now be targeted by larger, more outlying countries is a sinister prospect. The Turks are becoming what Jordan has been for many years: a yapping mutt turning its ire in the wrong direction.
For years, Jordan’s King Hussein would dutifully vilify the Israelis whenever a tinhorn dictator such as Egypt’s Nasser intimidated the region. It was almost like he was reading from a script, Hussein: the Jews are threatening the region’s security, etc. Yet at the same time, the little king knew that the Israelis had protected him from assassination by rivals for many years.
But Turkey’s most recent stances on Israel are more disturbing. For one thing, Turkey is a large country, straddling the Middle East and Europe.
Biblically, Turkey is intriguing because of the Gog-Magog alliance described in Ezekiel. Now that the Turks are engaging Iran and Syria, and snarling in Israel’s direction, one can easily see how foreboding this is for Israel.
However, as I usually do, I let my mind settle into quiet and peace when I think of the Jewish state, this Miracle of miracles in our time. Let Turkey rattle some sabers. Let Turkey one day attack.
The God of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. As anti-Semitism becomes the shock troop ahead of the coming invasion of hordes who throw themselves at Jerusalem, we see the outlines of the coming Day of Battle.
Scripture tells us that all who try to conquer Israel will be conquered. This goes for thinkers/philosophers, foreign media figures, politicians, and military planners.