The New York Times reported today that the Israeli Air Force have undertaken a massive exercise to prepare themselves for the eventuality that military action against Iran becomes necessary. Around a hundred F-15 and F-16 fighter airplanes took part in the drill, which involved flying around 800 miles over the eastern Mediterranean Sea and Greece. The pilots practiced manoeuvres that would be used in a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, including mid-air refuelling and flight tactics. Iran is located a thousand miles to the east of Israel, and Iran's nuclear facilities are spread across the country. Israeli officials declined to comment on the exercise, but US sources have stated that Israel is seeking to send a signal to America, Europe and Iran that they are prepared to take matters into their own hands if Iran cannot be persuaded to halt its nuclear programme.

Quote: "A Pentagon official who the Times said was briefed on the exercise, said one goal was to practice flight tactics, aerial refuelling and other details of a possible strike against Iran's nuclear installations and long-range conventional missiles. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a second goal was to send a clear message that Israel was prepared to act militarily if other efforts to stop Iran from producing bomb-grade uranium fail. "They wanted us to know, they wanted the Europeans to know, and they wanted the Iranians to know," the Pentagon official said, according to the Times. "There's a lot of signalling going on at different levels."

When it comes to the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the tiny nation of Israel has saved the world many times over. On the 7th of June 1981, the Israeli Air Force sent six F-15 escort fighters and eight F-16 bombers to destroy the Osirak reactor in Iraq. And in September of last year, the Israeli Air Force sent a similar number of fighters into Syria to destroy a nuclear reactor in that country. Both governments have supported terrorist organizations that are bent on the destruction of Israel, and there is no telling what would have happened if these groups had managed to acquire nuclear weapons. Israeli intelligence experts believe that Iran will have nuclear weapons capability by 2009 at the latest. And with the Iranian President having repeatedly called for Israel's destruction, Israel is sending a message to the world that they are not prepared to stand idly by and watch that happen. But President Ahmadinejad has not counted on one thing. Israel may be a tiny nation, but they have a big God. The Mighty God of Jacob...

Genesis 49:22-26
Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

And for those who have trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation, we can say the same. The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New. Jesus Christ is that Good Shepherd (John 10:11). He was the Stone that was rejected by the builders of the nation of Israel (Matthew 21:42). He is the One who was separate from His brethren. He bore the punishment for our sins upon the cross. Is He your Shepherd? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31).

Source YNet News, Jewish Virtual Library