The New York Times reported yesterday that Israel, for the first time, has “embraced the possibility of an international force to bolster its security.”

After meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said that an international force was needed to provide a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon, and said Israel would welcome nato to do the job. “We are combining a military campaign that is fulfilling its goals, with international diplomacy that will finish up the job,” Peretz announced. “Due to the weakness of the Lebanese Army, we support the deployment in the south [of Lebanon] of a multinational force with broad authority.” The request apparently took nato officials by surprise.

The Jerusalem Post, in its article “Olmert: EU force on border possible,” reported on a meeting between the Israeli prime minister and Steinmeier that resulted in the announcement, “Israel would consider deployment of an EU-manned international force in Lebanon ….”

Germany is one country being considered as a major source of troops for the international force, as is France, whose Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy also met with Olmert Sunday.

This statement was reinforced today by Israeli Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who called for a “serious” international force in southern Lebanon. This could be interpreted as an expression of Israel’s frustration with the United Nations force in the area for failing to disarm the Hezbollah terrorist organization after Israel vacated Lebanon in 2000. Peres said who runs the force is immaterial, so long as Hezbollah’s missiles are removed from the border.

The announcement also reflects Israel’s effort to cast the current crisis in the light of the growing global concern over terrorism and Islamic radicalism. It has found a certain amount of expressed sympathy from various sources who recognize Hezbollah’s ties with Iran and the fact that this conflict is coming from the same fountainhead of terror as much of the developing global conflict of civilizations.

“It’s often said that the Israeli psyche thinks the world is against us, but it’s not true here,” said Mark Regev, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry. “Israel has an international environment much more understanding than in the past. When you say that Hezbollah is the problem, no one argues. Everyone is pretty much on the same page about how to go.”

The Times article quoted Michael Oren, an Israeli historian and a senior fellow at a Jerusalem research organization called the Shalem Center, as saying (emphasis ours),

“In a way, we’re playing an old Palestine Liberation Organization game, to precipitate regional instability and then try to bring in international intervention. We fought against it in the past, but Israel now realizes it can’t do things alone. And Israel feels here it has a friend in America and some greater understanding in Europe.”

The Trumpet has long forecast that eventually the Jews will feel compelled to request assistance from Germany. This biblically prophesied event is of enormous significance, because it promises to be the undoing of the Jewish state, as it is treacherously double-crossed by its old nemesis. It is vital that readers continue to watch this situation for ongoing developments.