Signs of the Times – A boost for Israel

(With thanks to Brother Roger Long)

In a further indication of shifting geopolitical sands in the Middle East, following the announcement in August of a deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia stated at the beginning of September that

“it will henceforth allow flights ‘from all countries’ to cross over its airspace … to or from the United Arab Emirates. Israeli leaders indicated they understood this to mean that Israeli flights can head to and from the Far East via Saudi Arabia and UAE, drastically reducing travel time … Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the announcement as a ‘huge breakthrough’ that will help the Israeli economy and reduce airfares” (The Times of Israel, September 2).

This move is another sign of the growing closeness between Saudi Arabia and Israel. There has also been recent speculation that Sudan may be considering a normalisation of relations with Israel, along with Bahrain and Oman. As well as economic benefits, the threat to the region posed by Iran and to some extent Turkey has provided a pressing security concern for all of these countries. We watch carefully the alignment of nations in the Middle East, encouraged that God’s hand is at work and that His kingdom on earth will soon be established.