Steve Conover: Thank you for joining us for the Friends of Israel Today. I'm Steve Conover, executive director of The Friends of Israel, and with me is our host and teacher, Chris Katulka.

Chris Katulka: Steve, we've been going through a series on the development of the modern Middle East, the one that you read about in the news or you hear about on the radio. This modern Middle East that we see wasn't something that's been around for thousands of years. In fact, the countries that we see like Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Iraq, all of these come as a result of events that have taken place in the 20th and 21st century. And so we've been diving into this series and looking at what it was like early on with agreements that were signed in Europe that helped divide up the land into these countries, and how the modern Middle East has been changed as a result of Israel becoming a nation. And finally, I don't think most people realize this, but October 7th, when Hamas attacked Israel, changed the dynamics of the Middle East completely. So today we're going to look at October 7th and how it's changed the Middle East that we know.

Steve Conover: Stay with us, it's an important topic. But first in the news, during a Hilal lighting ceremony on February 28th in the city of Paterson, the third largest municipality in the State of New Jersey. Mayor Andre Sayegh, marked the beginning of the Muslim month of Ramadan by declaring that his city is the “capital of Palestine” and “the fourth holiest city in the world”-- “The mecca of New Jersey.”

Chris Katulka: Well, Steve, here's my take. I'm sure the large Jewish community in Teaneck, New Jersey, only 12 miles away, wasn't too excited to hear the mayor say that he wants Paterson, New Jersey to be the capital of Palestine. What they hear him saying is, I want Paterson to be the center of political corruption, authoritarianism, antisemitism, and yes, even terrorism. Not to mention, Mayor Sayegh, there is no Palestinian state.

Chris Katulka: Last week we looked at how Israel's War of Independence and Six-Day War radically changed the ethos of the Middle East. They were wars of aggression against the fledgling Jewish state that showed Israel's neighbors and the world that they were a force to be reckoned with. Through the War of Independence, the Six-Day War, and yes, even the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Israel was able to quadruple its size, but at the same time, they used the land as leverage for peace.

Countries like Egypt and Jordan would sign peace agreements that are still in effect today, but many of Israel's surrounding neighbors still hold animosity toward them. If you'd like to listen to that episode, you can go to our archives page at foiradio.org, and there you can hear last week's episode and the last 10 years of broadcasts right at your fingertips. Again, that's foiradio.org. Now, I'm sure Israelis who fought for independence in 1948 or defended themselves in the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War couldn't predict how the Middle East would turn out today. When Israel became a nation and fought these wars, Iran wasn't the Jewish state's number one threat. There was no Hamas or Hezbollah terrorizing Israelis and the Palestinian Liberation Organization was just gaining a foothold as the representative of Palestinian self-determination. A lot happened between 1973 and today. Iran was radicalized in 1979, which led to the first and second Lebanese wars for Israel. Palestinian self-determination led by Yasser Arafat was built on destroying Israel from the inside out, not really creating a peaceful coexistence. This led to the first and second intifadas. 

In 2005, then Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon forcibly removed Israelis from the Gaza Strip that it took control of in 1967, giving the land unilaterally to the Palestinians, only to have it turned into a launchpad of terror as thousands upon thousands of rockets were launched into Southern Israel and Central Israel from Hamas, a terrorist organization birthed from the Muslim Brotherhood in the late 1980s. Then in 2020, at the tail end of the first Trump administration, president Trump forged diplomatic agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. This was done after Trump moved the United States Embassy to Israel's capital, Jerusalem. Yes, that certainly changed the face of the modern Middle East and waiting in the wings were the Saudis with hope that they too might enter the famous Abraham Accords.

There's a lot that happened between 1973 and 2020 to reshape the Middle East, but really nothing is more dramatic than the events that followed October 7th, 2023. 10/7 marked a pivotal moment in Middle Eastern history when Hamas broke through the border and killed 1200 innocent Israelis, including women, children, even Holocaust survivors, while taking 250 Israelis hostage. On October 8th, Hezbollah attacked the northern towns of Israel. Israel entered into a multi-front war. Hamas to the south, Hezbollah in the north, Iran to their east, the Houthis in Yemen, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist militias in the Palestinian Territories in the West Bank that we also call Judea Samaria. And don't forget about the western media and progressive left, who criticize Israel for defending themselves against their enemies and the rise of antisemitism around the world as a result of October 7th. Look, the unprecedented brutality of the attack not only galvanized Israel into a full scale military response, but also set off a chain reaction that fundamentally altered the balance of power in the region.

In the months and years following, Israel successfully dismantled Hamas, crippled Hezbollah, and directly targeted Iran's ability to fund and supply terrorism. These actions have had profound geopolitical consequences, including the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, effectively severing Iran's land bridge to Hezbollah and permanently altering the strategic landscape of the Middle East. So first, let's talk about how Israel severely isolated and dismantled Hamas. Following the October 7th massacre, Israel launched an uncompromising military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. This operation unparalleled in intensity and scope aimed not only to degrade Hamas' military capabilities, but to ensure the terrorist organization could never again pose an existential threat to the Israeli state. First, Israel decimated Hamas' leadership. Israeli intelligence and special forces systematically eliminated Hamas' high command, including its military chief, Yahya Sinwar, and political leader, Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh met his demise on Iranian soil while visiting key leaders in Tehran. Israel sent a message to Iran that they were right at their doorstep.

Next was the eradication of Hamas' military infrastructure. The Israel Defense Forces has uncovered and destroyed Hamas' extensive tunnel network, weapons depots, and command centers, effectively neutralizing their operational capabilities. Look, photos show cities in Gaza completely demolished. Israel was forced to do that. Why? Because Hamas militants built hundreds of miles of tunnels under the homes of their citizens. These were military tunnels. Israel also eliminated Hamas' rocket and drone capabilities with advanced airstrikes and ground operations. Hamas' stockpiles of rockets and drone capabilities were destroyed, ensuring they could no longer strike Israeli cities in the south and central part of their country. And finally, Israel crippled Hamas' governance in Gaza with Hamas leaders dead or in hiding and its governance structures in shambles, Gaza fell into a temporary but transformative phase of Israeli security oversight. The Hamas that ruled Gaza between 2007 and 2023 was systematically dismantled piece by piece.

That's not saying it can't reemerge, but Israel's leadership is determined to not let that happen again. Iran cannot influence Israel's destruction through Hamas any longer. Israel recognized that Hamas was only one arm though of Iran's strategy with Hezbollah being the greater long-term threat. As Hezbollah escalated attacks on Northern Israel, the IDF launched a preemptive and sustained military campaign to dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure in Southern Lebanon and beyond. Like Hamas, Israel assassinated key Hezbollah leaders and members of its militia in Lebanon. Israeli strikes took out top Hezbollah commanders, including Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah and other high ranking operatives. And don't forget about the Israeli beepers distributed to Hezbollah leaders and militia that blew up, pinpointing and targeting Hezbollah militia, exacting them like a scalpel. That alone will go down in military history and studied by military officials around the world for decades to come. Israel targeted Hezbollah missile and drone sites, systematically destroying missile sites and drone launch facilities rendering their long range strike capabilities ineffective.

Iranian weapons depots in Syria and Lebanon were decimated leaving Hezbollah's logistical network obliterated. Remember, Hezbollah relied heavily on Iranian supplied weapons that were stored in Syria and Lebanon. And finally, Hezbollah's financial and political stability collapsed as Israel's offensive cutoff supply chain from Iran, leaving the group struggling to maintain its grip on Lebanon Shiite population. Now listen, I've highlighted in previous episodes that many Israelis from the north still live as refugees in hotels and apartments waiting for the right time to go home. Destroying Hamas and Hezbollah is incredibly important to Israel's survival long-term. But that's only fighting with the tentacles of Israel's biggest threat, and that's Iran. And when we come back, we're going to look at how Israel has threatened Iran's ability to influence the Middle East. Stick around.

Steve Conover: Are you a new listener to our program? If you are, welcome. We're glad you're here. The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry exists to fuel your passion for the Word which should overflow to a compassion for God's Chosen People, the Jewish people.

Chris Katulka: Whether you're new to our program or have listened for years, we want to encourage you with our resources to help you see why God called us to support the Jewish people in Israel and worldwide. We have a free download, a digital version of our booklet, Whose Land is it Anyway? that we'd like to send you free today. Whose Land is it Anyway? takes the Jewish and Arab claims to the land and helps make sense of the common arguments surrounding the struggle. Whose Land is it Anyway? is an easy-to-read apologetic that will give you a clear answer as you think about Israel's right to the land.

Steve Conover: To get your free digital copy of Whose Land is it Anyway?, visit foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org.

Chris Katulka: Welcome back everyone. We're talking about how the modern Middle East came into existence. In the first episode of the series, we looked at the Sykes-Picot Agreement from 1916 that created the blueprint for the modern Middle East and indirectly assisted in the reestablishment of the state of Israel. Last week, we looked at how the wars Israel fought between 1948 and 1973 established the Jewish state as a military defense force not to be messed with despite a half dozen Muslim countries that worked to see it destroyed. And today we're looking at how Hamas' attack on October 7th once again reshaped the modern Middle East. Now it must be known that Iran is the primary instigator of aggression in the Middle East in the late 20th and 21st century. It not only wants to see Israel destroyed, it also wants to see the Middle East experience an Islamic revolution like it did in 1979.

Iran wasn't always Israel's enemy, it's gone through its own transformation. Relations between Iran and Israel can be divided into four major phases. The ambivalent period from 1947 to 1953, the friendly period during the era of the Pahlavi Dynasty from 1953 to 1979, the worsening period following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 to 1990, and the ongoing period of hostility and proxy conflict since the end of the Gulf War in 1991.

Iran was the second Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel as a sovereign state after Turkey. After the 1953 Iranian coup, which reinstalled the pro-Western leader, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as the Shah of Iran, relations between Israel and Iran significantly improved. However, after the overthrow of the Shah in 1979 and the installation of the Iranian Ayatollahs, Iran's mission changed: Change the face of the Middle East and destroy Israel. This was where proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis found their funding and support.

Remember, many Muslim countries fear Iran's influence, not just Israel. The Saudis, the Jordanians, the Egyptians and others work to suppress Iran's Islamic presence in their countries. Iran is what created security partnerships between Israel and many of these once hostile countries in the Middle East. Recognizing Iran as the architect behind Hamas and Hezbollah's terrorist activities, Israel shifted its strategy to strike at the root of the problem after October 7th. Through cyber warfare, strategic airstrikes and diplomatic maneuvering, Israel successfully weakened Iran's ability to project power in the region. Israel targeted and eliminated key Iranian revolutionary guard leaders, which disrupted Iran's coordination of proxy forces like Hamas and Hezbollah in coordination with Western allies. Israel crippled Iran's economy by intensifying cyber attacks on its banking and energy sectors. And with the combination of cyber attacks and precision airstrikes dealt significant blows to Iran's nuclear ambitions with the hopes of delaying their nuclear program.

Now, listen, mass protests within Iran fueled by economic collapse and military failures abroad weakened the government's grip on power, leading to domestic unrest and a decline in Tehran's ability to influence regional affairs. October 7th, led by Hamas, started a domino effect in the Middle East. One by one, Iran's proxies and Iran itself felt Israel's retaliation. One of the most significant geopolitical consequences and byproduct of Israel's aggressive strategy was the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria. For years, Bashar al-Assad relied on Iranian support to maintain his rule. However, as Israel dismantled Iran's supply lines and took out key Hezbollah and IRGC commanders operating in Syria, Assad found himself isolated and vulnerable. The fall of Syria destroyed the bridge Iran had to the eastern front of their aggression toward Israel and the Middle East. As the dust continues to settle even today, the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East has undergone a radical transformation.

Since Israel's war against Iran and its proxies, Hamas has lost a strong foothold in Gaza. Hezbollah is crippled and Iran's support cut off, giving Lebanon an opportunity to maybe move toward a more balanced political structure, reducing its status as an Iranian puppet state. We'll have to wait and see about that. Despite Iranian propaganda, their influence across the region has waned, leading to greater security for Gulf States and Israel, while Syria is in a fight for who will control it. In the coming years, we could see Syria dismantled and broken up into smaller countries as Israel seeks to protect the Druze community in southern Syria. Look, God continues to move in the Middle East. He's in control of all things as he continues to providentially protect his people. The Jewish people just celebrated Purim, when God providentially protected his people from Haman, the Persian who sought to destroy them. God is moving today for his glory, reorienting our attention to Jerusalem. When one day our Savior and Messiah, Jesus will return and establish his kingdom, and from Jerusalem peace will spread, not only to the Middle East, but throughout the whole world.

Steve Conover: Israel on the verge of becoming a state, a teenaged Holocaust survivor arrives on her shores alone. His name is Zvi Kalisher. Little did he know his search for a new life in the Holy Land would lead him to the Messiah. Zvi, enthusiastic to share his faith, engaged others in spiritual conversations, many of which can be found in our magazine, Israel My Glory. While Zvi is now in the presence of His Savior, his collected writings from well over 50 years of ministry continue to encourage believers worldwide. Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life of Zvi.

Mike Kellogg: I often go to Mea Shearim, the ultra-Orthodox section of Jerusalem, because I know how deeply into sin these people have fallen, and the Word of God has charged me to warn them to come to God before it is too late.

Recently I was walking along the street in that area when I heard children singing an old song I had not heard in more than 50 years. The singing was coming from a religious elementary school. The song reminded me of the children I sang it with in Warsaw in 1938.

As I listened, I mourned for the children of my youth. The sorrowful lyrics are from Psalm 44:23–24. The more I listened, the less peace I felt in my heart.

Finally, I went inside to speak with the rabbi. The rabbi, a very old man, approached me and asked, “Where are you from?” 

I told him I had come inside because I heard the class singing. I asked, “Why are you singing a song of such deep grief and exile?”

He replied, “Because I like it.”

I said, “When I was the age of these children—in 1938, before the Holocaust—I sang that song many times. But I do not sing it anymore because I have believed in God, and now I know the Lord will never hide His face from me.

The rabbi asked the children, “Should we continue our lesson or listen to what this man has to say?” I silently prayed in my heart, “O Lord, guide me, give me the words to say.” At the same time, the rabbi called several other rabbis into the room.

I began to tell them about myself—my life in Poland before the war, my experiences during the Holocaust, how I lost my family in the Warsaw Ghetto and the concentration camps, my arrival in Israel, and my participation in all the wars through 1973. Then I began to tell them about my faith. I could not start by declaring I believe in Jesus. I wanted them to mention His name first. I quoted several passages from Isaiah, Micah, and other prophets about the Messiah, all the while waiting for the outcry when they realized I was speaking about Jesus Christ. One of the teachers soon asked, “What books have you read?” 

I responded, “The book I have in my hand—the Holy Bible—the book I love best. Is it sin to love God’s Word?”

I continued to speak for about 35 minutes, and everyone—students and teachers alike—listened carefully. When I finished, one of the students asked, “Why did you come here?”

 

“Because of the sad song you were singing,” I replied. “I wanted you to be able to rejoice in the Lord with me. The Jewish people have lamented long enough. It is time to call upon the Lord. Then you can say with Isaiah, ‘We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation’” (Isa. 25:9). The rabbis just looked at each other in silence. 

I left the school with a good feeling. I believe many of those I spoke to were seriously considering the things I said. I trust they will read the Bible passages for themselves and see the Lord alone can bring them out of sorrow and into joy and peace, if only they will trust Him as their Messiah and Savior.

Steve Conover: Thank you for joining us for today's episode of The Friends of Israel Today. We hope you enjoyed this series on the makings of the Middle East, and don't forget to get your free digital download of our popular booklet, Whose Land is it Anyway? You can find that on our website, foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org. Now, Chris, we have a special episode next week, don't we?

Chris Katulka: Steve, I wish I had a balloon to hand you or some celebration sound, but next week we are celebrating our 10th anniversary. Well, I guess my 10th anniversary as the host of The Friends of Israel Today and the revised version, because you've been doing it since 1991, but we'll be celebrating the 10th anniversary of us together on the air sharing about what God is doing through Israel and the Jewish people biblically.

Steve Conover: We're so glad that the Lord called you to this work and it's been a wonderful 10 years. As mentioned, our web address is foiradio.org. Our mailing address is FOI Radio PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Again, that's FOI Radio PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. You can call our listener line. That number is 888-343-6940. Again, that's 888-343-6940. Today's program was engineered by Bob Beebe. Edited by Jeremy Strong, who also composed and performs our theme music. Lisa Small is our executive producer. Sarah Fern is our associate producer. Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold. And I'm Steve Conover, executive director of The Friends of Israel. The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Passion for God's Word. Compassion for God's Chosen People.