Washington – Israel carried out a major military exercise earlier this month that American officials say appeared to be a rehearsal for a potential bombing attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
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Several American officials said the Israeli exercise appeared to be an effort to develop the military’s capacity to carry out long-range strikes and to demonstrate the seriousness with which Israel views Iran’s nuclear program.
More than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters participated in the maneuvers, which were carried out over the eastern Mediterranean and over Greece during the first week of June, American officials said.
The exercise also included Israeli helicopters that could be used to rescue downed pilots. The helicopters and refueling tankers flew more than 900 miles, which is about the same distance between Israel and Iran’s uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, American officials said.
Israeli officials declined to discuss the details of the exercise. A spokesman for the Israeli military would say only that the country’s air force “regularly trains for various missions in order to confront and meet the challenges posed by the threats facing Israel.”
But the scope of the Israeli exercise virtually guaranteed that it would be noticed by American and other foreign intelligence agencies. A senior Pentagon official who has been briefed on the exercise, and who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political delicacy of the matter, said the exercise appeared to serve multiple purposes.
One Israeli goal, the Pentagon official said, was to practice flight tactics, aerial refueling and all other details of a possible strike against Iran’s nuclear installations and its long-range conventional missiles.
A second, the official said, was to send a clear message to the United States and other countries that Israel was prepared to act militarily if diplomatic efforts to stop Iran from producing bomb-grade uranium continued to falter.
“They wanted us to know, they wanted the Europeans to know, and they wanted the Iranians to know,” the Pentagon official said. “There’s a lot of signaling going on at different levels.”
Several American officials said they did not believe that the Israeli government had concluded that it must attack Iran and did not think that such a strike was imminent.
Pentagon officials said that Israel’s air forces usually conducted a major early summer training exercise, often flying over the Mediterranean or training ranges in Turkey where they practice bombing runs and aerial refueling. But the exercise this month involved a larger number of aircraft than had been previously observed, and included a lengthy combat rescue mission.
Much of the planning appears to reflect a commitment by Israel’s military leaders to ensure that its armed forces are adequately equipped and trained, an imperative driven home by the difficulties the Israeli military encountered in its Lebanon operation against Hezbollah.
“They rehearse it, rehearse it and rehearse it, so if they actually have to do it, they’re ready,” the Pentagon official said. “They’re not taking any options off the table.”
Hello. You heard it here first. Listen carefully people, this is how its going to play out. Israel WILL attack Iran this summer. Iran will respond forcefully and invade Israel. Israel will lose and chaos will erupt. Hamas will take over power with Syria’s help and will occupy it for about 9 months. Yidden will realize that the end is near and will do Teshuva in masses. The state of Israel and their heretic philosphy will be dismantled. The yemos hamoshiach will hence begin and the true redemption will play out.
11:19
Where did you hear that from and why this summer????
Why 9 months.
I think, Iran will try to retaliate but Moshuach will come and take over Eretz Yisroel from the Zionists and redeem us from Golus and he’ll put all the nations on trial.
Oz Yimolei S’Chok Pinu
Hashem should shield over all the yiden especially the yiden in Eretz Yisroel.
I can’t believe it. We have a Navi right here on Vos Iz Neias. Anon 11:19, is there anything else that you can predict for us? Will the stock market go up or down in the next six months? What are next weeks power ball numbers? Let us be the first ones to know!
Charedi , This is not me predicting, this is words from A famous mekubal.
hashem yerachem
Thank you NY Times for briefing the world and making sure the Iranians didn’t miss out all the details. As usual, the NY Times comes thru to make disasters worse.
Israel B”H got Hashem on there side. they have nothing to worry about as long as they dont give away land and the goverment does not get involved in the Military. But even though the goverment is involved and they are curropt Hashem is with the soldiers of the idf and they will prevaile. They also thought last summer there were going to be major wars, but B”H there were none.
Moshiach Now!
Rav Shach said very similarly before the Golf War and The Lubavitcher Rebbe said there is nothing to fear except fear alone. And when people asked if it’s ok to go to Israel the Lubavitcher Rebbe responded with the posik “Enei asher Hashem Elokeicha bah tamid Mereishis Hashanah vead achris shanah”! And added that the Gemora says that Hashem is busy being meshadech sheduchim!
The difference between the two was that one had an image of hashem as a loving father who is Teva hatov leheitiv. while the other viewed Hashem as an angry king looking to beat and punish everyone, Chas Vesholom.
Mr. Anon 11:19, how could you or your source have such a negative outlook on hashem who is tachlis hatov?!
Mr anon you or your famous mekubal is a novi sheker
Gruntig, you obviously have an affiliation to chabad. The rebbe also declared himself Moshiach and how accurate was that? The rebbe is not halacho lemoshe misinei and there are others who vehemently disagreed with his philosophy and rightly so.
To answer your question how I could have such a negative outlook on Hashem who is tachlis hatov, you are misleading my source. When the Holocaust was about to happen and the years leading up to it, there were gedolim that warned about the dire consequences that were about to occur. Were they not correct in warning or should we just have sit back and said ” Oh hashem is tachlis hatov and lets enjoy life”. The true Moshiach will not arrive unless the state of israel will be dismantled. So yes there will be bloodshed and terror before the true moshiach arrives. Not your fantasy moshiach.
There is a gemara about yishmael ruling the world for nine months, there is a gemara about a war breaking out on shmita and then moshiach coming, there are chazal and seforim about klal yisroel being redeemed (in moshiachs time) on pesach
a little math and a little imagination, and puff you have a prediction from a “mekubal”
NOBODY KNOWS WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE AND HOW AND THESE MEKUBALIM WILL ONLY DISILLUSION PEOPLE
WHO IS THIS MEKUBAL? CAN I TALK TO HIM IN LEARNING ON ANY GEMARA, RISHONIM AND ACHROMIN? ANY YERUSHALMI? OR IS “SPECIALTY” ONLY KABALAH?
UNLESS HE IS A KNOWN TALMID CHACHAM TOO, HE WORTH NOTHING MORE THAN THE TRASH IN MY GARBAGE
On a side note “Washington – NY Times” sounds like an oxymoron.
About the Rav Shach and the Rebbe,
Rav Shach said there is a limit to the erech apaiym, there is only so long the middas hadin will be held back, (at the time) klal yisroel enjoyed 40+ years a tremendous chesed, and Rav Shach warned klal yisroel to do teshuva because nothing is free.
When the Rebbe heard this he went crazy because the Rebbe believed the holocaust was a one time thing and could never happen again, and was not a punishment for avairos. There Rebbe believed the Holocaust was a preparation for the “seventh dor”, and the nosi hador who is “automatically” moshiach.
The Rebbe also believed that moshiach coming was just a matter of time, FRUM yidden doing teshuva was not the issue.
CHAZAL SAY IF YIDDEN DON’T DO TESHUVA HASHEM WILL IMPOSE ON THEM A MELECH THAT HIS GEZAIROS ARE HARSH LIKE HAMANS (to wipe jews of the earth), AND FORCE YIDDEN (to introspect and) TO DO TESHUVA.
Who is this famous mekubal? what are his initails? where does he live? what mosad/yeshiva is he part of?
What gadol was “somech yadav alav”?
If you can’t put any credibility to your comments, it would be better if they weren’t ever spoken.
Why don’t you keep your Satmar & Neturei karta sheetus to yourself? If you think that the Ribono Shel Olam would allow Iran to win a war against Israel you are also predicting anothe Holocaust, Chalilah, because we know what would happen to the yeeden.
People do not like hearing the inevitable. They think they are living in comfort and wealth and enjoying all the luxuries of life, they are as safe as ever. wake up yiden , time is running out. If you dont stop all your naarishkeit and tavos oilam hazeh and you dont admitt to being mekabel oil malchus shamayim , your fate will not look good. Hashem has patience and rachmunes but when the dor today is so oifgenomen with shtusim and pritzus. When yidden are running off to cancun for pesach. When yiden are involved in geneivah and affairs, Hashems wrath will be on a huge scale. Yidin have suffered tremendous losses over the centuries . Look at the churban , Spanish inquistition , pogroms, the holocaust. What makes you think you are now immune from any catastrophie?
The Israel bashers are here again. What makes you thnk that Moshiach’s arrival is solely connected to Israel? Have you looked in your own backyard? What’s the matter? Is everything kosher in chutz le’oretz that we can blame only Israel for holding up Moshiach? Maybe WE in America have to do tshuvah.Except for a short era during Shlomo Hamelech ,there was irreligious misbehaviour for years and years. Don’t believe it? Look into T’nach sometimes.
Also let’s look at ourselves first before looking at Israelis.AND… Anybody that knows how to accurately interpret the words Neviim who wrote about the days of Moshiach is somebody special. Maybe he can help me with the stock market also.
It’s a fact,Klal Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel is in danger. So,we should not be Mekatreg. Every military step without Sanhedrin can only worsen the situation. We have to accept our Golus status,turn to Hashem,rely on him.