Israelis supporting the EU, the Irish prime minister evaluating the Vatican, the “era of the Soyuz,” Mugabe’s miserable mess, and the American job openings that remain empty.

Middle East

Pakistan draws closer to Iran: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari visited Iran for the second time in three weeks on July 16. Zardari discussed strengthening cooperation with Tehran in energy, trade and combating terrorism, holding two rounds of talks with both Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Zardari told Ahmadinejad that Iran is an “important friend and player in the region” and a “model of resistance and path to progress.” In return, Khamenei returned the praise, calling Pakistan “a great nation with long and deep background of struggle,” and warning that the “real enemy” of Pakistan was the West “and the U.S. on top of it.” Subjects that were discussed included the natural gas pipeline that is currently being constructed between Iran and Pakistan, and also a free-trade agreement and an arrangement for the two nations to trade without the use of U.S. dollars. Iran is drawing closer to nuclear-armed Pakistan even as Islamabad’s relationship with the United States is deteriorating.

Poll shows strong support for EU in Israel: A recent poll in Israel shows that Israelis are far more positive about Europe than is generally imagined. The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev survey, published July 11, shows strong and growing support for Israeli membership in the European Union. It indicates that 81 percent of Israelis would like to join the EU, an increase of 12 percentage points since the last survey in 2009. “The results demonstrate that the Israeli public views the European Union as a crucial player and that Israelis believe in stronger cooperation and not in isolation,” said Dr. Sharon Pardo, who compiled the poll. Pardo’s survey also found that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the most popular European leader among Israelis, and that 64 percent of Israelis would support the deployment of nato troops in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel has never applied to join the EU, and we don’t expect it to do so. However, the results of this survey reveal an Israeli mindset that is amenable to European involvement in peace-keeping responsibilities in the region. The Bible specifically prophesies that when Israel sees the futility of the peace process, it will seek help from Germany (Hosea 5:13). Biblical prophecy also reveals, however, that Europe will prove to be a counterfeit peacemaker.

Egypt wants to cancel gas agreement with Israel: Egypt’s petrol minister is threatening to cancel his country’s gas supply agreement with Israel, according to a report in the Egyptian media. The Egyptian daily Youm7 reported on Wednesday that Abdallah Ghorab will also demand a new price from Israel. According to the report, Egypt is preparing to submit a request to the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington, d.c., to end the gas agreement. The company that exports gas from Egypt to Israel, East Mediterranean Gas, intends to submit to the tribunal a claim for $8 billion in damages. A senior source close to the petrol minister hinted that recent attacks on the pipeline in the Sinai would continue unless the current agreement is ended. The pipeline has been attacked four times since February, the most recent time being last week. “Economic ties between Egypt and Israel are eroding,” Israeli Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau said, warning that the result of the blasts will be a hike of approximately 20 percent in the cost of electricity. Despite Israel allowing Egypt to station troops in the Sinai—which the 1979 peace treaty with Cairo prohibits—Egyptian forces have proven unable—or unwilling—to prevent such attacks. Since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, the Muslim Brotherhood has been behind increasing hostility in Egypt toward Israel, including the gas agreement between the two.

Europe

Irish prime minister condemns Vatican: Ireland’s Prime Minister Enda Kenny made a historic attack on the Roman Catholic Church on July 21 after revelations that the church was covering up child abuse as recently as three years ago. Vatican officials have argued that the church has learned from its mistakes and is now cooperating with authorities to stamp out the abuse. The Cloyne Report into abuse in County Cork proves they were lying: Even in recent years, the church has been conspiring at all levels to cover up the abuse. Ireland’s Catholic prime minister is livid. The Cloyne Report “exposes an attempt by the Holy See to frustrate an inquiry in a sovereign, democratic republic,” said Kenny. It “excavates the dysfunction, disconnection, elitism … the narcissism … that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day. The rape and torture of children were downplayed or ‘managed’ to uphold, instead, the primacy of the institution, its power, standing and ‘reputation.’” Kenny announced that Ireland would introduce laws to imprison priests if they covered up abuse. Many in the church are outraged, arguing that the law would force them to give police information revealed to them in confessional. According to events prophesied in the Bible, the Catholic Church will, in the short term, rise above this abuse scandal—but in the end will be destroyed, and thus never again able to harm man, woman or child.

IMF to EU: You need more integration: “To put the crisis behind, we need more Europe, not less. And we need it now,” wrote the director of the International Monetary Fund’s European department, Antonio Borges, on July 19. “If today’s policymakers want to successfully stay the course, they will have to press ahead with structural changes and deeper economic integration,” he wrote. Financial officials across Europe are making similar statements. David Bloom, head of currency at hsbc, said: “We are heading towards fiscal union or break-up. Talk is no longer enough as the fire threatens to leap over the firebreak into Spain and Italy.” Société Générale’s Suki Mann wrote to clients: “Eurozone politicians don’t—or don’t want to—understand that the eurozone as we know it is on the precipice. Greece appears beyond repair, Italy is on the brink, and the chances are that the euro might be no more very soon.” Gary Jenkins, head of fixed income research at Evolution Securities, warned: “We are approaching the endgame for this part of the European sovereign crises: The number of cans that now need kicking down the road would challenge the left foot of Lionel Messi. The chances are that the EU will only take the step of fiscal union or common bond issuance at one minute to midnight on a weekend when it is clear that the system is close to collapse.” Jenkins hit the nail on the head. Ultimately, the European Union and Germany are committed to further integration. But it will take a crisis to swing voters behind them. Dramatic steps are needed, and leaders don’t take dramatic steps until they reach dramatic times. But as the Trumpet has been saying for some time now, when it gets to one minute to midnight, expect Europe to act.

Everyone but Britain wants a military HQ: The European Union should build a permanent headquarters to “command and control” future EU civilian and military campaigns, proposed the EU’s high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, on July 18. She was quickly slapped down by British Foreign Minister William Hague. “I have made very clear that the United Kingdom will not agree to a permanent operational HQ. We will not agree to it now and we will not agree to it in the future. That is a red line,” he said. A high-ranking diplomat quoted by the Sunday Times said the UK is the only nation really opposed to the idea. “Britain is now virtually alone in its rejection of the idea,” he said. “Because of opposition from the UK even the word headquarters cannot be mentioned, so we need to resort to convoluted euphemisms, but in the end we expect the British to show some flexibility” (July 17). This news illustrates two major trends the Trumpet is watching in Europe right now: the growth of the EU toward a superstate, and the marginalization of Britain.

Germany and Russia meet to improve ties: Angela Merkel and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev co-chaired talks on July 18 to 19 between the two governments in Hanover, Germany, where the two nations signed agreements to improve trade ties. Merkel promised to relax visa restrictions for Russians visiting Germany. Russia offered Germany a partnership to develop Russia’s reserves of rare earth minerals, metals that are vital in many modern devices. “Of course we’re ready to enter into new relations with our friend, including on rare earths,” said Medvedev. German and Russian state banks said they would look into creating a fund to help small businesses. Russia also offered to supply Germany with more gas as Germany phases out nuclear power, though Merkel did not accept the offer. The relationship between Germany and Russia is important as Germany breaks away from America’s orbit and pursues its own foreign policy.

Asia

Pakistan looks to China for protection: Anti-Americanism in Pakistan has risen to extraordinary levels in recent months, prompting calls for Islamabad to draw closer to Beijing. Estrangement between the U.S. and Pakistan has intensified in the wake of the Raymond Davies episode in March, the U.S.’s killing of Osama bin Laden in May, Hillary Clinton’s subsequent trip to Pakistan, Washington’s calls for military action in North Waziristan, and the ongoing U.S. drone attacks on terrorists in Pakistan. Pakistan’s bitterness toward the U.S. is evident in the headlines of every significant Pakistani newspaper of note. The nation’s highest circulation newspaper, the Jang, said Clinton’s manner during her visit “seemed more like dictation than reconciliation.” The Nation advised Islamabad to “get away from this trap.” After the U.S. announced on July 10 its plan to withhold $800 million in military aid from Pakistan, the country’s daily Nawa-i-Waqt said Islamabad should “consider this opportunity as a blessing; do away with U.S. slavery and start a journey towards self-reliance.” The paper also said Pakistan can “find alternative means of aid,” and called for a closer relationship with Beijing. On July 16, the Pakistan Observer said, “The exponential expansion in [Pakistan-China] relations during the present regime reflects a marked departure from our perennial propensity to look up to the West, particularly the U.S., for our security and economic progress.” The paper also said that warmer ties between China and Pakistan “will contribute immensely to warding off the lurking dangers.” Expect Islamabad to heed these calls to sever its relationship with the U.S. and work toward closer ties with China.

Moscow declares new era in space exploration: On Thursday, Russia declared that it is now “the era of the Soyuz,” after the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis completed its final flight, leaving Russia’s Soyuz rocket as the only means of ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station. “From today, the era of the Soyuz has started in manned space flight, the era of reliability,” the Russian space agency Roscosmos said. The agency cited “reliability” and “cost efficiency” as the reasons why the Soyuz was still operating after U.S. shuttles have been retired, and also criticized foreign media descriptions of the Soyuz as an old space craft, saying the design is being updated constantly. As the U.S. succumbs to its moral and financial diseases, it will fall behind other nations in more and more areas.

Africa/Latin America

No money for elections: Zimbabwe’s electoral commission will not be able to conduct the country’s elections this year unless it gets a cash injection from the government, a state-owned weekly newspaper reported Sunday. The party of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe called last week for general elections this year to end the country’s two-year-old coalition government. Mugabe, one of Africa’s most ruthless dictators, had his power weakened as a result of the 2008 election. His rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, won that vote, but Mugabe refused to cede power. After African regional leaders refused to recognize the legitimacy of a runoff, Mugabe agreed to form a unity government with Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara. Under the power-sharing agreement, Zimbabwe is supposed to have a new constitution before the next general election. Though little progress has been made on this new constitution, Mugabe’s Zanu PF party still wants to hold elections in a bid to oust Tsvangirai. Where the money for such an election will come from, no one has said. Whereas Zimbabwe was once one of the most prosperous countries in Africa, it now does not even have the money to patch together a sham election. Mugabe’s policies of terrorism, race-based privileges and violent land seizures have destroyed what once was a blessed country.

Guatemala calls for NATO-style regional force: Guatemala’s President Álvaro Colom has called for the creation of a regional nato-style military force to contain the threat posed by the violent and well-armed drug cartels spreading across Central America. In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Colom said that while regional governments have learned what sovereignty means, the drug traffickers have not. Latin America’s drug cartels travel across borders almost at will, while the region’s national armies and police force regulars cannot cross international boundaries without the permission of the respective parliaments of each nation involved. “What good is it if the forces of one country are pursuing drug traffickers who cross a river but then have to stop to avoid an international incident?” ask Colom. “Why not have a type of Central American nato?” Expect the leaders of Latin America to continue pushing for economic and military integration.

Anglo-America

UK to cut Army, again: The British regular Army will be cut to its smallest size in over a century after 2015, British Defense Secretary Liam Fox announced July 18, saying the Army will lay off 10,000 soldiers. This is on top of the 7,000 troops that the Strategic Defense and Security Review has announced will be cut, meaning the Army will shrink from 101,000 to 84,000 by 2020. The Treasury has promised that in return, it will give the armed forces more money to spend on equipment after 2013. The government will also channel more money to the reserve forces, making them better equipped and better paid. They will also be expected to fight more often. “This definitely amounts to a major capability cut for the Army,” the Financial Times quoted a senior Whitehall source as saying. Matt Cavanagh wrote in the Spectator, “Liam Fox will use the reserves review to put a brave strategic face on the Army cuts … [b]ut the fact remains that once again it is money, rather than strategy, which is really driving the decisions. Reserves are far cheaper than regulars, and neither ministers nor officials have been able to find another way of making the sums add up.” These cuts will leave Britain with less international influence and more reliant on its European allies.

No qualified job applicants: The U.S. Department of Commerce recently reported that career openings in science, technology, engineering and math are on the rise in the United States. The problem is that there are not enough qualified American applicants to fill them. Andrew Liveris, chief executive officer of Midland-based Dow Chemical Co., recently told cbs News that his company is having a hard time finding qualified engineers. “We have 1 million science, technology, engineering and math jobs available in this country right now and only 200,000 graduates qualified to fill them,” Liveris said. “That’s scary.” To counter this shortage, he said, “I’m opening up R&D labs in China, in Brazil, in eastern Europe, in India, to get those jobs.” It might seem strange to think that a country with an unemployment rate hovering close to 10 percent should have a shortage of qualified job applicants. When you consider the state of America’s education system, however, all becomes clear. According to a report published last year by the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, less than one third of America’s eighth graders are considered proficient in math and science. America has lost its competitive advantage when it comes to technical know-how. As God prophesied long ago in Isaiah 3, the “cunning artificer” has been removed from the modern-day nations of Israel.

Government will default on its debt: Republican presidential candidate from Texas Rep. Ron Paul predicted on Tuesday that the U.S. government would default on its debt. “When a country is indebted to the degree that we’re indebted, the country always defaults,” the 2012 gop presidential candidate said on the House floor. “We will default because the debt is unsustainable.” Representative Paul clarified his statements by saying that default would come in the form of significant inflation and a further erosion of the dollar. “If we don’t understand this, this default will not be because we don’t send out the checks,” he said. “We will send out the checks. It will be defaulted on because people will get their money back, or they will get their Social Security checks, and it won’t buy anything.” On his website, Paul noted the dollar’s depreciation of nearly 50 percent against gold since 2008; he took issue with the government’s claims that inflation is “2 percent or less over the past few years,” saying alternative data compiled by economists “show a 9 percent inflation rate if calculated more traditionally.” America is facing a tough situation. But instead of dealing with the underlying causes, it has chosen to try and cheat the market by printing its way out of its economic problems.

Grave risk of internal sabotage: Sabotage by an insider at a major utility facility, including a chemical or oil refinery, could provide al Qaeda or other terrorist networks with their best opportunity to inflict massive damage on America, according to a new intelligence report issued Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security. Titled “Insider Threat to Utilities,” this report warns that violent extremists have already obtained insider positions and some have even attempted to solicit utility-sector employees for damaging physical attacks or cyberattacks. Materials recovered after the Navy seal operation that killed Osama bin Laden in May reveal that bin Laden sought to repeat the carnage of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on or around its 10-year anniversary. According to former White House counterterrorism adviser Richard Clarke, “There are a lot of very sensitive facilities where someone can get a job on the inside, get access to a control room, flip a switch, which causes an electric power grid to short circuit, causes a pipeline to explode.” Bible prophecy shows that terrorism, riots, crime and violence will become major scourges on the American people because of their lawlessness.