Mideast Geopolitics through the Maranatha Lens.
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Just as Russia provided targeting assistance to the Iranian regime vis-a-vis the US and Israel during Operation Rising Lion, now Putin's regime is providing targeting info and battle damage assessments to the Houthis and Shi'a militias in Iraq vs Saudi Arabia.
Russian satellites helped Iran’s proxies [Houthis and militias in Iraq] strike Saudi Arabia, no surprise. apnews.com/article/russia-ir…
Shin Bet (Israel's FBI) is investigating whether Qatar sent billions to Israel in order to buy votes in what has become the largest Israeli Arab electoral turnout in Israel's history, between 80-90% in some communities. Qatar denies doing so.
This while Ra'am, the moderate Arab bloc of parties, is negotiating with the Change Bloc (opposition) to recommend its leader Gadi Eisenkot to the Israeli president for prime minister. The Jewish parties won't create a formal coalition with the Arab parties, but they can work together to create a de facto opposition that would outnumber Bibi's coalition 67 to 53. The investigation into Qatari funding puts the Arab vote into question (rightly or wrongly), and as Eisenkot's Yashar party failed to outperform Bibi's Likud, the Change Bloc's options are limited.
The Shin Bet security agency says the information on the suspected voter fraud during Israel's national election originated from intelligence it collected regarding foreign influence, and not from "any political party or political actor on either side of the political map."
The Shin Bet says that aside from Central Elections Committee chair Justice Noam Sohlberg, no one outside the security agency had access to the information in question until the elections concluded.
The Shin Bet says it has not yet completed its investigation into the matter, and that "any statements concerning the content or nature of the suspicions do not reflect the agency's position."
Upon the completion of the investigation, the Shin Bet says it will present the findings to Sohlberg, "who is the authorized decision-maker on this matter."
The Shin Bet says it is only operating under its legal mandate, and all activities are being conducted by the agency's professional personnel and legal advisers.
Amid claims that Qatar had sent significant funds to Israel to influence the Arab vote, where turnout was notably high on Tuesday, the Shin Bet says that the investigation is "focused and limited in scope, and does not cast aspersions on or accuse an entire sector that went out to vote democratically and legally."
"Only those who acted in violation of the law will be dealt with," the agency says.
Additionally, the agency confirms that Shin Bet chief David Zini met over the past day with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, and opposition leader Yair Lapid to personally brief them on the main suspicions under investigation.
The Shin Bet says the meetings were with the approval and at the request of Sohlberg.
A massive defeat for Shas, the bastion of the Sephardic (Ladino/North African) Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community in Israel for decades. Many religious Sephardim voted for non-Haredi secular parties, such as Bibi Netanyahu's Likud, or far-right religious Zionist parties, such as Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit. Many also voted for United Torah Judaism, the Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Haredi party, which held its seats firmly, and simply didn't vote at all. This demonstrates the increasing diversity within Israel's more religious communities, especially Sephardim, and is another example of how Oct 7th has changed Israel's political landscape.
Iran continues to circumvent sanctions and the naval blockade to obtain material and fuel to rebuild its missile arsenal and other weapons materiel.
Iran has used a secret network of more than 5,000 military agencies to import at least $2 billion worth of equipment, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025, bypassing Western sanctions and the US naval blockade, a Reuters investigation published on Thursday found.
One agency alone, identified as MOD 346428, imported $2.3 billion in military-related goods between January 2025 and June 2026, according to shipping records examined by Reuters.
The shipments included rocket fuel ingredients, explosives, aircraft parts, industrial machinery and hundreds of heavy-duty trucks that could be adapted for military use, with goods recorded as originating in China, Russia, Germany and other countries.
The findings provide details of how Iran has continued to obtain materials used in missile and drone production during the US-Israeli war, which began in February, despite attacks on its weapons production facilities.
iranintl.com/en/202610290508
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“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” (Hebrews 12:28-29)
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A sower goes out to sow, scattering seed indiscriminately. He doesn't prioritize the soil, he trusts the seed.
At The Emmaus Table, we choose to trust the good seed of The Gospel to give good fruit.
Pull up a chair and get into the word with us.
MARANATHA.
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Israeli election committee's chair calls the Security Service Shabak to investigate a possible bribe by a foreign country (Qatar), based on information that passed to him. It is probably a part of Netanyau's attempt to delegitimize Arab parties’ gains.
Remeber: Netanyahu's top aide was paid by Qatar after Oct 7 attack for PR
After a brief lull due to stalemate in Yemen, Houthi missile fire into Saudi Arabia has recommenced.
BREAKING: Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a Houthi missile aimed at kingdom's Eastern province
🔴 LIVE updates: aje.news/99grok?update=50966…
Report demonstrates that an increasing trend of sexual violence against Alawite women in Syria is not just a collection of isolated cases, but a systemic issue that is enabled by the gov't of al-Sharaa.
"These incidents reflect coordinated operations marked by sectarian profiling, coerced video statements, organized networks, and systematic obstruction by security institutions."
#Syria | A new report on the sexual violence targeting Alawite women finds Syrian Authorities systematically complicit in violence targeting Alawite women.
The International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF) published a report titled "A Critical Assessment of Media Reports and Documentation Efforts on Sexual Violence Against Alawite Women in Syria" on October 23, 2026, prepared by: Dr. Jens Kreinath.
The report critically evaluates media investigations, civil society documentation, and international reporting concerning allegations of abductions, forced disappearances, forced marriages, and gender-based violence targeting Alawite women and girls in Syria.
The report highlights official institutional failures, systematic neglect, and obstruction by local security structures in transitional, post-Assad Syria.
The report finds the Syrian Transitional Government has been complicit in:
1. Systematic Obstruction and Cover-ups by Security Entities
The report emphasizes that the primary issue extends beyond rogue armed groups, noting that the crimes are enabled by official institutional interference. Dr. Jens Kreinath's core findings demonstrate that "these incidents reflect coordinated operations marked by sectarian profiling, coerced video statements, organized networks, and systematic obstruction by security institutions."
Another facet of obstruction is failure to process claims, the report's summary of findings notes "repeated criticism of security institutions and their response to families' complaints and reported incidents."
2. State Public Relations Campaigns to Mask Kidnappings
The report actively evaluates how official government platforms launched strategic media campaigns to obscure individual cases of violence and suppress documentation. The report explicitly reviews the political fallout from official state responses, specifically referencing documented accounts such as:
- "Syria's official response to the abduction of Alawite women is no response at all"
- "Syrian officials launch media campaign to cover up kidnapping of Alawite woman Batoul Alloush"
3. Contrasting Government Inquiries with Independent Rights Data
The text also draws a direct contrast between the ground reality recorded by international monitors and the local authorities' attempts to minimize responsibility:
- "differences between findings from Syrian official investigations and documentation by rights groups and international media, with questions remaining over the scale and nature of the alleged abuses and who may be responsible."
The new report highlights how the humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate under the new authorities which has provided sectarian gangs with total freedom and impunity to terrorize entire communities to the point that it's become an epidemic that has drawn international attention.
The suffering of Syrian women, especially those from minority communities like the Alawites and Druze, is a stain on the face of Syria as a nation. A stain that can't be removed unless those responsible are held accountable and justice is served for all the victims in Syria.
The Likud party (of Bibi Netanyahu) and allied media report widespread voter fraud, foreign funding of Arab candidate campaigns, "stolen election."
Investigations underway, but so far, Israeli law enforcement claims no evidence to support this.
100% of votes counted besides the "double envelope" ballots, Bibi's Bloc is still in the lead but without a clear mandate. There are still 600k ballots to be counted, mostly IDF active duty, foreign diplomats, prisoners, etc who cannot vote in person (the so-called "double envelopes," for which an inner envelope is anonymous, sealed in a named outer envelope.
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Glad to see this, hope we see serious action taken on the part of the Syrian Govt (although we're not overly optimistic).
#US condemns violence against displaced Kurdish families returning to Tel Abyad, northern #Syria, urging Damascus to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure safe returns. #Kurds
npasyria.com/en/143161/
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The U.S. has told several Gulf Arab countries to be prepared for a short, intense military campaign against #Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, people briefed on the conversations said.
wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-…
With more than half of votes counted, Netanyahu's coalition pulls ahead, but still without majority. Both blocs can still work to reform a coalition that would constitute a majority (or join and form a unity gov't, but neither side is willing to do that so far).
Syrian Kurds did everything they had to do this year after being pressured by the Trump Admin to integrate with Damascus. They have "played ball," and this is what happens when they finally attempt to return to their homes after 15 years (guaranteed by the deal they signed, by the way).
A RETURN TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE
69 vehicles burned and around 100 Kurdish families attacked while returning home to Girê Spî (Tal Abyad) after years of forced displacement. The attacks were carried out by settlers and ISIS cells backed by Turkey, in full view of the STG.
#kurd
Preliminary results are in: the opposition bloc is leading with 52 seats, Netanyahu's coalition with 50, Arab parties with at least 15. Likud (Bibi's party) won the most seats at 25. Highest turnout in Israeli history, Arab voters may have voted at a higher rate than Jews.
