BIDEN ARRIVES IN TEL AVIV: Israel’s national security advisor tells ALL ISRAEL NEWS he’s grateful Biden showing solidarity during our ‘unprecedented agony’ and ‘time of Jacob’s trouble’

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – Air Force One has just touched down at Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport outside of Tel Aviv as U.S. President Joe Biden prepares to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials.

After a red carpet welcome full of pomp and circumstance, Biden will huddle with Netanyahu at the Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv – under extraordinary military, police, and Secret Service security – to discuss the latest developments in the war.

And to strategize on how to prevent Iran and Hezbollah from opening up a second front in Lebanon.

Yesterday, I asked Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi to describe the significance of the decision by the American commander-in-chief to come to Israel during a white-hot rocket war.

I was intrigued not only by his answers but also by his reference to the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah.

“What is your main message to the American president as he’s coming in, and what do the American people need to hear?” I asked Hanegbi, encouraging him to speak in English and, thus, directly to the American people.

“The Israeli society admires the American president’s readiness to be with us in times of unprecedented agony,” he told me. 

“We are excited to welcome him tomorrow.” 

Biden “already gave instructions [to his military advisors] to help us and this will be discussed through his visit here.”

ISRAELIS ARE VERY GRATEFUL THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS COMING

Hanegbi said Israelis at every level have been moved by how U.S. leaders and the American people truly understand the savage, barbaric attacks Hamas perpetrated against Israeli Jews and the sympathy this has aroused across the United States.

“It’s not only the American president – it’s mainly the American president – but we also see the American Congress, the American public opinion and even, surprisingly, some of the American media is supporting us,” Hanegbi told me.

“We see that they understand the atrocities that happened here and hopefully we will put an end to them [Hamas and their atrocities] as soon as possible.”

IF HEZBOLLAH OPENS SECOND FRONT, U.S. WILL FIGHT ALONGSIDE ISRAEL, HANEGBI SAYS – “ISRAEL WILL NOT BE ALONE”

I then pressed Hanegbi about how the U.S. and Israel can prevent Iran and the Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon from opening a whole new front, especially given that Hezbollah has already begun firing on IDF positions on the Israeli-Lebanon border in recent days.

“We welcome the American involvement in conveying messages of deterrence,” the national security advisor told me.

“The president ordered the advancement of frequent naval and air power to our region at record speed, and to position it vis-à-vis Lebanon and Iran,” he added.

But he quickly added that if these joint efforts at deterrence do not prove to be effective, Israel and the U.S. are fully prepared to go to war against Hezbollah, as well.

“We will make sure we win over all the other radical, crazy, fanatic leaders that maybe would like to initiate a new adventure in the region,” he told me.

“The president is making it clear to our enemies that if they think of joining the [Hamas] attack on Israeli citizens, there will be American involvement here – Israel will not be alone.” 

HANEGBI DENIES BIDEN VISIT MEANT TO THWART GROUND INVASION OF GAZA

Hanegbi spoke to me at the Kirya – Israel’s version of the Pentagon, the headquarters of the Israeli Defense Forces located in the center of Tel Aviv – following a press briefing he held for Hebrew-speaking reporters.

During the briefing, Hanegbi was asked about reports in the Hebrew press claiming that Netanyahu is hesitating to go forward with a ground campaign in Gaza and that Biden is coming to deter such an Israeli ground campaign.

The national security advisor dismissed such speculation.

CITING HEBREW PROPHET JEREMIAH, HANEGBI PRAISES BIDEN FOR STANDING WITH ISRAEL DURING “TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE”

He said Biden was coming to show his strong support for the Jewish state and give Israel a “bear hug,” not restrict the IDF’s freedom of movement. 

Hanegbi accused such false and extremely biased media reporting of causing an “injustice to a true friend.”

Citing a biblical reference in Jeremiah 30:7 to an End Times war against Israel known as the “time of Jacob’s trouble,” Hanegbi told Israeli and international reporters that President Biden is a man “who proves in a time of ‘Jacob’s Trouble’ that there is no more loyal ally” than him and the United States of America.

Evangelical Christians regard Jeremiah 30:7 as a reference to the same prophetic period of horrific war and evil perpetrated against Israel and the Jewish people in the “last days” of history described in detail in the Old Testament books of Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel and known as the “Great Tribulation” in the New Testament Book of Revelation.

While no Evangelical scholars I am familiar with believe that we have literally and specifically arrived at that time yet, it was interesting to hear Israel’s national security advisor use a Biblical reference to indicate just how horrifying and evil that last two weeks have been for the Jewish people.

PRESIDENT BIDEN IS COMING “TO HUG” EVERY ISRAEL, EVERY JEW

“The president comes to hug us,” he said, to give us “a good hug, a loving hug, a hug for every fighter, for all of Israel, for every Jew.”

In return, he said, “we will welcome the president with a hug and with gratitude.”

Hanegbi expressed Israel’s deep thanks to President Biden for all the military support he is providing Israel at this critical hour.

“President Biden at the very beginning of the campaign instructed the U.S. Army to provide the IDF with all the necessities of the war,” Hanegbi said. 

Hanegbi said Hamas is using innocent Israeli hostages and innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza as human shields, saying the terror group wants to sacrifice the lives of the civilian population to advance their propaganda goals against Israel.

ISRAEL EAGER TO WORK WITH U.S. TO RELEASE HOSTAGES TAKEN BY HAMAS AND PREVENT HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Regarding the 199 Israelis being held hostage by Hamas, Hanegbi said that security for their immediate and safe release is a “top priority” for the Israeli government. 

Hanegbi said that Israel is willing to work with the U.S. to prevent a humanitarian crisis. 

However, Israel wants assurances that humanitarian aid will not reach Hamas, which recently stole supplies from the (UNRWA) United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

HOW DID ISRAEL FAIL TO SEE THIS HAMAS INVASION COMING?

When asked how Israeli intelligence, and Israeli military and political leaders could have so disastrously failed to detect the coming Hamas attack or stop it more quickly, Hanebi said there will have to be a deep and thorough investigation.  

“There will come a time when everyone will deal with it, including former and current prime ministers, military chiefs, defense ministers, and military intelligence,” he said.

“Countless people will probably have to do some soul-searching about how they thought Hamas would be deterred from going to this madness,” Hanegbi added.

And he readily conceded that “the issue of responsibility will be examined.” 

For now, he insisted that the focus is – and has to be – on winning the war. 

Finally, Israel's national security advisor gave a blunt warning to Israel’s enemies. 

“Every person who was part of the criminal attack on Israel, we will kill him,” he said.

“It doesn't matter if now they are in a bomb shelter or in an underground tunnel – we will kill him,” Hanegbi vowed.