Rama Krishna Sangem
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invoked Bible to hit at Islamic Iran. He called the strikes against Iran as preemptive – meaning to prevent the enemy from attacking it. Interestingly, the US is not part of these strikes, mostly by Israeli drones and missiles,that interiors of Iran’s nuclear sties.
Israel has called its military operation against Iran “Rising Lion”, taking the name from a biblical verse that promises a victorious future for a powerful Israel.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was photographed on Thursday putting a handwritten note into a crack of Jerusalem’s Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, which in retrospect pointed to the looming strikes on Iran. His office on Friday released a photo of the note, which said “the people shall rise up as a lion”.
The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is a large, ancient stone wall located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a remnant of the Second Jewish Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. The Western Wall is the closest accessible point to the original site of the Holy of Holies, the innermost and most sacred part of the Temple, where it was believed God’s presence dwelled.
Since Jews are not permitted to pray on the Temple Mount itself (due to religious restrictions and restrictions and political tensions), the Western Wall serves as the central place of Jewish prayer and pilgrimage. It has come to symbolize the endurance and resilience of the Jewish people, surviving centuries of destruction, exile, and return.
A well-known tradition is placing written prayers or wishes into the cracks of the wall, believing they are closer to God there. That’s why Netanyahu put the handwritten note into a crack of the Western Wall.
The expression “Rising Lion” — from the line “the people shall rise up as a lion” in Netanyahu’s note — comes from verse 23:24 of the Book of Numbers in the Bible: “Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.” This verse is part of the first oracle of Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet and diviner, where he foretells the strength and power of Israel, comparing it to a lion that will not rest until it has satisfied its hunger.
