Following an election in which Netanyahu appealed more to his supporters and further angered his detractors, Israel finds itself more isolated from its allies than at any time in recent history.

The continuing thorn in the West’s relations with Israel is the issue of Palestinian statehood. The hotly debated Iranian nuclear issue is providing a brief distraction from the statehood issue, but as The Economist points out, the time of reckoning may be near:

“The American administration lacks the stomach for more than one diplomatic crisis with Israel at a time. An accord with Iran will be followed by a showdown in Congress, where Israel’s many supporters will try to scupper the deal. In the meantime, the French are gathering support from Arab and European governments. The resolution is expected to call, among other things, for Jerusalem to serve as the capital of both Israel and Palestine” (“Israel’s Foreign Relations: Contra Mundum,” May 21, 2015).

We may be looking at a very lonely future for the state of Israel in the years just ahead—a future in which its closest allies no longer guarantee support and protection in the way they once did.

In Luke 21:20 Jesus prophesied a time in which the city of Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies. That time will bring great trouble on the city and nation, with many former allies turned enemies. In the end, the Jewish nation’s current alliances won’t be its salvation. Rather Jesus, the true Jewish Messiah, will return to the very land of Israel itself and save the Jews and ultimately all of mankind from destruction (see Zechariah 12 and 14). (Source: The Economist.)