European Boots on the Ground in Middle East

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European Boots on the Ground in Middle East

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I was startled by the headline, "Israel open to EU policing role on Gaza border" because of its prophetic significance.  We could soon see European boots on the ground in the Middle East.  Mark Heinrich of Reuters explains that Israel long opposed a European presence on its border with Egypt at the Gaza Strip.
But the pullout of Israeli forces from Gaza and more importantly, from the strategic border has changed the picture dramatically.  Egypt moved troops in to fill some of the gap left by the absence of the IDF, but their soldiers were not enough to stop the smuggling of weapons - and, potentially, foreign terrorists - across the border.
The Palestinian Authority lent a large contingent of policemen to border patrol in the early days after Israeli withdrawal, because of the virtual flood of Palestinians back and forth across the border.  Some were innocently visiting relatives, but others were pursuing criminal objectives.  That early chaos has subsided, but the border is proving too much for the Egyptian army alone to manage.
The potential for the Gaza Strip to be the "perfect" staging area for terrorist attacks against Israel looms ominously large.  Hamas launched rocket attacks into Israel from the Strip almost immediately after IDF forces withdrew.  The rockets stopped, probably only temporarily, after the IDF dealt Hamas an immediate crushing response, executing Hamas militants with precision attacks on their vehicle, which was also laden with weapons.
Additional pinpoint strikes have taken out an Islamic Jihad leader in the Gaza Strip and a Hamas leader in the West Bank.  Today, Israel continues to pound the Gaza Strip, targeting Fatah terrorists in particular.  Obviously, the IDF intends to send an unmistakable message: "We will absolutely not tolerate the slightest attack on our people."
Without doubt, the terrorists will continue to examine new avenues that they might use in their relentless goal of the destruction of the state of Israel.
So, Israel realizes its powerful IDF, along with U.S. backing is not enough to guarantee the security of its people.  And, now, it turns every so slightly to Europe.  Is this the beginning of a large EU footprint on the Middle East, triggering an Islamic response that will cascade the world to Armageddon?  To learn how the presence of European forces represents a significant step in fulfilling prophecy, read The Middle East in Bible Prophecy.
See also this recent World News and Prophecy article on the Gaza crisis, "Retreat from Gaza" and a UCG Commentary, "'D' Day in the Gaza Strip."