Israel's government announced the establishment of eleven new settlements in the West Bank on Monday, a decisive expansion that arrives as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for his Mar-a-Lago summit with President Donald Trump. The authorization represents one of the most significant land moves in recent months, drawing immediate condemnation from Palestinian officials and international observers who view the action as a deliberate obstacle to any future peace framework.
The settlement announcement coincides with intensified military activity across multiple fronts. Israeli bulldozers demolished a four-story residential building in East Jerusalem overnight, forcibly evicting Palestinian families whose doors were broken down by authorities enforcing what officials describe as action against unauthorized construction. Scores of residents now face displacement with nowhere to go. Simultaneously, IDF forces arrested at least twenty Palestinians in raids spanning the occupied West Bank, while airstrikes continued in southern Lebanon despite Beirut's claims that Hezbollah disarmament is mere days away.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has openly warned of another confrontation with Iran, as intelligence indicates Tehran's proxies are actively rearming. Senator Lindsey Graham echoed these concerns during weekend appearances, stating that both Hamas and Hezbollah are rebuilding their arsenals at an alarming pace. The prophet Ezekiel spoke of a time when Israel's enemies would gather against her from the north and south—a pattern that seems to repeat with each passing season in this ancient land.
Yet even as traditional geopolitical tensions simmer, a quieter revolution unfolds in the realm of digital finance. DTCC and JPMorgan have advanced their blockchain settlement pilot, moving toward a system where tokenized assets and stablecoins could fundamentally reshape how global transactions clear. Meanwhile, revelations emerged that Binance allowed hundreds of millions in cryptocurrency to flow through suspicious accounts—some linked to Hezbollah and Iran—even after its $4.3 billion plea deal in 2023. The intersection of terrorist financing and decentralized finance presents a new frontier for those who understand that economic systems have always been instruments of power.
Ethiopia has strengthened its Fayda digital identity infrastructure with a new Digital Certificate Service, part of a growing global movement toward biometric identification systems. Caribou Digital released guidance warning that such systems risk intensifying exclusion if they fail to address the underlying causes of statelessness. The book of Revelation speaks of a time when none may buy or sell without a mark—and while we must be careful not to see every technological development through apocalyptic lenses, the rapid consolidation of identity verification systems warrants thoughtful attention from those who value both security and liberty.
Nature itself seems restless as we approach year's end. A powerful atmospheric river unleashed deadly flooding across Northern California, killing at least one person in Redding as rainfall exceeding four inches overwhelmed infrastructure. A strong M6.5 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea, while solar activity—including an M-class flare and ongoing magnetic storms—suggests our sun remains in an active phase that could produce more significant events.
As 2025 draws to a close, the convergence of territorial expansion in the Holy Land, digital financial transformation, and natural upheaval creates a moment demanding discernment. The Greek and Cypriot leaders visiting Jerusalem this week to discuss regional cooperation against Turkish ambitions remind us that ancient alliances and enmities continue to shape our world. For those watching with eyes of faith, the counsel remains what it has always been: be sober, be vigilant, and let not your hearts be troubled by the tumult of nations.