Riots, protests, strikes, and demonstrations — all this disruption of regimes and governments — are one of the signs of the imminent Redemption.
Remarkably, since the 19th of Kislev, this year’s Redemption holiday, anti-government riots have erupted in Jordan, that escalated due to rising wheat and fuel prices caused by the war in Ukraine. The previous day, the Jordanian authorities had announced that fuel subsidies would be canceled. This, as expected, led to a sharp increase in fuel prices. Furthermore, this happened after a series of continuous boosts of last year`s fuel prices.
As a direct response to this, truck drivers in the country went on strike, which was quickly joined by cab and bus drivers. The transportation strikes caused serious disruptions in the supply of goods to markets and stores.
As a result, many Jordanians began striking in the streets, and the demonstrations escalated into clashes with security forces involving the use of firearms. An officer was killed, and three other policemen were also killed in a raid by Jordanian forces on the hideout where the suspect was hiding. In addition, there have been several other violent incidents. All in all, the situation in this country seems completely unstable.
All of this is unusual for Jordan. When the Arab countries were overwhelmed with revolutions, coups, and riots about 10 years ago (since the beginning of the Arab Spring), Jordan has managed to stay out of them, keeping the situation more or less stable. Now the protests have also erupted in that country, threatening the stability of the regime.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II has said that anyone who dares to oppose the government will be severely punished. Nevertheless, the protests continue and many roads throughout Jordan remain blocked. Clashes with security forces are also ongoing. In an attempt to calm the growing unrest, the Jordanian authorities have blocked some of the social media.
The revolutionary protests in Iran continue as well. Although the authorities are brutally repressing protesters, revolutionaries continue to hit the streets.
There is also turmoil in France. On Friday, a French citizen opened fire on a group of Kurds, killing three and wounding three others. He was detained and said under interrogation that he “hates foreigners.” In response to Friday’s attack, violent riots broke out the next day — Saturday — in the French capital Paris. At least two protesters were killed in massive clashes with security forces. The unrest continues, as protesting vandals overturn and burn cars, block roads, set garbage cans on fire and attack law enforcement.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., vast areas of the Midwest are hit by a terrible cold and snowstorm, the so-called cyclone-bomb. Such low temperatures during this period, according to media reports, have not occurred since 1989!
Because of this severe storm, travel restrictions were imposed on about 60 percent of the U.S. population!
According to the Transportation Association of America, 112 million Americans had to change their travel plans because of the storm. In Canada alone, 10,000 flights were cancelled!
Warfare continues in Ukraine. The U.S. has announced a huge $45 billion in aid, which will include, for the first time, a battery of Patriot missiles for protection against the enemy’s missiles, air strikes and Iranian drone strikes. Such a weapon system will be delivered to Ukraine for the first time. “Patriot” is a long range missile system and can seriously disrupt the air activity of the Russian Air Force.
It is hard not to recall the phrase of our Sages: “If you have seen the kingdoms fighting with each other, you have seen the coming of Moshiach”!
China is once again falling into a coronavirus epidemic. On the huge territory of the country where the coronavirus epidemic once started, it has become known in recent weeks that a major wave of infections has once again been reported. Many sources are reporting from China about the enormous number of seriously ill victims of the coronivirus, with crowded medical facilities. The reports claim that tens of millions of people are infected every week!
According to Bloomberg and the Financial Times, the Chinese are again intentionally trying to hide the extent of the epidemic. Nevertheless, many reports prove that we are talking about a really massive infection.
At the same time, tensions over the China-Taiwan conflict remain and are growing after Biden’s recent announcement that he will provide billions of dollars in weapons to Taiwan. China has already spoken out strongly against this American announcement.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe said in 1991, “The world is shaking in expectation of meeting our righteous Moshiach”!
And we are indeed seeing many disruptions in the world, including places that were formerly peaceful being overwhelmed with riots, and places that were already unstable are becoming even more violent.
Here it is important to be reminded of promise the Lubavitcher Rebbe King Moshiach SHLITA made: the Redemption will come in goodness and mercy. In other words, the world will not crash, there will be no world wars or global economic collapse. As it is written in Psalm 93 (which speaks of the signs of the Redemption): “The universe will not be shaken.”
At the same time, we also see the positive changes — gas prices in Europe have fallen. Despite all the doom-and-gloom forecasts and Russian threats that Europe will “freeze to death in winter”, this is not happening and probably will not happen.
Gas prices have been falling over the last month, and today they have actually reached their pre-war level in Ukraine. The drop in gas prices is occurring both because of relatively favorable weather forecasts and (and mostly) because European countries have prepared for winter and have accumulated a significant gas reserve. In Germany 87 percent of the natural gas reserves are full, in the whole Europe this figure is 83 percent. This shows that the Europeans will not have any trouble to survive the winter temperatures.
When energy prices were at their highest in Europe four months ago, the price per megawatt hour was as high as 350 euros. Now, after a sharp and rapid drop, the price has dropped by roughly four times to 82 euros!
This is almost the same price as it was before the war began in Ukraine. All the russian intimidations that had threatened to put the whole of Europe in an icy winter have, by the grace of the Almighty, been nullified.
Have a good week and a good month, the month of Redemption!