Unlike most other apocalyptic millenialist Christian groups, physical armed conflict in the Middle East isn't featured as prominantly in WT eschatology (possibly a byproduct of their official pacifist stance), so JWs don't tend to get Rapture-happy about it.
Definitely this has to be a "generalized" take for JWs for the simple fact that the natural Jews are no longer considered to be Biblically significant. Now when Russell came along, the Bible Students were extremely "Zionist"! Russell even spoke directly with Jews to assure them that their general return to Israel fulfilled Bible prophecy! A casual reading of the Bible certainly suggests that in many places, with the ultimate promise after years of exile for disobedience, a remnant of the Jews would be restored to their homeland and this was to occur just before the second coming.
In fact, even JWs at one point understood the reference to the budding of the "fig tree" to represent the budding of the State of Israel during end-times and to occur just before the messiah appears, who is "near at the doors" at that point. (Matthew 24:32) But once Rutherford came to office as president of the WTS, that doctrine got dropped and he pursued the idea that the WTS was now "spiritual Israel" and that the natural Jews had no modern-day fulfillment or of any spiritual significance. They are considered totally and permanently rejected and now everything about "Jews" and "God's chosen people" are pertinent spiritually through Christianity and especially through the WTS. So Egypt and Middle East Issues linked with Israel is going to be downplayed. Egypt banning JWs is more significant as far as they are concerned.
Of course, that is just another false teaching. Just because Christ instituted the new Christian covenant for the gentiles does not mean the covenant with Abraham and the Jews was not to be fulfilled. But that's another issue.
My personal concern is as with others, that any kind of an escalation of disruption of peace in the Middle East or anywhere else might have a ripple effect on the world economy or world peace. It opens up a lot of old wounds that many have tried to cover up.
The second "concern" I have is that you cannot tell about these conflicts whether the CIA is supporting it or subverting it. Let's face it, the CIA will get involved one way or another pending current US policy whether to support the government or the rebels. So who knows? It's a coin toss whether unrest is a veiled benefit to the superpowers or not. Any kind of effective or overtly organized protest I strongly consider the CIA is behind it. It is easy to manipulate the media. I've seen this first hand.
Once a peaceful parade in Long Beach, CA was going on and some violent demonstrators started to act up. But the violent demonstrators had their own camera crew! So it is easy to 'crash the party' in demonstrations like this, where outsiders come in, become disruptive, film themselves and then put that out to the media as if these violent demonstrators are actually part of the movement. So you really do not know what to believe. It just too easy to manipulate the media and large groups. And who is to say the "organizers" of these protests wasn't seeded or sponsored by some entity who has lots to gain here? MONEY TALKS!
Bottom line is, a world government makes a lot of sense now. Too many factors in one little area now affects everybody globally. We've all heard the rumors of the "New World Order", so let's ask: "Will a Middle East Conflict" serve the goal of the NWO? Sure. It does. It could force the hand for more UN involvement and authority. The US can't do like it used to and be the ultimate influence in the world. Major nations with their own funding are forming their own alliances independent of the US. Where in the past the US was always in the diver's seat making the ultimate decisions, now more nations have their hands on the wheel of major world decisions, with nuclear capability being a major equalizer in the world. The internet adds a huge factor as well since it actually involves the rest of the world in the individual conflicts of others in the world. We're not just getting propaganda on the news like before.
LS
