Three Days That Could Change the World

11 Iyyar 5785
26 Days of the Omer   

May 7 - 8 - 9  India/Pakistan Conflict 

May 7, 2025  India launches attacks on Pakistan after Kashmir massacre

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to respond to India’s strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir that were carried out in the early hours of Wednesday local time.

What that response entails may well decide whether the two countries are able to find an off-ramp or become locked into an escalating confrontation.

May 8, 2025   India-Pakistan latest: Pakistan says it has killed up to 50 Indian soldiers in retaliation for Kashmir strikes

Pakistan claims it has killed “40-50 soldiers” by shelling Indian military installations along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in Kashmir, in retaliation for Wednesday’s pre-dawn airstrikes by India.

At least 16 civilians and an Indian soldier were killed in heavy shelling in India’s Poonch district, which forced locals to flee the border villages, the Indian police said. Pakistan and India also said they had both shot down projectiles fired at each other’s military installations on Thursday.

Pakistan said it downed 25 Indian kamikaze drones, while India said it shot down 15 missiles. It comes a day after Islamabad vowed to avenge the death of 31 civilians in Indian airstrikes.

India said the strikes killed 100 “terrorists” as a retaliation for a massacre of tourists in Kashmir last month. Also on Thursday, French officials said at least one Indian-owned Rafale fighter jet was shot down during Wednesday’s “Operation Sindoor”.

The big question is where does it go from here?  What will be tomorrow?  The experts say they can each claim success and de-escalate.  Whatever happens next will indicate whether they will take the off-ramp or blow everything up. 

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May 8 - 9 - 10  Russia's Ceasefire and Military Parade

May 8, 2025  Putin’s 3-day ceasefire comes into effect, but Ukraine claims Russia already broke it

CNN — Kyiv accused Moscow of breaching its own ceasefire on Thursday, saying Russian forces struck hundreds of times along the front lines and launched guided bombs that killed and wounded civilians in several Ukrainian cities.

The three-day ceasefire scheduled around the anniversary of Russia’s World War II Victory Day on Friday was unilaterally declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin last month. It was meant to come into effect at midnight local time (5 p.m. ET) on Wednesday.

A statement from the Kremlin last month said that Putin ordered “all military actions” in Ukraine to be suspended from midnight May 8 to midnight May 11 based on “humanitarian considerations.”

Russian state news agency Tass reported that the ceasefire started as scheduled – yet the fighting appeared to have continued, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.

...The three-day period Putin picked for the ceasefire coincides with Russia’s World War II Victory Day commemorations, including a traditional military parade set for Friday, May 9.

The high-profile event is expected to be attended by the leaders of several countries that are friendly with Russia, including China’s Xi Jinping.

The Kremlin has released a guest list of countries and foreign leaders planning to attend the contentious May 9 Victory Day parade

Military personnel from 13 countries are expected to march through Moscow on the day of the parade. At least 29 world leaders are also expected to attend the event, Russian state-controlled media reported on May 6.

Troops from Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Egypt, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam will march in the parade.

Twenty-nine foreign leaders will also attend, including those from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Palestine, Serbia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

Representatives from North Korea and Russian-controlled Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as defense ministers from 31 countries, will also be present.

Again, whatever happens tomorrow, and the day after, will tell the tale. 

Moscow Issues Red Alert: Putin Explodes
At Zelensky’s Victory Day Parade Threat

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May 13 - 14 - 15  Trump's Middle East Trip

Trump snubs traditional allies and marks Gulf power with his first major foreign trip

President Donald Trump will return to familiar ground in Saudi Arabia next week, choosing the kingdom as the destination for his first major foreign trip of his second term, just as he did in 2017 [Please click and read!] — once again bypassing the traditional allies who have usually hosted presidents.

The decision underscores a broader Trump White House strategy, prioritizing the Middle East’s economic and strategic influence over North America’s deep-rooted trade and security ties.

With an eye on blockbuster deals, a Nobel-worthy diplomatic breakthrough and the Middle East's role as a geopolitical fulcrum, Trump is chasing defining moments in a region that he has treated as diplomatic and economic cornerstone.

Trump to hold summit with Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia, present Mideast vision - report

...Officials said the summit will give Trump a stage to outline his regional strategy and define the contours of US engagement in the Middle East.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is preparing to invite leaders from all six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

Trump is scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on May 13 for bilateral meetings, with the summit set for the morning of May 14. At this stage, no other Arab leaders are expected to attend, though that could change, one Arab official said.

After the summit, Trump is expected to travel to Doha for a meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and then proceed to Abu Dhabi on May 15 to meet with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. The White House said that full details of the itinerary will be released soon.

This comes at the full moon and during the three days leading up to Lag Ba'omer.  No idea if that means anything or not.  But, the thing we need to watch for here is the negative fall-out it might portend for the Israeli State.

Israel vows to ‘defend ourselves alone’ after Trump strikes truce with Houthis

The US-Houthi truce sidelined the Israeli government, according to former US Middle East envoy Dennis Ross.

He noted that Netanyahu was left in the dark when the US began talks with Hamas in March and only found out about US nuclear talks with Iran when Trump made the announcement seated next to the prime minister in the Oval Office last month. The US-Houthi ceasefire is one more instance where Israel’s concerns were a tertiary consideration for the White House, if at all, he said.

Whether Houthi ballistic missile launches against Israel continue remains to be seen, but Ross told CNN that Israel does not appear to have been a major factor in the White House’s thought process.

...There has been no public criticism of the White House decision from Israeli officials. Netanyahu, who once openly criticized the Biden administration’s requests and policies, is one of Trump’s most vocal international supporters. Other members of the government have reserved their judgement as well, instead focusing on Israel’s resolve against the Houthis.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Thursday that “Israel must be able to defend itself by itself against any threat and any enemy. This has been true in the face of many past challenges, and it will remain true in the future.”

On the other hand, it's always wise to keep an eye on Iran.  They might do anything at any time.

Once again potentials and possibilities. 
All of these situations have the potential to spark off WW3!