Israel

Israel's Taurus Sun shows the powerful drive for physical land and secure territory, and the Leo Moon near the Midheaven repeats the prominent security issues. However, the Taurus Sun is in the seventh house of Open Enemies, and Israel's status is an ongoing border problem with the Palestinians, and other neighboring descendants of the ancient patriarch Abraham.

Israel has Scorpio Rising, the sign of re-birth, and Israel's Taurus Sun is opposed by Chiron in Scorpio. Chiron in Scorpio reflects the deep woundedness that comes from a long history of injustice, a description which can apply to the post-holocaust Jewish state, as well to the nations and peoples that Israel has constellated around its borders.

Israel Airstrikes Ignite Protests around Islamic World

NewsScope; December 29, 2008. Last week, as transiting Mars and Pluto formed their powerful conjunction in early Capricorn, tension around the world's hotspots escalated to dangerous levels. Pakistan moving troops to its border with India was a major concern, as were confrontations in Zimbabwe and the Philippines. But the breakout conflict that roiled the Middle East was Israel's deadly airstrikes in Gaza that killed over 200.

Israel's horoscope (May 14 1948; 4:37 pm; Tel Aviv, Israel) reflects these tragic events, especially when considering its progressed chart. For astrologers who prefer Israel's 4:00 pm horoscope, compare and contrast how well each one performs. Primarily, the 4:37 pm chart shows the progressed Ascendant at 1º Libra, which the current transiting Mars-Pluto conjunction (at 1º Capricorn) is squaring.

Ehud Barak, Israel’s New Prime Minister

NewsScope for August 2, 1999. The man of the hour in the Middle East is the recently elected Ehud Barak, who has embarked on an ambitious campaign to restore faith in the peace process. Barak is seeking reinstatement of the Wye accord and final status for Jerusalem over the next 15 months.

Ehud Barak was born with his Sun in the systems analysis sign of Aquarius on February 12, 1942 at an Isreali kibbutz known as Mishmar Hasharon. The most interesting configuration in his chart at the moment is his Mars-Saturn conjunction squaring his Mercury-Ceres conjunction which is being activated by the Solar Eclipse.

Barak’s horoscope in relation to Israel’s is characterized by forcefulness and authority. They have mutually antagonistic Mars-Saturn interchanges, indicating that Barak is meant to push and pull and cajole Israel’s stubborn stagnation into an aggressive plan of action, and at the same time that he must put the brakes on those who would aggressively expand housing settlements into the occupied West Bank.

On the afternoon of May 14, 1948 Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion read Israel's Proclamation of Independence, recreating a Jewish nation for the first time since the destruction of Jerusalem nearly 2000 years earlier. At 4:37 pm EET (in Tel Aviv: 32N07 34E45), Ben-Gurion concluded "The state of Israel has arisen!" and the audience burst into spontaneous celebration and cheering. This historic moment represents the symbolic birth of Israel as a nation, and a horoscope can be drawn up just as one would for an individual.

If a 1:30 pm* birth time is accurate, Barak has 20 degrees Gemini Rising. This degree is critical because his progressed Mars is now at 20 degrees Gemini, propelling him from a behind-the-scenes activist (shown by his natal twelfth house Mars) onto the world stage. Since the U.S. has its Mars at 20 degrees Gemini, he clearly represents a realignment with U.S. objectives in the Middle East.

* According to Israeli astrologer Maurice Fernandez, Barak was born at 1:30 pm, but this time is unconfirmed and should be treated as speculative. more on Ehud Barak

Israel's Vietnam

NewsScope for May 29, 2000. Fulfilling an election campaign promise, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak ordered a full withdrawal from occupied southern Lebanon last week, leaving a vacuum quickly filled by Hezbollah forces. U.S. observers compared the chaotic evacuation to the 1975 withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam, with the same wounded national pride.

Astrologically, the parallels between Israel's occupation of Lebanon and the U.S. occupation of Vietnam are especially stark when comparing the invasion and withdrawal dates. The last American soldiers were airlifted from Saigon on April 30, 1975, as Saturn was transiting across the U.S. Sun. At the moment, Saturn is passing over Israel's Sun, and in both cases the departure has led to much national soul-searching.

Israel's Machiavellian Election

NewsScope; January 10, 2006 . Ariel Sharon's crippling stroke (as transiting Uranus was conjunct his Sun) sent Israeli politics an unexpected curve ball, and the entire peace process into unknown territory. The former leader of the hawkish Likud Party, Sharon vowed to lead a new centrist party and Israel toward a more accommodating approach. Now, the election is a toss-up between Israel's three main parties.

The election scheduled for March 28 happens to be the day before a total Solar Eclipse, underscoring the dramatic events shaping up in the Middle East. Israel's national horoscope (May 14, 1948; 4:37 pm; Tel Aviv) reiterates the themes of fundamental change. At the moment, transiting Neptune is opposite Israel's Tenth House Saturn, which corresponds to the current uncertainty (Neptune) around Israel's governing institutions (Saturn).

Israel's Leo Moon reigns over the entire horoscope with its exact conjunction to the Midheaven. The Moon here represents the power of the people in determining the nation's direction. Transiting Saturn is now heading toward a conjunction with this Moon, and will arrive as the elections take

Benjamin Netanyahu (October 21, 1949; 9:30 am; Jerusalem) is well-placed to lead the Likud Party back into power as transiting Saturn trines his Sagittarius Ascendant and transiting Pluto sextile his Libra Sun. However, with transiting Uranus squaring his Venus and opposing his Tenth House Saturn, events will likely spin out of his control. Watch around March 2 when Mercury turns retrograde (while squaring Pluto) for the most Machiavellian maneuvers involving Netanyahu.

Hamas Challenges Roadmap

NewsScope for June 9, 2003. Divisions between Palestinian political factions intensified last week following Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's summit conference with President Bush and Israel's Ariel Sharon. HAMAS, the largest group opposed to the roadmap to peace, broke off cease fire discussions with Abbas, saying that the end to violence won't stop until Israel allows a return of the millions of Palestinian refugees and takes up the issue of Jerusalem.

The Hamas charter was issued on August 18, 1988 (set for noon, Gaza), and called for a religious war against Israel. This moment can be used for the birth of this militant organization, and features a

When Saturn forms a conjunction with a nation's Sun, the time arrives to take a hard look at errant policies and cut the losses. The Sun, symbol for the nation's pride and honor, takes a hit, but corrections are made and lessons learned. Israel and the U.S. share democratic ideals, but since both have Scorpio rising, each is also a God-fearing warrior nation, defending itself against evil enemies. (See Charlton Heston's horoscope for a human face with Scorpio rising.)

Israel first invaded Lebanon on June 6, 1982, when opportunistic and self-righteous Jupiter was exactly on its Scorpio Ascendant. The U.S. got involved in Vietnam under JFK's watch when foggy-brained Neptune was on the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant. In both cases, the national insistence that "God is on our side" was inspired by the two religious planets Jupiter and Neptune, but was eventually cut back by realistic Saturn.

powerful Pluto rising in Scorpio and amplified by an inconjunction (150 degree aspect) to Mars in hotheaded Aries. The Sun in proud Leo is bolstered by trines to Saturn and Uranus, giving the Hamas leadership plenty of popular support.

Jupiter as the planet of religion plays an unusually important role in this chart. Jupiter is often activated during suicide bombings, since the perpetrators are convinced they will go directly to heaven. For example, in February 1996 when transiting Pluto was opposing the Hamas Jupiter, the peace process was moving forward. Hamas began a wave of suicide bombings, which led directly to the election of the Likud candidate Benjamin Netanyahu.

Currently, transiting Uranus in Pisces is very close to squaring the Hamas Jupiter. Last week when transiting Mars opposed the Hamas Sun, the negotiations with Abbas were severed. Mars enters Pisces on June 17 and joins with Uranus to square the Hamas Jupiter toward the end of the month. This represents an extremely dangerous time frame when suicide bombings will likely become Hamas's strongest statement.

The progressed Moon tells the story of how this action unfolded. Hamas and Israel signed a cease-fire agreement 18 months ago, as Israel's progressed Moon entered its 12th house. That cease-fire allowed Hamas to rule Gaza, as Israel played a wait-and-see if this works strategy. When the cease-fire ended on December 20, Hamas militants began lobbing mortar into Israel.

Israel's progressed Moon entered the first house of action as the cease-fire ended. It's position at 1º Scorpio is in concert with its progressed Midheaven, progressed Mercury (at 1º Cancer), and transiting Mars and Pluto – all working together in an explosion of repressed frustration over the

Here's a few articles from the NewsScope archives that reflect some historical turning points. Scroll down to read the unfolding story, or click here to connect to horoscopes and discussion of Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Israel's Vietnam, and Israel's recent airstrikes in Gaza.

Ehud Barak's Rising Star

NewsScope; January 5, 2009. The chief strategist behind Israel's ongoing military operation in Gaza is Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who is one of three major candidates running for Prime Minister in Israel's February 12 election. Since the airstrikes began, Barak has seen his public approval rating soar from 34% to 53%, as he overtakes his rivals, the Likud Party's Bibi Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

Like the horoscopes for Mike Bloomberg and Kim Jong-Il, who were born within a few days of Barak, the Labor Party leader has his Aquarius Sun squaring a group of hard-core planets in Taurus. The Sun square Saturn is the classical signature of the ambitious, self-made success story, while the square to Uranus points to an eccentric side and periodic breaks from the expected path.

If Barak's birth time is correct*, his Taurus planets (including Mars) operate in the stealthy 12th house. He was Prime Minister for two years, beginning on July 6, 1999. He won based on his stellar military record as his progressed Sun was sextile Mars and his progressed Mars was conjunct his Ascendant. He lost to Ariel Sharon on March 7, 2001 during his Saturn Return (in the 12th house), and then abruptly quit politics to play at being a businessman.

In January 2007, he announced his return to politics, as transiting Saturn opposed his Sun. Now, transiting Saturn is on an upward cycle, as it rises from his fourth house of new starts. Transiting Neptune conjunct his Sun gives him the aura of a visionary who can take Israel forward. Watch around January 12 for a dramatic change of direction toward compromise and negotiations as Mercury turns retrograde on his Venus.

* ADB rates his birth data (February 12, 1942; 1:30 pm; Tel Aviv, Israel) as DD for conflicting birth times. A popular alternative to the 1:30 pm time used here is 3:00 am.