Middle East Madness > Is Turkey lining up to be the next mad attacker of Israel?

 

As I have warned many times here, Turkey may well be the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38 and 39. Erdogan seems to be looking for an elegant excuse to enter the war against Israel.

Israeli minister: Turkey should be treated as an ‘enemy state,’ could become Israel’s next major adversary

May 21, 2026 3:00 pm By Christine Douglass-Williams13 Comments

Given Israel and America’s war with Iran, it is unsettling to contemplate the ramifications of any confrontation with Turkey. This is precisely why it isn’t prudent to enable obvious enemies of the West to escalate tensions with states that are our allies in the first place. Turkey as a member of NATO is one such an example.

Consider the following headlines:

• Turkish journalist close to Erdogan: Turkey should become a nuclear power and consider nuking Israel
• Turkey: ‘Israel cannot live without hostility,’ warns Israel that it ‘may target it next’
• Turkish president Erdogan accuses Israel of ‘atrocities’ against Palestine and Lebanon, threatens to attack
• Russia, China, Turkey pushing for immediate end to war against Iran
• Is Turkey ‘the new Iran’? A top Israeli strategic analyst thinks so
• Top Israeli analyst warns about dire implications of Trump’s support of Turkish forces in Gaza
• Trump’s Jihadist ‘Board of Peace’

Miki Zohar is not off base in his comments about Turkey, since Turkey has been escalating its hostility with Israel for years under its Islamic supremacist President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Photo: צילום: אורן כהן, Creative Commons

Israeli minister says Turkey should be treated as ‘enemy state’

by Mera Aladam, Middle East Eye, May 20, 2026:

The Israeli minister of culture and sports has said Turkey should be treated as an “enemy state”, warning it could become Israel’s next major adversary.

Speaking to Israeli news outlet Srugim on Monday, Miki Zohar made the remarks during a discussion about the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, which sailed earlier this week from the Turkish port city of Marmaris and was later raided by Israeli forces.

“We must begin to treat Turkey as an enemy state,” Zohar said.

“If Turkey chooses the path of war with us, it will undoubtedly pay a very heavy price. Israel knows how to defend itself and how to harm those who harm it.”

The minister added that Ankara would “no doubt pay a huge price” if it went to war with Israel.

He also claimed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said he would build an army to conquer Israel. Although Erdogan has been a fierce and vocal critic of the Israeli government, he has not publicly declared any intention to go to war with Israel.

“There were Iranians who thought the same thing, and look where they are now. If the Turks think the same thing, they will be in a much worse situation,” Zohar said.

His comments came after Israeli forces intercepted several vessels in international waters after they departed from Turkey as part of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla mission…

Bits and Bites from Around the World > Long-time zoo keeper mauled to death by lions in Thailand

 

How often do you hear of wild animals in zoos turning on their keepers? And, more often than not, they are long-time keepers who mistakenly trusted the animals. Did this keeper not see any signs of unrest in the animals? Were there cameras working where they could study the pride for signs that might help future keepers to 'read the room' as it were?

 

Zookeeper mauled to death by lions in front of visitors at Thailand safari park

By Katie Scott  Global News

Posted September 12, 2025 12:22 pm

 3 min read

A longtime zookeeper in Thailand was mauled to death by a pack of lions in front of tourists at Safari World Bangkok.

The fatal attack took place on Sept. 10 at about 11 a.m. local time when an employee stepped out of his vehicle. He was mauled for about 15 minutes, according to Thai News Agency.

Sadudee Punpugdee, wildlife protection director of the Department of National Parks, told AFP that the employee, identified as Jian Rangkarassamee, 58, was “a zoo staff member who usually fed the lions.”

Punpugdee added that the staff member was “mauled by six or seven of the big cats when he stepped out of his car.”

An autopsy found that Rangkarassamee suffered multiple deep lacerations, a broken neck and ruptured arteries.

The zoo has now temporarily closed its predator zone, where the lions were kept, and the lions have been confined to cages for close monitoring, according to CBS News. The zoo has also closed off its big cat section until repairs and improvements are completed.

The Department of National Parks’ (DNP) wildlife conservation director, Chalerm Poommai, shared inspection results with AFP on Friday, revealing that there were damaged fences, inadequate warning signs and not enough CCTV cameras on-site.

Poommai also revealed that the zoo’s permit expired last October and is still awaiting renewal.

“The zoo needs to meet safety standards to prevent such an incident from happening again,” he said.

After the attack, Safari World Bangkok said it would “urgently investigate and strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents.”

“The company places the highest importance on the safety of all tourists and employees, emphasizing the importance of not getting out of the vehicle while visiting the open zoo, especially in the wild animal zone,” the park said in a Facebook post.

Edwin Wiek, from Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), said the group would like to “express our sincere condolences to the deceased animal keeper.”

“This incident should serve as a stark reminder that these animals, even when raised by humans from birth, still pose a serious threat to human life that can be triggered without warning,” Wiek wrote in a statement on Facebook.

WFFT also called on Thai authorities to “prohibit the uncontrolled breeding of lions by anyone other than licensed zoos, and to ban the keeping of lions and other dangerous species by private individuals in homes, coffee shops, entertainment venues, and other public places.”

World Animal Protection Thailand called for Safari World to “relocate the lions, who have done nothing wrong other than exhibit their natural behaviors, to a sanctuary.”

“Forcing apex predators like lions to perform puts both people and animals to unacceptable risks. It is important to recognize that lions and other wild animals retain their natural instincts and defensive behaviors. For them, these are normal, but for humans the consequences are deadly,” the group wrote in a statement.

The statement went on to say that research shows that “the captive lion population in Thailand has increased from 131 in 2018 to 444 in 2024,” an “alarming” growth of 239 per cent in just six years.

“Even more concerning, private ownership of lions has reportedly surged by over 1,300%. This raises grave welfare and safety risks, alongside links to illegal wildlife trade,” they added.

Safari World Bangkok claims to be one of Asia’s largest open-air zoos, where visitors can explore the wildlife sanctuary by car or on foot, according to its website. It’s also known for its staged shows, including hula-hooping elephants, synchronized swimming dolphins and kickboxing orangutans.

The incident at Safari World Bangkok marks the second fatal animal attack at a Thai wildlife park this year.

Earlier this year, a 22-year-old tourist was killed by an elephant at a sanctuary after the animal turned on her while she was bathing it.

Spanish newspapers El Mundo and El Pais reported that Blanca Ojanguren García, from Spain, was bathing an elephant alongside her boyfriend at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre on Jan. 3, when the elephant attacked her.

She was rushed to a local hospital, where she died.

Bits and Bites from Around the World > Another Child Attacked by Cougar in Malibu

 

Child attacked by mountain lion that wandered into California neighbourhood

By Rachel Goodman  Global News

Posted August 11, 2025 12:56 pm

 2 min read

View image in full screen

A mountain lion approaching the camera while walking through blooming bushes. The scene is in Torres del Paine National Park, in Chile’s Patagonia region. Carlos A Carreno / Getty Images

An 11-year-old girl is recovering in hospital after being attacked by a mountain lion in California over the weekend.

According to NBC Los Angeles, the child was bitten on Sunday at about 5:40 p.m. outside a home in the Pacific Coast Highway and Encinal Canyon Road area of Malibu.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies told the outlet that the girl was bitten on the arm and transported to a hospital in Thousand Oaks with non-life-threatening injuries.

Wildlife experts later put down the mountain lion they believed was responsible for the attack, it added.

The Mountain Lion Foundation estimates that about 4,500 mountain lions inhabit vast ranges of landscape across California, and about 40 per cent of the state is considered suitable habitat for the species, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife says.

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A mountain lion sitting relaxed in Torres Del Paine, Patagonia, Chile. Getty Images

Mountain lions are a solitary and elusive species that tend to avoid human contact and are also referred to as cougars, panthers and pumas.

The department receives hundreds of mountain lion sighting reports every year, but few result in the animals posing an imminent threat to public safety, it told NBC Los Angeles.

Mountain lion attacks on humans are also rare. Since 1890, there have been six known fatal human attacks by mountain lions in California.

Its website says the state’s most recent fatal mountain lion attack was in March 2024, when a 21-year-old man was killed in a remote part of El Dorado County. Since 1986, there have been 23 non-fatal attacks.

Mountain lions eat mostly large animals, such as deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, wild pigs, feral horses and burros, the wildlife department says, and will adapt their hunting behaviour in response to a changing environment, prey availability and competition for food.

They may also hunt other animals, including poultry, small livestock or pets.

Last Thursday evening, a biker in the Alpine Capone area along Brohm Ridge, near Garibaldi Provincial Park in British Columbia, suffered minor injuries after being followed by a mountain lion.

Officials said the animal pursued the man and “made contact,” then followed him for another 20 minutes.

The man walked backward holding his bike, and eventually was able to get the big cat to disengage by throwing rocks at it.

Last year, a five-year-old boy survived a mountain lion attack in Malibu Creek State Park after he was targeted by the predator during a family picnic.

According to the Los Angeles news station KTLA, he was playing with several other children close to the family’s picnic site, where at least six adults were supervising, when a mountain lion picked up the child by his head and began to run away.

Witnesses said the child’s father chased the fleeing mountain lion and fought it until it dropped the boy from its mouth. The boy was airlifted to hospital, where he was treated for injuries, including to his eyes.

Bits and Bites from Around the World > Canadian woman bitten by shark loses both hands

 

Canadian woman loses both hands after shark encounter in Turks and Caicos

By Katie Scott  Global News

Posted February 18, 2025 8:17 am

 Updated February 18, 2025 8:37 am

 3 min read

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A file photo of Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. Getty Images

The family of a tourist who was seriously injured when she was bitten while trying to “engage” with a shark in Turks and Caicos is now speaking out about the horrifying moment that “completely altered” the Canadian woman’s life.

The 55-year-old Canadian tourist, who remains unnamed, attempted to “engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs” on Friday, Feb. 7, according to a press release from the Turks and Caicos Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) last week.

The victim’s brother-in-law, Al Chevarie, has set up a GoFundMe page to financially help the woman and her husband, Ralph Chevarie, following the incident.

“While on what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation, my sister-in-law and her husband, my brother, lived what can only be described as a nightmare,” Al began his post on the fundraising page.

He said his brother and sister-in-law were in “only hip deep clear water” when a “seven-foot bull shark came at my sister-in-law and bumped into her legs.”

“The shark then circled around and bit her thigh. Not satisfied, the shark came back again and when she put both hands in front of her to protect herself, the shark cut off both of her hands, one at mid forearm and the other at the wrist,” he wrote.

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Photo from the GoFundMe for woman involved in shark encounter in Turks and Caicos. Al Chevarie / GoFundMe

Chevarie said his brother rushed back to help her and “managed to wrestle away the shark and stayed between her and the shark until she walked out of the water and collapsed on the beach.”

The Turks and Caicos Department of Environment and Coastal Resources originally shared that the incident took place in Blue Hills, Providenciales, on Friday, Feb. 7, and the victim was taken to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, where she was stabilized and transported off the island for further medical attention.

Chevarie said his sister-in-law was taken to a local hospital for initial treatment “but had to be flown back to Canada by air ambulance to undergo further surgery and recovery.”

“My brother served our country in the Canadian Armed forces for over 30 years with tours in Kuwait, twice in Afghanistan, Golan Heights, Haiti and Bosnia. He served our country with pride; it’s our turn to help them,” Chevarie wrote. “This is something that has completely altered their life in the blink of an eye. I ask, if you can, to please help them; they will need a lot of support to get through this. Any and all contributions will be greatly appreciated.”

The GoFundMe post has currently raised over $24,600 of its goal of $35,000 from 309 donations as of Tuesday morning.

1:58

How to avoid shark attacks, according to experts

The Turks and Caicos government had previously said that the shark was approximately six feet in length, and did not identify the specific species.

Government officials closed the beach following the incident and reopened it to the public Sunday, Feb. 9, “after it was determined that the shark had moved to deeper water.”

The government didn’t share further details of the tourist’s interaction with the shark but did issue a warning to others swimming in the area.

“The DECR would like to urge the public to always be aware of your surroundings, follow local advisories, and respect marine life. Swim in designated areas, avoid murky waters, never swim alone, and do not attempt to feed marine wildlife under any circumstances,” the post read.

Shark bites in the waters off the Turks and Caicos islands are rare, with only one unprovoked non-fatal attack reported last year, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File.

Bits and Bites from Around the World > Shark attacks Canadian woman on Turks and Caicos

 

Tourist badly injured after approaching shark for photo in Turks and Caicos

A tourist visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands was seriously injured when she was bitten while trying to “engage” with a shark, according to authorities.

The 55-year-old tourist attempted to “engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs,” according to a press release from the Turks and Caicos Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR).

The incident took place in Blue Hills, Providenciales, on Friday, Feb. 7, and the victim was taken to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, where she was stabilized and transported off the island for further medical attention. She is expected to survive.

The woman’s identity has not been released, but several tabloids report that the tourist is believed to be a Canadian national. Global News reached out to Global Affairs Canada, who did not confirm if the person is Canadian, saying they were aware of reports of an “accident.”

“Global Affairs Canada is aware of reports of a Canadian citizen who experienced an accident in Turks and Caicos. Consular officials are contacting local authorities to gather information and stand-ready to provide consular assistance. Due to privacy considerations, no further details may be disclosed,” they said in a statement to Global News.

“The shark was estimated to be approximately 6 [feet] in length. However the species is yet to be confirmed,” the government added in the report.

Government officials closed the beach following the incident and reopened it to the public Sunday, Feb. 9, “after it was determined that the shark had moved to deeper water.”

The government didn’t share details of the tourist’s interaction with the shark but did issue a warning to others swimming in the area.

“The DECR would like to urge the public to always be aware of your surroundings, follow local advisories, and respect marine life. Swim in designated areas, avoid murky waters, never swim alone, and do not attempt to feed marine wildlife under any circumstances,” the post read.

Shark bites in the waters off the Turks and Caicos islands are rare, with only one unprovoked non-fatal attack reported last year, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File.

1:58

How to avoid shark attacks, according to experts

The incident comes after two American tourists were bitten by a shark in the Bahamas earlier this week. The Royal Bahamas Police Force said police in Bimini are investigating after two women were victims of a shark attack and needed to be airlifted for their injuries.

“Initial reports indicate that the victims, both U.S.A. residents, sustained injuries while swimming in the waters at Bimini Bay. They received initial treatment at a local clinic before being airlifted to New Providence for further medical attention. One of the victim’s injuries is listed as serious,” police said.

Rileigh Decker, 20, and Summer Layman, 24, spoke with NBC News after returning to Florida and shared the harrowing details from hospital beds. They said they had jumped off their friend’s yacht and soon after, the shark approached.

“We’re just very grateful to still be here with all of our limbs,” Decker told NBC’s Today show earlier this week.

Decker said after they jumped into the ocean she “felt something nudge my leg.”

“I was like, ‘Summer, what was that?’ And she was like, ‘Don’t scare me like that.’ And probably about two minutes later, we were right by the ladder. I felt my leg get tugged down, and I immediately knew I was bit by a shark,” Decker recalled.

They said their friends immediately pulled them out of the water and wrapped a tourniquet around Decker’s right leg. Shortly after, they realized Layman was also suffering from a shark bite.

“They yelled to me that the top of my foot was shredded, and I just hadn’t realized until I looked down,” Layman said.

Decker was airlifted to a hospital in the Bahamas and once they were both stable, they were flown back to Florida for Decker to undergo surgery.