Periodically, I check in with my friends in Israel, who I met in 2009 while traveling through the country on a Rotary International vocational exchange.

I asked two friends, who live in Tel Aviv, about the state of things in his country. I’m concerned for my friends, as the country has been bombarded by rocket fire from Gaza, where the infamous terrorist organization Hamas is calling all the shots.

My friends’ response is as follows:

“We are all safe. Looks like the horrors of the recent operation are behind us now – but every day brings new news.

“Unfortunately the region is changing so fast, where previous enemies collaborate to fight new enemies.

“Take ISIS as an example. “This terror organization is about to change the balance of power in the entire Middle East and I hope they will be defeated soon.

“Israel may find itself cooperating with other Arab countries (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and many others) against a new common enemy.”

It’s not simple over there, folks.

I continue to lay the blame for the violence squarely on Hamas, which today shattered the shaky truce with more rocket fire into Israel from Gaza. The Israelis responded with air strikes, reportedly killing two Palestinians.

My friend, though, has laid out what he thinks is a complicated scenario. Israel is having to make deals with recent enemies to combat a terrorist onslaught. Every one of the nations he mentioned regarding Israel’s cooperating with Arab states at one time or another has gone to war with Israel, only to be defeated on the battlefield.

Jordan and Egypt have forged formal peace treaties with Israel. Saudi Arabia is known to despise the Islamic Republic of Iran and the mullahs who run that country. Will these new friendships hold up under pressure from the terrorists?

I hope so for my friends’ sake, and for the world’s sake as well.