Fascinating! I had wondered myself about that bit of Israel not being peaceful and unsuspecting. However, I do have a question about Isaiah 17: many scholars believe the destruction of Damascus was fulfilled by the Assyrians (II Kings 16:5-8). When verse 4 says that "the glory of Jacob shall be made thin and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean", that surely sounds like speaking of the destruction of the Northern Kingdom.
Isn't prophecy fascinating? To those naysayers that claim that we are not supposed to know the day or the hour, so it is wrong to estudy prophecy and try to learn as much as possible from it, I want to remind them that Jesus Himself told us to study the signs of the seasons. Maybe we can know the season, without knowing the day or the time! And, if God did not intend for us to have such information, why would the Holy Spirit put it in Scripture?
I believe, since Israel has been a nation (1948), they have never trully been at peace and will not until Jesus comes. However there society has been lulled into sense of peace in a lot of ways. 1973 seems a long time ago for the younger generation of Israelis.