Most of us are aware that the UN General Assembly scheduled for September is when the Palestinians are expected to declare a state in all parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. They are then planning to call on the world body to recognize such a state, meaning that any future negotiations with Israel would be governed by a UN resolution based on the 1967 borders.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon demanded on Wednesday that Israel halt settlement building in the West Bank and put a stop to all forms of violence and incitement. Ban Ki-moon called on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to take advantage of this 'crucial time' to move peace talks forward and realize the two-state solution. He added, "A way must be found for Jerusalem to emerge as a capital of two States."
As we wait on the Lord for His Will to be done, these Scriptures came to mind:
Psalm 2:1-6
1 Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
Psalm 37: 7-13
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
Dear Lord, I am growing so weary of all that I see in this world. Help us to lean on You, to cast our burdens on You, and to fully trust in You. We've never before seen our world in such an uproar as it is today. We've never seen so many nations gathered against Israel. We've never before seen the USA turn against Christians, and Christian principles, with a total blurring of right and wrong. However, You have told us these things would come - that we might know we are in the end-times just before Your return.
Father, I am praying now for Israel, and praying against the division of Jerusalem and the theft of Judea and Samaria by Islamist, terrorist supporting Palestinians. Praying that Israel's enemies will scatter, and that You will be glorified. Praying that You would abundantly bless Israel, multiply Your protection of her, and grant her peace, wisdom, strength, hope and joy even in the midst of all the storms and attacks.
Praying for the peace of Jerusalem and especially for the salvation of the Jewish people. Also praying that Israel's enemies would have an opportunity to repent, and declare You Lord over all.
I pray and ask it in Jesus' Name - Amen!
Don
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Upside Down And Inside Out
More and more I am finding myself in a state of incredible sadness, frustration, and helplessness concerning all that is going on in the world today. It is sometimes overwhelming...often feeling as if a massive tsunami is sweeping over me, leaving a broad path of devastation in its wake.
Does anyone understand what I am saying? Is anyone with me on this?
Good people are hurting financially...many deal with serious health problems...they have family relationship issues...large numbers of people go to bed hungry each night...many have lost their jobs and homes...and for some, it is a constant struggle to face the thought of tomorrow – almost to the point of hoping the day would not arrive for them.
Today, there is greed, hatred, and corruption everywhere we look. As a whole, the world has become financially bankrupt, morally bankrupt, and spiritually bankrupt. Evil exists almost everywhere, and is now called good...everything is inside out...upright things have been cast down...and right is now left. The so-called “American Dream” is rapidly disappearing...it is almost gone...never to return.
My emotions cry out for everything to somehow go back to where we once were not long ago. I would fix it all today if I could, but I know that is impossible.
The God of the Bible is quickly being kicked out of our society. Pagan religions have rushed in to fill the empty void areas. Apostasy has entered our churches...either eliminating or diluting the Truth. The narrow way that Jesus taught as the only path to heaven has become a wide freeway - allowing anything and everything to go there. As a result, the thousands of people that die every hour of every day are dying without Jesus in their life...only to face a Godless eternity.
Are you seeing these things happening, too? Or, is my imagination just working overtime? Oh...there is so much more that must be told!
The world is about to explode with nations and peoples killing one another in war and violence. Natural disasters are occurring with increasing frequencies never before seen...bringing death and destruction from earthquakes, floods, tornados, drought, famine, and more. In addition, many deadly new diseases have emerged during the past few years. For the first time in history, mankind has the means available to destroy all life on planet earth...and some men have the mindset to do just that.
The tiny nation of Israel...God’s chosen land for His chosen people...is now totally surrounded by nations that are aggressively pursuing their goal of destroying Israel and the Jewish people. The USA...once an ally in support of Israel...has now joined with all other major nations of the world in turning her back on the Jewish people and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God-sent consequences for those actions will be swift and sure. Of that, we can be very certain!
As if people needed any more disruption in their lives, then, ponder this as well. During the last days a one-world government...a one-world economic/financial system...and a one-world religious system will be set in place. They will be controlled by a new-world-order, and led by a one-world leader. Aggressive efforts toward accomplishing those objectives are currently being carried out by a group of the world's most powerful and influential individuals.
Are you still following along with me? Now...listen very closely, for this is most important!
While I am saddened, frustrated, and feel helpless concerning all of those things, the situation is not hopeless. My hope is in Jesus Christ...our Blessed Hope! My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Christ is the solid Rock on which I stand...all other ground is sinking sand. Only by the grace of God, my faith and trust is in Jesus my Savior, my Lord, and the Master of my life. I am assured of victory in Jesus!
Many of the things we see happening in the world are the warning signs given by Jesus, that when we see them, we would know the time of His return is very near. Today, all of creation is groaning under the pain of those birth pangs, or warnings, as described by Him. Those who are watching will not be surprised or alarmed as they occur, for believers know they must happen. Scripture also commands that when we see the signs, then, we must look up and expect to see the King of Kings and Lord of Lords return at any moment to call for His own.
I am wholly leaning on Jesus’ Name. How about you? The time is very short, my friend. Is your hope built on Jesus, the solid Rock...or on something less? You must be very sure!
Don
Does anyone understand what I am saying? Is anyone with me on this?
Good people are hurting financially...many deal with serious health problems...they have family relationship issues...large numbers of people go to bed hungry each night...many have lost their jobs and homes...and for some, it is a constant struggle to face the thought of tomorrow – almost to the point of hoping the day would not arrive for them.
Today, there is greed, hatred, and corruption everywhere we look. As a whole, the world has become financially bankrupt, morally bankrupt, and spiritually bankrupt. Evil exists almost everywhere, and is now called good...everything is inside out...upright things have been cast down...and right is now left. The so-called “American Dream” is rapidly disappearing...it is almost gone...never to return.
My emotions cry out for everything to somehow go back to where we once were not long ago. I would fix it all today if I could, but I know that is impossible.
The God of the Bible is quickly being kicked out of our society. Pagan religions have rushed in to fill the empty void areas. Apostasy has entered our churches...either eliminating or diluting the Truth. The narrow way that Jesus taught as the only path to heaven has become a wide freeway - allowing anything and everything to go there. As a result, the thousands of people that die every hour of every day are dying without Jesus in their life...only to face a Godless eternity.
Are you seeing these things happening, too? Or, is my imagination just working overtime? Oh...there is so much more that must be told!
The world is about to explode with nations and peoples killing one another in war and violence. Natural disasters are occurring with increasing frequencies never before seen...bringing death and destruction from earthquakes, floods, tornados, drought, famine, and more. In addition, many deadly new diseases have emerged during the past few years. For the first time in history, mankind has the means available to destroy all life on planet earth...and some men have the mindset to do just that.
The tiny nation of Israel...God’s chosen land for His chosen people...is now totally surrounded by nations that are aggressively pursuing their goal of destroying Israel and the Jewish people. The USA...once an ally in support of Israel...has now joined with all other major nations of the world in turning her back on the Jewish people and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God-sent consequences for those actions will be swift and sure. Of that, we can be very certain!
As if people needed any more disruption in their lives, then, ponder this as well. During the last days a one-world government...a one-world economic/financial system...and a one-world religious system will be set in place. They will be controlled by a new-world-order, and led by a one-world leader. Aggressive efforts toward accomplishing those objectives are currently being carried out by a group of the world's most powerful and influential individuals.
Are you still following along with me? Now...listen very closely, for this is most important!
While I am saddened, frustrated, and feel helpless concerning all of those things, the situation is not hopeless. My hope is in Jesus Christ...our Blessed Hope! My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Christ is the solid Rock on which I stand...all other ground is sinking sand. Only by the grace of God, my faith and trust is in Jesus my Savior, my Lord, and the Master of my life. I am assured of victory in Jesus!
Many of the things we see happening in the world are the warning signs given by Jesus, that when we see them, we would know the time of His return is very near. Today, all of creation is groaning under the pain of those birth pangs, or warnings, as described by Him. Those who are watching will not be surprised or alarmed as they occur, for believers know they must happen. Scripture also commands that when we see the signs, then, we must look up and expect to see the King of Kings and Lord of Lords return at any moment to call for His own.
I am wholly leaning on Jesus’ Name. How about you? The time is very short, my friend. Is your hope built on Jesus, the solid Rock...or on something less? You must be very sure!
Don
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Terrorist Attack on Jerusalem!
This is the latest headline from Jerusalem...What is it that people, especially Christians, don't get about the hatred toward Jews? When will the truth come to light and the lies be exposed? I shudder to think what it's going to take for some to come to the realization that God loves this land and its people ~ Mid
One woman died and 31 were injured after an explosion took place near a bus in central Jerusalem Wednesday afternoon.
Police said that a bomb exploded outside Egged bus number 74 at a station opposite the Jerusalem Conference Center (Binyanei Ha'uma) in the center of town.
Thirty people were injured in the attack. Three were injured seriously from the explosion itself, four moderately from shrapnel packed into the explosive device and the remainder in moderate to light condition.
All 31 of the injured were taken to Jerusalem area hospitals. All hospitals in the area were opened to receive casualties. One woman died from injuries sustained in the blast.
Police said that this was the first terrorist attack in four years that involved an explosion. At the moment, police were looking for one specific person who left the bag that contained the bomb.
There were reports that witnesses were able to identify the man who left the bag and police were searching for him. Read the rest of the article HERE
Police said that a bomb exploded outside Egged bus number 74 at a station opposite the Jerusalem Conference Center (Binyanei Ha'uma) in the center of town.
Thirty people were injured in the attack. Three were injured seriously from the explosion itself, four moderately from shrapnel packed into the explosive device and the remainder in moderate to light condition.
All 31 of the injured were taken to Jerusalem area hospitals. All hospitals in the area were opened to receive casualties. One woman died from injuries sustained in the blast.
Police said that this was the first terrorist attack in four years that involved an explosion. At the moment, police were looking for one specific person who left the bag that contained the bomb.
There were reports that witnesses were able to identify the man who left the bag and police were searching for him. Read the rest of the article HERE
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua
Monday, March 21, 2011
Psalm 83...Another Look at What Might Happen Soon...
Fulfilling Prophecy – Psalm 83
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua
Remember Hezbollah? Back in 1983 it was the perpetrator of the truck bomb murder of 241 US Marine peacekeepers while they were sleeping in their Beirut barracks. Hezbollah soon became a state within the state of Lebanon — flexing its terrorist muscles with impunity. So much so that the UN finally passed Resolution 1559 requiring the disbanding and disarming of Hezbollah. Of course, Lebanon never did this.
In June, Hezbollah initiated a terrorist raid into Israel killing members of an Israeli army patrol and kidnapping two Israeli soldiers. This was nothing new, but enough was enough. Israel demanded the return of their kidnapped soldiers alive and a withdrawal of Hezbollah’s highly sophisticated military bases from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah refused. Tired of waiting for the enforcement of UN Resolution 1559 requiring the disbanding and disarming of Hezbollah, Israel took the role of the enforcer. Israel’s surgical bombing of Hezbollah’s civilian-shielded bunkers began. After a week, ground troops attacked Hezbollah’s strategic rocket-launching sites that were raining havoc on northern Israel. Another Israeli-Arab war had begun. Hezbollah’s rockets were solely targeting the Israeli civilian population, whereas Israeli bombing targeted Hezbollah sites that were bunkered under civilian structures surrounded by civilian occupied buildings.
Background
After the death of Mohammed in AD 633, the Arab armies swarmed out of the Arabian Peninsula, pushing westward in North Africa to the Atlantic Ocean and eastward to India. Consequently, there are now 52 Arab states. Additionally, there are Moslem nations like Turkey and Iran that have a large minority of Arabs.
But, a very special portion of land in the Middle East was spared Arab domination — the land of Israel. Israel had been a disobedient people. Therefore, in AD 70 God permitted the Roman army to temporarily disburse His people from their land during a “double” period (1845 years) of punishment. The land of Israel was to remain relatively sparse of population — “desolate of man and beast.” Jeremiah 16:13-18; 33:10. After the “double” ended in 1878, Jews were miraculously permitted to return to their land. Finally the UN partition vote granted them the opportunity to establish an independent state in 1948. The Arabs would have none of this. Armies of six Arab nations stormed the newborn Israeli State. Outnumbered 600 to 1, God gave the victory to Israel. Three more wars followed. Miracles happened. Israel won each war. Why?
Psalm 83
Psalm 83 appears to describe an ongoing conflict between Israel and the Arabs that will climax in a final war in which Israel will win a decisive victory over the Arabs. Psalm 83 is a prayer in which Israel asked the Lord for deliverance from a group of nations that verses 3-5 show are united in a confederacy or league for one purpose — the destruction of the nation of Israel. In the 1950s the Arab League of Nations was actually formed. It united the Arab nations together for the very purpose of the destruction of Israel.
Verse 6 mentions some of these nations. Bible scholars and historians agree that ancient Israel was never confronted by such an elaborate alliance of nations, namely, Ishmaelites, Edom, Ammon, Amalek, Hagarenes, Gebal and the Philistines. Therefore, this prophecy must have an end-time fulfillment. These Old Testament territories are in modern times the nations of Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
Obviously the Philistines represent the Palestinians. Edom, Moab, and Ammon occupied what is the modern state of Jordan. Gebal is Lebanon (Joshua 13:5,6.) Iraq was populated by the Hagarenes or Hagarites that dwelt east of Gilead in the wilderness of the River Euphrates (1 Chronicles 5:1,9,10.) The Ishmaelites settled what is today Saudi Arabia and Ishmael’s eldest son, Nabajoth, is identified with Syria.
Lebanon (Gebal) and Tyre play a prominent role in Psalm 83. Hezbollah is headquartered in Tyre which has been heavily attacked by Israel’s army in this current war. Back in the 1970s the PLO had 6,000 Palestinian terrorists in southern Lebanon creating havoc in Galilee, northern Israel. Thousands more Palestinians were amassed in the environs of Tyre where Arafat was headquartered.
Finally on June 6, 1982, in “Operation Peace of Galilee” the Israeli army invaded Lebanon and pushed the Palestinians back to Tyre. Israel was ready to take Arafat and the upper echelon of PLO leaders captive. But something incredible happened. Bewildered and bitterly disappointed Israel watched as the US Navy intervened and gave Arafat and his henchmen safe passage to Tunis. Meanwhile US Marines were stationed in Beirut to keep the peace. That’s when Hezbollah, a new Shiite terrorist group, murdered the US Marines. This caught the eye of Iran, the theological center for Shiite Moslems. Through Syria, Iran bankrolled and provided the military might for Hezbollah.
The Israeli army retreated to southern Lebanon where it maintained a buffer zone to prevent terrorist attacks on northern Israel. Syria and Iran have been transforming Hezbollah into a highly professional army with some of Russia’s most sophisticated rockets, anti-tank missiles and other Russian weapons. Hezbollah soldiers, rocket launchers and weapons are bunkered down in civilian population centers throughout southern Lebanon. If Israel becomes a threat to Iran, it is Hezbollah’s job to take on Israel. As Hezbollah increased in military might, it harassed Israel’s buffer zone demanding that Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Four Israeli mothers who lost sons in the conflict with Hezbollah started the “Four Mothers in Black” campaign for the removal of all Israeli troops from southern Lebanon. A majority of Israeli public concurred. In 2000 Labor Prime Minister Barak withdrew all Israeli troops from Lebanon, naively thinking Hezbollah would be satisfied. It was not. Hezbollah rockets continued to hit Israel. The international community did nothing to enforce UN Resolution 1559. Nothing! Ariel Sharon made the same mistake in the Gaza unilateral withdrawal. Now PLO / Hamas rockets are being fired from Gaza all over southern Israel.This current Lebanese war is difficult. Why? Hezbollah’s army was inspired, trained and armed by Iran. Still for many it is disappointing. Even if Israel finally wins, it will have suffered heavy losses. Never before was Israel’s civilian population so devastated. Why isn’t the Lord giving Israel a decisive victory as in the past? Perhaps this is the Lord’s way of teaching Israel not to give up land the Lord permitted them to gain. After all, He did promise Israel most of Lebanon up to Hamath. Some feel the least Israel could have done was keep part of southern Lebanon for a security zone.
Added to this sad outlook is the prospect that the current Israeli Government leadership has expressed the position that this war is impetus to carry our further withdrawals. That would mean more dismantling of communities within the historic heartland of Israel—Judea and Samaria (commonly called the West Bank). The unilateral “convergence plan’ would further strip Israelis from their Biblical roots and raise more questions about the security of distance which legitimate control of Judea and Samaria offer the State of Israel.
The ongoing Israeli-Arab conflict will eventually culminate in a complete victory for Israel. The prayer of Psalm 83 will be answered by the Lord. Israel will take back any land given up. Additionally, she will acquire parts of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and all of Gaza. Isaiah 11:14; Zephaniah 2:3-10; Zechariah 10:10; Obadiah 19-20 (NIV).
A final comment on Psalm 83. Verse 8 ASV. “Assyria also is joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot.” Assyria could refer to Iraq; however, verse 6 identified the Hagarenes as symbolizing Iraq. Assyria is used in many Israel end-time prophecies to symbolize Russia. For example Micah 5:5, and Zechariah 10:10. The Greek word for helped literally means strong arm which could symbolize military help. When Russia was a super-power vying with the US for world supremacy it supplied the Arab nations with military hardware. Why? So the Arabs could defeat Israel, the US ally, leaving Russia the dominant force in the oil rich Middle East. In the early 1990s, Russia on the verge of bankruptcy toppled as a world power. Economics have changed. Russia once again is aspiring to attain world supremacy. Russia is not only arming Iran but in fulfillment of Psalm 83 is once again the strong arm of the Arab nations.
Many televangelists are heralding the invasion of Gog, Ezekiel 38, as the next prophetic step in the Middle East. But the Scriptures indicate the above-mentioned decisive Israeli-Arab war must first be fought. Then Israel will enjoy a short period of peace and security. Ezekiel 38:11. After this Ezekiel 38 will occur—an invasion by Russia allied with a group of nations including Iran (Persia). Iran never seems to give up, but Iran will finally learn not to oppose Israel. God will fight for Israel as in the days of old, and Christ’s Kingdom will be established in Jerusalem and encircle the globe. Ezekiel 38, 39 and Zechariah 14. The ultimate boundaries of Israel as defined in Genesis 15:18 will be acquired after Christ’s Kingdom is fully set up.
bible411.com For an in-depth Bible study on this subject, write or email us for a free copy of the highly acclaimed booklet “The Israeli-Arab Peace Process and Bible Prophecy.”
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua
Friday, March 18, 2011
Israel's Indivisible Legitimacy
By Caroline B. Glick
Friday, March 18, 2011
Over the past several years, a growing number of patriotic Israelis have begun to despair. We can't stand up to the whole world, they say. At the end of the day, we will have to give in and surrender most of the land or all of the land we took control over in the 1967 Six Day War. The world won't accept anything less.
These statements have grown more strident in the wake of the slaughter of the Fogel family last Friday night in Itamar. For example, on Thursday Ha'aretz columnist Ari Shavit called Israeli communities built beyond the 1949 armistice line the local equivalent of Japan's nuclear reactors. Like the reactors, he wrote, they seemed like a good idea at the time. But they have become our undoing.
The international community's response to the Palestinian atrocity in Itamar is pointed to as proof that Israel must surrender. Instead of considering what the savage murder of an Israeli family tells us about the nature of Palestinian society, the world media have turned the massacre of the Fogel family into a story about "settlements."
Take The Los Angeles Times for example. From the Times' perspective, the Fogels were not Israeli civilians. They were "Jewish settlers." They weren't murdered in their home. They were killed in their "tightly guarded compound."
And, in the end, the Times effectively justified the murder of the Fogel children when it helpfully added, "Most of the international community... views Israel's settlements as illegal."
The Times report was actually comparatively sympathetic. At least it mentioned the murders. Most European papers began their coverage with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's announcement that the government would permit Israelis to build 400 homes in Judea and Samaria.
As for the governments of the world, most were far swifter and more aggressive in their condemnation of Netanyahu's announcement of the building permits than they were in their condemnation of the murders.
Then there is the US Jewish community.
According to New York's Jewish Week, there is a new consensus in the American Jewish community that imposing an economic boycott on Israeli communities outside the 1949 armistice lines is a legitimate position. The paper interviewed Martin Raffel, the head of the new Israel Action Network, a multimillion-dollar effort by the Jewish Federations of North America and other major Jewish groups to counter the delegitimization of Israel.
Raffel called the boycott movement misguided, rather than wrong. Then he justified it by arguing, "Being misguided in one's policies doesn't mean one necessarily has become part of the ranks of the delegitimizers."
If that wasn't enough, Ron Kampeas, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency's Washington bureau chief, wrote Tuesday that we shouldn't rush to conclude that Palestinians carried out the attack.
Kampeas wrote, "We do not yet know who committed the awful butchery in Itamar over the weekend."
With American Jews taking a lead role in delegitimizing Israel; with the international media ignoring the massacre of the Fogel family and attacking Israel for its response to the event they didn't cover; and with the US government united with the nations of the world in condemning the government's decision to allow Israelis who are Jewish to build on land they own, the despair of a growing chorus of Israelis is understandable.
But while understandable, the notion that Israel has no choice but to surrender Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem to the Palestinians is wrong and dangerous.
Like his fellow defeatists, Shavit argues that Jewish communities in these areas are the cause of international moves to delegitimize Israel. If they were gone, so the argument goes, then neither the Palestinians nor the international community would have a problem with Israel.
The first problem with this view is that it confuses the focus of Palestinian and international attacks on Israel with the rationale behind those attacks. This is a mistake Israelis have made repeatedly since the establishment of the Fatah-led PA in 1994.
Immediately after the PA was set up and IDF forces transferred security control over Palestinian cities and towns in Judea and Samaria to Yasser Arafat's armies, Palestinian terrorists began attacking Israeli motorists driving through PA-controlled areas with rocks, pipe bombs and bullets.
Then-prime minister and defense minister Yitzhak Rabin blamed the attacks on "friction." If the Palestinians didn't have contact with Israeli motorists, then they wouldn't attack them. So Israel built the bypass roads around the Palestinian towns and cities to prevent friction.
For its efforts, the Palestinians and the international community accused Israel of building "Jews-only, apartheid roads." Moreover, Palestinian terrorists left their towns and cities and stoned, bombed and shot at Israeli motorists on the bypass roads.
Then there was Gaza. When in 2001 Palestinians first began shelling the Israeli communities in Gaza and the Western Negev with mortars and rockets, we were told they were attacking because of Israel's presence in Gaza. When the IDF took action to defend the country from mortar and rocket attacks, Israel was accused of committing war crimes.
The likes of Shavit said then that if Israel left Gaza, the Palestinian attacks would stop. They said that if they didn't stop and the IDF was forced to take action, the world would support Israel.
Shavit himself engaged in shocking demonization of the Israelis living in Gaza. In May 2004 he wrote that they were undeserving of IDF protection and that no soldier should defend them because they weren't real Israelis.
But then the Palestinians and the international community threw Shavit and his friends yet another curveball. After Israel expelled every last so-called settler and removed every last soldier from Gaza in August 2005, Palestinian rocket attacks increased tenfold. The first Katyusha was fired at Ashkelon seven months after Israel withdrew. Hamas won the elections and Gaza became an Iranian proxy. Now it has missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv.
As for the international community, not only did it continue blaming Israel for Palestinian terrorism, it refused to accept that Israel had ended its so-called occupation of Gaza. It has condemned every step Israel has taken to defend itself from Palestinian aggression since the withdrawal as a war crime.
The lesson of these experiences is that Israeli towns and villages in Judea and Samaria are not castigated as "illegitimate" because there is anything inherently illegitimate about them. Like the bypass roads and the Israeli presence in Gaza, they are singled out because those interested in attacking Israel militarily or politically think are an easy target.
The Arabs, the UN, the Obama administration, the EU, anti-Israel American and Israeli Jews, university professors and the legions of self-proclaimed human rights organizations in Israel and throughout the world allege these Israeli communities are illegitimate because by doing so they weaken Israel as a whole.
If Israel is convinced that it has no choice but to bow to these people's demands, they will not be appeased. They will simply move on to the next easy target. Israeli Jewish communities in the Galilee and the Negev, Jaffa and Lod will be deemed illegitimate.
In a bid to pretend that the communities in Judea and Samaria are somehow different from communities in the Galilee, proponents of surrender point to the non-binding 2004 International Court of Justice opinion that the communities in Judea and Samaria are illegal.
But Israelis who accept the non-binding opinion as a binding ruling for Judea and Samaria ignore that the opinion also asserted that Israel has no right to self defense.
The same people who think that so-called settlements are illegal also believe that opposition leader Tzipi Livni is a war criminal. The same people who think the so-called settlements are illegal would condemn as a war crime any attempt to enforce the law against irredentist Israeli Arabs.
Israel's bitter experience proves incontrovertibly that bowing to international pressure just invites more pressure.
So what can Israel do?
The first thing we must do is recognize that legitimacy is indivisible. In the eyes of Israel's enemies there is no difference between Itamar and Ma'aleh Adumim on the one hand and Ramle and Tel Aviv on the other hand. And so we must make no distinction between them.
Just as law abiding citizens are permitted to build homes in Ramle and Tel Aviv, so they must be permitted to build in Itamar and Ma'aleh Adumim. If Israel's assertion of its sovereignty is legitimate in Tel Aviv, then it is legitimate in Judea and Samaria. We cannot accept that one has a different status from the other.
Likewise, it is an act of economic warfare to boycott Israeli products, whether they are made in Haifa or Mishor Adumim. Anyone who says it is permissible to boycott Mishor Adumim is engaging in economic warfare against Haifa.
Once we understand that Israel's legitimacy is indivisible, we need to take actions that will put the Palestinians and their international supporters on the defensive. There are any number of moves Israel can make in this vein.
For example, following the Palestinian massacre of the Fogel family, Netanyahu highlighted the fact that the PA routinely glorifies terrorist murderers and pays them and their families handsome pensions for their illegal acts of war. He also highlighted the genocidal anti-Jewish incitement endemic in Palestinian society.
While all of this is useful, talk is cheap. It is time to make the Palestinians pay a price for their depravity and to put their international supporters on the defensive.
Specifically, Netanyahu should ask the US to cut off all US economic and military assistance to the PA. Two PA intelligence officers were arrested as part of the Fogel murder investigation.
The US is training and equipping the Palestinian intelligence services. This should stop.
Two days after the massacre in Itamar, the PA dedicated a public square in El-Bireh to terror commander Dalal Mughrabi. Mughrabi commanded the 1978 bus attack on the coastal highway in which 37 Israelis - including 12 children - were murdered. The PA previously named a street, a dormitory, a summer camp and a sports tournament after her. Several popular songs have been written to glorify her crimes.
The US is underwriting the PA's budget. This should stop.
Were the government to go after international aid to the PA, not only would it begin a debate in the US and perhaps Europe about the nature of Fatah specifically and Palestinian society generally, it would force the Palestinians' myriad supporters to justify their support for a society that is defined by its goal of annihilating Israel.
It is hard to stand up to the massive pressure being brought to bear against Israel every day. But it is possible.
And whether defying our foes is hard or easy, it is our only chance at survival. Either all of Israel is legitimate, or none of it is.
Story source
here
Friday, March 18, 2011
Over the past several years, a growing number of patriotic Israelis have begun to despair. We can't stand up to the whole world, they say. At the end of the day, we will have to give in and surrender most of the land or all of the land we took control over in the 1967 Six Day War. The world won't accept anything less.
These statements have grown more strident in the wake of the slaughter of the Fogel family last Friday night in Itamar. For example, on Thursday Ha'aretz columnist Ari Shavit called Israeli communities built beyond the 1949 armistice line the local equivalent of Japan's nuclear reactors. Like the reactors, he wrote, they seemed like a good idea at the time. But they have become our undoing.
The international community's response to the Palestinian atrocity in Itamar is pointed to as proof that Israel must surrender. Instead of considering what the savage murder of an Israeli family tells us about the nature of Palestinian society, the world media have turned the massacre of the Fogel family into a story about "settlements."
Take The Los Angeles Times for example. From the Times' perspective, the Fogels were not Israeli civilians. They were "Jewish settlers." They weren't murdered in their home. They were killed in their "tightly guarded compound."
And, in the end, the Times effectively justified the murder of the Fogel children when it helpfully added, "Most of the international community... views Israel's settlements as illegal."
The Times report was actually comparatively sympathetic. At least it mentioned the murders. Most European papers began their coverage with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's announcement that the government would permit Israelis to build 400 homes in Judea and Samaria.
As for the governments of the world, most were far swifter and more aggressive in their condemnation of Netanyahu's announcement of the building permits than they were in their condemnation of the murders.
Then there is the US Jewish community.
According to New York's Jewish Week, there is a new consensus in the American Jewish community that imposing an economic boycott on Israeli communities outside the 1949 armistice lines is a legitimate position. The paper interviewed Martin Raffel, the head of the new Israel Action Network, a multimillion-dollar effort by the Jewish Federations of North America and other major Jewish groups to counter the delegitimization of Israel.
Raffel called the boycott movement misguided, rather than wrong. Then he justified it by arguing, "Being misguided in one's policies doesn't mean one necessarily has become part of the ranks of the delegitimizers."
If that wasn't enough, Ron Kampeas, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency's Washington bureau chief, wrote Tuesday that we shouldn't rush to conclude that Palestinians carried out the attack.
Kampeas wrote, "We do not yet know who committed the awful butchery in Itamar over the weekend."
With American Jews taking a lead role in delegitimizing Israel; with the international media ignoring the massacre of the Fogel family and attacking Israel for its response to the event they didn't cover; and with the US government united with the nations of the world in condemning the government's decision to allow Israelis who are Jewish to build on land they own, the despair of a growing chorus of Israelis is understandable.
But while understandable, the notion that Israel has no choice but to surrender Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem to the Palestinians is wrong and dangerous.
Like his fellow defeatists, Shavit argues that Jewish communities in these areas are the cause of international moves to delegitimize Israel. If they were gone, so the argument goes, then neither the Palestinians nor the international community would have a problem with Israel.
The first problem with this view is that it confuses the focus of Palestinian and international attacks on Israel with the rationale behind those attacks. This is a mistake Israelis have made repeatedly since the establishment of the Fatah-led PA in 1994.
Immediately after the PA was set up and IDF forces transferred security control over Palestinian cities and towns in Judea and Samaria to Yasser Arafat's armies, Palestinian terrorists began attacking Israeli motorists driving through PA-controlled areas with rocks, pipe bombs and bullets.
Then-prime minister and defense minister Yitzhak Rabin blamed the attacks on "friction." If the Palestinians didn't have contact with Israeli motorists, then they wouldn't attack them. So Israel built the bypass roads around the Palestinian towns and cities to prevent friction.
For its efforts, the Palestinians and the international community accused Israel of building "Jews-only, apartheid roads." Moreover, Palestinian terrorists left their towns and cities and stoned, bombed and shot at Israeli motorists on the bypass roads.
Then there was Gaza. When in 2001 Palestinians first began shelling the Israeli communities in Gaza and the Western Negev with mortars and rockets, we were told they were attacking because of Israel's presence in Gaza. When the IDF took action to defend the country from mortar and rocket attacks, Israel was accused of committing war crimes.
The likes of Shavit said then that if Israel left Gaza, the Palestinian attacks would stop. They said that if they didn't stop and the IDF was forced to take action, the world would support Israel.
Shavit himself engaged in shocking demonization of the Israelis living in Gaza. In May 2004 he wrote that they were undeserving of IDF protection and that no soldier should defend them because they weren't real Israelis.
But then the Palestinians and the international community threw Shavit and his friends yet another curveball. After Israel expelled every last so-called settler and removed every last soldier from Gaza in August 2005, Palestinian rocket attacks increased tenfold. The first Katyusha was fired at Ashkelon seven months after Israel withdrew. Hamas won the elections and Gaza became an Iranian proxy. Now it has missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv.
As for the international community, not only did it continue blaming Israel for Palestinian terrorism, it refused to accept that Israel had ended its so-called occupation of Gaza. It has condemned every step Israel has taken to defend itself from Palestinian aggression since the withdrawal as a war crime.
The lesson of these experiences is that Israeli towns and villages in Judea and Samaria are not castigated as "illegitimate" because there is anything inherently illegitimate about them. Like the bypass roads and the Israeli presence in Gaza, they are singled out because those interested in attacking Israel militarily or politically think are an easy target.
The Arabs, the UN, the Obama administration, the EU, anti-Israel American and Israeli Jews, university professors and the legions of self-proclaimed human rights organizations in Israel and throughout the world allege these Israeli communities are illegitimate because by doing so they weaken Israel as a whole.
If Israel is convinced that it has no choice but to bow to these people's demands, they will not be appeased. They will simply move on to the next easy target. Israeli Jewish communities in the Galilee and the Negev, Jaffa and Lod will be deemed illegitimate.
In a bid to pretend that the communities in Judea and Samaria are somehow different from communities in the Galilee, proponents of surrender point to the non-binding 2004 International Court of Justice opinion that the communities in Judea and Samaria are illegal.
But Israelis who accept the non-binding opinion as a binding ruling for Judea and Samaria ignore that the opinion also asserted that Israel has no right to self defense.
The same people who think that so-called settlements are illegal also believe that opposition leader Tzipi Livni is a war criminal. The same people who think the so-called settlements are illegal would condemn as a war crime any attempt to enforce the law against irredentist Israeli Arabs.
Israel's bitter experience proves incontrovertibly that bowing to international pressure just invites more pressure.
So what can Israel do?
The first thing we must do is recognize that legitimacy is indivisible. In the eyes of Israel's enemies there is no difference between Itamar and Ma'aleh Adumim on the one hand and Ramle and Tel Aviv on the other hand. And so we must make no distinction between them.
Just as law abiding citizens are permitted to build homes in Ramle and Tel Aviv, so they must be permitted to build in Itamar and Ma'aleh Adumim. If Israel's assertion of its sovereignty is legitimate in Tel Aviv, then it is legitimate in Judea and Samaria. We cannot accept that one has a different status from the other.
Likewise, it is an act of economic warfare to boycott Israeli products, whether they are made in Haifa or Mishor Adumim. Anyone who says it is permissible to boycott Mishor Adumim is engaging in economic warfare against Haifa.
Once we understand that Israel's legitimacy is indivisible, we need to take actions that will put the Palestinians and their international supporters on the defensive. There are any number of moves Israel can make in this vein.
For example, following the Palestinian massacre of the Fogel family, Netanyahu highlighted the fact that the PA routinely glorifies terrorist murderers and pays them and their families handsome pensions for their illegal acts of war. He also highlighted the genocidal anti-Jewish incitement endemic in Palestinian society.
While all of this is useful, talk is cheap. It is time to make the Palestinians pay a price for their depravity and to put their international supporters on the defensive.
Specifically, Netanyahu should ask the US to cut off all US economic and military assistance to the PA. Two PA intelligence officers were arrested as part of the Fogel murder investigation.
The US is training and equipping the Palestinian intelligence services. This should stop.
Two days after the massacre in Itamar, the PA dedicated a public square in El-Bireh to terror commander Dalal Mughrabi. Mughrabi commanded the 1978 bus attack on the coastal highway in which 37 Israelis - including 12 children - were murdered. The PA previously named a street, a dormitory, a summer camp and a sports tournament after her. Several popular songs have been written to glorify her crimes.
The US is underwriting the PA's budget. This should stop.
Were the government to go after international aid to the PA, not only would it begin a debate in the US and perhaps Europe about the nature of Fatah specifically and Palestinian society generally, it would force the Palestinians' myriad supporters to justify their support for a society that is defined by its goal of annihilating Israel.
It is hard to stand up to the massive pressure being brought to bear against Israel every day. But it is possible.
And whether defying our foes is hard or easy, it is our only chance at survival. Either all of Israel is legitimate, or none of it is.
Story source
here
Friday, March 11, 2011
Islam ~ An Enemy In Our Midst
For lack of information, there is often much confusion and misunderstanding concerning Islam – even among well-meaning people. The following is my brief summary describing some of its history, its functions and ambitions, and how it is in stark contrast with the God of the Bible.
Followers of satanic Islam are called Muslims. Islam is not simply a religion, but rather, is a life system comprised of many facets including military, political, financial, legal, government, family, social, education, religion, and more. All who do not embrace Islam are called infidels, and according to their rule book, the Qur’an, infidels must either convert to Islam, or be killed. Islam requires submission to their system and to their pagan moon god Allah. The ultimate goal of Islam is world domination…and they are making significant strides toward that end.
A few will press toward dominance with force using guns, bombs, and violence. Others will blend-in and dominate by being good neighbors, good soccer moms, and good employees. Still others will, among other things, enter local and national politics, our education systems, our legal systems, our financial systems, and our communication systems. Muslim men can only live with one wife, but can have three others - each one producing four or more Muslim children to gain population superiority. No matter how militant or peaceful they might present themselves, they all have the same common goal of infiltration and control for world domination. The Qur'an also states that it's perfectly acceptable to lie to infidels to further the cause of Allah.
As they gain strength in numbers, their demands for visibility and tolerance increase exponentially, and from a hundred different directions. Of course, mosques are always built as symbols of victory and control/dominance over an area. Thousands of mosques are now common-place in much of the USA. Muslims are rapidly infiltrating and populating the USA to control it using Islam's Sharia law. The majority of Americans are either too blinded and don't have a clue, or they don't care. Sadly, there are many "Christians" who somehow believe that the pagan god of Islam and the God of the Bible are one and the same. Nothing could be more ridiculous…or dangerous!
Islam is a 1400-year-old lie from hell, dreamed up by Mohammed after being visited by angels of Satan in his sleep. "Allah" is an imaginary god, and is NOT the God of the Bible. The satanic god Allah was chosen by Mohammed as the true god they should worship from one of the 360 pagan gods worshiped in his day. The Qur'an clearly reveals the impossibility of Allah being Jehovah God by declaring that Allah had no son…by eliminating the Trinity of Christianity…therefore, denying the Son-ship of Christ, who is God manifest in human flesh. Islam teaches that Jesus was only a prophet, and that all prophets are human and never part of divinity.
Muslims do not believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sent to free the world from the bondage and the penalty of sin. They do not believe that salvation is a free gift to all who believe. Instead of revering the words of Jesus, they hold to the words of Muhammad, whom was never prophesied about or spoken of in the Bible. Another difference between Christianity and Islam is that you are born into Islam, or threatened with death to become a Muslim. However, you become a Christian by making the free-will choice to accept Jesus Christ by faith alone.
Their salvation is dependent on man, and because of that, the Qur'an is highly memorized and revered as it is the means by which a person learns what their god requires. According to them, Allah lends his guidance and offers salvation to those who deserve it. This is why so many Muslims are willing to prove their devotion and loyalty even unto death, because that will assure their salvation.
The Word of God, the Bible, offers no hope of salvation to anyone that does not make his or her own personal choice to receive Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Muslims do not believe in this statement by Jesus, nor do they believe in the God of the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, it is quite clear that the Islamic faith does not pay homage to the God of Christianity.
“Holy War” or “Jihad” is a fundamental concept in the Islamic religion. The Islamic world's hatred for the Jews and the nation Israel is satanic at its core. No amount of negotiating for peace ever will change the fact that they want the Jewish state of Israel forever done away from what they consider to be Islamic land. Peace will come only when Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, returns to judge all unbelief, and to rule and reign forever.
Due to the tolerant and politically correct mindset of the USA, we will continue to cave-in to their relentless demands. I am reminded of the frog being boiled to death in slowly heated water. That frog will be dead without ever realizing what has happened. So it is with their strategy for the advancement of Islam.
Don
Followers of satanic Islam are called Muslims. Islam is not simply a religion, but rather, is a life system comprised of many facets including military, political, financial, legal, government, family, social, education, religion, and more. All who do not embrace Islam are called infidels, and according to their rule book, the Qur’an, infidels must either convert to Islam, or be killed. Islam requires submission to their system and to their pagan moon god Allah. The ultimate goal of Islam is world domination…and they are making significant strides toward that end.
A few will press toward dominance with force using guns, bombs, and violence. Others will blend-in and dominate by being good neighbors, good soccer moms, and good employees. Still others will, among other things, enter local and national politics, our education systems, our legal systems, our financial systems, and our communication systems. Muslim men can only live with one wife, but can have three others - each one producing four or more Muslim children to gain population superiority. No matter how militant or peaceful they might present themselves, they all have the same common goal of infiltration and control for world domination. The Qur'an also states that it's perfectly acceptable to lie to infidels to further the cause of Allah.
As they gain strength in numbers, their demands for visibility and tolerance increase exponentially, and from a hundred different directions. Of course, mosques are always built as symbols of victory and control/dominance over an area. Thousands of mosques are now common-place in much of the USA. Muslims are rapidly infiltrating and populating the USA to control it using Islam's Sharia law. The majority of Americans are either too blinded and don't have a clue, or they don't care. Sadly, there are many "Christians" who somehow believe that the pagan god of Islam and the God of the Bible are one and the same. Nothing could be more ridiculous…or dangerous!
Islam is a 1400-year-old lie from hell, dreamed up by Mohammed after being visited by angels of Satan in his sleep. "Allah" is an imaginary god, and is NOT the God of the Bible. The satanic god Allah was chosen by Mohammed as the true god they should worship from one of the 360 pagan gods worshiped in his day. The Qur'an clearly reveals the impossibility of Allah being Jehovah God by declaring that Allah had no son…by eliminating the Trinity of Christianity…therefore, denying the Son-ship of Christ, who is God manifest in human flesh. Islam teaches that Jesus was only a prophet, and that all prophets are human and never part of divinity.
Muslims do not believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sent to free the world from the bondage and the penalty of sin. They do not believe that salvation is a free gift to all who believe. Instead of revering the words of Jesus, they hold to the words of Muhammad, whom was never prophesied about or spoken of in the Bible. Another difference between Christianity and Islam is that you are born into Islam, or threatened with death to become a Muslim. However, you become a Christian by making the free-will choice to accept Jesus Christ by faith alone.
Their salvation is dependent on man, and because of that, the Qur'an is highly memorized and revered as it is the means by which a person learns what their god requires. According to them, Allah lends his guidance and offers salvation to those who deserve it. This is why so many Muslims are willing to prove their devotion and loyalty even unto death, because that will assure their salvation.
The Word of God, the Bible, offers no hope of salvation to anyone that does not make his or her own personal choice to receive Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Muslims do not believe in this statement by Jesus, nor do they believe in the God of the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, it is quite clear that the Islamic faith does not pay homage to the God of Christianity.
“Holy War” or “Jihad” is a fundamental concept in the Islamic religion. The Islamic world's hatred for the Jews and the nation Israel is satanic at its core. No amount of negotiating for peace ever will change the fact that they want the Jewish state of Israel forever done away from what they consider to be Islamic land. Peace will come only when Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, returns to judge all unbelief, and to rule and reign forever.
Due to the tolerant and politically correct mindset of the USA, we will continue to cave-in to their relentless demands. I am reminded of the frog being boiled to death in slowly heated water. That frog will be dead without ever realizing what has happened. So it is with their strategy for the advancement of Islam.
Don
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Jordan Valley is Strategic for Israel's Defense!
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu 
The IDF will remain in the Jordan Valley to defend Israel, regardless of any future Palestinian Authority state, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday during a tour of military posts and bases in the area. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas responded by demanding sovereignty of the area, along with all of Judera and Samaria.
In remarks that may have been a warm-up for his expected new policy statement on PA demands, the Prime Minister told reporters, "Our security border is here on the Jordan and our defense line begins here. If that line is breached they will be able to infiltrate terrorists, rockets and missiles all the way to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Be'er Sheva and throughout the country.
"There is no alternative to the IDF's line of defense. Therefore, in any future situation, and I say in any future arrangement as well, the IDF must stay here, i.e. along the Jordan River. This is the State of Israel's insurance policy. If this was true before the major unrest now shaking the Middle East and the entire region, it is doubly true today. The IDF must remain along the Jordan River."
The Israeli part of the Jordan Valley is a long and narrow strip of land that is bordered by the Jordan River on the east, with Jordan on its other bank, and by a range of hills on the west, running from the Lebanese border in the north to the eastern hills of Samaria and the Judean Hills in the south.
Its sparse population, relatively flat terrain and proximity to Jordan make it strategic territory. Before the 1967 Six Day War, terrorists from Jordan staged hundreds of attacks, hiding in the adjoining hills and caves that Israeli reservists called "the Land of the Chase [after terrorists, ed.]". The IDF would regularly sand the dirt roads along the Jordan River to enable it to trace terrorist tracks, before the area was restored to Israel in the war.
Citing the Muslim uprisings in Arab countries, the Prime Minister said, “We live in a world that is undergoing a very major shake-up. As I have said, the entire region around us is in a state of instability, and is undergoing a political and security earthquake of which we have not seen the end.
“In this situation, more than ever, we need to ensure that we have solid security foundations upon which to defend the State of Israel."
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua
The IDF will remain in the Jordan Valley to defend Israel, regardless of any future Palestinian Authority state, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday during a tour of military posts and bases in the area. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas responded by demanding sovereignty of the area, along with all of Judera and Samaria.
In remarks that may have been a warm-up for his expected new policy statement on PA demands, the Prime Minister told reporters, "Our security border is here on the Jordan and our defense line begins here. If that line is breached they will be able to infiltrate terrorists, rockets and missiles all the way to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Be'er Sheva and throughout the country.
"There is no alternative to the IDF's line of defense. Therefore, in any future situation, and I say in any future arrangement as well, the IDF must stay here, i.e. along the Jordan River. This is the State of Israel's insurance policy. If this was true before the major unrest now shaking the Middle East and the entire region, it is doubly true today. The IDF must remain along the Jordan River."
The Israeli part of the Jordan Valley is a long and narrow strip of land that is bordered by the Jordan River on the east, with Jordan on its other bank, and by a range of hills on the west, running from the Lebanese border in the north to the eastern hills of Samaria and the Judean Hills in the south.
Its sparse population, relatively flat terrain and proximity to Jordan make it strategic territory. Before the 1967 Six Day War, terrorists from Jordan staged hundreds of attacks, hiding in the adjoining hills and caves that Israeli reservists called "the Land of the Chase [after terrorists, ed.]". The IDF would regularly sand the dirt roads along the Jordan River to enable it to trace terrorist tracks, before the area was restored to Israel in the war.
Citing the Muslim uprisings in Arab countries, the Prime Minister said, “We live in a world that is undergoing a very major shake-up. As I have said, the entire region around us is in a state of instability, and is undergoing a political and security earthquake of which we have not seen the end.
“In this situation, more than ever, we need to ensure that we have solid security foundations upon which to defend the State of Israel."
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua
Monday, March 7, 2011
Bibi Answers Chilean President...
by Hillel Fendel 
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu explained succinctly on Sunday why the negotiations with the PA have gone nowhere. He answered a question during the joint press conference he held with visiting Chilean President Sebastián Piñera.
The questioner asked about the lack of direct negotiations between Israel and the PA, implying that Israel could do more to get them going. Netanyahu answered as follows: Well, we've been calling for direct negotiations from day one of this government.
On day one, we called for direct negotiations.
On day two, I made a speech in Bar Ilan University calling for two states for two peoples.
On day three, we removed about 400 checkpoints, earth barriers, and other things to facilitate the growth of the Palestinian economy.
On day four, we agreed to a ten-month moratorium on new construction in the settlements, something that no government did for 18 years before that.
On day five, we agreed to an extension of that moratorium by three months.
Unfortunately, everything that we did, these five things, were met with no response by the Palestinian Authority. They just placed preconditions and terms, every way to avoid sitting down and discussing peace. They tried to go around the peace negotiations.
I'll tell you why: It's because peace is hard. It's been hard for me. It will be hard. You have to make concessions and you have to look at the people in the eye and tell them not everything that we'd hoped for would be possible; there have to be compromises on both sides.
But whereas Israel and I have been willing to move on this road, I've not seen the parallel [Palestinian] willingness to do the same. Because they’re relying on a Pavlovian reflex of the international community.
Basically they say: We don't have to negotiate, we can sit back, we can teach our children to idolize mass killers – they named a public square in Ramallah ten minutes from here, for a terrorist who murdered 400 innocent Israelis. They can do that and get away with it.
Well, they can only get away with it if you let them get away with it. If you tell them clearly, as I think Chileand a few other countries have said: No, come to negotiate, you can't avoid a negation. Come and talk peace. Talk peace to your own people, not only to foreign diplomats or foreign journalists. Talk peace to the Palestinian people.
Tell them they'll have to give up [hoping for Israel’s destruction]. Tell them Israelis here to stay. Tell them there's going to be a Jewish state next to a Palestinian state forever. Tell them that Israel will not be swamped by the offspring of Palestinian refugees, because we accepted the offspring of Jewish refugees here, and we've made a life for them, you will make a life for them there.
Tell them that there will be genuine demilitarization of the Palestinian area, so that what we saw in Lebanon, where we walked out and Iran walked in doesn't happen again. So that what we saw in Gaza, when we walked out and Iran walked in, doesn't happen again. So that it doesn't happen a third time.
A demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes a Jewish state – that is the solution. But we cannot get to the solution; we cannot get to the end of the negotiations if we don't get to the beginning of the negotiation.
Israel is prepared to begin this negotiation. Israelis prepared to end this negotiation. Therefore the question should be addressed not to me, not to the Prime Minister of Israel. It should be addressed squarely to the Palestinian President and to the Palestinian government. You have another opportunity. Next time you're there, ask them this question.
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu explained succinctly on Sunday why the negotiations with the PA have gone nowhere. He answered a question during the joint press conference he held with visiting Chilean President Sebastián Piñera.
The questioner asked about the lack of direct negotiations between Israel and the PA, implying that Israel could do more to get them going. Netanyahu answered as follows: Well, we've been calling for direct negotiations from day one of this government.
On day one, we called for direct negotiations.
On day two, I made a speech in Bar Ilan University calling for two states for two peoples.
On day three, we removed about 400 checkpoints, earth barriers, and other things to facilitate the growth of the Palestinian economy.
On day four, we agreed to a ten-month moratorium on new construction in the settlements, something that no government did for 18 years before that.
On day five, we agreed to an extension of that moratorium by three months.
Unfortunately, everything that we did, these five things, were met with no response by the Palestinian Authority. They just placed preconditions and terms, every way to avoid sitting down and discussing peace. They tried to go around the peace negotiations.
I'll tell you why: It's because peace is hard. It's been hard for me. It will be hard. You have to make concessions and you have to look at the people in the eye and tell them not everything that we'd hoped for would be possible; there have to be compromises on both sides.
But whereas Israel and I have been willing to move on this road, I've not seen the parallel [Palestinian] willingness to do the same. Because they’re relying on a Pavlovian reflex of the international community.
Basically they say: We don't have to negotiate, we can sit back, we can teach our children to idolize mass killers – they named a public square in Ramallah ten minutes from here, for a terrorist who murdered 400 innocent Israelis. They can do that and get away with it.
Well, they can only get away with it if you let them get away with it. If you tell them clearly, as I think Chileand a few other countries have said: No, come to negotiate, you can't avoid a negation. Come and talk peace. Talk peace to your own people, not only to foreign diplomats or foreign journalists. Talk peace to the Palestinian people.
Tell them they'll have to give up [hoping for Israel’s destruction]. Tell them Israelis here to stay. Tell them there's going to be a Jewish state next to a Palestinian state forever. Tell them that Israel will not be swamped by the offspring of Palestinian refugees, because we accepted the offspring of Jewish refugees here, and we've made a life for them, you will make a life for them there.
Tell them that there will be genuine demilitarization of the Palestinian area, so that what we saw in Lebanon, where we walked out and Iran walked in doesn't happen again. So that what we saw in Gaza, when we walked out and Iran walked in, doesn't happen again. So that it doesn't happen a third time.
A demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes a Jewish state – that is the solution. But we cannot get to the solution; we cannot get to the end of the negotiations if we don't get to the beginning of the negotiation.
Israel is prepared to begin this negotiation. Israelis prepared to end this negotiation. Therefore the question should be addressed not to me, not to the Prime Minister of Israel. It should be addressed squarely to the Palestinian President and to the Palestinian government. You have another opportunity. Next time you're there, ask them this question.
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua
Friday, March 4, 2011
Are You Standing Boldly For Israel?
It is beyond my understanding why so many professing Bible believing Christians can have little regard for modern day Israel and the Jewish people. Almost nothing concerning Israel for most of the past 2000 years is relevant to them. Israel is being treated as if it doesn’t exist, and has no right to any or all of its God-given land. When Israel is mentioned in church sermons, the messages mostly pertain to the historical Israel of old…and rarely will include anything since the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and events leading up to the present day.
They choose to ignore the fact that most of Scripture is about Israel and the Jews – God’s chosen land for His chosen people. It details past history, it accurately describes events of today, and it predicts the future for not only Israel, but for the world. The Lord God chose and led 44 people to write His Holy inspired Word over a 1400 year period of time – and almost all of them were Jewish. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is legally of Jewish lineage. The 12 disciples were Jewish. God’s end-time plan for mankind is centered around Israel…designed to finally bring the Jewish people to repentance and realize Jesus as their true Messiah. God declared Israel as the center of all nations, and Jerusalem as His dwelling place…and so it will be forever.
Today we are clearly in that end-time period. Scripture explains that Israel and Jerusalem will be a stumbling block for the nations – all devising ways to divide the land and/or destroy the Jewish people. Wake up…and look around! The whole Middle East is exploding in turmoil…and it’s all about Israel. The USA has now thrown Israel to the wolves. Israel is hated and no longer has friends or allies anywhere in the world – exactly as Scripture foretold would happen.
People everywhere, churches, and Pastors (mine included), must wake up…now! But, sadly, that is not likely to happen because the enemy has blinded their eyes to the Truth. One day soon all mankind will stand in judgment before Jesus Christ…the Messiah…the Lion of Judah…the King of Kings, to give account for their unbelief. On that day I would not want to be standing in the shoes of those who have cast Israel aside.
Psalm 122:6
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem...
Don
They choose to ignore the fact that most of Scripture is about Israel and the Jews – God’s chosen land for His chosen people. It details past history, it accurately describes events of today, and it predicts the future for not only Israel, but for the world. The Lord God chose and led 44 people to write His Holy inspired Word over a 1400 year period of time – and almost all of them were Jewish. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is legally of Jewish lineage. The 12 disciples were Jewish. God’s end-time plan for mankind is centered around Israel…designed to finally bring the Jewish people to repentance and realize Jesus as their true Messiah. God declared Israel as the center of all nations, and Jerusalem as His dwelling place…and so it will be forever.
Today we are clearly in that end-time period. Scripture explains that Israel and Jerusalem will be a stumbling block for the nations – all devising ways to divide the land and/or destroy the Jewish people. Wake up…and look around! The whole Middle East is exploding in turmoil…and it’s all about Israel. The USA has now thrown Israel to the wolves. Israel is hated and no longer has friends or allies anywhere in the world – exactly as Scripture foretold would happen.
People everywhere, churches, and Pastors (mine included), must wake up…now! But, sadly, that is not likely to happen because the enemy has blinded their eyes to the Truth. One day soon all mankind will stand in judgment before Jesus Christ…the Messiah…the Lion of Judah…the King of Kings, to give account for their unbelief. On that day I would not want to be standing in the shoes of those who have cast Israel aside.
Psalm 122:6
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem...
Don
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Israel: No Palestinian peace deal possible now
By AMY TEIBEL, Associated Press – Thu Mar 3, 12:17 pm ET
JERUSALEM – Israel has concluded that a final peace deal with the Palestinians cannot be reached at this time and is weighing alternatives to try to prove that it is interested in keeping peacemaking with the Palestinians alive, officials said Thursday.
With popular protests shaking up the Mideast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under fierce international pressure to prove he is serious about getting peacemaking moving again, especially after the U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel's West Bank settlement construction last month.
Israeli officials are meeting with international mediators, including U.S. envoy Dennis Ross and representatives of the Quartet of Mideast peacemakers — the U.S., European Union, United Nations and Russia — due to arrive in the region next week.
Government officials say Netanyahu is expected to deliver a major policy speech on peacemaking in the coming weeks, hinting at a change in direction away from direct talks on a peace treaty.
Privately, officials say Netanyahu is considering a phased approach to peacemaking, but contrary to published reports, it is not clear if he is open to the concept of a Palestinian state within temporary borders.
"The consistent refusal of the Palestinian leadership to negotiate with Israel has made a negotiated agreement all but impossible to achieve, at least for the time being," one government official said. "And so we're looking at an Israeli initiative, and steps that we can take that would be a phased approach to a final status agreement."
Officials did not offer details of the alternatives Netanyahu was considering. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the emerging plan.
U.S.-led peace talks, launched six months ago with the ambitious goal of striking a final deal by September 2011, broke down shortly after they began over Israeli construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The Palestinians demanded a freeze in both areas, which the Palestinians claim for a state, along with the Gaza Strip. Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005.
Israel refused to yield to that demand, insisting that previous rounds of talks took place while settlement construction was under way, such a precondition was unprecedented, and the issue should be settled in negotiations.
Given the impasse, the Palestinians have launched a campaign to seek international recognition of Palestinian statehood. Their tentative plan is to seek the world's recognition in the fall, a move that may not give them a state on the ground but might isolate Israel.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned Thursday that he anticipates a "tsunami" of pressure at the U.N. General Assembly in the fall. He told Channel 10 TV that to protect Israel's standing, "we have to take initiatives." He did not elaborate.
Palestinians flatly reject the idea of an interim accord as a way out of the current negotiations deadlock.
"Anything less than an Israeli withdrawal from lands occupied in 1967 (the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem) is unacceptable to us," said senior Palestinian official Nabil Abu Rdeneh.
"We oppose the option of a state with provisional borders," he said, concerned that not only would the Palestinians receive less than the territory they demand, but also, Israel would retain military control of the area.
Palestinians are afraid that if they agree to temporary borders, then they will never win a full fledged, independent state.
In related news, Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics reported that settlers began building up to 500 apartments and homes in the West Bank after a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction expired in late September.
If it keeps up, that would be close to the pace that prevailed before the moratorium took effect in November 2009. About 2,000 West Bank housing starts were recorded in both 2008 and 2009.
Story source
here
JERUSALEM – Israel has concluded that a final peace deal with the Palestinians cannot be reached at this time and is weighing alternatives to try to prove that it is interested in keeping peacemaking with the Palestinians alive, officials said Thursday.
With popular protests shaking up the Mideast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under fierce international pressure to prove he is serious about getting peacemaking moving again, especially after the U.S. vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel's West Bank settlement construction last month.
Israeli officials are meeting with international mediators, including U.S. envoy Dennis Ross and representatives of the Quartet of Mideast peacemakers — the U.S., European Union, United Nations and Russia — due to arrive in the region next week.
Government officials say Netanyahu is expected to deliver a major policy speech on peacemaking in the coming weeks, hinting at a change in direction away from direct talks on a peace treaty.
Privately, officials say Netanyahu is considering a phased approach to peacemaking, but contrary to published reports, it is not clear if he is open to the concept of a Palestinian state within temporary borders.
"The consistent refusal of the Palestinian leadership to negotiate with Israel has made a negotiated agreement all but impossible to achieve, at least for the time being," one government official said. "And so we're looking at an Israeli initiative, and steps that we can take that would be a phased approach to a final status agreement."
Officials did not offer details of the alternatives Netanyahu was considering. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the emerging plan.
U.S.-led peace talks, launched six months ago with the ambitious goal of striking a final deal by September 2011, broke down shortly after they began over Israeli construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The Palestinians demanded a freeze in both areas, which the Palestinians claim for a state, along with the Gaza Strip. Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005.
Israel refused to yield to that demand, insisting that previous rounds of talks took place while settlement construction was under way, such a precondition was unprecedented, and the issue should be settled in negotiations.
Given the impasse, the Palestinians have launched a campaign to seek international recognition of Palestinian statehood. Their tentative plan is to seek the world's recognition in the fall, a move that may not give them a state on the ground but might isolate Israel.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned Thursday that he anticipates a "tsunami" of pressure at the U.N. General Assembly in the fall. He told Channel 10 TV that to protect Israel's standing, "we have to take initiatives." He did not elaborate.
Palestinians flatly reject the idea of an interim accord as a way out of the current negotiations deadlock.
"Anything less than an Israeli withdrawal from lands occupied in 1967 (the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem) is unacceptable to us," said senior Palestinian official Nabil Abu Rdeneh.
"We oppose the option of a state with provisional borders," he said, concerned that not only would the Palestinians receive less than the territory they demand, but also, Israel would retain military control of the area.
Palestinians are afraid that if they agree to temporary borders, then they will never win a full fledged, independent state.
In related news, Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics reported that settlers began building up to 500 apartments and homes in the West Bank after a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction expired in late September.
If it keeps up, that would be close to the pace that prevailed before the moratorium took effect in November 2009. About 2,000 West Bank housing starts were recorded in both 2008 and 2009.
Story source
here
Prayer Warriors Alert...
Sound the Shofar~Alert the Armies of God, and call the Prayer Warriors to Battle...
Israel is in a critical state at this moment. The world, including the United States and its leaders, are closing upon her like a pack of hungry wolves against a lamb stranded away from the flock. While I firmly believe God is in control of every aspect of what's going on in the Middle East, we, as followers of Yeshua/Jesus, can make a difference by standing in the gap for this nation and its people who are blinded and yet, are the very apple of God's Eye. Israel is His Beloved. He is going to personally stand up against her enemies. He promises to destroy those who come against her, and His judgment will be swift and sure. Micah 4:11-13 And as sure as the battles are raging on the ground, they are even more intense in the spiritual realm. We have been given power and authority in Jesus' Name to come against this host of hell. We can wield the power of prayer and speak in the Lord's Name and surround Israel with our prayers. I hope you will join me. Don't ever think we are too few in number, God only needs a few to come against the many. Judges 7:12-25 !! Shalu Yisroel~Pray for Israel...
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua
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