The Israel Connection

Shoah Reality Today...

2012-01-28T12:55:00.001-05:00

At this time when the Shoah is being observed (remembrance of the Jewish Holocaust) I am saddened by the brutality of Israeli police and politicians against their own people!! To smash and demolish homes built by their own on undeniably Jewish lands, and to brutally evict their own is incomprehensible! Liberal Jews are little better than Arabs who have free access to the lands to murder, violate, burn, desecrate and demolish with impunity. They also have free access to sacred Jewish Holy sites, while Jews must petition or be escorted by soldiers, and if not, they are murdered in cold blood or wounded by Arab police and escorted to Jewish police headquarters... punished for visiting their own Holy places. Arabs also control the temple mount...the most sacred of all places by the Jews...and never given a second thought by Arabs until they took control. Now Jews must be escorted by police and are not allowed to even whisper a prayer or they are hauled off by their own police! Disgusting and frustrating...but it will all soon be turned around when prophesies are fulfilled...and when Yeshua returns to the Rebuilt Temple! That is my only consolation!
Even so, come quickly Adonai Yeshua HaMashiach...Lion of the Tribe of Yehuda! Open the eyes of Your people...defend and protect them until they fulfill Your Tanach and become lights to the nations!
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

SIGNS OF THE TIME

2012-01-27T16:59:00.002-05:00

Many would ask, “Signs of the time? Just what signs and what time are you referring to here?” Well, the signs are warning signals or a “heads-up” God provided for us in Scripture that we might know when the return of our Lord Jesus is very near.

Fifteen or twenty years ago...no, let’s make that just ten years ago, I never would have dreamed I would be living in these end times just before Christ's second coming. Just imagine - after almost 2000 years, I believe we are now living in that time, and are experiencing the last days first hand. What a time to be alive!

As believers, we are not only commanded to understand the signs surrounding the soon return of our Lord, but we are also called to be watchmen (Ezek. 33:6, 7) warning of the things to come. Therefore, I felt led to share these thoughts with you.

For about 1800 of those years the Jewish people were scattered far away from Israel, forced away from the land God gave them through His everlasting covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants. During those years the land withered into a dry wasteland of blowing sand and brush, with only a few migrant sheepherders inhabiting the area.

The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Amos foretold of those years. However, they also said the Jewish people would return to their land one day never to be uprooted again - predicted almost 2500 years before it happened. Ezekiel predicted that the valley of dry bones would one day come alive again (Ezek. 37) and the land would flourish. The Jewish people began to return in great numbers in the late 1800's and 1900's. Isaiah said Israel would be reborn in one day (Is. 66:8). That happened on May 14, 1948 - the only time ever in recorded history that a nation has re-formed after disbanding for hundreds of years...and it happened in one day. Then, Israel regained control of Jerusalem on June 14, 1967 in the six-day war, victorious against overwhelming odds.

Since 1948, these are just a few of the things that have happened - much of it prophesied about 2500 years ago:
The Hebrew language was restored recently as Israel's official language - prophesied by Zephaniah. Israel has become a leader in agriculture technology and medical innovations. The land has flourished with trees and vineyards in the once parched land. This tiny nation exports billions of dollars of goods and produce - inconceivable just a few decades ago. Israel's security intelligence and military is among the best in the world.

We know Scripture teaches that in the last days, God's focus will be on Israel and the Jewish people. They, as well as the whole world, will go through a terrible time of trouble (Dan. 12:1) causing a remnant to finally accept Jesus as their true Messiah. Recently, newspapers and the television news media are filled with reports of wars and violence taking place in that part of the world as never before. The tensions are increasing daily.

Today we see storm clouds gathering all around Israel with nations committed to destroy her and the Jewish people. We hear of feverish negotiations and schemes underway to further divide Israel and Jerusalem - the apple of God's eye. God has warned in Joel 3:2 NKJV, "I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land."

Jerusalem would be a burdensome stone to all nations (Zech. 12:3). Almost daily the world news media reports on the conflict over Jerusalem. The United Nations, the Vatican, and many world leaders want to make it an international city. However, God says that the city is His and He has given it to the Jews forever (Gen. 15:18; Lev. 25:23; 2 Chr. 6:6). All who burden themselves with it will be cut in pieces.

Scripture also speaks of many other things that will take place in the last days, warning us of the end time.

Deceptive signs and wonders would abound (Matt. 7:22-23; 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9). The signs and wonders movement has swept the globe in recent years replacing the Word of God. Experiences that feed the senses in the name of Christ are drawing millions away from Him.

Men would be lovers of themselves (2 Tim. 3:1-2). This generation, like no other, regards “self” above all else. Self love, self esteem, self reliance, and self gratification are encouraged by the media, schools, and psychologists, etc. Many churches today preach a feel-good-about-yourself message, as well as a prosperity and social “gospel”. In contrast, Jesus taught self-denial.

Knowledge would increase (Dan. 12:4). Today we are witnessing an explosion of available knowledge as has never happened before.

Deadly diseases (which the Bible calls pestilences) would be common (Matt. 24:7). Emerging diseases such as AIDS, Ebola, Hanta virus, Dengue, West Nile, SARS, bird flu, etc., underscore this fact. Other new diseases are arising as well.

Chaotic weather would be prevalent (Luke 21:25-26). Jesus foresaw the seas and the waves roaring in the last days. He also likened these signs to birth pangs (Matt. 24:8).

The earth would be filled with violence (Luke 17:26; Gen. 6:11-13). In the United States alone, violent crime has increased nearly 500% since 1960. Fifty years ago abortion was illegal in most countries. Today abortion is legal in most countries, resulting in millions of children being brutally slaughtered each year.

Humanity would become increasingly materialistic and lovers of pleasure (2 Tim. 3:1-5). No other generation in history has devised so many ways to entertain and arouse the senses. Every imaginable pleasure is available and has become big business.

Jesus said Christians would be hated for His name's sake (Luke 21:17; Rev. 6:9-11; 20:4). The banning of the Bible, prayer, the Ten Commandments, nativity scenes, and Christmas songs reflect that trend. Many would forsake the Ten Commandments as a moral code: blaspheming, committing adultery, disobeying parents, stealing, lying, coveting, etc. (Matt. 24:12; Rev. 9:21).

Homosexuality would be flaunted at the end of the age. Jesus warned that the last days would be like the days of Lot who lived in wicked Sodom (Luke 17:28-30). Sodom's lasting infamy stemmed from their aggressive homosexual sin (Gen. 19; Jude 1:7). Today, the homosexual agenda is being flaunted and forced upon our entire society in our schools, the media, same sex marriage, Hollywood, civil unions, and has the support of many churches.

Apostasy would occur just before the Antichrist is revealed (2 Thess. 2:3). Increasingly, experience-based Christianity is replacing the Bible as the standard for saving faith. The ecumenical movement is striving for unity at the expense of truth. Christ's exclusive claims are negated in the name of tolerance.

There would be a move towards a one-world religion (Rev. 13:8, 12; Rev. 17). Today, as never before, we are witnessing religions joining hands in the name of peace and tolerance. Contrary to Scripture, they all claim to worship the same God with all paths leading to heaven.

Mankind would be capable of destroying all life (Matt. 24:21-22). Today, with nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, it is possible to easily wipe out all flesh on planet earth.

Jesus also warned that deception in the last days would also include great signs and wonders (Matt. 24:23-27) performed by false prophets claiming to be the Christ.

Blasphemy would be common (2 Tim. 3:2; Rev. 16:9, 11, 21). Consider how often people use their Creator's name (God, Lord, or Jesus Christ) as a curse word or in a casual, flippant manner. What they are doing is dragging the One who is holy and the source of every blessing down into the gutters with them.

Sorceries referring to witchcraft, magic, or occult practices used to enchant and deceive are also anticipated in the last days (Rev. 9:21; 18:23; 21:8; Is. 47:9-15; Mic. 5:10-15). Today, interest in the occult is flourishing.

Preparations for a global war anticipated (Joel 3:9-14; Matt. 24:22; Rev. 16:14). Never before in recorded history have so many nations stockpiled weapons of mass destruction.

Many would call themselves the Christ (Matt. 24:5). Although Jesus only traveled within the tiny nation of Israel, He predicted that many would come in His name, claiming to be the Christ. Now today, worldwide, many within the New Age Movement, Eastern religions, and the cults call themselves the Christ. This is yet another incredible fulfilled prophecy!

Some would depart from the faith, having listened to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1). This generation has witnessed the explosion of apparitions and other heavenly visitors that are often embraced by professing Christians even though their messages contradict the Word of God. Channeling, witchcraft, psychics, etc., have also gained in popularity though forbidden by God (Deut. 18:10-12).

People would reject the sound doctrine of the Word of God and follow the doctrines of men that appeal to their own lusts (2 Tim. 4:3-4; Acts 20:29-30). Others would confess faith in Christ, but not obey His Word (Matt. 7:22-23; Matt. 24:48-51).

Men would mock the warning signs of the end of the age saying those signs have always been with us (2 Pet. 3:3-4). Most of them don't want to see Jesus come back now or in their lifetime. They deny the Truth of Scripture because they either don't believe it, or they have a greater love for the things of this world.

Despite the Bible's numerous warnings and last day’s prophecies, many people would be taken off guard when these events happen (Luke 21:34-36; 1 Thess. 5:2-6). It is true that some of these signs have been around for thousands of years, but only our generation has witnessed the coming together of every one of these events – just as Scripture said would happen.

Jesus said in Matt. 24:33-34 NKJV, "So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near - at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place."

Never before in all of recorded history have all these things happened together exactly as prophesied - and we are here to witness them. Do I believe we are in the end times? Yes! Do I believe Jesus is coming soon as He promised? Yes! What an exciting time!

The signs of His soon return are many. We are living in the final seconds of the final hour before His return. Are you ready and longing to meet Him face to face? If Jesus is truly the Savior, Lord and Master of your life, then you are ready, and He’ll return to find you expectantly watching and waiting for Him.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Don

What a Difference a Day Makes

2012-01-20T18:45:00.001-05:00

Jim Muelhaussen is a trial attorney in Logansport. He may be reached at jkm@logansportlaw.com. His column appears every other week in the Indiana Farmer's Exchange. He gave me permission to post this latest article from Friday, January 20, 2012

The return of the Jewish people to their native land and the establishment of the nation of Israel was prophesied by no less than four Old Testament prophets. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Amos all mention this remarkable event thousands of years before the reestablishment of Israel (Isaiah 11:12, 43:5-6; Jeremiah 31:7-10; Ezekiel 37:21; Amos 9:15).
As incredible as the prophetic fulfillment of these scriptural passages may be, Isaiah made a very specific prophecy concerning the reestablishment of Israel that is even more remarkable. In Isaiah 66:8-11, Isaiah prophesied that Israel would be created in one day:
"Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children."
After the Jewish people had been scattered around the world for almost 2,000 years, the Jewish People's Council met in Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948, decided their nation would be named Israel, and at 4 p.m. adopted the Scroll of Independence, making Israel a nation. By comparison, it took the Continental Congress approximately two months to draft and adopt the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and another five years before every one of the 56 delegates signed it. However, the United States weren't officially united until the Constitution was finally ratified by all 13 states in 1789.
The reestablishment of Israel is remarkable in itself. The fact that its reestablishment was prophesied more than 2,000 years before it occurred defies explanation. That Israel was reestablished as a nation in just one day as prophesied by Isaiah is beyond human understanding--no one could have conceived of that future eventuality. The only explanation for fulfillment of this prophecy is that there is a God, and He revealed the future to Isaiah.

And to that I add my Amen and thanks to Jim for his gracious sharing of this article.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

What Israelis Face on THEIR land...

2012-01-19T08:39:00.000-05:00

Please mute the newscast and listen to this young Israeli...it is in Hebrew, but transcribed in English. It will give you a sense of what they are up against...even their own government agencies! Shame!
Shalu Shalom Yisroel... pray for the peace of Israel

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

ISRAEL FOREVER SHALL BE

2012-01-14T14:40:00.002-05:00

It is beyond my understanding why so many claiming to be Bible believing Christians have little or no 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 all of its God-given land.

When or if Israel is mentioned in church sermons, the messages mostly reference the historical Israel of old...and will rarely include anything between the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and events leading up to the present day. And, perish any thoughts that Israel might have a role to play in end-time prophecy. Oh my...just what are they thinking?

They choose to ignore the fact that much of Scripture is about Israel and the Jews...God’s chosen land and His chosen people. Scripture details past history, it accurately describes events of today, and it foretells the certain future for not only Israel, but also for the world and all of mankind.

The Lord God chose over 44 men to pen the Scriptures as the Holy Spirit breathed the Words into them during a period of more than 1400 years...and most if not all of the writers were Jewish. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is legally of Jewish lineage. The 12 disciples were Jewish. God’s end-time plan for mankind has Israel as its primary focus...and, in part, is designed to ultimately cause a Jewish remnant to repent and embrace Jesus as the 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 during the final days, Israel and Jerusalem will be major stumbling blocks for the nations. Today, all of them are devising ways to not just divide Israeli land and Jerusalem, but to ultimately take it all and destroy the Jewish people. However, Scripture warns that all nations and people that are against Israel will be destroyed.

Wake up...and look around! The whole Middle East is exploding in turmoil...and it is all about Israel. Even her long-time ally, the USA, has now tossed Israel to the wolves. The Jewish people are despised, rejected, and no longer have friends or allies anywhere in the world...exactly as foretold in Scripture. The world’s leaders are obsessed with relentless efforts to suppress and control the tiny sovereign nation of Israel.

In spite of ever increasing schemes and attempts to destroy Israel and the Jewish people, all efforts toward that end will be futile. The prophet Jeremiah recorded these Words from the Lord God explaining the certainty of Israel’s survival.

Jeremiah 31:35-36 KJV
35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:
36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

Whenever “Thus saith the LORD” is recorded in Scripture, we must pay very close attention to what is being said!

People, churches, and Pastors everywhere 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 of mankind will stand alone 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.

Don

Replacement Theology in Bethlehem...Unbelievable!

2012-01-10T17:35:00.000-05:00

Bethlehem to Host Church Conference Which Demonizes Israel

Theologians who are breathing new life into a kind of demonology which criminalizes all Israelis will meet in Bethlehem in March.

By Giulio Meotti

First Publish: 1/10/2012, 2:08 AM

Bethlehem - Church of Nativity

Wikimedia Commons

Next March, the Bible College in Bethlehem will host dozens of US theologians, activists and ministries for the “Christ at the Checkpoint 2012 Conference”.
It is to be a major religious and political event meant to demonize Israel and to support the Palestinian Intifada against the “ethnocentric” Jewish State.
The impressive range of Christian theologians and pastors from many churches located in the United States make the gravity of the upcoming conference clear.
Samuel Rodriguez, President of the US National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, is a speaker.
Also attending are popular US preacher and “spiritual adviser” to Bill Clinton, Tony Campolo, and President of the World Evangelical Alliance and Asia Evangelical Alliance, Sang-Bok David Kim.
Two of the conference organisers, Stephen Sizer and Sami Awad, adamantly defended the Gaza flotilla sent in May 2010 by the Turkish terror group IHH.
Another speaker, Ben White, has shared a political platform with Azzam Tamimi, who has endorsed suicide bombings against Jewish civilians in the past.
In the last few months we have seen an increase of attacks on Israel by many Christian denominations. While the United States is home to millions of Christian supporters of Israel, these are anti-Jewish Churches which are more closely attached to global public opinion, European bureaucracy, the media industry, the United Nations and various legal forums.
In fact, the “Bethlehem Call” manifesto, which serves as platform for the Bethlehem 2012 Conference, has just been published on the websites of the Would Council of Churches, the Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ.
The Bethlehem Call defines Israel as an “illegal regime” and a “crime against humanity”, it promotes “international boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns” against Israel, labels the more neutral Churches as “accomplices in crimes against humanity” and attacks Christian Zionism as “a crime and sin as defying the core of the Gospel”.
The Bethlehem Call also updates the “Kairos Palestine”, the major document used as global tool for the Christian struggle against Israel speaking in the behalf of “us Christian Palestinians”. Even the name of the Catholic Custodian of the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, prominently appears among the most important signatures in this website: http://www.kairospalestine.ps/sites/default/Documents/English.pdf
In 2007, the World Council of Churches, the umbrella organization of liberal Protestants claiming a membership of 580 million worshippers, also produced the “Amman Call”, which denies Israel’s right to continue to exist as a Jewish State by insisting that millions of Palestinians have the “right of return” to Israel.
In 2008, the World Council of Churches convened a group of Protestant and Catholic theologians to review the underpinnings of Christian attitudes about Israel. The group published the “Bern Perspective”, which, among other things, instructed Christians to understand all biblical references to Israel only “metaphorically”.
The theological meeting also marked a return to “replacement theology”, the medieval view that the Church has replaced the people of Israel in God’s plan and that all biblical references to Israel refer to the “new Israel”—that is, to Christians.
Replacement calumny has changed its language, yet still is basically a death sentence for the Jewish people. Now it is Israelis, like Lucifer, who were God’s chosen but were cast out for their rebellious and evil ways, and deserve to be obliterated from the “Holy Land”, according to this macabre theology.
Taken together, it seems these Churches are now breathing new life into a kind of demonology which criminalizes all the Jews living between the Jordan River and the Meditarranean.

The writer is an Italian journalist with Il Foglio who writes regularly for Arutz Sheva. He is the author of the much discussed book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter. His writing has appeared in publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Frontpage and Commentary and has been translated for Israeli media.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

What Arabs Really Say...

2012-01-09T14:09:00.002-05:00

Haniyeh Promises ‘Difficult Days’ for Israel
by Elad Benari

Hamas’ Gaza prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, promised “difficult days” for Israel on Sunday, AFP reported. He added, “We promise you that we will not cede a single part of Palestine, we will not cede Jerusalem, we will continue to fight and we will not lay down our arms.”

Speaking at a rally in the Tunisian capital of Tunis, Haniyeh urged Arab Spring revolutionaries to fight for an independent Palestine. AFP reported that he received an ovation from a crowd of some 5,000 men, women and children, who gathered in a stadium waving PLO, Tunisian and Hamas flags.

“Israel no longer has allies in Egypt and in Tunisia, we are saying to the Zionist enemies that times have changed and that the time of the Arab Spring, the time of the revolution, of dignity and of pride has arrived,” Haniyeh was quoted as having said.

He added, “We promise you that we will not cede a single part of Palestine, we will not cede Jerusalem, we will continue to fight and we will not lay down our arms.”

Haniyeh also urged “the people of the revolution to fight the army of Al-Quds. To Tunisia we say: ‘It is us today who are going to build the new Middle East.’”

He insisted that Hamas “will not recognize Israel”, as the crowd chanted, “Death to Israel”, “The Tunisian revolution supports Palestine”, and “The army of Mohammed is back,” said the report.

Haniyeh’s visit in Tunisia is part of his first official regional tour since the Hamas terror group violently took power of Gaza in 2007. He has also visited Egypt, Sudan and Turkey and will next travel to Qatar and Bahrain.

On Thursday, as he arrived in the country and met its new moderate Islamist prime minister, Hamadi Jebali, Haniyeh said support for “Palestine” should be a “religious and nationalist commitment” for Arabs.

During his visit to Sudan, he also reiterated that his organization will never recognize Israel and will never give up on Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, AFP reported that Jews in Tunisia asked the government earlier Sunday to take steps to avoid a repeat of anti-Semitic slogans chanted during the Hamas leader’s visit.

“No Tunisian should be insulted, and the government must take measures to ensure this incident is never repeated,” Peres Trabelsi, a representative of Tunisia's Jewish population, told AFP.

He added, “There are no Zionists in Tunisia and we don’t want to be mixed into the problems of the Middle East. Tunisia is our country.”

Tunisia’s newly elected president recently called the country’s Jewish population to return to his country.

President Moncef Marzouki said that Tunisia’s Jews are full-fledged citizens and those who had left the country were welcome to return.

Meanwhile, when asked about the anti-Semitic slogans chanted during his speech in Tunis, Haniyeh told AFP: “We are not against the Jews because they are Jews. Our problem is with those who occupy the land of Palestine. The Jews are all over the world and Hamas is not targeting them.”

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Iranian war fears spark closure of Israel reactor

2012-01-08T22:21:00.003-05:00

The Times January 09, 2012 12:00AM

ISRAEL is preparing to shut its nuclear reactor at Dimona, where it makes nuclear weapons, because of the site's vulnerability in a war with Iran.

The decision, taken by the Israel Atomic Energy Commission and the country's civil defence authorities, follows a realisation that the facility could be vulnerable to a missile attack.

Story source
here

In my opinion, this planned action is a huge dot indicating the possibility of war with Iran.

Don

US Forces Team Up With IDF For Defense Drill

2012-01-08T10:51:00.002-05:00

If you don't know it by now, God's eyes are upon Israel. As followers of Yeshua/Christ, we need to turn our attention there as well, and uphold this nation in prayer!! Mid

IDF and U.S. forces will team up soon for a major missile defense exercise, "the biggest one ever" according to military sources.

By Elad Benari

First Publish: 1/6/2012, 6:13 AM

Location

IDF soldiers

Israel news photo: IDF website

The Israeli military is gearing up together with U.S. forces for a major missile defense exercise, the IDF announced Thursday.
The Associated Press reported that the “Austere Challenge 12” drill is designed to improve defense systems and cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli forces.
While the drill follows a ten-day Iranian naval exercise near the Strait of Hormuz, the IDF told AP the drill with the U.S. was planned long ago and is not tied to recent events.
Israeli and U.S. officials told AP the exercise would be the largest-ever joint drill by the two countries.
A few weeks ago, the Commander of the Third Air Force of the U.S Military, Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc, arrived in Israel to prepare for the joint training exercise.
A spokesman for the IDF did not give a date for the drill Thursday, but a senior military official told AP it would be in the next few weeks, adding it would be the biggest missile defense drill ever held.
The Israeli official said thousands of American and Israeli soldiers from different units would take part. He said the drill would test multiple Israeli and U.S. air defense systems against incoming missiles and rockets.
The Islamic Republic followed its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz with another earlier this week, when Iranian army chief Ayatollah Salehi warned USS carrier John C Stennis not to return to the Persian Gulf after having left the area through the Straits of Hormuz in a "pre-planned, routine operation."
The U.S. responded to the Iranian threat with a calm statement read by Pentagon spokesman George Little and which warned Iran, "The deployment of U.S. military assets in the Persian Gulf region will continue as it has for decades."
On Wednesday, the IDF staged a surprise drill at its base at the port of Haifa as Iran completed its drill.
Haifa base commander Brigadier General Eli Sharvit, ordered the surprise drill to check the readiness of Israel Navy vessels to depart from port and head out to sea to conduct operation, the IDF said. A majority of the Israel Navy's operational strength is based in Haifa, which was bombed several times by Hizbullah terrorists in the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006.
Meanwhile, Martin Van Creveld, a military historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, estimated on Thursday that the joint Israel-U.S. drill was intended not only to practice military maneuvers but also to pressure Iran.
“Defending against an attack is not something that you improvise from today to tomorrow,” Van Creveld told AP. “It’s something you have to prepare, you have to rehearse, you have to prepare for. This, among other things, is an exercise to show Iran, the people in Tehran, that Israel and the United States are ready to counterattack.”

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn

2012-01-04T06:56:00.000-05:00

An absolute must view video... please turn off the news player so you can listen to this incredible interview... America's future hangs in the balance!!

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Al Qaeda in Jerusalem....

2012-01-03T11:36:00.000-05:00

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu from www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/151355

Al Qaeda claims to be operating a “Sunni Youth” terrorist cell in Jerusalem as Muslim extremism grows throughout the Middle East.

The "Sunni Youth Movement Cell in Greater Jerusalem” issued its first message Monday night, according to Debkafile, an Israeli website that is often criticized for using unidentified sources and rumors but whose reports often turn out to be true.

The site reported that Israeli intelligence officials have advised the government to treat the alleged Al Qaeda claim as serious

Last month, the number of terrorist attacks against Israelis almost doubled from the previous month, rising from 44 in November to 81 in December.

The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) singled out the Jerusalem area as registering the largest increase in attacks.

Leading politicians pooh-poohed reports several years ago that Al Qaeda had infiltrated into Gaza, but later developments bore out the rumors, and dozens of terrorist cells now are linked to the Al Qaeda network among Bedouin in the Negev and in the Sinai Peninsula.

The presence of Al Qaeda in Jerusalem would be a logical escalation of intense Muslim extremism fueled by the Arab Spring uprisings that have deposed autocrats but have left a vacuum for terrorist groups to assume power.

The IDF has warned that terrorists will try to use the diplomatic impasse between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to execute attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers. Another impetus for terrorists is the recent release by Israel of more than 1,000 terrorists and security prisoners for the return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

After the deal was concluded, Hamas and other terrorist groups immediately announced their aim is to kidnap more Israelis as bargaining chips for more prisoner releases and concessions.

Tags: Al Qaeda ,Terror

A NEW YEAR...A NEW BEGINNING

2011-12-31T08:19:00.003-05:00

As we enter into a new year, it is a good time for us to reflect on the past year and then direct our attention toward the new one. The New Year can be a new beginning in many ways for all of us.

It can be a time to abandon harmful habits and lifestyles. Relationships can be healed. Families can be drawn closer together. The New Year must also be a time of forgiveness toward others. If our walk with the Lord was less than it should have been, He is patiently waiting for us to restore our trust and dependence in Him. The list could go on and on.

Each of us should take the time to sit quietly with a note pad and write down all the ways we have been blessed by God. As the songwriter once wrote, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.” If we are honest and focus on them, the list will soon become very long. We all have been truly blessed beyond measure.

We must praise God and thank Him every day for His goodness, for abundantly providing for our needs, and for keeping us safe in the palm of His hand. Above all, we must humbly thank God for His matchless gift of salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and resurrection, freely offered to all who choose to reach out by faith alone to receive it.

The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah wrote these words as recorded in Lam. 3:22-23 NASB, “The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

When we rise up each morning, a spirit of praise and thanksgiving should be in our hearts and on our lips. We need to say, “Thank you Lord for this day You have made. Thank You for allowing me to be a part of it. Help me to rejoice and be glad in it. Show me what You would have me do today that I might do it all for Your honor and glory.”

The psalmist penned these words in Ps. 34:1 NASB, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” In Eph. 5:18 the Apostle Paul tells us to thank God always for all things in the name of Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 103:1 instructs us to bless the holy name of the Lord with all that is within us. This scripture simply means we are to be passionate in our thanksgiving, in our praise and in our desire to serve Him. Are we passionate in our desire to honor and serve Him?

Perhaps during the past year we did not allow God to be first in all things of our life. Maybe we have become complacent toward Him, or lack the desire for a personal relationship with Him as He requires of us. We must remember that God loves us and as Ps. 145:18 explains, He is near to all who call upon Him.

As we humbly seek His face in prayer, we must call out to Him as the psalmist wrote in Ps. 139:23-24 NASB, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Then in Ps. 51:10 NASB he writes this fervent prayer, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

God’s requirements for His blessing on our lives include humility, prayer, devotion and repentance. When we become sincere and passionate in our desire to follow Him, then God will hear us, forgive our sins, answer our prayers and pour out His blessings on us. As promised in 2 Chron. 7:14-15 NKJV, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

I urge you to begin the New Year with a firm resolve to pray to the Lord and read His Word daily. As we do that, God will speak to us and reveal Himself to us in ways we can’t imagine. Talking with Him and studying scripture is not just a good idea. God commands us to do it. From 2 Tim. 2:15, we are to be diligent in our study of scripture to accurately know the word of truth. We are told in 1 Thess. 5:17 to pray without ceasing. Jesus said in Matt. 6:5 NASB, “When you pray...” Notice that He didn’t say “if” you pray. He said “when” you pray.

Clearly, it’s impossible for us to have a personal relationship with someone we don’t know or understand. If we don’t talk with God as we would talk to a close friend, or listen to what He has to say through the scriptures, then a relationship with Him simply cannot exist. However, those who truly know Him as their Savior and Lord have placed their complete dependence and trust in Him. They have comfort through prayer and His written Word. He is their friend, their guide, their Savior and Master, and their blessed hope for all eternity.

If you have never been born again (John 3:3) by deliberately inviting Jesus into your heart and life, you can do that today. When you have Him in your life, you will truly experience a new beginning because all things will change forever.

However, before you can do that you must understand that you are a sinner in the eyes of God and need the Savior in your life. You must be ready to humbly cry out, “Oh God help me! I am a lost sinner! I need You in my life! Oh God help me now!”

Then just open your heart to Him. Don’t worry about saying everything perfectly. As long as it comes from your heart, He will hear you. When you pray just say something like this...

“Dear God, I realize that I am a lost sinner. You sent Your Son Jesus to shed His blood and die on the cross for me in my place. I believe what You did for me and want my sins forgiven and washed away. I confess them to You now and invite Jesus into my heart and life as my Savior and Lord. Help me to turn away from my old ways and lead a life that is pleasing to You. Thank You for saving me today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Whether you just said a prayer to give your heart to the Lord, or perhaps you have simply re-dedicated your life to Him, nothing will ever be the same as you live for Him. He will put His strong arms around you and will lead you by the hand as you go through the trials of life.

Jer. 29:11-13 NASB, “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

When you begin the New Year with the Lord by your side, it will truly be a new beginning for you like none other...and it will be for all eternity. Praise God for His amazing grace!

Don

2nd Temple Era Seal Found

2011-12-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

by Gavriel Queenann

The Israel Antiquities Authority held a special press conference in Jerusalem's City of David on Sunday to unveil a rare coin from the Second Temple era.

The cartouche – or seal – never seen by the public before, is the size of the modern New Israeli Shekel coin and bears the Aramaic inscriptions “it is pure” and a two-letter abbreviation for the name of God.

It was discovered near the Robinson’s Arch at the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount. Archeologists say the soil layer above the Herodian road where the seal was found was dated to the first century BCE.

Archaeologist Eli Shukron of the Antiquities Authority, and Professor Ronny Reich of Haifa University, who oversaw the excavation, explained to reporters the significance of the coin.

"This is the first time an object of this kind has been found. It is direct archaeological evidence of Jewish activity on the Temple Mount during the Second Temple era," they said.

"Products being brought to the temple had to be stamped pure – which is what this seal was used for," they added.

Such seals are mentioned in the Mishna and discussed in the Talmud – but the cartouche unveiled today does not match any of the four inscriptions included in extant texts.

"What we know is brought down from the surviving literature," the archeologists said. "Here archeology has brought us something new."

Minister of Culture Limor Livnat and Minister of Education Gideon Saar joined dozens of students for the unveiling.

Saar said, "The seal shows the deep connection of Israel to the City of David. It is important excavations like these that demonstrate our bond to Jerusalem. Everything uncovered here strengthens us."

In addition to the seal other artifacts were discovered dating to Second Temple period, and some to the days of the Hasmoneans – such as oil lamps, cooking pots made of clay, a jug containing oils and perfumes, as well as coins of the Hasmonean kings such as Alexander Jannaeus and John Hyrcanus.

THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING

2011-12-21T20:12:00.002-05:00

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Matthew 1:22, 23 NKJV
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

John 1:14 NKJV
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Our Lord came here the first time...exactly as the Scriptures promised that He would. Our Lord is sure to return a second time...exactly as the Scriptures promise that He will.

When He came the first time as God manifest in human flesh, it was the most humble of beginnings. People did not believe, nor did they understand, that Jesus was the promised and long awaited Messiah who had come to save His people from their sins. Because of that, almost everyone missed the first coming of the One who was the eternal King and Savior of the world.

However, when Jesus returns to earth at His second coming, He will not be seen as a helpless baby lying in an animal feeding trough in a filthy stable as He was at His first coming. Nor will Jesus appear as a young boy sitting on the lap of the one who physically gave birth to His humanity. He will not return as a suffering Jesus, either - naked, beaten and bleeding while hanging on a cross until dying a most horrible death.

When Jesus arrives here the second time, He will be a victorious Jesus who has conquered death and the grave. At the second coming His fierce wrath will crush and defeat all evil, and He will be ready to declare His righteous judgment on an unbelieving world. Nobody will miss His second coming!

Jesus will descend from heaven in great power and glory riding a milk white stallion - followed by the armies of heaven. His eyes will be as blazing fire. Written on His blood stained robe and thigh will be the Name: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Whether you are ready or not, the King is coming. On that day all who have ignored Him, or have only offered lip service to Him, will witness His awesome majesty - and realize too late that He is God.

The Bible promises that every eye will see His return...every knee will bow before Him...and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. That event will strike indescribable fear in the hearts of the many who have cast Him aside. But, for the few who truly know Him and are watching for Him...oh, what a glorious day that will be!

On that night in Bethlehem many years ago, no room could be found for Him in the inn. Today, almost two thousand years later, there is no room in the hearts of men for the One who has control of their next breath and heartbeat, and who will rule and reign forever and ever.

Are you ready to meet Him? One day soon we will all see Jesus face to face. Is He your Savior, your Lord, and the Master of your life? You must be very sure.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus…as You promised!

Don

WASTED YEARS

2011-12-17T20:52:00.002-05:00

Wasted years. Many of us have had them in one form or another, haven’t we?

When I look back over my life, I am ashamed that there were so many wasted years. Years that I could have been serving the Lord, but didn't. There were wasted years of doing things not honoring to Him. Years went by without giving Him all the honor and glory. Many years were wasted not trusting Him, nor being thankful for all He has done.

There were years of wasted opportunities when I could have told others about Jesus, but didn't - choosing to be silent instead. There were wasted years of selfish motives and pride, and wasted years of neglecting the many that stood by me. Wasted years… The list could go on and on.

Oh, how the wasted years littered my life's pathway. Oh, how foolish was I!

But, praise God! Those years were my yesterdays. The wasted years of my yesterdays have been washed clean by the precious blood of the Lamb. God blotted out all of them at Calvary – to be remembered no more (Is. 43:25). My sins once as scarlet are now whiter than snow, and what was once red as crimson is now as wool (Is. 1:18). Yesterday’s weight of sin has been cast into the depths of the sea (Mic. 7:19). Hallelujah! My chains are gone!

The moments of today are filled with a new song - a song bursting forth from deep within my heart and soul. It's a song of praise and thanksgiving. It's a song of sharing the Good News of the gospel. I can sing that new song knowing that those wasted years are in the past – having been removed from me as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12).

My tomorrows will be filled with the joy, hope, and assurance that can only come by faith alone in my Savior, Lord, and Master. He gave His life for you and me – paying the full penalty for all sin that we might have life (John 3:16).

However, that new song can’t be sung until we choose to meet Jesus at the cross. It’s at the foot of that cross where He offers forgiveness, redemption, and a new life with Him in our heart. We must humbly submit and kneel before Jesus at that cross, ask Him to forgive our sinful past, accept His sacrificial free gift, repent and turn away from our past life, and confess with our mouth that He is Lord over all (Rom. 10:9,10).

Perhaps there is someone reading this who is living a life of wasted years without Christ as the central focus. Maybe you think of yourself as a Christian, but you’ve never had a close personal relationship with Him, and He’s not the Lord over all things in your life. The years slip away very quickly, and one day they will be gone – all of them wasted.

Then, when your years are gone as they surely will be one day, the time for forgiveness and repentance will also be over, along with any hope of eternal salvation. That should be a horrifying thought – if you don’t truly know Him as your Savior and Lord!

Don’t waste another year. Don’t even waste another day without Him in your life. The psalmist recorded these words in Psalm 84:10 (NKJV), “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” In other words, he is saying that a even few moments in the Presence of God is greater than anything the world would have to offer a thousand times over.

Jesus is calling for you to come to Him today. Listen for His voice and reach out to Him. He’s waiting for you, and He’ll welcome you with open arms as He has promised. Oh, how awesome to hear Him say, “…I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; You are Mine” (Is. 43:1b).

Titus 2:11-14 (NKJV)For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Don

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?

2011-12-11T22:06:00.002-05:00

All around this world we see people who are suffering in so many ways. Many people are reaching out for help, and asking the question, "What in the world is going on?" Their lives are in a state of turmoil with uncertainty all around them. They see their hopes and dreams vanishing right before their eyes. Many are concerned about their children’s future, and what might be in store for them.

People just don't know which way to turn in a world that seems to be falling apart and ready to self-destruct at any moment. Most don't realize, or they refuse to believe, that we are now living in the days just prior to Jesus' return. My heart and prayers go out for them.

Today we see storm clouds gathering all around Israel with nations committed to destroy her and the Jewish people. We hear of feverish negotiations and schemes underway to further divide Israel and Jerusalem - the apple of God's eye. The nations involved seem to be obsessed in their efforts to divide Jerusalem, with many determined to destroy Israel – that the name of Israel be remembered no more. Sadly, the USA is forcefully leading the way toward those efforts.

God has warned in Zechariah 12:2-3 KJV, "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."

Jerusalem has now become the burdensome stone the prophet Zechariah wrote about over 2500 years ago. From those Scriptures, we know that God has promised to destroy every nation attempting to go against Israel. The KJV uses the words "cut in pieces". Just look around, and you will see those pieces beginning to pile up on the cutting room floor - not only here, but worldwide.

As never before we're seeing unprecedented levels of earthquakes, killer tornados and storms, floods, violence, unemployment, volcanoes, bankruptcies, disease, moral decay, a world on the brink of war, and so much more.

We are told in Scripture that all of those things would happen in the last days. Their frequency and intensity will increase as the Day of the Lord draws near. That is exactly what is happening. However, those who know the Scriptures should not be surprised or alarmed.

I personally believe Scripture is telling us that Jerusalem is God's "line in the sand", and when crossed, His fierce wrath and judgment will be unleashed on this unbelieving world. What we are witnessing today may be early warnings of God's wrath - as crossing that line in the sand becomes closer to reality. In spite of all that is happening today, the world hasn’t seen anything yet. It’s only the beginning, and will become much worse.

However, all born-again believers can take comfort in knowing we serve a great God. With the world crumbling all around us, with turmoil everywhere we look, and with Israel surrounded by armies seeking to destroy her, we know that our Sovereign God is in control and holds tomorrow in the palm of His hand. He has a plan, and has declared the end from the beginning. Nothing will happen in this world without His knowledge and permission.

We must watch what is taking place with Israel and Jerusalem. They are God's time clock - a clock that is rapidly ticking to usher in the final end time events leading to Christ's return. What a time to be alive to witness those events unfolding just as Scripture foretold!

In these last days I choose to be a watchman as explained in Ezekiel 33:6, ready to sound a trumpet warning…and ready to share the saving gospel message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2; 1 Cor. 15:1-4) while there's still time. I'll do that for as long as I have life and breath, or until Jesus returns for us.

Until that great day arrives, we must trust Him, we must lean on Him, and by faith know that we know He will care for His own as He has promised. Then, in all things, lift up His Holy Name, sing praises to Him, and thank Him - for His return is very near. Hallelujah!

Watch, pray, and keep looking up!

Don

MY PRAYER…FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

2011-12-06T20:32:00.002-05:00

In light of the time in which we live, I felt led to write and share my fervent prayer with many. Please join together with me in lifting up our praise, our thanksgiving, and our requests before the throne of Almighty God.

Don

Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank You, I praise You, and I trust in You for who You are, for Your tender care and mercies, for watching over us, and for providing for our every need. Oh Lord, You are our Creator, You are in control of our very existence, and You know all of our thoughts and shortcomings.

But Father, in such a time as this we must humbly fall on our knees and bow before You. As a people and as a nation, we must repent and seek Your face as never before. Lord, we have failed miserably, we have forgotten to acknowledge You as sovereign in all things, and we have gone our own way – only to become lost and desperately in need of Your protective and guiding hand.

In such a time as this, we see evil all around us causing misery and destroyed lives. The foundations and principles on which our nation was established are being diluted and eroded. Our financial institutions are crumbling right before our eyes. Father, we see corruption and greed in all levels of our government. Your Ten Commandments for us are quickly disappearing from public view. Your Truths and our prayers in Jesus’ Name are no longer permitted in our schools – for they are considered offensive and exclusive. But at the same time, satanic, pagan religions are permitted and taught to the young minds who will one day be the leaders of our country.

In such a time as this our moral fabric has been allowed to deteriorate into a seemingly hopeless state with failed marriages, rampant homosexuality and immorality, the slaughter of countless unborn children, hate and violence in the heart and mind of men, and dishonesty is everywhere we look. Lord, it grieves me to know we have fallen so deeply into the pit of self-destruction.

Father, it brings me to tears when I learn that Your Holy written Word is now considered hate literature in many locations, and cannot be preached as it must be preached. Your precious gospel message of salvation is no longer the essential cornerstone for the Christian faith in many churches today. Teachings of repentance, judgment, born-again, accountability, the Way, the Truth, and the Life only through Jesus’ shed blood on the cross have been replaced with teachings of tolerance, love, feelings, self-esteem, sermons that don’t offend, and that many paths lead to heaven. People are dying Lord, and souls are eternally lost every day because they haven’t received the true gospel. May eyes be opened quickly to the everlasting Truth of Your Word.

In these times in which we live, we see nations planning to destroy each other – many diligently seeking the means and the opportunity to destroy even us as a people and nation. Father, help us to never become arrogant in believing that we would always be immune to a devastating attack on our country – either from outside our boarders, or from within. It’s only because of Your watchful eye and Your hand of protection that we’ve been allowed to let freedom ring. I fear that we as a people are no longer a God-fearing nation, but instead we have become a nation that has turned its back on You. We have abandoned the respect and reverence for You - Almighty God - and for the Biblical principles and values that once made our nation great. Lord, how long will Your patience endure? How long will Your cloak of protection continue to cover over us?

For such a time as this we must turn to You, we must lean on You, and we must renew our dependence and trust in You – and in You alone. Father, Your Word promises that if we would humble ourselves, if we would pray and seek after You, and if we would repent – turning away from our evil ways, then You would hear our cries of despair. Only then, will Your blessings be poured out on us again as You have promised – restoring us and healing our land.

I pray that we as a people and a nation will do that for such a time as this – all for Your glory. Forgive me, Lord, for I too have fallen short, and have not always lived a life that is pleasing to You. Help me in every way to bring honor to Your Name, for I love You and desire to do Your Will. I pray this and ask it in the matchless Name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord.

Amen!

LET THE FEASTS BEGIN

2011-12-04T18:45:00.002-05:00

A few days ago as I looked out over the lake that borders our back yard, I was amazed to see large white gulls...hundreds of them...flying in random patterns just off shore. We do have gulls here in the Northland, but I have never seen so many of them flying over the lake at one time.

The birds I observed today were probably migrating to warmer climates for the winter, but had stopped here to feed. And, feed they did! The gulls had apparently located schools of small fish swimming just below the water’s surface, and decided it was a good time for a tasty meal.

The hungry gulls would fly back and forth while searching the prime feeding area...sometimes soaring...sometimes hovering…and, sometimes swooping down for a closer look. Then, they would often splash down onto the water to quickly seize a wiggling morsel in their beak. Their seemingly unorthodox approach to feeding was random, relentless, and frenzied...but was highly productive. The lake surface had become a huge banquet table containing an abundant feast for the bird's pleasure.

This morning’s scene, although very small by comparison, reminded me of two great feast events prophesied in Scripture that will include birds as the invited guests.

The first feast is described in Ezekiel 39:17-20, and will follow the Gog and Magog war. That war will take place when nations surrounding Israel attack that tiny country with a determined effort to destroy her and the Jewish people. When all seems lost, the Lord God of Israel will supernaturally intervene to protect His land and His chosen people. The carnage will be so massive among Israel’s attackers that God will summon the birds of the air and the beasts of the field to the mountains of Israel where they will consume the flesh and blood from the unburied corpses of Israel’s fallen enemy.

The second prophesied feast for birds is recorded in Revelation 19:17-18, and will follow the total destruction of the world’s armies gathered at Armageddon. The armies will be there to prevent the return and kingdom of Christ. However, He will return exactly as promised. He will immediately capture the beast, and will defeat and kill the armies using only the sword of the spoken Word of God. So great will be the slaughter that an angel will call the fowls of the sky to assemble to eat the flesh of the dead. Scripture refers to that feast event as “the great supper of God.”

On a much lighter and joyous note…another feast will take place that will be the greatest feast event of all time, and birds of prey will not be invited. According to Revelation 19:9, Scripture has named that feast “the marriage supper of the Lamb.” The marriage ceremony for the Bridegroom and His one Bride, the raptured church, will have already been performed in heaven. The marriage supper will take place on earth after Christ returns from heaven to begin His millennial reign…and He will bring His Bride with Him.

The marriage supper of the Lamb will truly be a celebration of the ages for all who have placed their faith and trust in Him, and it will be hosted by the Bridegroom, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The cuisine for that special “Groom’s dinner” will be…well, simply heavenly. The Bride of Christ, which includes all born-again believers from Pentecost to the rapture will be there. The believing Jewish remnant will certainly be there, too. The resurrected Old Testament saints who believed by faith alone in a coming Messiah will be there. The tribulation saints who were martyred for their faith will be resurrected and present as well. Also, the survivors of the tribulation who became believers during that time will no doubt join the celebration.

What a tremendous, complete gathering of His followers that will be! As a redeemed, blood-bought child of God, I am also part of the Bride of Christ…and am humbled to tears knowing that I will be there for that supper, too. Oh, my! I want to sit at the banquet table beside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…and the Old Testament prophets…and Jesus’ disciples…and David…and Paul…and Elijah…and the list goes on and on.

But, most of all I want to be there with Jesus…the One who died for me in my place that I might have life. Jesus…my Savior, Lord and Master…the One to whom I owe my heart and soul!

However, no one will be permitted to attend that grand dinner celebration, nor, will they enter through heaven's gate without an advance reservation. The cost of the reservation was paid in full by Jesus' shed blood and death on the cross…where He suffered and died in our place to purchase our redemption. He took all the sin of the world upon Himself, including yours and mine, and paid sin's price for us.

The reservation is a free gift offered to all who would humbly reach out to receive it. We receive that gift by placing our complete faith and trust in Him alone...by asking forgiveness and repenting of our sin-filled life...and by inviting Him to be our life. Finally, we must boldly declare before others that Jesus is Lord of all.

Jesus alone holds the reservation for you and me, but we must deliberately reach out to Him by faith to receive it. I have my reservation for the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Do you have yours? You must be very sure!

Don

Iran, Hizbullah preparing for ‘final confrontation’ with U.S. and allies

2011-11-28T18:49:00.003-05:00

JERUSALEM — Iran is working with proxies in Bahrain, Gaza Strip, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait and other countries to undermine any U.S.-led effort to destroy its nuclear weapons infrastructure.

“From Iran’s standpoint, a head-on confrontation with the United States and Israel would serve its purposes in the region and build its image as an actor that stands firm against the Western powers and does not submit to pressure,” said a new report from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

“If there still was any chance of Teheran agreeing to concessions in its sporadic talks with the West about its nuclear program, the Middle Eastern turmoil has now made a compromise all but impossible,” said the report, “Iran Signals Its Readiness for a Final Confrontation.”

Story source
here

I am growing weary of hearing the annoying, egotistical windbags from Iran constantly shooting their mouths off. They want confrontation? Then, bring it on...let it begin!!! They have absolutely no idea Who they will be dealing with once a massive move is launched against Israel.

Ultimately, only one-sixth (Ezek. 39:2 KJV) of the invading forces will survive to crawl out of the carnage after the Lord God of Israel steps in to protect His chosen people. That will be a fatal confrontation not expected, but is sure to come!

Don

A Knife in Hezbollah's Heart

2011-11-27T16:56:00.000-05:00

Op-ed: In past two years, several Hezbollah arms depots were hit by mysterious explosions

Ronen Bergman

Published:

11.24.11, 12:20 / Israel Opinion

The explosion at Hezbollah’s arms depot Wednesday evening is yet another link in the chain of astounding mishaps that have been occurring in the organization’s soft underbelly.
One of Israel’s (only) achievements in its humiliating defeat in the Second Lebanon War was the United Nation Security Council Resolution 1701, whereby Hezbollah must not deploy armed forces or set up military equipment warehouses in the south of the country. This is precisely the ruling which the organization seeks to water down.

Northern Border

Report: Hezbollah considering military coup if Assad falls / Roee Nahmias

Sources tell al-Arabia network Shiite group planning to 'seize parts of Beirut' should Assad's regime fall for fear of foreign intervention in Lebanon

Full Story

Hezbollah does not do this openly. Hassan Nasrallah declares that his group adheres to international law, and the organization has indeed complied with it in respect to Hezbollah’s outposts on the border with Israel. However, the opposite is true in respect to the reestablishment of arms depots.
One of Hezbollah’s main lessons following its success in the 2006 war was the establishment of as many arms depots as possible in urban areas and in non-residential regions. As result of this combat doctrine, Hezbollah is attempting to rebuild its weapons depots, under the noses of UNIFIL and with the quiet backing of the Lebanese army. This is being done as part of the preparations for the Third Lebanon War.
Israel, which invests great intelligence resources in Lebanon, is seeing this and is becoming infuriated. The Israeli aircraft that hover across Lebanon record, day after day, Hezbollah’s military buildup; however, as they adhere to the ceasefire, these aircraft cannot target the arms deliveries, which mostly arrive from Syria.
Meanwhile, UNIFIL forces are failing to detect these shipments and cannot, or do not want to, operate against them in a strict fashion.
Israel, which wishes to prove its claims, published about a year ago the intelligence files of some Lebanese villages; the photos prove the scope of the weapons being stored there.

Simultaneously, in the past two years, some of these arms depots started to explode under mysterious circumstances, like a knife in Hezbollah’s heart.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Iran/Saudis fulfilling Messiah Prophecy?

2011-11-20T10:31:00.000-05:00

Iran and Saudis Acting Out Ancient Messiah Prophecy?

(This is interesting in light of many prophecies coming to pass about Yeshua's soon return.... May their eyes be opened soon!) Mid

By Gil Ronen

Iranian Sejjil 2 missile test launch

Israel news photo: Ehsan

Jews familiar with an ancient compilation of Aggadic exegesis called Yalkut Shimoni noticed in recent weeks that current tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia matches a prophecy it contains regarding the year in which the Messiah – the King who redeems Israel and the world – is to appear.

In particular, the recently revealed Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S. and subsequent reports that the Arab nations are pressuring the West to attack Iran, appear to fit the sequence of events predicted in the Yalkut Shimoni.

In to the part of the book dealing with the Book of Isaiah, the following passage appears:

"Rabbi Yitzchak said: 'In the year in which the Messiah-King appears, all the nations of the world are provoking each other. The King of Persia provokes an Arab king and the Arab king turns to Aram for advice. And the King of Persia goes back and destroys the entire world. And all the nations of the world are in panic and distress and they fall upon their faces and are seized with pains like those of a woman giving birth, and Israel are in panic and distress and asking 'where shall we go? Where shall we go?,' and He says to them 'my sons, do not fear; all that I have done, I have done only for you. Why are you afraid? Do not fear, your time of redemption has come, and the final redemption is not like the first redemption, because the first redemption was followed by sorrow and servitude under other kingdoms, but the final redemption is not followed by sorrow and servitude under other kingdoms."

Persia is currently known as Iran, and an Arab king – or the Arab king – can be reasonably understood, in modern eyes, as referring to the king of [Saudi] Arabia, the Arab homeland.

This passage is relatively well-known and oft-quoted, and some modern versions of it substitute "Edom" for "Aram." Ancient Jewish references to "Edom" are nowadays generally seen as referring to Europe or the West. "Aram" refers to a part of ancient Mesopotamia, roughly congruent to the northern part of modern Iraq and eastern Syria. The instability in precisely this area is reportedly what most concerns the Saudis, as a U.S. pullout from Iraq looms and Syria's pro-Iranian regime teeters.

The prophecy bodes ill for much of the world, which, if Rabbi Yitzchak's quote is to be taken literally, is to be destroyed by Iran before the Messiah steps in.

The identity of the compiler of Yalkut Shimoni is not known with certainty but a copy of it is known to have existed 700 years ago, in 1310 CE. The works it quotes are even older, and go back to early Talmudic times.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Leftists and PA Authority At It Again...

2011-11-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

New Palestinian Authority Gimmick: Occupy ‘Settler’ Buses
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

The Palestinian Authority, backed by the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) and the pro-PA B’Tselem group, plans a new gimmick – occupying “settler” buses in a “Freedom Ride” on Tuesday.

The ISM, an extreme left-wing group that includes anarchists who have helped take over Israeli state land for the PA, is linking the new PR effort with the Freedom Rides of the U.S. Civil Rights against then-segregated buses in the southern United States in the 1950s and 60s.

“Palestinian Freedom Riders will attempt to board segregated settler buses heading to Jerusalem through the occupied West Bank, in an act of civil disobedience that takes its inspiration from the U.S. Civil Rights Movement Freedom Riders,” according to the ISM.

Its website repeated the accusation of Israeli “apartheid” and falsely stated that Israel has placed a “ban on Palestinians’ access to Jerusalem” under its “colonial regime.”

“Palestinians demand the ability to be able to travel freely on their own roads, on their own land, including the right to travel to Jerusalem,” the ISM said.

Egged public buses operating in Judea and Samaria stop at Jewish communities. Israeli citizens, whether Arab, Bedouin or Jewish, are allowed to board after security checks, if necessary. PA Arabs in Judea and Samaria hurl rocks at public buses almost daily in an effort to try cause a fatal accident.

Egged has not responded to Arutz Sheva's request for a response concerning how they will handle the planned rally.

The campaign effort on Tuesday is also aimed at the light rail system in parts of Jerusalem where the Palestinian Authority claims sovereignty. Jerusalem Arabs with an Israeli identity card are allowed to board.

In Judea and Samaria, activists plan to head to bus stops at Jewish communities and board buses.

Demonstrations also are planned in foreign countries, especially in the Netherlands, where Egged has won a tender to run bus services in a city north of Amsterdam.

The rights group B'Tselem accused Israel of subjecting Arab drivers and passengers to “humiliating” inspections at checkpoints. The IDF has prevented hundreds of terrorist attacks by conducting searches, similar to those carried out almost every security crossing in other countries. From Arutz Sheva

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Obama's and Sarkozy's Real Thoughts on Israel's PM

2011-11-11T13:32:00.000-05:00

In case you didn't hear this on the news... and why would you? They suppress and cover up much more than this!! The true natures of both men below are quite evident, but this cements what's obvious. God have mercy...

President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, chatting ahead of a press conference at the G20 summit on Nov. 3, exchanged disparaging words about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that were picked up on an open microphone.

“I can’t stand him. He’s a liar,” Sarkozy said to Obama as the two discussed Netanyahu before the press conference. “You’re tired of him; what about me? I have to deal with him every day,” Obama replied.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Israel Slams UN on PA Rocket Attacks

2011-11-10T13:43:00.000-05:00

by Chana Ya'ar

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations is asking that body's Security Council why it's not “shocked” by the constant barrage of rockets and mortars fired by Gaza terrorists at southern Israel.

Ambassador Ron Prosor declared Wednesday during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council that the unstable security situation in southern Israel should shock that body's members – which have often expressed deep dismay at similar situations elsewhere in the world.

Prosor criticized the Council at its session on Wednesday for not condemning the attacks by Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists, who earlier this month killed a 56-year-old Ashkelon man and physically wounded 16 other people in a barrage aimed at the southern region.

Another 14 people were also sent to the hospital with trauma reactions and severe anxiety attacks during the five-day period in which rockets and mortars were fired at Israeli civilian communities.

“The pain caused by these attacks is permanent,” Prosor pointed out. “The scars are both physical and psychological... One million Israelis were compelled to stay home from work last week to ensure their safety... 200,000 children were kept home from school.

“These stories should shock and appall the Security Council and all decent people. Yet, not a single world of condemnation has been uttered by this Council. Not one word.

“The silence speaks volumes,” he said.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

UNESCO grants Palestinians full membership

2011-10-31T16:23:00.002-04:00

PARIS (Reuters) - The United Nations' cultural agency granted the Palestinians full membership on Monday, a step forward in their long-running efforts to achieve recognition before the world as an independent state.

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) became the first U.N. agency to welcome the Palestinians as a full member since President Mahmoud Abbas applied for full membership of the United Nations on September 23.

A huge cheer erupted in UNESCO's General Assembly after the vote, which marks a symbolic victory for Palestinians in the complex diplomacy that surrounds their collective status and relations with foreign powers.

"Today's victory at UNESCO is the beginning of a road that is difficult, but will lead to the freedom of our land and people from occupation," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said. "Palestine has the right to a place on the map."

Israel called the vote a "tragedy" and the decision damaged relations between UNESCO and the United States, an ally of Israel that provides about 22 percent of the body's funding, or some $70 million.

Legislation stipulates that the U.S. can cut off funding to any United Nations agency that accepts Palestinians as a member.

The White House said the vote was "premature" and would not aid peace and the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said UNESCO would suffer.

"Today's vote to grant Palestinian membership in UNESCO is no substitute for direct negotiations, but it is deeply damaging to UNESCO," said Ambassador Susan Rice.

UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova, who previously pleaded for Washington not to withdraw support, told delegates funding may be jeopardized.

"I believe it is the responsibility of all of us to make sure that UNESCO does not suffer unduly... We need each and every member of this organization to be fully engaged," she added.

FRENCH ABOUT-FACE

The Palestinians got backing from two thirds of UNESCO's members to become its 195th member. Of 173 countries that voted from a possible 185, 107 voted in favor, 14 voted against, 52 abstained and 12 were absent. Abstentions did not count toward the final tally.

The Palestinians went to UNESCO after making a bid for recognition of the over-arching United Nations system in September before the U.N. Security Council, which has moved the issue to a committee where it is likely to run into a veto from the United States.

"This vote is not directed against anyone, but represents support for freedom and justice," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement to the official news agency WAFA.

"This vote is for the sake of peace and represents international consensus on support for the legitimate Palestinian national rights of our people, the foremost of which is the establishment of its independent state."

But the breakdown of the vote reflected deep divergences in international views on Palestinian statehood.

The United States, Canada, Germany and Holland voted against Palestinian membership. Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa and France voted in favor. Britain and Italy abstained.

For the European Union, which has stumbled in recent efforts to develop a common foreign policy, the UNESCO vote highlighted persistent rifts with some member states voting for and some against Palestinian membership.

Austrian UNESCO ambassador Ursula Plassnik, whose country voted in favor, said she regretted that the EU had failed to arrive at a common position on Palestinian membership.

France, which previously abstained from a vote on the subject of Palestinian membership in UNESCO, broke with precedent to vote in favor on Monday.

"Since it has been raised today, we must assume our responsibilities and respond to the substance of the issue ... On the substance, France says "yes"- Palestine has the right to become a member of UNESCO," said Hubert de Canson, France's representative at UNESCO.

Israel has said the Palestinian bid would amount to politicization of UNESCO that would undermine its ability to carry out its mandate. It said on Monday it would reconsider its cooperation with the agency.

"We regret that the organization of science has opted to adopt a resolution which is a resolution of science fiction," said Nimrod Barkan, Israel's ambassador to UNESCO, who called the move a tragedy for the agency. "There is no Palestinian state and therefore one should not have been admitted today."

The Israeli foreign ministry said the vote placed unnecessary obstacles on the road to renewing negotiations.

"This is a unilateral Palestinian maneuver which will bring no change on the ground but further removes the possibility for a peace agreement," it said in a statement.

Story sourcehere

In my opinion, joining UNESCO only has propaganda value for the Palestinians in their efforts toward UN membership. My understanding is that the upcoming UN vote is scheduled for 11/11/11. However, gaining UNESCO membership is another step in that direction and pushes Israel farther into a corner.

Regarding the Palestinian's new UNESCO membership, just how can a state/entity that does not yet exist become a member of anything???

Don

Saudi royal offers $900,000 reward for capture of Israeli soldiers

2011-10-30T20:44:00.001-04:00

RIYADH - A Saudi royal offered a $900,000 reward to anyone who captures an Israeli soldier, on Saturday. Prince Khaled bin Talal, the brother of business tycoon and Fox News co-owner Walid bin Talal, told the Saudi-based broadcaster Al Daleel that the captive would then be released in exchange for Arabs held in Israeli prisons.

Khaled's offer comes days after the prominent Saudi cleric, Awad al-Qarni, put $100,000 on the head of every Israeli soldier.

Al-Qarni's statement - posted on Facebook - was severely criticized, and messages posted online even warned of death threats.

Khaled told the broadcaster: "My offer also comes in response to the threats made against Sheikh al-Qarni."

The Saudi offers follows the recent deal between the Israeli government and Hamas, when Israel agreed to release 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit.

Story source
here

In my opinion, Israel should not and will not tolerate this. It's obvious the Saudis would love to trade the Israeli solders back to Israel for a bunch of captured terrorists. Not a good thing to do.....

Don

Israeli prisoner swap may be prelude to attack on Iran

2011-10-28T22:26:00.001-04:00

Friday, October 28, 2011

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to execute a 1,000-for-1 prisoner exchange last week despite his frequently voiced opposition to such lopsided deals is seen by several Israeli military commentators as an effort to “clear the deck” before possibly undertaking an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Amir Oren, the veteran military analyst for Ha'aretz newspaper, took note of Israel’s exchanging 1,027 Palestinian convicts for army Staff Sgt. Gilad Schalit, who had been captured by Hamas in 2006. Mr. Oren wrote that the price paid by Mr. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak “can be interpreted only in a context that goes beyond that of the Gilad Schalit deal.”

He noted that Israeli leaders in the past have shown a readiness to absorb “a small loss” in order to attain a greater success, generally involving “some sort of military adventure.”

Mr. Oren also noted that, until recently, Mr. Netanyahu had faced opposition to attacking Iran from Army Chief of Staff Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and Mossad intelligence chief Meir Dagan. Both retired earlier this year and have been replaced by men believed to hold a different view on Iran.

The Islamic republic has not been a top agenda item since the outbreak of the Arab Spring. Yet Iran’s nuclear program, which Western nations believe is geared for making an atomic bomb, has remained a key concern, despite Tehran’s denials that it is seeking to build a nuclear weapon.

According to Israeli media reports, a shift in the Israeli government’s views on Iran might have prompted Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s Middle East visit in April: His main mission was to pass on a warning from President Obama against any unilateral attack on Iran.

At a press conference with Mr. Barak in April, Mr. Panetta stressed that any steps against Iran’s nuclear program must be taken in coordination with the international community.

This week, Jerusalem Post military correspondent Yakov Katz wrote that, with the Schalit chapter behind it, “Israel can now move forward to deal with some of the other strategic problems it faces in the region, such as Iran’s nuclear program.” Had Israel first attacked Iran, Hamas‘ patron, it would have endangered the Schalit deal, Mr. Katz said.

Writing in Yediot Achronot, Alex Fishman said that for Mr. Netanyahu, who built a political career as a warrior on terror, the Schalit deal was a very courageous step, particularly in view of an estimate by Israel’s security services that 60 percent of Palestinians who are released in such exchanges return to terror.

"He took a risk in a certain area and thereby focused all our attention on much more troubling fronts — in distant Iran and in the Arab revolutions around us,” Mr. Fishman wrote. To deal with these problems, national consensus is necessary and the freeing of Gilad Shalit went far toward achieving that.

Mr. Oren offered another insight that he says may point Mr. Netanyahu toward military action against Iran.

Although the prime minister failed to make any enduring mark on history during his previous term or so far during his present term, Mr. Netanyahu may see Iran as an opportunity to achieve his Churchillian moment, Mr. Oren wrote. “The day is not far off, Netanyahu believes, when Churchill will emerge from him.”

Story source
here

Capital Guard~Terrorist Poster

2011-10-28T13:20:00.000-04:00

by Gil Ronen

A new volunteer force called the "Capital Guard" has begun taking steps against the terrorists released into Jerusalem in the Gilad Shalit deal.

The Guard was formed by prominent Jerusalem activist Aryeh King. As a first measure, a poster (below) is being distributed with the pictures of terrorists who have been allowed to return to the homes in eastern Jerusalem.

"Out of grave concern for the security of Jerusalem's residents, in view of the danger of immediate harm to Jews throughout the city, the Capital Guard offers this warning regarding the terrorists whose pictures appear here, who are roaming freely in the city."

"Dear Jew! If you see one of the terrorists in a crowded place, it is important that you notify those surrounding you whom they are next to!!"

The poster also adds a request – "Dear citizen, please act only in accordance with the law."

The poster will soon be joined by another one, showing the locations of the terrorists' homes.

King told Arutz Sheva before Shalit's release was implemented that the Capital Guard will follow the terrorists about and document their activities. "If they board the light train we will announce on a megaphone that there is a terrorist on board," King explained.

"All activity will be accompanied by a lawyer," he said, and volunteers will be mature people "who will know how to deal with the complex situation without creating friction with Arab populace or arousing an unnecessary or dangerous commotion."

Capital Guard warning poster Aryeh King

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Israel's UN Ambassador States Truth

2011-10-25T13:07:00.002-04:00

Israel’s UN Ambassador Separates Lies from Truth
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Israel’s United Nations envoy Ron Prosor put the facts on the line Monday and stated that the Arab world blames Israel for all its woes while failing to help its own people.

He said during a debate on "The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question” that “for generations, the Arab world has failed miserably to address the needs of its own people.”

Prosor was highly successful as ambassador to Britain before taking up his new post in the summer and his oratory already has proved him to be one of the best Israel UN ambassadors in years.

“From 1948 until 1967, the West Bank was part of Jordan, and Gaza was part of Egypt.” Prosor stated. “The Arab world did not lift a finger to create a Palestinian state. And it sought Israel's annihilation when not a single settlement stood anywhere in the West Bank or Gaza.”

He also exposed in simple but glaring language ”a glimpse into the real world of the Middle East.”

Prosor stated, “Young people struggle without access to jobs and education. Women are denied basic rights. Free expression is repressed. Minorities are persecuted. Elections are a sham."

“And with their world in flames, Arab leaders continue to blame Israel and the West for all their problems. For years, it's the only explanation that they have been able to offer to their own people… Everything wrong in the Middle East, according to many Arab leaders, is simply Israel's fault. If it's not the Mossad, it's the CIA, or MI6, or some other ‘foreign force.’

Pointing out the brutality of rulers and former rulers in Egypt, Syria, Iran and Libya, the ambassador added, “Two roads stand before us. There is the future offered by Iranian and Syrian leaders -- a future of more extremism, greater violence and continued hate. And there is another road - a path of progress, reform and moderation…

“It is time for this Council to stop ignoring the destructive forces that seek to keep the Middle East in the past, so that we can seize the promise of a brighter future."

Prosor also admonished Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for omitting any reference to Judaism when he told the United Nations last month, "I come before you today from the Holy Land, the land of Palestine, the land of divine messages, ascension of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the birthplace of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him)."

“He denied 4,000 years of Jewish history,” Prosor said. “It was not a small omission. It was not an oversight. The Palestinian leadership attempts to erase the connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel."

Prosor also told the UN Security Council that "Today the Palestinian leadership is calling for an independent Palestinian state, but insists that its people return to the Jewish state".

"The idea that Israel will be flooded with millions of Palestinians is a non-starter. The international community knows it. The Palestinian leadership knows it. But the Palestinian people aren’t hearing it. This gap between perception and reality is the major obstacle to peace. The so-called right of return is the major hurdle to achieving peace," he stated.
From Arutz Sheva
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Questions and Answers...

2011-10-24T15:54:00.000-04:00

A letter about Israel came through my email from someone I do not know. Along with my email addy garnered from this blog, it also was sent to a large number of pro-Israel news sources and other blogs. Because of the obvious anti-Israel, anti-Jewish tone of the letter, I refused to answer. However, I noticed someone else did, and with his permission, I am posting it. I truly appreciate how Danny defends Jews and Israel by countering with questions. This puts the whole situation into perspective and requires the antagonist not only to think about what they've written, but also to back up their accusations with hard facts instead of throwing out media-biased rhetoric.

Someone wrote: "Over time, I have been sent articles from pro-Israel propagandists that would have me believe that the citizens of Gaza live in the lap of luxury. However, this recent UN report contradicts such propaganda. "

Danny's answer: "No Israeli would ever claim that the citizens of Gaza live in the lap of luxury! The fact that Gaza has shopping malls, luxury hotels, night clubs and that many of the financially and politically "connected" citizens own luxury cars and have bloated European bank balances does not change the fact that many Gazans do live in poverty. Everyone knows this and the UN report doesn't tell us anything new. The question remains WHY? Why are the Gazans under blockade? Why does Israel on the one hand provide electricity, water, medical supplies and other basic materials but still monitor and check all shipments made by third parties or imports made by Gazans? The answer is obvious!

The UN report (click here for the original report and not a summary published on a Palestinian website) states that 38% of Gazans live in poverty (In Sub Saharan Africa poverty is over 50%, and the standard of living in blockaded Gaza is still above the standard of living in (for example) Egypt!"
Someone wrote: "Now, some zealots might argue that Israeli Jews are perfectly entitled, as "God's chosen race", to confine 1.5 million souls in an open air, walled ghetto, in conditions not fit for animals to live in, while stealing illegally occupied Palestinian land to build Jewish settlements. Gaza is surely the new Soweto and Sharpville."

Danny's answer: "Why would you think these souls are confined?" Why should Israel want to confine the Gazan's to an "open air ghetto"? Give me one logical reason why this serves Israel's interests?"

Here are some more questions which I would like answered?
1. Why did Israel withdraw from the Gaza Strip, forcibly remove all settlers and give the strip up for complete and autonomous Palestinian rule?
2. Who was democratically elected by Gazans to govern the Gaza strip after all Jewish and Israeli presence was removed, and why is this democratically elected government not only not recognized, but listed as a terrorist organization by ALL the Western Democracies in the world?

3. Since the Gaza strip is used by a universally acknowledged terrorist organization as a terror base to launch rockets at civilians in Israel why should anyone complain about Israel's efforts to contain and limit their influence, their power, their access to weapons and their ability to harm innocent civilians? Would any other Western democracy do any less to protect their civilians?
4. Did you ever ask a religious Jew in what way Jews are considered "God's chosen people"? Chosen for what? Why indulge in shallow demagoguery by using this phrase in a context that suits your particular political message? (Click here for a general idea regarding the Jewish interpretation of being "chosen" although there are numerous other, much deeper commentaries on this.)

The above person writes about "illegally occupied Palestinian land". Here are some more questions:

1. Why is it that the original official charter of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation drafted in 1964 specifically refers to the West Bank and Gaza strip as land that is NOT part of the Palestinian homeland and why was the charter changed only after 1967?

Anyone needing references is invited to check this out independently – following is a translation of the relevant article:

Article 24: This Organization does not exercise any territorial sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on the Gaza Strip or in the Himmah Area. Its activities will be on the national popular level in the liberational, organizational, political and financial fields.

2. Why is land that Jews lived on throughout history now considered Palestinian land? Admittedly, Palestinians have lived there since the beginning of the 20th century and a solution needs to be found, so why not use the correct definition of "disputed land"?

3. If indeed this is "Palestinian land" then please supply evidence of Palestinian settlements or kingdoms that existed on this land 1000 years ago. 500 years ago? 300 years ago? 200 years ago? Name one Palestinian King. How about a Palestinian currency? Records of a conflict any time in history between the Palestinian people and any other people? Any documented evidence of a Palestinian people that lived in this area for hundreds of years?

I would appreciate some answers or further questions.

Danny

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Silence and Fanaticism

2011-10-19T18:56:00.000-04:00

This is by far the best explanation of the Muslim terrorist situation I have ever read. The author of this email is said to be Dr. Emanuel Tanya, a well-known and well-respected psychiatrist. His references to past history are accurate and clear. Not long, easy to understand, and well worth the read.

A German's View on Islam

A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. 'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'

We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.

The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.

The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful Muslim majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.

Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.

The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians -- most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.

And who can forget Rwanda , which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?

History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points:

#1 -- Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.

#2 -- Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend fromGermany , they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.

#3 -- Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts--the fanatics who threaten our way of life.

#4 -- Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on, is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world-wide, read this and think about it, and send it on - before it's too late.

Jerry Golden ~ from the Golden Report

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Gilad Shalit prisoner swap deal reached

2011-10-11T20:55:00.002-04:00

guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday 11 October 2011 15.15 EDT

Israeli and Hamas officials have reached a deal that would secure release of the Israeli soldier in the next few days.

Israeli and Hamas officials agreed a prisoner swap deal to secure the release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held in captivity in the Gaza Strip by Hamas for five years.

Following an emergency cabinet meeting last night the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, made a nationally televised announcement to say the historic deal had been struck. Under the terms of the deal Israel will release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

"Today it was finally summarised and both sides signed," he said. Netanyahu said the captured Israeli soldier would be returning home "in the coming days", news which sparked scenes of celebration as tens of thousands of people poured onto the streets of Gaza.

Netanyahu said he understood the pain of Israeli families who have lost loved ones to violence, but said he had reached "the best deal we could get" given the turmoil in the region.

He also said he had telephoned Shalit's family and told them he was carrying out his promise to bring their son and grandson home.

The deal will bring home Shalit, who was captured in a cross-border raid in June 2006 by Palestinian militants who entered Israel and dragged him into Gaza. His capture has been a central justification for Israel's five-year blockade of Gaza.

Little has been known about his fate since then. Shalit's father, Noam, has become a well-known public figure through a campaign to win his son's freedom, leading demonstrations and sleeping in a tent outside Netanyahu's residence. Dozens of Israelis converged on the tent to offer support to the family.

There have been many attempts to negotiate Shalit's release in the past but this is the first time that a successful deal has been reached.

Abu Abadia, a spokesperson for the military wing of Hamas, told Israeli media that under the terms of the deal Israel will release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. This number includes 15 high security inmates said to have been directly involved in terror attacks, and 200 who will not be permitted to return to the West Bank.

A source involved in the talks told Reuters the deal called for freeing the prisoners in a two-stage arrangement, the first involving the release of 450 for the soldier, and the remaining 550 afterwards.

Details of how the deal was reached have not yet been confirmed but it is understood that both Egyptian and German diplomats played a significant role in the negotiations. German mediator Gerard Conrad is reported to have flown into Cairo on a private jet last week for a meeting that lasted several days and during which he was scheduled to meet with several senior Egyptian officials.

Reports of renewed talks between Hamas and Israel mediated by Egypt were first reported in mid-September. Al-Hayat newspaper reported that the Hamas delegation, headed by the leader of its military wing Ahmed al-Jabari, was anxious to reach a deal quickly.

In previous negotiations, Conrad has proved successful at ironing out many differences of opinion that have prevented a deal being reached in the past. These stumbling blocks have included the number of Palestinian militants that will be released, how many of those will be exiled from the West Bank following their release, and the period over which they will be freed.

Story source
here

This is great news! I pray a deal has finally been reached for his release.

Don

Isolating Israel

2011-10-10T21:12:00.002-04:00

By Terry James
Rapture Ready
Monday, October 10, 2011

Israel continues to be made the hold-up to peace in the Middle East, thus the stumbling block to peace for the whole world. That nation’s isolation is being maneuvered and manipulated by pressures from every direction.

The Islamist nations of the region hate the Jewish state - while at the same time refusing to acknowledge it even exists. They surround Israel on all sides except the Mediterranean side. Submarines of Israel’s enemies even lurk in those waters, awaiting the right time to strike. The countries within the United Nations, led by the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, are for the most part overwhelmingly opposed to Israel in every vote taken that involves Israel’s right to exist and thrive in that land the UN antagonists proclaim belongs to the Palestinians.

The European Union (EU) consistently comes down on the side of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) demands that Israel give up whatever territory necessary to accommodate the two-state solution - thus to construct a homeland for the Palestinian refugees. This is demanded, although the refugees are from the surrounding Arab states, nations that prefer to keep the hapless refugees in geographical limbo so hatred of the Jews and accusations that the Jews are cruel occupiers can continue to spew forth.

At the same time, Israel has absorbed thousands upon thousands of those refugees under legal emigration practices. Those émigrés are among the most content people in the Middle East because they are treated fairly and allowed to prosper by the Israeli government and the Jewish citizenry.

The entire world comes against Israel in the form of the Quartet (US, UN, EU, and Russia) who, while putting up a façade that the group of powerful nations wants fairness and peace for all people of the Mid-East region, in actuality works through deceit and subterfuge to force Israel to give up land in every negotiation that comes up in the "Roadmap to Peace" process.

Most troubling - for me, at least, and for those who watch this process unfolding from a premillennial, pretribulational Bible prophecy perspective - is that the United States is at the forefront of the arm-twisting in dealing with Israeli leadership. This is plainly demonstrated despite peripheral niceties by U.S. administration officials. The following recent report is a case in point:

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Israel must find a way to resume negotiations with the Palestinians and has a responsibility to try to ease tensions with its neighbors in the region, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday amid prodding from the United States to return to peace talks.

Standing next to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Barak pushed back a bit on the Pentagon chief's warning that Israel is becoming increasingly isolated in the region, threatening its security. And he offered no new thoughts on the thorny issues that have stymied the peace talks, including the proposed timetable and the contested settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Making his first trip to Israel as defense secretary, Panetta has pressed the Obama administration's view that the two sides must restart the long-stalled peace talks. And during a news conference with Barak, Panetta said it's time for bold action by both sides to move toward a negotiated two-state solution.

The visit comes amid new international pressure to reach a peace deal by the end of next year, fueled by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' move two weeks ago asking the U.N. Security Council to recognize an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. (Lolita C. Baldor, "Barak: Israel-Palestinians Must Find Path to Talks," Associated Press, 10/3/11)

The U.S. State Department operatives and the Quartet negotiators are concerned about Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas' asking the UN Security Council a couple of weeks ago to acknowledge the presence of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. They want to avoid a vote on granting this, and prefer that both parties sit down and negotiate Israel’s acquiescence in giving up land for peace. Regardless of the façade of wanting a peaceful solution, the international community, like Abbas - like all of the Jew-hating Islamists - won’t relent until Israel gives them what they want. The deadly, humanistic peace plan stems from a satanic rage long ago prophesied to come to a climax at the end of the age, just before Christ’s return.

It is an infection that grows more virulent. Anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world. American universities are among the most receptive hosts of the infection. Professors inculcate students with the venom of luciferic hatred for the Jewish state. Israel is increasingly made the root cause of all that is wrong within the Middle Eastern cauldron. Like in the days of Hitler’s rise in the mid-1930s, the Jew is made to look like the troublemaker of the world in politics and in business. From the imploding economy to the threatened war over the Palestinian refugees, Israel is the focus of attention.

Israel - and the Jewish people - are being isolated, just as the prophets of the Old and New Testament foretold.

Story source
here

2011-10-02T12:25:00.000-04:00

We'll see what God has to say about the matter!!
Israel Formally Accepts Quartet Plan to Restart Talks with PA
by Chana Ya'ar

The State of Israel on Sunday officially accepted a plan by the Quartet of peacekeeping nations to restart final status talks with the Palestinian Authority.

The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement issued Sunday that Israel “welcomes the Quartet's call for direct negotiations between the parties without preconditions, as called for by both President [Barack] Obama and by Prime Minister Netanyahu" in their respective speeches at the United Nations General Assembly.

The PMO statement added that even though Israel had reservations about the plan, “we will raise them at the appropriate time. We call upon the Palestinian Authority to do the same and to enter into direct negotiations without delay,” the statement said.

The Quartet, comprised of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, has published a new timetable for direct negotiations between the two parties, urging both Israel and the PA to come to the table within four weeks. During this initial meeting, the two sides are expected to express their commitment to a timetable which will allegedly bring forth a peace agreement by the end of 2012.

The Quartet statement describing its proposal followed the speech given by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations General Assembly in which he officially launched the entity's statehood bid.

The PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, has since continued to call on the Quartet to immediately intervene with Israel to halt all Jewish construction in the territories it demands for its hoped-for state, before it will consider a return to negotiations.

In a news release issued by the ministry on the eve of the Jewish New Year last week, the PA government declared “The Israeli authorities continually and arrogantly refuse to abide by the international resolutions and continue to defy the international community through its decision to build 1100 housing units in Jerusalem, bring the number of housing units to more than 1800 units, which were approved by the Israeli authorities in order to judaize Jerusalem and completely isolate it from the West Bank.”

The statement referred to a routine district planning committee decision to expand the number of housing units approved for the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo. The plan will be subject to 60 days of public debate before reaching final approval from Jerusalem municipal authorities. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said last week that he had no intention of interfering with or halting the project, nor would he start another building freeze to appease the PA. “We gave at the office,” he commented.

The PA meanwhile called for “actual actions, not only international condemnations, to deter” Israel's building activities. PA officials called on the Quartet “to insure an immediate cessation of settlement activities and protect the two-state solution in accordance with the international terms of reference.” In addition, the PA statement called on the members of the United Nations Security Council to vote in favor of the entity's statehood bid, as “it is a key to the success of the peace process and any future negotiations.”

The United States, one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, has already said from the outset that it will exercise its veto if the PA manages to garner the required nine votes to win passage of the resolution.
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

L'Shana Tova

2011-09-28T12:40:00.000-04:00

L'Shana Tova~Happy New Year, Israel! May God bless you with peace, or open your eyes to the truth about His Son, Yeshua, and return to Jerusalem as your King!

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

2011-09-26T15:24:00.000-04:00

There are days when Don and I wonder if anyone reads or understands what we've posted...and then we get emails like this one: (Terry gave me permission to post it)

Hello Mid,

You may not remember me but long ago I visited your blog, The Israel Connection, and stated that Israel could be “overrun” and destroyed and it wouldn't make any difference, eschatology-wise, in the end times.

I just wanted you to know that I now attend a Messianic Synagogue and am learning the value and meanings of the Feasts of the Lord.

Israel is INDEED UNDER THE PROTECTION of G-D (Yeshua) and although a remnant may only be saved, I understand now that Israel plays a vital role in the end time scenario!

So, I ask your forgiveness and prayers that me and my family become more and more “tuned” to the mishpocha. (a term meaning kindred or group of blood-related peoples-Jew and Gentile...one family through Messiah!)

Your Friend in Yeshua,
Terry ~ Orlando, Florida

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Debunking the "palestinian" Lie

2011-09-21T10:53:00.000-04:00

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Frenzy Over Jerusalem

2011-09-17T20:59:00.002-04:00

World leaders seem to be relentless in their attempts to establish a independent Palestinian State within Israel's God-given land, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Since a negotiated agreement is not likely to work, the UN is almost certain to approve the Palestinian demands. Such a division will not be tolerated by Israel...nor, will the Lord God of Israel look the other way.

When I consider the events currently unfolding over the dividing of the Jewish land and Jerusalem, I am mindful of the words from Zechariah.

Zechariah 14:2 NKJV
For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

("Half of the city shall go into captivity") Isn't that exactly what is about to happen? From that Scripture, the city will be divided in half...East Jerusalem for the Palestinians, and West Jerusalem for Israel. A major battle over Jerusalem is imminent.

Zechariah 12:2-3 NKJV
Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.

Zechariah 12:9 NKJV
It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Don

Don't Be Misled ~ Israel Does Want Peace

2011-09-15T10:59:00.000-04:00

My only concern is: At What Price???

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Palestinians: Obama promised us a state

2011-09-09T21:28:00.002-04:00

Thursday, September 08, 2011 - Ryan Jones

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas is deliberately exploiting a speech by US President Barack Obama to drum up support for the Palestinians' unilateral statehood bid at the UN later this month.

As part of a worldwide media campaign ahead of the September 21 motion for Palestinian statehood, Abbas' regime has produced a radio spot that includes Obama saying the following to the UN General Assembly in 2010:

"When we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that can lead to a new member of the United Nations, an independent, sovereign state of Palestine living in peace with Israel."

Obama Administration officials insist the president was simply expressing his hopes that a two-state peace deal would be concluded by now, but Abbas states at the end of the radio spot: "If he said it, he must have meant it."

Palestinian officials have said they are angry with Obama because, like previous US presidents, he has said much about helping establish a Palestinian state, but have failed to force Israel to meet Palestinian demands in that regard.

The Palestinian Authority's systematic violation of signed peace agreements and ongoing Palestinian terror attacks against Israel are dismissed by these same officials as the real reasons a Palestinian state has not been realized.

Going back to the UN statehood bid, the Palestinian Authority on Thursday officially notified the office of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of its intention to seek membership in the world body of nations.

The letter sent to Ban's office called on him to "exert all possible efforts toward the achievement of the Palestinian people's just demands."

The letter was seen as a diplomatic slap in the face to Washington, which just a day earlier had formally requested that the Palestinian Authority abandon its unilateral statehood bid, and return to the path of bilateral negotiations with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu followed up by issuing a direct call to Abbas to return to the negotiating table.

"I call from this stage to the president of the PA to come to direct negotiations without preconditions, and to remain there until it is finished," Netanyahu said during a naval ceremony in Haifa.

Both Obama and Netanyahu insist that a unilateral action by the Palestinians will not achieve peace, and may actually spark renewed conflict.

Story source
here

Will Obama vote in favor of the Palestinian State as promised...or, will he vote against it...or, will he abstain? We will know very soon.

Don

Understanding the UN Bias Against Israel

2011-08-31T09:05:00.000-04:00

This should open the eyes of some who still don't understand what's at stake September 20th. And don't forget who is ultimately behind the hatred against God's People...

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Jerusalem is Above Politics

2011-08-27T13:45:00.000-04:00

Elie has it right...but there is more, for God, Himself, declares He has picked Jerusalem to be His...forever. I wouldn't mess with Jerusalem!!
Elie Wiesel Jerusalem: Here’s the text of full-page ads that Elie Wiesel took out last year in the The International Herald Tribune, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times:

It was inevitable: Jerusalem once again is at the center of political debates and international storms. New and old tensions surface at a disturbing pace. Seventeen times destroyed and seventeen times rebuilt, it is still in the middle of diplomatic confrontations that could lead to armed conflict. Neither Athens nor Rome has aroused that many passions.

For me, the Jew that I am, Jerusalem is above politics. It is mentioned more than six hundred times in Scripture—and not a single time in the Koran. Its presence in Jewish history is overwhelming. There is no more moving prayer in Jewish history than the one expressing our yearning to return to Jerusalem. To many theologians, it IS Jewish history, to many poets, a source of inspiration. It belongs to the Jewish people and is much more than a city, it is what binds one Jew to another in a way that remains hard to explain. When a Jew visits Jerusalem for the first time, it is not the first time; it is a homecoming. The first song I heard was my mother’s lullaby about and for Jerusalem. Its sadness and its joy are part of our collective memory.

Since King David took Jerusalem as his capital, Jews have dwelled inside its walls with only two interruptions; when Roman invaders forbade them access to the city and again, when under Jordanian occupation, Jews, regardless of nationality, were refused entry into the old Jewish quarter to meditate and pray at the Wall, the last vestige of Solomon’s temple. It is important to remember: had Jordan not joined Egypt and Syria in the war against Israel, the old city of Jerusalem would still be Arab. Clearly, while Jews were ready to die for Jerusalem they would not kill for Jerusalem.

Today, for the first time in history, Jews, Christians and Muslims all may freely worship at their shrines. And, contrary to certain media reports, Jews, Christians and Muslims ARE allowed to build their homes anywhere in the city. The anguish over Jerusalem is not about real estate but about memory.

What is the solution? Pressure will not produce a solution. Is there a solution? There must be, there will be. Why tackle the most complex and sensitive problem prematurely? Why not first take steps which will allow the Israeli and Palestinian communities to find ways to live together in an atmosphere of security. Why not leave the most difficult, the most sensitive issue, for such a time?

Jerusalem must remain the world’s Jewish spiritual capital, not a symbol of anguish and bitterness, but a symbol of trust and hope. As the Hasidic master Rebbe Nahman of Bratslav said, “Everything in this world has a heart; the heart itself has its own heart.

Jerusalem is the heart of our heart, the soul of our soul.”

- Elie Wiesel

Please SHARE with your friends and family!
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Approaching Sound of Hoof Beats

2011-08-26T19:34:00.002-04:00

On or about September 20, 2011, the Palestinians are scheduled to present a formal bid to the United Nations. Their objective will be to persuade the UN to declare a significant portion of Israel and Jerusalem as a legal, independent Palestinian state with full UN membership.

The UN is almost certain to allow it...forcing Israel to abandon and hand over much of her God-given land to a pagan people who have been relentless in their attempts to destroy Israel and the Jewish people. Such a UN decision would certainly cause all Arab nations to sing and dance in the streets, since they would view the UN’s decision as a major step forward toward their goal of eradicating Israel, as well as it being a victory for Allah and Islam.

The world’s nations are supportive of the Palestinian cause. For the first time since Israel re-formed as a nation in 1948, and since Israel re-claimed Jerusalem in 1967, Israel now finds itself alone in the world with no allies. In the past, the USA has always defended Israel, but recently, Israel has been tossed aside. The USA will likely support the Palestinian’s bid.

The United Nations is a world-wide organization of nations that works to resolve issues of world peace and security for the betterment of mankind. On September 20, or very soon thereafter, the UN will probably cast its votes in favor of the Palestinian state...that a peaceful solution might be achieved to solve a centuries-old conflict. Then, the only thing remaining would be a declaration to the world announcing the newly established covenant with many.

Enter the Antichrist onto the world scene, for he will confirm a seven-year covenant with many. The “many” could very likely describe the whole world...including Israel and the Jewish people.

Daniel 9:27a NKJV
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;

Initially, the Antichrist will make his appearance to the world as a man of peace. As the rider on the first horse of the apocalypse...a white horse symbolic of peace, victory and power...he will be viewed as the Jewish messiah by a people who have been desperate for a long-awaited peace. However, there will be no peace, for the man will prove to be a false messiah...an impostor who will deceive, control, and destroy millions of people. In the middle of the seven years, the Antichrist will break the covenant...bringing war and devastation to the world.

His act of confirming the covenant will begin the first of twenty-one horrific judgments that God will allow to fall on planet earth during seven years of tribulation...known as Daniel’s Seventieth Week. Its purpose is to punish unbelievers for their sin and rejection of Christ, and to bring a Jewish remnant to faith in Him.

Revelation 6:2 NASB
And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

Daniel 9:27b NIV
In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Should the UN, with its world-wide backing, support the Palestinian bid for independent statehood on September 20 as is speculated, then, would that constitute the “covenant with many” in which Daniel 9:27 refers? There is no way to know for sure prior to that date, but if a covenant is established at that time, and is confirmed by an individual for a “week of years”, then, that individual is the Antichrist...fulfilling yet another Biblical prophecy.

If a unilateral covenant is declared, then, what would happen next with Israel? Such an agreement would essentially divide Israel and Jerusalem...leaving that tiny nation unable to defend itself. It is possible that following a UN declaration in their favor, the Palestinians and their supportive Arab neighbors, all in a blind mental state of euphoria, might pour into Israel with overwhelming numbers in an attempt to overtake the entire country.

On the other hand, if the Palestinian’s bid is denied, they will likely be enraged to the point where they, along with the surrounding Arab nations, might attack Israel with everything they have at their disposal.

With either possibility, a devastating war is almost a certainty...and it could be imminent. In spite of the UN decision, Israel simply cannot permit further division of their God-given land, nor, would they allow East Jerusalem to become the Palestinian capital. Most important, however, is the fact that the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will not permit it to happen. His hand of judgment will fall on all who would seek to destroy Israel and the Jewish people.

Joel 3:2 NIV
I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.

Joel 3:17 NIV
Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.

Will the “covenant with many” be declared and confirmed during the upcoming UN meeting? Are the sounds being heard actually the approaching hoof beats of a scruffy white horse carrying its rider...the Antichrist?

However, as Bible believers, we must not be looking for the Antichrist...but rather, we must be watching for the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. As recorded in Revelation 19:11-16, He will return soon from heaven with great power and glory while riding a powerful milk white stallion. On that day every eye will see Him, every knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Rev. 1:7; Phil. 2:19; Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:11). Then...He will rule and reign forever just as He has promised. He has already won the battles of all the ages. We are assured of victory through Him...but only if we place our faith and trust in Him.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

Don

Is a New War Brewing In Gaza??

2011-08-21T13:12:00.000-04:00

Posted: August 21, 2011 by Joel Rosenberg

>> Special note to pastors: Please ask your congregations to pray today for Israel and the Palestinians.

The collapse of the Mubarak regime in Cairo — and with it an organized, unified, disciplined, centrally controlled Egyptian security and intelligence force — has created a no man’s land in the Sinai desert. This, in turn, has created a fertile environment for Radical Islamic terrorist groups to expand their operations in the Sinai, including smuggling arms into Gaza and training jihadist commandos. Now Israel is beginning to pay the price. Multiple terrorist attacks have occurred in recent days along Israel’s southern border with Egypt.

More than 100 rockets, mortars and anti-tank missiles have been fired from Gaza at Israeli towns and cities along the south. A suicide bomber also detonated himself near the Israel-Egyptian border over the weekend. Eight Jews were killed in Thursday’s jihadist attacks on an Israeli public bus, and at least 30 were wounded. A rocket hit a home in Beersheva on Saturday night, killing one Israeli and wounded four others. Dozens more Israelis have been hospitalized for shock. Israel has struck back with airstrikes against selected terror targets, but the violence has only escalated. Tragically, Israeli forces accidentally killed two Egyptian border guards during a raid against Gaza militants. Israel quickly apologized, but this has created new tensions between Egypt and the Jewish State. Meanwhile, Palestinian leaders — who want their own sovereign state beginning next month — have neither said or done anything to stop the latest attacks.

The question now is obvious: Is a new war brewing in Gaza Strip? Will Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu order the IDF back into the Strip for a ground operation akin to “Operation Cast Lead” in 2009? Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom was quoted by Ynet News on Sunday as saying, “The deterrence of has exhausted itself. We’ll need to respond, and we’re not ruling out the possibility of a ground operation.” Meanwhile, “at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, committee chair MK Shaul Mofaz of Kadima said that Israel must take steps against Hamas, ‘topple their infrastructures and create a system of ties with Egypt in order to prevent terrorism coming from its border,’” reported Haaretz. the “head of Kadima party Tzipi Livni made a similar call on Saturday, saying the party will support an extensive military campaign. ‘You must use force against terrorism,’ she said. ‘Just as we have taken steps against terrorism in the past, we will also support steps now that will defend the citizens of Israel.’”

No one is eager for a new war, and there may be other ways to stem the rocket attacks (assassinations, covert operations, etc). But one thing is clear: the terrorists in Gaza have suddenly become emboldened by the fall of Mubarak and the steady rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, their ideological compadres, and Israel must take decisive action soon or risk inviting more attacks not just from Hamas and their ilk but from Hezbollah, Syria and Iran.

I would ask for pastors and Christian families and individuals all over the world to pray for peace….for comfort for the victims and their families….and for wisdom for the Prime Minister and his senior advisors on how best to respond. Please also pray for Israelis and Palestinians at this time to turn their hearts back to the Lord, to seek comfort and wisdom from the truths of the Bible. Pray, too, that those who love the Lord Jesus to know how best to love and serve their neighbors and enemies and that the Lord would use these events to accomplish His purposes. As Joseph said to his brothers, “Do not be afraid…As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Genesis 50:19-20)
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Attacks on Southern Israel

2011-08-18T13:09:00.000-04:00

Israel needs our prayers as terrorists launched a three prong attack against the southern cities of Eilat, Mitspe Ramon and Beersheva Attack.
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

US Pull Out Could Expose Israel to Annihilation

2011-08-16T22:18:00.000-04:00

US Marines in Iraq

Israel news photo: US Navy / Shane T. McCoy

A total American pullout from Iraq will provide a “land bridge” for a Shi’ite Muslim Crescent – headed by Iran and Hizbullah – to “pulverize” Israel. a Hizbullah general says.

He added, "The Iranian forces could cross Iraq and arrive in Syria in order to participate in a direct war on the Golan front,” World Net Daily’s Joseph Farrah reported.

The crescent would expose Israel to an axis of Iraq, Iran, Hizbullah, Lebanon, Hamas and Syria, according to retired Hizbullah Brigadier-general Walid Sakariya, who also is a Hizbullah legislator in Lebanon's parliament.

Hizbullah already has an estimated 60,000 missiles in Lebanon, three times as many the number it possessed before the Second Lebanon War five years ago and in direct violation of UN agreement 1701 that ended the war.

President Barack Obama has withdrawn most of the American combat troops, but 50,000 remain to help Iraq maintain control over insurgents and terrorists. Iraq and the United States are discussing the possibility of several thousand American soldiers remaining beyond the end of this year, the deadline President Obama has set for removing all U.S. troops from Iraqi soil.

The president, whose popularity has sunk to new lows, is facing strong national resentment against American interference in foreign countries as the economy creeps closer to a new recession and unemployment remains at 9 per cent or even higher.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

White House Scrubs Web Site of Reference to ‘Jerusalem, Israel’

2011-08-15T22:24:00.003-04:00

Friday, August 12, 2011
By Patrick Goodenough

(CNSNews.com) – The Obama White House, in removing one word from a photo caption on its Web site this week, has drawn fresh attention to two consecutive administrations’ tussles with Congress over whether American citizens born in Jerusalem should have the word “Israel” appear on their U.S. passports.

The move comes as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in the fall in a case to determine whether the executive or legislative branch is empowered to decide the matter.

A 2002 law directed the secretary of state to allow the word “Israel” to appear on passports of those Jerusalem-born citizens who request it, but President Bush in a “signing statement” overrode the requirement, arguing that it “impermissibly interferes with the president’s constitutional authority to conduct the nation’s foreign affairs.”

Jerusalem is one of the most intractable issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Obama State Department, like its predecessors, does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over any part of the city and says its future status remains to be determined in a negotiated peace settlement.

On Tuesday, the State Department issued a brief statement reiterating government policy that “U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem may not have ‘Israel’ listed in their passports as their place of birth.”

That afternoon, Weekly Standard deputy online editor Daniel Halper posted a photograph from the White House Web site depicting a 2010 meeting between Vice President Joseph Biden and Israeli President Shimon Peres. The caption said the encounter took place in “Jerusalem, Israel.”

Some two hours later, Halper noted that the caption had been edited to remove the word “Israel.”

“The point of posting the photo was to show that, although the State Department refuses to say that Jerusalem is in Israel, even the White House website acknowledges this elementary truth,” he wrote.

Read full article
here

On the surface, the focus of the article seems to be about removing Israel from passport records. However, I believe the ultimate intention is to remove Jerusalem as an Israeli city. Of course, that would fit rather nicely with the Palestinian's goal of establishing a state with Jerusalem as its capital. The USA's White House is giving all indications of supporting that effort.

There is also another effort with much support that is attempting to internationalize Jerusalem, and securing it using an international peace keeping force.

Oh, how foolish are they who would go against God's chosen people and His chosen land!

Don

Where is the Outrage???

2011-08-15T10:54:00.000-04:00

Mid: And they (Arabs)are now demanding more money from us (the US) on the pretense of needing it to thwart Israeli threats!! UNBELIEVABLE!!

by Gil Ronen US Cash to PA Murderers

Every single Palestinian Authority terrorist held in an Israeli jail receives a monthly salary from the PA. Terrorists who committed the most heinous crimes – and therefore received longer sentences – receive the most money, according to a report in Israeli paper Yisrael Hayom.

Citing a report received by a senior government official in Jerusalem, the paper says that the terrorists' salaries are paid from the PA's "public budget," which accounts for about 3.5 percent of its total budget.

The PA treasury receives cash from two main sources: the US pays about 50 percent of the money, and the rest is mostly from European Union member nations.

Prisoners who were jailed for periods of up to five years receive 1,400 to 2,000 NIS per month. However, terrorists serving 10 to 15 years receive 6,000 shekels, the ones serving 15 to 20 years receive 10,000 shekels, and those serving 20 to 30 years get 12,000 shekels. These are people who planned, directed and took part in the intentional sadistic slaughter of civilian men, women and children, at point blank range.

Since some of the victims of PA terror are American citizens, the information means that US taxpayers pay monthly salaries to the people who murdered their fellow citizens. The latest US citizen who was a victim of PA terror is Ben Yosef Livnat, who was gunned down in Shechem.

The terrorists' wives and children receive additional cash, and prisoners with Israel citizenship get a bonus.
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Don't Believe the Lies...

2011-08-08T17:32:00.002-04:00

If anyone is on the fence about the Jew's Legal claim to the land
of Israel, please read this: Impact of Zionism There are many YouTube videos produced
by Hollywood, anti-Jewish Liberals and Arab propaganda agencies
which espouse lie after lie. But this website shows documented evidence,
which will reenforce your support of Jews and their God-given right
to the land, Eretz Yisroel
For more affirmation, watch this video: This Land is My Land

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

ISRAEL ~ MY BELOVED!

2011-08-06T21:22:00.002-04:00

When you think of Israel and the Jewish people, what thoughts go through your mind? I am not just referring to the old historic Israel, but also the Israel of today, and tomorrow.

Perhaps Israel and the Jewish people are simply not thought of by you in any positive way. Do you consider them to be irrelevant on today’s world scene? Do you consider them a major source of the trouble the Middle East has experienced over recent decades, or even for centuries? Would it please you to see them give up a portion of, or all of that which rightfully belongs to them? Perhaps you even prefer that they would cease to exist.

The way you answer those questions will reveal much about your belief, or non-belief, in the Scriptures. Let’s review a few things to understand what God thinks of them.

* God chose Jerusalem that His Name would be there forever (2 Chr. 33:7).
* The Lord has chosen Zion and desired it for His habitation (Ps. 132:13-14).
* The Lord Almighty will protect, deliver, rescue, and shield Jerusalem (Is. 31:5).
* Israel is His chosen one (Is. 45:4).
* Israel is as God’s wife...the Lord Almighty is her redeemer (Is. 54:5).
* God has set Jerusalem at the center of all nations (Ezek. 5:5).
* Israel is the apple of God’s eye and will be protected (Zech. 2:8).
* Abraham is the father of the Jewish people (Gen. 17:5).
* God’s everlasting land covenant including land boundaries was given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for all generations (Gen. 17:19).
* The promised Messiah, the Savior of the world, would come from the city of David (Is. 9:6-7; Luke 2:11)
* God promised Abraham He would bless those who blessed Israel, and would curse those who cursed Israel (Gen. 12:3).
* As long as the sun, moon, stars, and sea exist, Israel will exist (Jer. 31:35-36).
* God chose over 40 writers, almost all of them Jewish, to pen the Scriptures as the Holy Spirit breathed the words into them...during a period of over 1400 years.
* Jesus, the promised Messiah, was a Jew (not by blood, but legally) who descended from the lineage of David.
* Jesus, a Jew, willingly suffered and died on the cross...shedding His blood for all mankind, then, rose from the dead on the third day that all who believe might have life.
* Jesus’ disciples were all Jewish.
* God has truly blessed Israel as a world leader in science, medical technology, agriculture, exports, and military might...to name just a few.
* In the last days God will turn His full attention toward the Jews to bring them out of their unbelief, and into repentance and salvation.
* God’s wrath will fall on the unbelieving world during the 7-year tribulation (Time of Jacob’s Trouble)...bringing horrible judgments that will cause many if not most to die, but a Jewish remnant (1/3rd of those still alive) will receive Him as their true Messiah, and will be protected.
* Jesus will return to earth to end the tribulation at Armageddon, the world’s battle over Jerusalem, and then, will deliver His protected Jewish remnant.
* Jesus will rule the world as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and will reign from Jerusalem during His millennial kingdom just prior to eternity.

Scripture explains that in the end days Israel and Jerusalem will be a stumbling block for the nations – all devising ways to divide the land and/or destroy the Jewish people. Today the whole Middle East is exploding in turmoil. It is all about Israel - exactly as Scripture foretold would happen.

As you will note from these few examples...the past, present, and future of mankind is all centered around Israel and the Jewish people...God’s chosen. Gentiles (you and me) have been grafted into the “vine” to share in the promises made to the Jews. We must pray for the Jewish people and Israel as commanded in Scripture, and provide the love and support to them as God requires of us as believers.

With a fresh understanding of these facts, it would be prudent to re-think any negative views you might have concerning Israel and the Jewish people before it is too late. Jesus is coming back very soon!

God bless!
Don

Shaking of the Nations, including USA

2011-07-28T18:53:00.000-04:00

THE LORD IS SHAKING THE NATIONS PHYSICALLY, SPIRITUALLY, FINANCIALLY: Why, and how should we respond?
Posted: July 27, 2011 by joelcrosenberg in Uncategorized

>> Please join me in Denver on August 4th where I will be speaking on this critical topic: why the nations are being shaken and how we should respond. I will be focusing on why the Lord is shaking the U.S., Israel and the Arab world. Please click here for information and to reserve a ticket.

>> AP Exclusive: Intel report says Iranian president wants to develop nuclear arms openly

(Jerusalem, Israel) The nations are being shaken – physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially, politically and in so many other ways.

The people of Norway have been shaken this week by seeing sheer evil unleashed against precious, innocent children.
Japan has been shaken this year by the enormous earthquake, the resulting tsunami, and the horrific nuclear meltdown.
The people of Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen have been shaken this year by dramatic and largely unexpected the revolutions underway there and throughout the Arab world.
Iran has been shaken by the enormous pro-democracy movement that took to the streets but was then nearly crushed by the tyrannical government in Tehran.
The people of Israel are being shaken by fears that Iran is rapidly closing in on building nuclear weapons and the world is not doing nearly enough to stop them in time.
Greece has been shaken by its unprecedented debt crisis and resultant riots and social unrest.
Americans, too, are being shaken. We face arguably the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Nearly half of all Americans believe we are heading towards another Great Depression. Unemployment is over 9%. Housing foreclosures are skyhigh. People have lost enormous sums of money due to depressed housing prices and stock market volatility. The federal government is trying to spend our way to prosperity but is making things worse. Our annual federal budget deficit topped $1.3 trillion last year. This year, it looks like the feds will spend more than $1.5 trillion beyond what they are taking in in revenue. Our debt is skyrocketing. The U.S. is now on the verge of financial default, and hampered further by political ineptitude in Washington that threatens to comp0und an already precarious situation.

What if these events are not all random? What if the God of the Bible is allowing these to happen to shake us, to wake us, to get our attention, that we might turn to Him and ask Him to have mercy on us and help us?

The Lord said through the ancient Hebrew Prophet Haggai that the nations would be shaken in the future. “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations….I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations.” (Haggai 2:6, 7, 21, 22)

In the New Testament, the Lord reinforced that theme. “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven’….Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:25-29)

Bible prophecy is clear: the Lord shakes individuals and nations that we might let go of all of the flawed political, philosophical, intellectual and religions notions that we cling to that won’t give us true peace, that don’t give us real hope, that can’t bring us any security, that can’t provide forgiveness from our sins much less eternal life for our souls. The God of the Bible wants to shake us loose of such things that we might turn to Him, and to the life He offers through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord isn’t letting us be shaken because He hates us. He’s letting us be shaken precisely because He loves us and wants us to repent and turn to Him and call out to Him, as individuals, as families, and as nations. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Vital Teaching!!!

2011-07-24T14:01:00.000-04:00

This is so worth watching and understanding!!!

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

So-called "Palestine" Awash in Money (Aid)

2011-07-19T12:06:00.000-04:00

by Gil Ronen

The foreign affairs editor for Sky News has written a blog piece called "Palestine – ‘Occupation Incorporated'," which paints a rosy picture of the region supposedly suffering under a cruel Israel occupation and siege.

According to the journalist, Tim Marshall, “Palestinians are among the most foreign aid funded people in the world and the place is awash with money.”

Marshall says that NGO workers enjoy being assigned to the Palestinian Authority because, contrary to public perception, the PA territories are relatively safe and comfortable:

“Palestine is the best-kept secret in the aid industry,” a medical NGO worker recently told This Week In Palestine, “People need field experience and Palestine sounds cool and dangerous because it can be described as a war zone, but in reality it’s quite safe and has all the comforts that internationals want."

Journalists, too, like the material comforts of the “besieged” and “occupied” areas, including expensive fine dining in Gaza. Writes Marshall:

“At any moment the West Bank could explode, indeed there are scenarios you can paint which suggest violence this September after the declaration, or non-declaration, of statehood. But Palestine remains a friendly place, welcoming, hospitable, full of air con, hi-fi, wi-fi and wine. Journalists also take advantage of this state of affairs, writing of the poverty and suffering of Gaza for example, before retiring to very expensive sea front hotels after an excellent dinner in one of the expensive fish restaurants.”

The foreign NGOs pour billions of dollars into the local economy and employ Arab residents who have become professional refugees:

“The NGOs do fine work alleviating suffering, helping projects with expertise etc, but they also recruit the best of the local talent and take advantage of their charitable status to get tax breaks.

“No Palestinian business can compete with NGOs which routinely triple what a local firm would pay. Many NGOs fork out ‘danger money’ and even ‘hardship payments’ to both local and international staff which further undermines the local private businesses. So the NGOs get the brightest and the highest paid, and the private firms get the rest but without the tax exemptions.”

Marshall draws specific attention to UNRWA, the UN body responsible for Palestinian “refugees”:

“This underlying economic problem is further complicated by the fact that UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees stipulates that not only are the Palestinians who fled their homes in 1948 refugees, but so are their sons and daughters grandsons and granddaughters, great grandsons and granddaughters and so on into the future. In Palestine many people are born refugees. There are people who have a vested interest in this continuing.”
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

What does tomorrow hold for the USA?

2011-07-12T22:09:00.002-04:00

Not all will agree, but I believe we are essentially done as a nation...whether Obama has a second term or not. The USA has become financially bankrupt, morally bankrupt, and spiritually bankrupt. It is our time to be finished. The so called "American dream" is gone...it is history...never to return. We've had a good run...it's been a long run…234 years to date...but it's about over. There will be no turning back.

There's something about our current president...his personality...his demeanor...his confidence...his ability to communicate...his ability to spew believable lies...his evil actions…his determination to force his agenda in the face of opposition...and his ability to generate a huge following of people.

He is as a formless shadow...with no verifiable history concerning his background and accomplishments. The man has gone to great expense to legally hide his true identity, as well as to seal all records that might provide clues as to who he is, and where he came from. Those actions are not normal, and are unprecedented for anyone seeking or holding the office of the presidency. He just seemed to have emerged from out of nowhere, and then, successfully came to power in the highest office of our land.

In my opinion, it almost appears as if he has been supernaturally appointed and driven for such a time as this...to fulfill the specific mission of bringing the USA down from its status as a world power, using whatever means necessary for the collapse of our social, financial, governmental, military, and religious institutions...as well as our freedoms and society as we know it.

The world is on the verge of establishing a one world government...a one world financial system...a one world religious system...all controlled by a new world order and a one world leader. However, none of that can be accomplished as long as the USA enjoys world power status. When we fall, and it must happen, the rest of the world will forced to follow like tumbling dominos - and it will all take place quickly.

More of God's end-time scenario is falling into place and becoming more obvious with each passing day. He is positioning nations, situations, and events according to His perfect plan. Of course, most people don't have a clue.

Today we are clearly in that end-time period. Scripture explains that during the end-time, Israel and Jerusalem will be a stumbling block for the nations – all devising ways to divide the land and/or destroy the Jewish nation. Wake up, people…and look around! The whole Middle East is exploding in turmoil…and it’s all about Israel, exactly as Scripture foretold.

Watch, pray, and keep looking up!

Don

The President's Flirtation w/the Muslim Brotherhood...

2011-07-10T15:06:00.000-04:00

Why Perilous Times Are in Overdrive

By Bill Wilson

www.dailyjot.com

www.olivetreeviews.org

July 7, 2011

The US president appears to have embarked on a deliberate strategy to embrace radical Islam by partnering with Islamic organizations calling for the demise of the United States, and by assigning Islamists to key strategic positions that oversee the security of the nation, aspects of the judiciary, and as intimate aides to high level administration appointees. The Administration's public position is that these relationships are in the best interest of the United States in promoting tolerance in America and democracy in the Middle East. In reality, they raise poignant and unthinkable questions as to whether this president has violated his oath of office and several U.S. laws by facilitating an Islamic takeover of America.

One need look no further than the Administration's embracing of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and high level appointments of Muslims who are directly associated with the MB or have ties to organizations associated with the MB. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's top aid since 1996 is Huma Abedin. Former Palestinian terrorist now converted Christian Walid Shoebat says that Abedin was never properly screened.

Shoebat reports that Abedin "is closely associated with her Muslim Brotherhood family and even joined Clinton at an event with her mother, Saleha Abedin, at Dar El-Hekma College in Saudi Arabia. Also present was a close associate of Saleha Abedin -- Suheir Qureshi. Qureshi's name later appeared in several prominent Arab newspapers when it was revealed that she belonged to a list of 63 members of the secret arm of the Muslim Brotherhood called The Sisterhood. The full list was later revealed -- Huma Abedin's mother is on it. Huma's brother -- Hassan Abedin -- also collaborates with Omar Naseef and Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, two of the most influential terror supporters in the world."

Clinton recently overruled the Immigration and Nationality Act by allowing Tariq Ramadan entry into the United States. Ramadan, described as an independent power center within the MB, is the grandson of the founder of the MB. He has been banned from traveling in the US since 2004 for his contributions to Hamas and links to radical Islamists.

Clinton also announced on the eve of the July 4th holiday that the United States welcomes dialogue with the MB, prompting this response from Frank Gaffney, Jr. at the Center for Security Policy: "The Obama administration chose the eve of the holiday marking our nation's birth to acknowledge publicly behavior in which it has long been stealthily engaged to the United States' extreme detriment: Its officials now admit that they are embracing the Muslim Brotherhood (MB or Ikhwan in Arabic). That would be the same international Islamist organization that has the destruction of the United States, Israel and all other parts of the Free World as its explicit objective."

The MB was founded in 1928 to establish global Sharia Law through jihad. The Administration states that the MB denounces violence and promotes democracy. In reality, the MB is the umbrella organization that supports various terrorist groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, and al Qaeda. For example, Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's new commander, joined the MB when he was 14. The MB also has an extensive network in the United States through various vassal organizations including: Muslim American Society, Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Students Association, Muslim Businessmen Association, Muslim Youth of North America, Mercy International Association, Islamic Circle of North America, Muslim Arab Youth Association, The Association of Muslim Social Scientists. The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) is closely associated with many of these organizations.

The MB, with a public facade of non-violence, promotes democracy as a landing point to gain political control and establish Sharia Law, as its supported terrorist groups did so aptly in Gaza with Hamas and in Lebanon with Hezbollah. Currently, its targets are Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, and the United States of America.

The MB was exposed in the Holy Land Foundation trial in 2007. Documents provided as evidence in the trial indicated a plan to take over the United States. The plan, written in 1991, calls for Islamists to colonize America with Islamic Centers, schools, elected officials, and court cases. It seeks to establish a "civilization-jihadist process." It outlines how "work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and 'sabotaging' its miserable house..." The plan is using so-called "moderate" Muslim groups to establish a beachhead in the U.S. and then radical elements to take over.

MB-supported elected officials are found across America in local offices. At the national level, the first Muslim elected to Congress, Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison, is an MB-supported candidate. The Muslim American Society (aka MB) paid for Ellison's Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The MB ties also extended deep into then-Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign. In October 2008, Fox News reported that the Obama campaign was filled with associates of the MB. Fox reported that Minha Husaini replaced Mazen Asbahi as Obama's Muslim liaison after Asbahi resigned over revelations that groups linked to the MB featured him as a speaker. Fox reported that Husaini also met with groups tied to the MB and Hamas in Virginia on September 15, 2008.

Since the campaign, the Administration has redoubled its efforts to appoint Muslims to high government positions. The Congressional Muslim Staffers Association, now disbanded because of its ties to radical Islamists, vetted potential appointments "under the radar," according to J. Saleh Williams, who headed the effort.

The result is a tremendous number of Islamists sitting at key strategic positions in the federal government and on the judiciary. Included are: David Heyman, nominated as Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and at the same agency, Secretary Janet Napolitano has appointed Arif Alikhan as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development. According to Newsmax, "both men are devout, Shariah Law Muslims, and in her announcement, Napolitano made that very clear...Alikan is associated with the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) "a public service agency working for the civil rights of American Muslims." BOTH men will have top security clearances. Several Muslims at the DHS who have top security clearances are associated with groups that claim Hamas and Hezbollah are "humanitarian" organizations.

And such appointments continue. The president has appointed Hezbollah favorite Abed Hammoud as Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. In the past, he has said that Israelis are like Nazis. He has led marches against Israel. The pro-Hezbollah Arab-American News in Dearborn, Mi reported that Hammoud led marchers against Israel who were chanting "Down, down Israel!" and "Death to Israel!" The newspaper quoted Hammoud saying, "Other than our own leaders, Israel pulls us together like no one else can." Hammoud added to cheers, "We don't believe Hezbullah is a terrorist organization. We obey the law, we don't give them financial support or provide them with aid, but we think this law needs to be changed."

Israel National News (INN) reported on June 20 that the president appointed Azizah al-Hibri to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. al-Hibri believes that Sharia Law is superior to Western Law, no surprise since she sat on the National Advisory Board of the American Muslim Council. INN reported that in 2001, "Al-Hibri traveled to the Afghan border and criticized the Western press for 'sensationalizing' Taliban atrocities and using them 'as an opportunity to attack Islam'. After the attacks of September 11, she cautioned against bombing Al-Qaeda and Taliban targets during Ramadan."

Former CIA agent and current professor for the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies, Clare Lopez, concludes that the Administration has quietly installed Islamists in key security and foreign policy positions who are now directing the Middle East foreign policy of the United States.

The evidence appears overwhelming that the radical Islamist influence assembled by this White House is in lock step with the Muslim Brotherhood plan to takeover America. Perhaps the unthinkable has become reality. As the prophet Jeremiah spoke of ancient Babylon that had many of the same traits of today's post-moral America, "Surely I will fill thee with men, as with locusts; and they shall raise a battle cry against thee" (Jer.51:14). The evidence is in plain sight, but how long will it take for America to awaken from her politically correct slumber?

"Know this, that in the last days, perilous times shall come" (II Timothy 3:1).

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Muslim Brotherhood's first demand for US: Drop Israel

2011-07-05T20:22:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Ryan Jones
Israel Today

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the weekend publicly announced the Obama Administration's desire to reestablish ties with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood responded this week by thanking Clinton, and issuing its first demand of its new American friends: drop support for the "Zionist regime."

In an email response quoted by Bloomberg, Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan stated that if America wants solid relations with the group, it should "stop supporting the corrupt and tyrannical regimes, backing the Zionist occupation and using double standards."

It is important to remember that when the Muslim Brotherhood speaks of the "Zionist occupation" it does not mean only the Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria, the so-called "West Bank."

The Muslim Brotherhood sees all of Israel as a cancerous growth that must be eradicated. The group supports returning Egypt to a state of war with Israel, and wants to see the entirety of the region become an Islamic Caliphate.

Former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated by the Muslim Brotherhood for making peace with Israel.

The Muslim Brotherhood is today the most organized political force in Egypt, raising expectations that it will win control of the government when Egyptians go to the polls in September.

Story source
here

Okay...how will the Obama administration handle the Muslim Brotherhood's demand in response to the USA's desire to re-establish of ties with Egypt? The answer is a no-brainer. Obama has already thrown Israel under the bus, so it will be, "Israel who? Hello, Muslim Brotherhood...let's be good friends."

Everything will quickly go downhill from there!

Don

Abandoning God and Reason

2011-07-05T07:36:00.000-04:00

I have been frustrated by the actions of people who align themselves with the Liberal persuasion, or the Left, as we call it, especially in Israel, where Jews undermine the security of their own people by supporting their enemies! That is, until this morning, when the Lord led me to a certain verse, which had me researching Liberalism. Though noble in thought in the early stages, when it rose up against totalitarian and religious rule, today's Liberal thinking follows the universalist line, which basically believes in the moral unity of human beings, while marginalizing local cultural distinctions. They also promote the socialist, welfare state mentality. It all sounds good, until you go back to the beginning of the Liberal agenda and find out they basically sought to be free from God and His Law! This is especially true in Israel. Liberals~those serving the Leftist agenda~do not believe the Tanach, nor do they follow God's Law~Torah.

I thought Liberal thinking was a modern day movement. It is said to have started as far back as the Renaissance period, but I found evidence of it in Proverbs 28:4 "Those who abandon Torah (God's Law) praise the wicked, but those who keep Torah fight them." And as I thought on this, I realized it is precisely Satan's agenda. He rebelled against God's Will, and since his fall from Grace, he has poisoned the minds of men with the same line of reasoning.

In Israel, those on the Left do not believe Jews should be distinct and different from their sworn enemies, the Arabs. They want equality. They do not believe God gave Eretz Yisroel-the Land of Israel-to the Jews alone. Even though the distinction between Arabs and Jews is as clear as day from night, Liberals think they can call forth peace by marginalizing their cultural distinctions and giving in to the demands of the Arabs. Sadly, that is not God's plan.

After reading Proverbs, the Lord had me turn to Psalm 1: "How blessed are those who reject the advice of the wicked, don't stand in the way of sinners, or sit where scoffers sit! But their delight is in Adonai's Torah; on His Torah (Law), they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams-they bear their fruit in season, their leaves never wither, everything they do succeeds. Not so the wicked, who are like chaff driven by the wind. For this reason, the wicked won't stand up to judgment, nor will sinners at the gathering of the righteous. For Adonai watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed." From the Complete Jewish Bible.

Now I understand. Now, instead of being frustrated, I watch in amazement as God "frustrates" the actions and plans of those who are against Him and His Torah...be they Jewish or otherwise. Psalm 2!!

Shalu Shalom Yisroel... pray for the peace of Israel!

PA says it'll drop UN bid if Israel accepts 67 lines

2011-07-04T21:27:00.002-04:00

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH AND HERB KEINON
07/04/2011

Abbas advisor says if Quartet calls on Israel to withdraw from '67 territories, halt settlement construction, PA will abandon September plan.

The Palestinian Authority will abandon its plan to ask the UN in September to recognize a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 lines if the Quartet members – the US, EU, UN and Russia – recognize the two-state principle as the basis for a settlement and call on Israel to withdraw from the territories captured in 1967, including east Jerusalem, an adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday.

Nimer Hammad, political adviser to Abbas, said the Quartet should also call for a full cessation of construction in Jewish settlements and set a clear timetable for Israeli- Palestinian peace talks.

The Quartet representatives are scheduled to meet on July 11 to discuss the latest developments surrounding the Middle East peace process in wake of the PA’s intention to go to the UN in September.

“The Palestinian Authority is determined to proceed with its plan to go to the UN Security Council if Israel continues to deny the rights of the Palestinians and international legitimacy,” Hammad said.

“We are continuing with preparations in the legal and international arenas for the September battle. But if the Quartet endorses the twostate solution and demands a freeze of settlement construction, we will change our mind.”

PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Monday that the Palestinians would return to the negotiating table with Israel once Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declares his acceptance of the two-state solution on the basis of the pre-1967 lines and halts construction not only in the West Bank, but also in east Jerusalem.

Erekat is scheduled to visit Washington later this week for talks with US administration officials on the statehood bid and ways of resuming the stalled peace process with Israel. He will be accompanied by Abbas’s spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudaineh.

Erekat admitted that the US was exerting heavy pressure on the PA leadership to stop it from going to the UN in September. The US has also made it clear that it plans to thwart the PA move by vetoing it at the UN.

Erekat said the Palestinian stance toward the peace process was not a pre-condition.

“This is an Israeli obligation,” he said. “We hope that the Americans and the Quartet will oblige Netanyahu to accept the twostate solution and stop settlement construction.”

Israel has rejected these demands in the past, and Netanyahu, in private meetings on Monday, made clear that his position on these matters has not changed.

“If a one-sided anti-Israel resolution goes through, it will set back peace for decades,” Netanyahu warned. “The Palestinians have systematically avoided negotiations."

He added, “Nothing we do might prevent them [the Palestinians] from going forward with this.”

Netanyahu said that American- led diplomatic efforts now are concentrating on offering a “competing vision” of the principles for restarting the negotiations that will talk about two states for two peoples, and the need for the future borders to be negotiated.

The prime minister said that when the international community focused on borders and settlements they were inadvertently accepting a Palestinian demand for a state, and not dealing with how to end the conflict. To end the conflict, he said, the issue of refugees and Israel as a Jewish state had to be addressed, or else the conflict would not end.

Story source
here

To me, the story is confusing. The article states that the PA will abandon its plan for UN involvement if the Quartet members recognize a two-state solution, and call on Israel to withdraw to 1967 boarders. However, the title of the article indicates that Israel must accept the 1967 lines before the PA abandons its plan.

Which is it? Calling on Israel to withdraw...and Israel accepting the request...are two entirely different situations. Netanyahu has made it perfectly clear on numerous occasions that withdrawl to the 1967 boarders is simply not going to happen. Why is that so difficult for the PA, the Quartet, the UN, and most of the world to understand?

Don

Audacity of US Breaking Israel's Blockade

2011-07-01T08:34:00.000-04:00

The US boat "The Audacity of Hope". Photo: The New Republic.

Despite claiming that their purpose is humanitarian, the actions of the 2010 Gaza flotilla organizers reveal their goal to be explicitly political. As noted earlier this week in the New York Times, the boat called "The Audacity of Hope" is carrying with it no aid. Its sole purpose, is not to bring food – of which 385 truckloads are delivered weekly by Israel to the Gaza Strip – but to openly and flagrantly violate Israel's lawfully imposed naval blockade on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
Indeed, in an article earlier this week in the Huffington Post, one of the boat's organizers freely admits that her goal is not to deliver goods or materials into the Gaza Strip. It is clear that the goal of the flotilla organizers is provocation: to challenge Israel's right of self-defense against a terrorist group that has caused close to a million Israeli civilians to live under the constant threat of attack for the better part of a decade.
"There’s a reason why Israel needs to impose this blockade: Just this past April, Hamas targeted an Israeli school bus with one of its missiles and a child riding on the bus was killed," said IDF Spokeswoman Lietenant Colonel Avital Leibovich. A few months ago, Israel intercepted the “Victoria,” a vessel en route from Iran to Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. The ship claimed its cargo contained "lentils and cotton," but in reality it smuggled "a large cargo of sophisticated weaponry."
Given these volatile regional realities, the Israel Navy must prevent all vessels from reaching Gaza's shores--including the US boat--"The Audacity of Hope." All ships carrying goods and materials to the Gaza Strip, may dock and unload cargo at Israel's Ashdod port. Israeli authorities will ensure the transfer of all items to the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom land crossing, as it does on a weekly basis. This is from the Israel Defense Forces website: IDF

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Obama's Pull Out Dangerous, Misguided- Joel Rosenberg

2011-06-23T06:02:00.001-04:00

I strongly encourage you to read Joel's Blog

By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., June 23, 2011) -- President Obama's plan to precipitously start drawing down U.S. military forces from Afghanistan before the war against Radical Islamic jihadists has truly been won -- and doing so against the advice of some of his field commanders -- is a serious mistake, misguided and dangerous. The move is a sign of White House fatigue. It will be perceived by our enemies as weakness. It will embolden the enemy and put more Americans, Israelis and other Mideast allies of ours at greater risk. We should be letting Gen. Petraeus and his team finish the job and only then bring the troops home.

Iran's political and religious leaders are not getting tired of preparing for their genocidal, apocalyptic war against the Judeo-Christian West. They continue talking about the End of Days and the coming of the Twelfth Imam. They are also accelerating the enrichment of uranium and development of ballistic missiles. In this context, increasingly unsure if they can depend on their American allies, Israeli leaders this week "launched a major five-day home front defence exercise intended to prepare its population and emergency services to respond to massive missile attacks," Agence France Presse reports. "Named 'Turning Point 5,' the exercise involves testing nationwide siren systems and the cellular network, distributing emergency kits, improving coordination and practising evacuation and shelter procedures….Among the scenarios being prepared for are sustained rocket attacks on the Tel Aviv region, the electrical grid or a geriatric hospital, local media reported….For the first time, lawmakers will also be called on to participate in response to a simulated attack on the parliament building in Jerusalem."

Such preparations are critically important. But much more is needed. Israeli leaders are not calling the nation to prayer, fasting and repentance, despite the Biblical admonition to do so. Indeed, few world leaders are calling their nations to their hearts to the Lord, including our own. Yet this is precisely the right moment. In a time when economic, religious and geopolitical threats are rising….a time when so much of the world is turning against God...a time when so many have forgotten God in their daily lives...a time when so many think the Church is irrelevant and/or hypocritical...and a time when many have turned against Israel and God's Chosen People, what we need are leaders at every level of society who are serious about crying out to the Lord for mercy and redemption. I'm not talking about a bunch of religious hot air -- slogans, bumper stickers or platitudes. What we desperately need is a bold and sincere and solid and revolutionary faith that moves us to action, that moves us to know God more deeply and serve Him more faithfully before the Day of the Lord arrives. As we read in the New Testament Book of James, "faith, if it has no works, is dead" and "faith without works is useless" (James 2:17 and 20).

This one of the reasons I love the Old Testament Book of Joel and why I'm grateful we studied it together at the 2011 Epicenter Conference -- because it is a powerful call to action. This week, I posted on my blog Part Four of my personal study notes on the Book of Joel, plus links to the latest headlines from the epicenter. I hope you'll find them helpful as you seek a faith that changes your life and moves you to serve the Lord with more passion and conviction than ever before.
For more details and links, please go to our English blog HERE or the Hebrew blog (www.joelrosenberg.co.il). Thanks.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Obama Warns Of New US Fight…With Israel!

2011-06-21T20:47:00.001-04:00

The most anti-Israel US president ever?

President Barack Obama warned that new “tactical” disagreements loomed between Israel and Washington, but vowed to leverage his administration’s “creative powers” in the cause of peace. Obama, who has had a testy relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke at length on the stalled peace process at a fundraiser for his 2012 reelection campaign grouping Democratic friends of Israel.

He said that as a difficult, challenging time loomed in the Middle East over the next few years, one inviolable principle was that the bond between the United States and Israel “isn’t breakable.”

“What is also going to be true is that both the United States and Israel are going to have to look at this new landscape with fresh eyes,” Obama said, arguing the Arab Spring had changed the context of regional diplomacy.

“It’s not going to be sufficient for us just to keep on doing the same things we’ve been doing and expect somehow that things are going to work themselves out.

“We’re going to have to be creative and we’re going to have to be engaged. We’re going to have to look for opportunities where the best impulses in the Middle East come to the fore and the worst impulses are weakened.”

“There are going to be moments over the course of the next six months or the next 12 months or the next 24 months in which there may be tactical disagreements in terms of how we approach these difficult problems,” Obama said, vowing to bring to bear his administration’s “creative powers” for peace.

The president said that Israel and the United States were united on a broader vision for a secure Jewish state able to live in peace with its neighbors “where kids can get on the bus or go to bed at night and not have to worry about missiles landing on them.”

Obama ignited the latest US row with Netanyahu last month when he said in public what had been private US policy, that 1967 territorial lines, with agreed land swaps should be used to demarcate Israel from a future Palestinian state.

His statement provoked a public scolding from Netanyahu during a subsequent White House visit. The Israeli leader also stressed the “indefensible” nature of the 1967 lines.

Israel and the Palestinians have been at loggerheads over negotiations, which halted shortly after they were relaunched in Washington in September 2010 when a partial freeze on Israeli settlement construction expired.

Israel refused to renew the freeze, and the Palestinians insist they will not hold talks while settlements are being built on land they want for their future state.

Story source
here

Okay, what I would like to know is this:

How in the world can the USA possibly think it is still united with Israel, and can work together to establish a Palestinian state after they have tossed Israel under the bus? And, just what does the "look at this new landscape with fresh eyes" entail?

Wait...I know! The USA will demand that Israel give up even more. I'll bet there is another bus coming soon, too. Maybe Israel will do the tossing this time. One can only hope and pray...

Don

Please Copy and Share!!

2011-06-21T20:45:00.000-04:00

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Own People are Jews' Worst Enemies!!!

2011-06-21T11:40:00.000-04:00

Who Needs Enemies When Your Own People Despise You??!!! Disgusting!! Mid

American Jews comprise more than 25 percent of the pro-Hamas flotilla that aims to challenge the IDF on the high seas and reach Hamas-backed Gaza, throwing cold water on the allegation of a unified pro-Israel “Jewish lobby” in the United States.

"It's important that Jews are in this boat... The Jewish lobby in this country is so powerful," New York Jewish labor attorney Richard Levy told media agencies.

Comments by the Jews reflect mis-information that is omnipresent in mainstream media, particularly when referring to the supposed “blockade” on Gaza in order to prevent the smuggling of advanced weapons, explosives and terrorists whose aim is to attack Israel civilians and soldiers.

Israel imposed a partial blockade after Hamas’ terrorist militia ousted the rival Fatah faction in a bloody war more than four years ago. Thousands of tons of humanitarian aid were allowed through land crossings, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last year canceled the blockade on all goods except for material that can be used for the Hamas terrorist infrastructure.

The maritime embargo remains in effect because of the ease with which Hamas can use fishing boats to bring into Gaza weapons from Iran and Syria.

The American Jews on the flotilla, like millions of other people, still refer to the “Israel blockade,” which Levy said is “morally and juridically unsupportable.” He then made an inexplicable connection to “slaughter,” stating that “no more people should be slaughtered in the name of the Jews."

The Americans hope to sale from Greece on "The Audacity of Hope” this week with the announced intention of breaking the maritime embargo, but Israeli military commanders have said that the goal of the pro-Hamas organizers behind the flotilla is to try to force the IDF into a clash, similar to last year's confrontation with Turkish-based IHH terror activists.

The Americans undoubtedly are not looking for a fight but are part of a larger community of American Jews who are unfamiliar with Israel but whose idea of the Jewish state is one that adopts Christian values of “turning the other cheek.”

Jewish activist Leslie Cogan told the French news agency AFP, the flotilla is "a cargo of friendship, a cargo of peace."

Last week, Jewish anti-Zionists in London rallied in memory of the nine IHH members who were killed by Israeli Navy commandos last year after brutally attacking the soldiers, who reached the deck of the Mavi Mamara ship virtually unarmed except for paint guns and small revolvers.

After last year’s clash on the high seas, the leader of the German-Jewish organization Jewish Voice for Peace in the Middle East said the group actually wants to “preserve” Israel.

"Some see what we are doing as a betrayal. But the question is what do they really know about the whole thing. Some people don't want to be educated," Kate Katzenstein-Leiterer told the German news agency DPA.

In contrast to the American Jews’ efforts for the flotilla, pressure from French Jews prevented the departure of a ship to Gaza, according to the Turkish newspaper Today’s Zaman.
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Cruel and UNMERITED Punishment for Pollard

2011-06-20T11:29:00.000-04:00

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Phone calls flooded the White House, Israel’s Ambassador Michael Oren appealed to the State Department, and hundreds protested at the American embassy in Tel Aviv, but U.S. President Barack Obama remains silent as Jonathan Pollard remains in jail hours before his father is to be buried.

A switchboard operator at the White House on Sunday morning – shortly after midnight in Washington – said that “no one is available to take a message for president” until the morning, about two hours before Prof. Morris Pollard is to be buried in the Midwestern state of Indiana.

His son Jonathan has languished in American prisons for more than 25 years as he continues to serve a life sentence for the offense of passing on classified information for Israel, a crime that normally carries no more than four years in jail.

The Obama administration has been ominously silent on increasing calls from American officials, including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, to free Pollard. Evidence has mounted that his trial was all but fair, and the extraordinary harsh sentence has been criticized by Congressman and former members of American Cabinets.

Pollard’s father, who died Saturday at the age of 95 in the city of South Bend, was a professor and award-winning microbiologist at the University of Notre Dame for five decades. He is to be buried at 10 a.m. (6 p.m. in Israel).

He was allowed to speak to his father shortly before he died, but the United States did not answer humanitarian appeals to allow Jonathan to visit his father while he was still alive.

Last January, Prof. Pollard told the South Bend Tribune, “I can hope that justice will prevail” and that his son be released before his father’s death. He said, "It's such an overwhelming miscarriage of justice that I keep waking up fighting with people.”

It appears that the Obama administration also is denying Jonathan Pollard the merit of attending the final resting place of his father.
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Enough!!! Free Pollard!!!!

2011-06-19T14:18:00.000-04:00

This wouldn't be an issue if he was an Arab Muslim!!!!!!!!!!! Say it isn't so!!!

Massive Phone-In to White House to Free Pollard for Funeral
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Two campaigns were launched Sunday to free prisoner Jonathan Pollard to attend his father’s funeral Monday morning –a massive phone-in to the White House and political pressure from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

The Obama administration last week remained silent to requests to free Pollard long enough to visit his 95-year-old father before he died Saturday. Officials will have to act almost immediately if they want to allow him to help bury his father. He would have to leave his cell several hours before the funeral in South Bend, Indiana, and security arrangements would have to be implemented.

The main desk phone number at the White House is 202-456-1414. Activists said that there is no time for e-mails and told supporters, “The number to the main desk does not take messages; however, if numerous people are calling non-stop, the message will reverberate throughout the White House and it will have an effect."

In addition, a rally is scheduled at 7 p.m. (noon EDT) opposite the American Embassy in Tel Aviv under the banner, “Obama: Show a bit of humanity. Let Pollard accompany his father to his final resting place.”

On the political front, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he will submit a formal diplomatic request on behalf of Pollard, who is serving a life term in prison for passing on classified information to America's ally, Israel -- an offense that usually carries a 2-4 year prison term.

Likud Minister Limor Livnat said that Prime Minister Netanyahu has “worked hard the past week” to try to convince the Obama administration to allow Pollard out of prison to visit his father, who was an award-winning professor at Notre Dame University in Indiana.

“I really hope the U.S. administration shows minimal humanity and lets him out of prison after 26 years to be at the funeral,” she added.

Jewish Home Minister Daniel Hershkowitz, a member of the coalition government, stated, "The man has been rotting in an American prison. His mother passed away, and he was not allowed to see his father before his death, too. I want to remind everyone that he was not acting against the United States but rather to obtain information on [Arab] terrorists.”

Kadima MK Ronit Tirosh said that if the United States does not allow Jonathan Pollard to help bury his father, she will boycott the annual American Independence Day party at the ambassador’s house.

Nachman Shai, also a Kadima MK, called on American Jews to speak up for Pollard. "Five million Jews live in the United States, and they are silent,” he said. “A clear statement needs to come from them.”
Comment on this stor

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

U.S. pressuring Netanyahu to accept Obama's peace plan

2011-06-13T23:14:00.002-04:00

Israeli source says Americans frustrated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for hampering U.S. efforts to stop Palestinians trying UN route to statehood in September.

By Barak Ravid

Washington is pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accede to its proposal to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace talks on the basis of U.S. President Barack Obama's May 19 speech.

An Israeli source who spoke recently with senior officials in Washington said the Americans were very frustrated with Netanyahu's behavior, feeling that he was impeding America's efforts to keep the Palestinians from unilaterally seeking UN recognition of a state in September.

Netanyahu's personal envoy, Isaac Molho, spent last week in Washington, where the Americans presented their proposal for resuming talks on the basis of Obama's speech. Specifically, Obama's plan calls for negotiating over borders and security first, while deferring issues such as Jerusalem and the refugees until later. It also calls for the borders to be based on the 1967 lines, with mutually agreed land swaps.

The Americans told Molho that to block European initiatives such as France's proposal for an international peace conference in Paris, they must have something concrete to offer, like Netanyahu's agreement to negotiate on the basis of Obama's speech.

The U.S. proposal was also given to chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who said the Palestinians would resume talks on this basis.

Meanwhile, a European diplomat who was briefed on Molho's talks in Washington said they were fruitless. "The Americans didn't get anything new from Molho," the diplomat said.

This week, American diplomat David Hale will arrive in Israel to hold further meetings with both Molho and Erekat. Hale is temporarily replacing George Mitchell, the U.S. special envoy who resigned earlier this year.

Read full article
here

It seems to me that Obama is enacting revenge for the dressing-down he recently received from Netanyahu in DC. However, Obama is treading on very thin ice when he gives a ultimatum to Israel about her borders.

Why is Obama so insistant on his proposal being the done-deal agreement before the Palestinians seek UN recognition for similar bountries? Could it be all about who would get the credit for the accomplishment?

Praying for Israel, for Netanyahu and for each of its leaders and citizens. Praying that God will grant them the wisdom and peace to trust in Him. Praying that God will protect, sustain and save Israel during this time of pressure, threats and turmoil...in Jesus' Name...Amen!

Don

Reclaiming a Historical Truth: Arabs ordered their people to leave Israel

2011-06-13T08:25:00.000-04:00

The deliberate depopulation of Arab villages was a hallmark of the Arab campaign. In December 1947, villagers in the Tul Karm sub-district were ordered out by local leaders.
By Efraim Karsh

I agree with Shlomo Avineri, in his op-ed "Zionism needs no propaganda" (Haaretz English Edition, May 23 ), that the tragedy befalling the Palestinian Arabs in 1948 was exclusively of their own making, and that there is therefore "a grave moral defect in the Nakba discourse."

I am surprised, however, by his assertion that "despite decades of research, to this day no document or broadcast has been found confirming ... [any order] by the Arab leadership for the population to leave." This claim couldn't be further from the truth. While most Palestinian Arabs needed little encouragement to take to the road, large numbers of them were driven from their homes by their own leaders and/or the "Arab Liberation Army" that had entered Palestine prior to the end of the Mandate, whether out of military considerations or in order to prevent them from becoming citizens of the prospective Jewish state. Of this there is an overwhelming and incontrovertible body of contemporary evidence - intelligence briefs, captured Arab documents, press reports, personal testimonies and memoirs, and so on and so forth.

In the largest and best-known example of Arab-instigated exodus, tens of thousands of Arabs were ordered or bullied into leaving the city of Haifa (on April 21-22 ) on the instructions of the Arab Higher Committee, the effective "government" of the Palestinian Arabs. Only days earlier, Tiberias' 6,000-strong Arab community had been similarly forced out by its own leaders, against local Jewish wishes (a fortnight after the exodus, Sir Alan Cunningham, the last British high commissioner of Palestine, reported that the Tiberias Jews "would welcome [the] Arabs back" ). In Jaffa, Palestine's largest Arab city, the municipality organized the transfer of thousands of residents by land and sea; in Jerusalem, the AHC ordered the transfer of women and children, and local gang leaders pushed out residents of several neighborhoods, while in Beisan the women and children were ordered out as Transjordan's Arab Legion dug in.

Avineri mentions the strenuous Jewish efforts to persuade the Haifa Arabs to stay but not the AHC's order to leave - which was passed on to the local leadership by phone and secretly recorded by the Haganah. Nor does he note the well-documented efforts of Haifa's Arab leadership to scaremonger their hapless constituents, reluctant in the extreme to leave, into fleeing. Some Arab residents received written threats that, unless they left town, they would be branded as traitors deserving of death. Others were told they could expect no mercy from the Jews.

In the words of a British intelligence report: "After the Jews had gained control of the town, and in spite of a subsequent food shortage, many would not have responded to the call for a complete evacuation but for the rumors and propaganda spread by the National Committee members remaining in the town. Most widespread was a rumor that Arabs remaining in Haifa would be taken as hostages by [the] Jews in the event of future attacks on other Jewish areas: and an effective piece of propaganda with its implied threat of retribution when the Arabs recapture the town, is that [those] people remaining in Haifa acknowledged tacitly that they believe in the principle of a Jewish State."

Nor was this phenomenon confined to Palestinian cities. The deliberate depopulation of Arab villages too, and their transformation into military strongholds was a hallmark of the Arab campaign from the onset of hostilities. As early as December 1947, villagers in the Tul Karm sub-district were ordered out by their local leaders, and in mid-January Haganah intelligence briefs reported the evacuation of villages in the Hula Valley to accommodate local gangs and newly arrived ALA forces.

By February, this phenomenon had expanded to most parts of the country, gaining considerable momentum in April and May as Arab forces throughout Palestine were being comprehensively routed. On April 18, the Haganah's intelligence branch in Jerusalem reported a fresh general order to remove the women and children from all villages bordering Jewish localities. Twelve days later, its Haifa counterpart reported an ALA directive to evacuate all Arab villages between Tel Aviv and Haifa in anticipation of a new general offensive. In early May, as fighting intensified in the eastern Galilee, local Arabs were ordered to transfer all women and children from the Rosh Pina area, while in the Jerusalem sub-district, Transjordan's Arab Legion ordered the emptying of scores of villages.

To sum up, Zionism needs no propaganda to buttress its case, yet the historical truth needs to be reclaimed after decades of relentless distortion.

Efraim Karsh is research professor of Middle East and Mediterranean studies at King's College London, director of the Middle East Forum (Philadelphia ) and author, most recently, of "Palestine Betrayed."

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Chilling Reality...

2011-06-07T07:46:00.000-04:00

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Bibi~Israel WILL Protect Its Borders

2011-06-03T12:10:00.000-04:00

We need to continue to pray for Israel and for PM Netanyahu that he will stand strong on this matter...
by Gavriel Queenann

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Thursday that the Jewish state had the "right and obligation to protect its borders," signaling that the penetration of Israel's border by Syrians on May 15 will not be repeated.

"On May 15 we marked the the creation of [modern] Israel," Netanyahu told attendees of the International Hi-Tech Conference at the Jerusalem International Convention Center.

"We have witnessed the efforts of our enemies and violate our borders. Provocations by Iran, Syria, Hizbullah and Hamas. The same efforts are expected again in the coming days to challenge our sovereignty and undermine our country's borders," Netanyahu said.

"Israel, like every country in the world, has the right and obligation to guard its borders and protect them," added Netanyahu. "My instructions are clear: to act with restraint but also with the determination required in order to protect our citizens and our borders."

Netanyahu's statement comes as Arabs plan to mark June 5 as "Naksa Day" – the date on which Jerusalem was liberated by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War.

Arabs in Palestinian Authority administered areas expect to commemorate the day with riots. Foreign Arabs, especially in Syria and Lebanon, are expected to march on Israel's borders.

PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who has promised a third intifada if negotiations with Israel fail, said this year's 'Nakba Day' riots were only a 'rehearsal' for the June 5 'Naksa Day."

Previously, during May 15's annual "Naqba Day" unrest, some 100 Syrian agitators illegally entered Israel's Golan region and clashed with security forces. Israel's security forces have been equipped with less-than-lethal weapons for Naksa Day.

Lebanon is reportedly closing its border with Israel on June 5 in hopes of avoiding an incident and the IDF has gone on alert.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Obama and Israel: Is it Ignorance or Arrogance?

2011-06-01T20:37:00.005-04:00

By Jan Markell
Olive Tree Ministries
June 1, 2011

The fanfare is over. Benjamin Netanyahu has left the building. He has returned to Israel and he and the Israelis realize that they are on their own. The President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, has identified himself as the most anti-Israel President in history. But he does not speak for all of the American people and he does not speak for all of Congress. There may be only a few issues in Washington that have bi-partisan support, but one of those issues is that both the Right and the Left in Congress - with a few exceptions - remain an ally of God's covenant land. Many of them are trying to hold back the water from the hole in the dam that would make the Islamic empire the chosen people.
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The stage is set. America has played a key but a bitter role. The world is headed in a frightful direction. The President of the United States is steering a sinking ship. Obama's actions against Israel reflect both ignorance and arrogance. Such perilous times only remind us that the King of kings' return is imminent. If you look up and not around, you will maintain a level of peace.

Read full story
here

Jan's full article is a "must read" to help us understand the deteriorating situation that exists between Israel and the USA. We must pray for Israel and the leadership of our country, that the Lord's will would be done for His honor and glory.

Don

Bibi's New Political Dynamic...

2011-05-30T19:01:00.000-04:00

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s unambiguous rejection of Barack Obama’s latest fantasy about the Middle East has potentially created a significant new political dynamic in the United States. By graciously but comprehensively rebutting Obama’s entire view of Arab-Israeli reality, first in the Oval Office, then before a joint meeting of Congress, Netanyahu has also exposed broader flaws in Obama’s worldview.

No Israeli leader could simply cave in immediately to Obama’s ill-disguised pressure in his uncongenial, unsympathetic State Department speech just prior to Netanyahu’s arrival in America. While Obama may have understood this limitation, he nonetheless intended to create political “facts on the ground” for Israel, pushing it into a corner difficult if not impossible to escape. While Obama did not, as some in his administration urged, lay out precise terms and conditions of, effectively, an American ultimatum, he came perilously close.

Little he said was actually new for him, including referring to Israel’s “1967 borders” (subsequently “clarified”). Nor was his tone more hostile than his past comments or those of other Administration officials. Several observers noted correctly that Obama’s speech “could have been worse,” which is unquestionably true.

Many speculated former Senator George Mitchell, Obama’s Middle East envoy, resigned precisely because his preferred approach to muscling Israel was rejected.

The critical difference this time was Netanyahu’s reaction. He ignored the advice of Obama’s fellow liberals in the Jewish community never to cross a sitting president, especially not this one.

Israel’s American supporters, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, defend its national-security interests because of how interwoven they are with America’s own vital interests, in the Middle East and globally. Non-Jewish American support for Israel is not, therefore, to mix metaphors, a case of appearing to be more Catholic than the pope.

Accordingly, they took heart from the Oval Office exchange, and visibly demonstrated their opposition to Obama’s views by the warm greeting for Netanyahu in Congress. Since these supporters are a decisive majority of the American public, stretching far beyond the confines of one faith, they can reshape the domestic American debate on Israel and the region. This is critical, since, thanks to Obama, U.S.-Israeli relations are more politically strained than ever before, a public division inevitably providing our adversaries with dangerous opportunities for trouble-making.

Nonetheless, since Obama remains president for two more years, what should opponents of his misguided policies do to capitalize on the new dynamic Netanyahu has created?

First, members of Congress must build on Netanyahu's Joint Meeting appearance through hearings, speeches, and House and Senate resolutions that Israel’s U.S. support remains broad and deep on Capitol Hill, even as it recedes almost to invisibility in the White House.

Congress cannot, of course, determine U.S. policy, but it can send a clear political message to the White House, and more importantly to Obama’s re-election campaign. That means in particular a vigorous U.S. diplomatic campaign against any efforts at the United Nations this fall to establish a Palestinian “state.” This vigorous public approach may trouble the president’s political supporters, but their reluctance to speak up is a major factor underlying Obama’s evident belief he can muscle Israel without suffering domestic political damage.

That needs changing quickly. Visible demonstrations of political power and support for Israel may be the only thing that constrains Obama as the 2012 presidential election grows increasingly near.

Second, there must be greater U.S. and Israeli focus and determination to reckon with Iran’s high and rising global threat, both because of Tehran’s nuclear weapons program and its support for terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza, and elsewhere. Obama rarely addresses Iran’s menace, even last week when he unmercifully bullied Israel.

No wonder Iran’s leaders view their quest for nuclear weapons as essentially unchallenged. Even while divisions within Tehran’s leadership occupy the media’s attention, its belligerent attitudes and threatening capabilities are increasing.

Third, turmoil in the Middle East is also increasingly problematic. The “Arab Spring” is not self-evidently leading to Western-style pluralistic democracy, and may well turn into something darker than what it supplanted, at least in some countries.

The peace agreement between the Hamas terrorists and Fatah, brokered by the post-Mubarak government in Egypt, marks the effective end of any realistic peace process between Israel and the Palestinians for the foreseeable future.

Obama has not yet grasped this reality, nor does he seem to understand that the Syrian dictatorship and Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorists remain Iranian pawns, threats both to Israel and to the United States.Accordingly, now is hardly the time to force Israel into unnatural efforts at “peace processing” with the usual suspects.

Now that Netanyahu has spoken, it is time for Americans and Europeans concerned with true peace and security in the Middle East to carry the debate forward.

Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, is a Fox News contributor and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, is the author of "Surrender Is Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations" (Simon & Schuster, 2007).

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Two Important Articles ...Rebutal to AP and the Unbridgeable Gap Between Obama/Bibi

2011-05-26T14:35:00.000-04:00

Rebuttal To AP's Unprecedented Rebuttal Of Netanyahu's Speech

Someone named Josef Federman has written a rebuttal for the Associated Press - said to be an unbiased, international news source - to points made by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in his speech before the U.S. Congress this week.

Federman wrote that the Prime Minister's address reflected only the world view of "Israel's nationalistic right wing" - though a full 47% of Israelis said they were pleased with the speech.
The points with which Federman/AP wished to take issue appear below, followed by Federman/AP's rebuttals, followed by Israel National News commentary.
NETANYAHU: "In Judea and Samaria, the Jewish people are not foreign occupiers. We are not the British in India. We are not the Belgians in the Congo."
The rest of the quote (not provided by Federman/AP): “This is the land of our forefathers, the Land of Israel, to which Abraham brought the idea of one God, where David set out to confront Goliath, and where Isaiah saw a vision of eternal peace. No distortion of history can deny the four thousand year old bond between the Jewish people and the Jewish land.”

Federman/AP: While the West Bank, or Judea and Samaria, is promised to the Jewish people in the Bible, the international community considers the West Bank occupied territory. Israel captured the area in the 1967 Mideast war but has never annexed it. Its occupied status is underscored by the presence of tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers who protect Israeli settlements and control the movement of Palestinian residents in the name of security.
INN: Some in the international community do consider this land occupied, but in fact, the last nation in history to be both sovereign in Judea/Samaria and inhabit it was the Jewish People – in the year 68 C.E. Since then, the area has been under occupation a number of times, with Israel ultimately reclaiming it during the Six Day War from Jordan - the country that illegally invaded the area in 1948, and followed this up with an occupation and annexation recognized by no one in the world other than Britain and Pakistan.
Israel's legal claim to these areas, on the other hand, stems not from illegal invasion, but rather from its victory in a defensive war.
In fact, jurist and international law expert Stephen Schwebel - later the president of the International Court of Justice in The Hague - wrote in 1970 that "Israel has better title in the territory of what was Palestine, including the whole of Jerusalem, than do Jordan and Egypt."
NETANYAHU: "You don't need to send American troops to Israel. We defend ourselves."
Federman/AP: Israel is a leading recipient of American foreign aid, including more than $1 billion in military assistance each year.
INN: Netanyahu meant to contrast Israel and its independent defense forces to the countries where US Army troops are deployed and risk their lives to help the local armed forces, such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
His statement was made in the context of a comparison to other Arab states, and was followed by an expression of deep thanks.
Here is the full quote: “In an unstable Middle East, Israel is the one anchor of stability. In a region of shifting alliances, Israel is America’s unwavering ally. Israel has always been pro-American. Israel will always be pro-American. My friends, you don’t need to do nation-building in Israel. We’re already built. You don’t need to export democracy to Israel. We’ve already got it. You don’t need to send American troops to defend Israel. We defend ourselves. You’ve been very generous in giving us tools to do the job of defending Israel on our own. Thank you all, and thank you President Obama, for your steadfast commitment to Israel’s security. I know economic times are tough. I deeply appreciate this."
Federman/AP also did not mention that ahead of Israel in U.S. foreign aid are Afghanistan and Pakistan, and that in fourth place is Egypt.
NETANYAHU: "You don't need to export democracy to Israel. We've already got it."
Federman/AP: Israel does give its Arab minority full civil rights, including participation in elections. But Israeli Arabs suffer from systematic discrimination in housing and the workplace. Also, more than 2 million Palestinians living in the West Bank do not have Israeli citizenship and therefore cannot vote in Israeli elections.
INN: Yes, Israel does give its Arab minority full civil rights, including participation in elections and Arab MK's, precisely as Netanyahu said, and in sharp contrast with minorities in many Arab countries. The claim of systematic discrimination is groundless, as is evidenced by the number of Arab judges, lawyers, doctors, as compared to their population figures. The number of Arabs living in Judea and Samaria is nowhere near 2 million, and is in fact closer to 1.3 million; unlike their brethren in Israel, they do not have Israeli citizenship and do not vote because they are citizens of the Palestinian Authority.
NETANYAHU: "Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government backed by the Palestinian version of al-Qaeda."
Federman/AP: While Hamas and Al-Qaeda have killed hundreds of people in religious holy wars, they have no connection, and Hamas has in fact come under criticism from the global terror network for being too moderate. Al-Qaeda preaches global jihad. Hamas says its struggle is solely against Israel, not the West at large. In its Gaza stronghold, Hamas has violently clashed with smaller armed groups that claim inspiration from Al-Qaeda.
INN: Yes, Hamas and Al-Qaeda sometimes differ and even clash; does this mean that Hamas is not a murderous organization bent on Israel's destruction, just as Al-Qaeda is? And if Hamas wishes to concentrate its murderous intentions on Israeli Jews, or on Jews in general, and not on other Westerners, does that make Hamas an acceptable negotiating partner for Israel – or for any country?
NETANYAHU: "The vast majority of the 650,000 Israelis who live beyond the 1967 lines reside in neighborhoods and suburbs of Jerusalem and greater Tel Aviv."

Federman/AP: Nearly all of these communities were built in the face of overwhelming international opposition and are considered illegal settlements by the world, including the U.S. There are 300,000 Israelis living in the West Bank and 200,000 in east Jerusalem, making a total of 500,000.

INN: Much of what Israel does, and even its very existence, is not applauded by all “the world.” The Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria were and are built not only in strict accordance with Israeli law, but in accordance with the British Mandate that recognized the right of the Jewish people to "close settlement" in the whole of the Mandated territory. As Eugene Rostow has written, “That right has never been terminated and cannot be terminated except by a recognized peace between Israel and its neighbors. And perhaps not even then, in view of Article 80 of the U.N. Charter, the 'Palestine' article, which provides that 'nothing in the Charter shall be construed... to alter in any manner the rights whatsoever of any states or any peoples or the terms of existing international instruments...'"
In addition, though some governments interpret the Geneva Convention of 1949 as forbidding Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, for one, did not agree, and specifically said that though the settlements pose a psychological obstacle to the peace process, they are legal.
For the record, over 300,000 Israelis live in Judea/Samaria and another 300,000-plus live in the Jerusalem areas liberated in 1967.
NETANYAHU: " The Palestinian economy is booming. It's growing by more than 10 percent a year."
Federman/AP: The West Bank economy is indeed growing rapidly. But the World Bank has noted that the growth comes after years of contraction during fighting with Israel and has been fueled by huge amounts of foreign aid. It warns the growth is unsustainable unless Israel does more to encourage the Palestinian private sector.
INN: Netanyahu actually followed the above by saying, “Palestinian cities … have shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants, banks. They even have e-businesses. This is all happening without peace. Imagine what could happen with peace. Peace would herald a new day for both peoples. It would make the dream of a broader Arab-Israeli peace a realistic possibility. So now here is the question. You have to ask it. If the benefits of peace with the Palestinians are so clear, why has peace eluded us? … Because so far, the Palestinians have been unwilling to accept a Palestinian state if it meant accepting a Jewish state alongside it.” [emphasis added]
By Hillel Fendel

The Unbridgeable Obama-Netanyahu Gap

Analyst and former Israeli Ambassador Yoram Ettinger says Obama’s pro-Muslim advisors keep him unbridgeably away from understanding Netanyahu.

Amidst all the commentary and verbiage regarding the recent speeches by Obama and Netanyahu, American-Israeli expert Yoram Ettinger says the cultural and political gap between the two is unbridgeable – largely because of Obama’s pro-Muslim advisors and tilt.

The gap won’t be spanned, Ettinger writes, ”as long as the President assumes that the ethnic, religious, tribal and ideological violent power struggles on the Arab street constitute ‘a story of self-determination’ and ‘the vanguard of democracy.’"

Similarly, “Netanyahu cannot bridge the gap between himself and Obama as long as the President's world view is heavily influenced/shaped by his senior advisors: Valery Jarrett, who is the favorite of Muslim organizations in the U.S., Ambassador Susan Rice, who considers Israel part of the exploiting Western world and the Palestinians part of the exploited Third World, and Samantha Power, who is one of Israel's harshest critics in the U.S. In addition, Obama considers Prof. Rashid Khalidi, who was a key PLO spokesman in the U.S., a luminary on the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

Another issue preventing Obama from understanding Israel is his underlying assumption that the Israel-PLO issue is the “root cause of Middle East turbulence, the core cause of anti-U.S. Islamic terrorism, and the crown jewel of Arab policy-making.”

Assumption of Security in Insecure Borders
And possibly most significant of all, according to Ettinger, Obama “assumes that Israel can be secure - in the most violent and volatile region of the world - within the 1967 borders. Such borders would rob the Jewish State of its Cradle of History and would reduce its waistline to 9-15 miles (over-towered by the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria) - the distance between JFK and LaGuardia airports...”

“How can the gap be bridged,” Ettinger asks, “when Obama considers the 1967 lines - and not hate-education in Abu Mazen's schools, media and mosques - the crux of the conflict?”

Ettinger has long said, and continues to say, that Israel must respond to illogical American demands with firmness and facts on the ground – as it has done, with positive results, several times in recent decades. Ben-Gurion defied the State Department; Eshkol built in and reunited Jerusalem over Johnson’s objections; Golda built four new Jerusalem neighborhoods when Nixon proposed the Rogers Plan; and Shamir rebuffed Presidential pressure in several areas.

On the other hand, Ettinger says, Netanyahu should focus Israel’s relations with the U.S. on issues such as enhanced strategic cooperation, the mounting threats to U.S. interests, the absence of any reliable/capable Arab ally, the intensified Iranian threat, the increased Russian and Chinese profile in the Middle East, the development of energy alternatives, water technologies, homeland security, and more.

By Hillel Fendel

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Israel's Bibi Netanyahu Rejects Obama's Mid-East Policy

2011-05-20T16:50:00.000-04:00

(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Friday that Israel would not withdraw to 1967 borders to help make way for an adjacent Palestinian state. President Barack Obama, seated beside him, had called on Israel to be willing to do just that in a speech the day before.
The Israeli leader said he would make some concessions but Israel would not go back to the lines from decades earlier because they would be "indefensible."
For his part, Obama said that there were differences of formulations and language but that such disputes are going to happen "between friends."
The president never mentioned the 1967 borders as the two men talked with reporters. The leaders spoke after a lengthy meeting in the Oval Office, amid tense times.
Obama said in his speech on Thursday that the United States supports creation of a Palestinian state based on the border lines that existed before the 1967 Six Day War in which Israel forces occupied east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. The comment drew angry criticism in Israel, and Netanyahu made clear after meeting with Obama that the idea was unacceptable.
"We cannot go back to those indefensible lines," said Netanyahu.
Both Obama and Netanyahu said they shared a desire to get to peace and played down disagreements. "We may have differences here and there," Netanyahu said.
But there was no sign of resolution of the many barriers that stand between Israel and the Palestinians, more now than last September when Obama brought the two parties together to call for a peace deal within a year -- a deadline that now looks unattainable.
Netanyahu said his nation could not negotiate with a newly constituted Palestinian unity government that includes the radical Hamas movement, which refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. He said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had to choose between continuing the deal with Hamas and making peace with Israel.
Obama agreed that Hamas "is not a partner for a significant realistic peace process" and said Palestinians would have to resolve that issue among themselves.
Yet both Obama and Netanyahu emphasized a need to make some kind of progress, against all obstacles, as changes sweep the Arab world.
"History will not give the Jewish people another chance," Netanyahu said.
Another major stumbling block is how to resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees. Palestinians demands a "right of return" of large numbers of refugees and descendants to Israel, but Israeli leaders say this would dilute the Jewish presence in Israel so that it would no longer be the Jewish state that Netanyahu demands and Obama supports.
"That's not going to happen," Netanyahu said. He said Palestinians need to recognize that.
All in all, the comments from Netanyahu and Obama, after a longer-than-scheduled meeting that lasted more than 90 minutes, sounded more like a recitation of the many barriers to peace than an explanation of why there should be any reason for optimism.
The two leaders did not take questions from the reporters, and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was unable in a subsequent briefing to point to any concrete signs of progress.
That left the way forward as cloudy as ever.
Palestinian leaders are consulting with Arab governments on how to respond to Obama's speech. Netanyahu is to address the U.S. Congress on Tuesday to press Israel's position.
CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante said the encounter pit a president deeply frustrated with a Mideast peace effort in shambles against an Israeli leader who says he cannot do business with the newly-joined Palestinian government.
The president Thursday called for a resumption of peace talks, and for the first time put explicit U.S. approval on a key Palestinian demand: "We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines, with mutually-agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states," the president said.
Netanyahu immediately rejected any deal that would mean giving up territory gained in the 1967 War, even though in the final agreement Israel would likely retain its largest settlements.

On CBS' "The Early Show," former Assistant Secretary of State Jamie Rubin said the president's speech invited the harsh tone from the Israelis.
"That's partly a function of his willingness in the past to put to the Israeli government his differences on issues like settlements, which is now what the Israeli government is complaining about," Rubin said. "So to the extent that the Israelis respond to President Obama's urging that they get serious about the negotiations, this could have a positive effect. But right now, it's turned into a real diplomatic flap."

President Obama's stance on the 1967 borders was not a major policy change, since the U.S - along with the international community and even past Israeli governments - previously endorsed an agreement building on the 1967 lines. This is NOT true!! Bush/2004 said that was impossible... Mid
But it was the first time he'd explicitly endorsed those borders as a starting point, a position Netanyahu rejects.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Conditions for Peace by Bibi

2011-05-17T12:19:00.000-04:00

by Gil Ronen

In a speech before the Knesset’s plenum in its special Herzl Day session, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu laid down five conditions for a peace treaty with the Palestinian Authority Arabs. These are: The Palestinians must recognize Israel as the Jewish nation’s state. The treaty must be an end to the conflict. The Arab refugee problem must be solved outside of Israel’s borders. A Palestinian state will have to be demilitarized and a peace treaty must safeguard Israel’s security. The settlement blocs will remain within the state of Israel and Jerusalem will remain its united capital.

Netanyahu’s speech can be seen as an accurate indication of what he intends to say when he addresses the U.S. Congress next Tuesday. It is unlikely that he will go back on any of the principles he laid down, given the venue: a Herzl Day address before the Knesset plenum. Fearing that the prime minister intended to announce concessions in Washington, MKs within Likud had demanded that Netanyahu address Israelis before he goes to the U.S..

Based on Monday's speech, the prime minister does not appear to be planning any retreat from previous positions, and may even have toughened his stance somewhat, although this is arguable.

By and large, the speech does not depart from the one he delivered at Bar Ilan University in June 2009. In that speech as in the latest one, Netanyahu said that a PA state would be demilitarized, and that Israel would require security arrangements in a peace treaty. He also said that Jerusalem would remain united as Israel’s capital and that Arab refugees would be resettled outside Israel.

The condition added by Netanyahu in this speech is Israel’s retention of the large settlement blocs. In the Bar Ilan speech, Netanyahu said that the territorial issues would be determined in negotiations and that until then, Israel would not be building new settlements or expropriating land in Judea and Samaria.

In Monday’s speech he was less defensive and more confident on this issue, raising the ante and announcing that Israel would insist on keeping the large settlement blocs in its possession.

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Why Israel Needs Defensible Borders...

2011-05-15T20:02:00.000-04:00

Arab lies intensify as they show their true colors with their uprisings. And the world looks on and condones their violent actions and spreads their lies as though they were truth.
Arise, Lord, confront Your enemies...for those who speak against Your people, speak against You. Show Yourself strong on behalf of Israel that the world might see and repent and come to know the One True God. For this is Your heart...

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

The Real Nakba:Jewish Refugees from Arab Lands!

2011-05-15T14:34:00.001-04:00

y Chana Ya'ar Ayalon: Remember the Real Nakba

Arabs across Israel spent this weekend protesting the “nakba” – catastrophe, in Arabic – of the re-establishment of the State of Israel, the 63rd anniversary of which is May 15. Israel celebrates the event on its Hebrew date, which this year was early last week.

Nevertheless, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon issued a statement Sunday calling on the public to remember what he called the “real nakba” – that of Jewish refugees from Arab lands.

“Today, as the Palestinians and their supporters commemorate their so-called 'Nakba' it is imperative that the catastrophe that befell the Jews from Arab lands be remembered and recognized,” Ayalon said.

“While the Arabs in 1948 were involved in hostilities against the Jews, the Jews of the Middle East and North Africa were not present in any theatre of war, yet overnight their citizenship was revoked, their assets stolen and they were expelled or forced to flee,” he noted.

Ayalon said he is making the issue a central point within the Foreign Ministry and believes it should be added to any future negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.

“In any future agreement with the Palestinians, the issue of the Jewish refugees should be recognized and those who fled, and their descendants, ought to receive redress,” Ayalon said.

“This issue has been recognized by United Nations resolutions, peace agreements with our neighbors, in the U.S. Congress and the Knesset. The Palestinian refugee narrative has been allowed to stand uncontested, too few people know about the real “Nakba” that saw the dispossession of almost a million Jews – and it is about time for this to change.”

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Palestinians: Prepare for 3rd Intifada

2011-05-13T13:14:00.002-04:00

[quote from article]
According to the organizers, the event will consist of four stages – the first is a "sit-down strike" that will begin on Sunday, during which Palestinian refugees from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, the West Bank and Gaza will gather in locations nearest to the border with Israel. These strikes will continue as long as necessary – and may last up to several weeks and even months.

The second phase is dubbed "the advance," in which refugees will proceed peacefully toward the border, as much as they are allowed. In the third phase, referred to as "crossing," the refugees will cross the border and respond in restraint to any attempt to crack-down on the procession.

The fourth and final stage will begin when each refugee reaches their original place of residence, or the nearest location to it, at which time a second sit-down strike resume, until they are allowed to return to their plot of land.
[end quote]

This article contains many details of the plans for the Palestinian stages of protest, and much more.

Full story
here

They insist that although they are peaceful, their intent is clear...it is to move back to "their" land. Israel must not let that happen. Perhaps the Palestinians are pushing Israel - forcing Israel to move against them. Then, the Palestinians could use that as their springboard to launch a major war on Israeli soil.

It is bad enough when your neighbors try to force you aside because they want to move in with you, but it is quite another thing to hear them say they must kill you before they move in. If Israel is forced to defend her land, and if violence erupts with women and children caught in the crossfire, then the international community will accuse Israel of heinous crimes against humanity.

The good news in all of this is that the God of Israel has already won the victory!

Don

What's Edom Got To Do With It?

2011-05-10T13:01:00.000-04:00

I did it, too...
Whenever I ran into a word in the Bible that I did not understand . . . then I just skipped over it.

About fifteen years ago I visited Israel because my daughter and my grandchildren lived in Jerusalem.

That was the last time I just "skipped" over things in the Bible that I did not understand.

Wow! That has made a huge difference in understanding the END TIME scenario.

Now, I purposefully look up these words and research them

I noticed something: every nation that Jesus will fight against when He returns is a Muslim nation.

Every country that surrounds Israel is a Muslim nation: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey, not to mention Iraq and Iran.

Even Gog and Magog (that we were previously told by U.S. "scholars" was Russia) were regions in Eastern Turkey!

Forget about the European Union and the papacy being enemies of the Muslim nations.

If you really want to understand the END TIMES, then read Isaiah 63:1-6, Habakkuk 3:1-7, and Revelation 19. Just for your information: it is approximately 180 miles from Haifa to Petra!

Jesus is not coming back as the Sunday School Jesus, all meek and mild. The first time He came here He came as a baby in a manger.

The next time Jesus comes, He will be "The Lord of Heaven's Armies" (YHWH tseba' oth). And it is possible that many people sitting in the pews will not even know who He is. They are expecting Him to land on the Mt. of Olives. Oh, He will stand on the Mt. of Olives all right, but He is coming from Edom, and more specifically from Bozrah!

Where is Edom and Bozrah?

Edom is modern Jordan, and Bozrah is a city in that nation which is now named Bouseira, very near Petra (a well-visited tourist spot near Saudia Arabia), which is also in Jordan.

He will have blood spattered all over his white uniform (Rev. 19:13 and Isaiah 63:1). Why is He spattered with blood? Because He will be a Mighty Warrior (another truth the Sunday School crowd finds difficult to believe).

"Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with His clothing stained red? Who is this in ROYAL ROBES, marching in His great strength?"

Who wears ROYAL ROBES except the Lord Jesus Christ? Who MARCHES IN GREAT STRENGTH except Jesus?

Then He answers His rhetorical question: "It is I, THE LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, THE LORD, who has the power to save."

This is not complicated, folks. He spells it out for us. There is only one person who has the power to save, and it is the Lord Jesus Christ!

"Why are your clothes (uniform) so red, as if you have been treading out grapes?"

Get the picture? A man in a white uniform in a pool of grapes. What would he look like after just the first few minutes squishing out the grapes? Now you have the picture in your mind of Jesus as He makes His way from Saudia Arabia and Jordan to the Mt. of Olives in Jerusalem, Israel.

"I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help Me. In My anger I have trampled My enemies as if they were grapes. In My fury I have trampled My foes. Their blood has stained My clothes. For the time has come for Me to avenge My people (the Jews), and to ransom them from their oppressors (Arab Muslims). I was amazed (even Jesus is amazed by the cowardice of the Gentiles) to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So I Myself stepped in (from outer space: heaven) to save them with My strong arm, and My wrath sustained Me (an angry God? an angry Jesus?---and here all this time He was(like)Santa Clause). I crushed the nations in My anger and made them stagger and fall to the ground, spilling their blood upon the earth."

Why is God so angry? The answer is very simple:

Out of all the nations on the earth, He picked Israel as His prize possession. When nations of the world killed, attacked, kidnapped, tortured, and beheaded Jewish people for centuries . . . God finally blows His top.

Can you blame Him?

Oh, there is much, much more in Habakkuk chapter 3. Read it for yourself.

The King is actually coming . . . even if it is just a little different than what we learned in Sunday School. Too bad that we did not actually study our Bibles all those years. But the good news is that some of us are actually opening them now at the END OF TIME and learning something.

This is exciting news, folks, because those of us who are true believers will have indestructable bodies by then and we will be mighty warriors in an army led by Jesus Christ himself!

Israel means "God Prevails" and is mentioned 2,576 times in the Bible.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon have a combined population of 249 million. Israel's population is 7.5 million. These Muslim nations have 33 times more people than Israel. But somehow Israel continues to survive. God does "prevail"!

Wesley Smith
End Time Truth Blog:http://www.weseds.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.FLC7.com
asimplewitness.com

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Song ~ Prayer for Israel from Psalm 83

2011-05-09T14:59:00.000-04:00

Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua

Modern Day Names In Psalm 83 Prophecy

2011-05-08T20:41:00.001-04:00

This post is an addition to my previous posting titled,"May 15th Invasion Of Israel?" - also referred to as The Third Intifada. We could be very close to seeing fulfillment of the Psalm 83 prophecy, as well as other related prophecies.

As watchmen, we must be able to relate the names in current events to those names spoken of in Scripture. I thought it might be useful to review the nations/peoples involved in the Psalm 83 prophecy, and identify them using modern day names.

Psalm 83
1 O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”

5 With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.

9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession
of the pasturelands of God.”

13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, LORD,
so that they will seek your name.

17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Edom = Jordan
The Ishmmaelites = Jordan
Moab = Jordan
Ammon = Jordan
Hagrites = Syria
Gebal/Byblos = Lebanon
Tyre = Lebanon
Assyria = Northern Iraq/ Aram, but really all over the "Near East"
Philistia = Gaza
Descendants of Lot = Jordan
Amalekites = Israel's southern Desert

Now...imagine the Palestinians who are already there in Israel marching toward the borders of Israel to meet the others outside Israel. Also, much of Jordan's population is Palestinian.

Their planned event beginning May 15th will result in all of Israel being surrounded by her enemies. The total numbers involved could be millions attempting to overwhelm Israel. To me, it certainly has all the earmarks of prophecy being fulfilled. Don't you think so?

Don

May 15th Invasion Of Israel?

2011-05-07T23:20:00.003-04:00

There has been very little in the printed or spoken media about the up-coming planned "peaceful" invasion into Israel. The event has the potential of having very serious consequences - for it is not likely to remain peaceful for long.

Beginning only eight days from now, Israel's enemies in huge numbers are planning to surround Israel by land and sea - with intentions to march over the boarder and take the land. Can you say, "the beginnings of Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 - with perhaps Gog/Magog (Ezekiel 38/39) following close behind?"

Most people don't have a clue about what could be happening right before our eyes.

The invaders are dead serious about carrying out their plan. The magnitude of their brutal hatred for Israel is beyond our understanding. If rioting should happen, or if armed conflict erupted, those things could provide the sparks for igniting a major blood bath on Israeli soil - or worse.

Something tells me it will not be a simple peaceful gathering on Israel's boarders. The invaders will be going for it all. If Israel is pushed beyond their limit, they will have to retailate, and it could be devastating.

Events of God's end-time plan are unfolding rapidly just as the Scriptures promised would happen. We must pray for the peace and safety of Jerusalem in the face of growing threats, and for the salvation of the Jewish people.

Don