Tuesday, July 16, 2013

EARTHQUAKE IN ISRAEL


No, it has not yet occurred, but will begin this next Friday, July 18, 2013. How can an earthquake be so definitively predicted? Because this is not an earthquake that will begin underground, rather, it already began in Brussels, Belgium on June 30, 2013 when the European Union sent out a binding directive to all 28 of its member states.

Yesterday morning HAARETZ reported: ‘The European Union (EU) has published a guideline for all 28 member states forbidding any funding, cooperation, awarding of scholarships, research funds or prizes to anyone residing in the Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The regulation, which goes into effect on Friday, requires that any agreement or contract signed by an EU country with Israel include a clause stating that the settlements are not part of the State of Israel and therefore are not part of the agreement.”

The JERUSALEM POST reports: “The new directive, initiated in December by the EU foreign ministers, is ‘in conformity with the EU’s longstanding position that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and with the non-recognition by the EU of Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied territories, irrespective of their legal status under domestic Israeli law’.”
It is further reported in several media venues that a senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the new ruling as an “earthquake”.
So Israel must not only endure almost constant rocket attacks from its neighbors, unrest in all of its border states and now an “earthquake” in the form of directives by 28 nations in Europe on how it conducts its internal affairs within its own borders.
Make no mistake, the EU, along with the United Nations, will not stop its efforts to divide Jerusalem and force Israel into borders that are absolutely impossible to defend. This is dangerous incrementalism that foreshadows much more ominous things planned by world authorities.
Israel cannot allow those who do not live the Jewish experience of history dictate its future.
Pray for the undivided peace of Jerusalem.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

THE SHOE HAS DROPPED


When I wrote about Egypt’s precarious situation just three days ago it was unclear how the future of Dr. Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood dominated administration would unfold. Now we know, Mohamed Morsi has been removed as president of Egypt. After 80 years of military dictatorships Egypt seemed ready for democracy when Hosni Mubarak was removed as dictator. Perhaps it still is. Though the military has unilaterally acted to remove Morsi, it seems on the surface that they are prepared to hand power back to a duly elected government. We shall see.

From the beginning of Dr. Morsi’s administration there have been deep concerns about everything from the legitimacy of his election to his strong leaning to the goals of the Islamic Brotherhood. We should be clear here, Dr. Morsi was not only elected with the help of the Muslim Brotherhood, he is an integral part and advocate of the Muslim Brotherhood ideals. He IS the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood holds to a strict-conservative interpretation of the Koran and promotes the concept of a “Jihadist Process”. They are strictly opposed to the State of Israel.

Some choice comments of the former Egyptian president include:

“We must never forget brothers, to nurse our children and our grandchildren on hatred for Jews and Zionists.”

He described Zionists as “these bloodsuckers who attack the Palestinians” and as “these warmongers, the descendants of apes and pigs.”

“Who is our enemy? The Zionists. Who occupies our land? The Zionists. Who hates us? The Zionists. Who destroys our lands? The Zionists,”

There were many more, but these should suffice to show his anti-Semitic views and long-term goals. Now he is no longer in a strong position to move Egypt into further Islamic radicalization, but make no mistake, there are millions more like him in that nation and throughout the Middle East.

Today, a Coptic Christian priest was killed. This is only the latest attack against Christians in Egypt. At least 29 Christians have been killed since Morsi took office and over 100,000 mostly Coptic Christians have fled Egypt since March 2011.

The Islamists continue to attack Jews and Christians alike throughout the world. While there are many things that divide Jews and Christians, they are being forced into greater cooperation in ways unimaginable even just 20 years ago.

Whether people around the world like it or not, the frontline of Western Civilization is Jerusalem. A holy war of hatred is being waged and the Islamists have chosen their enemies and where this war must be fought. Why are there conflicts in every nation that borders Israel? Is that simply coincidental? Hardly. While terrorist attacks from Boston to London to Indonesia will no doubt continue, the frontline will continue to be the Holy City.

Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini was reported by the Associated Press on November 5, 1979, to have stated: “the great Satan, America.” The origin of the title: “Little Satan” was cited in print when Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said “Israel is the little Satan” in a July 1980 interview. 


So in the vernacular and actions of the Islamists, America is the Great Satan (although it is sometimes used to describe Great Britain) and Israel is the Little Satan. We must not fall into the trap of diversion from the actual goal of Islamists, the destruction of the Jewish State (Little Satan) and America (the Great Satan), with all of western civilization to soon follow.

While the temporary battle line is Cairo, the frontline is Jerusalem. So we must continue to pray and act for the peace of Jerusalem.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

MAY THE ANCHOR HOLD


In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated: “Like everybody, we are watching very carefully what’s happening in Egypt...remember that for 30 years now we have had an anchor of peace and stability in the Middle East, and that was the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. We hope that peace will be kept.”

“An anchor of peace and stability.” Dropping anchor is a safety protocol often used by sailors during a storm, especially in shallow waters. The temporary mooring offers stability and control until the storm has passed. However, if the anchor does not hold the possibility of grounding on a rocky seabed or shoreline is a mortal danger.

This is the eminent threat Israel faces at this very moment. A war in Syria rages to its northeast. Hezbollah is threatening attacks from its north. Israel’s southwestern border is continually fired upon from Hamas terrorists in Gaza and troublesome rumblings are occurring in Jordan, its only peaceful neighbor to its east. Now Egypt is again erupting in violent protests.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, is a strong supporter of the anti-Israel Muslim Brotherhood who helped elect him into office.  Since his election he has been indifferent toward Israel, but has been surprisingly pragmatic, allowing limited military cooperation to continue and brokering a tenuous cease-fire between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the Egyptian military has recently cracked down on arms smuggling into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. These are very positive signs of cooperation that have relieved some on the angst of Israeli citizens, particularly those along the southern border.

Now, the anchor may be coming loose. While many feel the instability in Egypt may mean a return to less influence by the Islamic Radicals, there is also the danger of even more instability as we have seen in Libya, Syria and Iraq. Many Jews and Christians have already been persecuted and now Muslims are also dying from increasing violence in the streets.

Now is a time for action from world governments that could moderate the situation. But more importantly, it is time for God’s people throughout the world to pray for peace in Egypt.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem through peace in Israel’s surrounding neighbors, especially Egypt. Remember, as the old hymn declares: “our anchor holds within the veil.”