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.

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.

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.”

ROUND AND ROUND

Frankly, as a young boy I found the childhood song and game “The Mulberry Bush” quite entertaining. It dealt with many of the major issues of my life at that time…how we do our chores, wash our clothes, wash our face, get dressed up, etc.

Now that I am an adult it is time to stop playing this game, yet World Leaders seem intent on sticking with it. We are dealing with incredibly complicated issues as if they were child’s play.

One of huge issues that is at the epicenter of world conflict is the Jewish settlement issue in what is described by the World Community as “disputed territory”. This is the area of Israel also referred to as the West Bank.

In a March 2013 speech delivered in Jerusalem, President Obama urged Israelis to “recognize that continued settlement activity is counterproductive to the cause of peace.” I could not disagree more. This statement presumes that stopping settlements is the solution to lasting peace. Where is the evidence that keeping Jews from settling in their biblically Promised Land brings peace? After so many land concessions that Israel has already granted where is the promised peace?

The foregone conclusion of the majority of the United Nations leadership is that Israel must concede land for peace. The so-called “Two-State Solution” is bantered about as if it is the ONLY solution, yet this discredited approach ignores 65 years of well-documented history. Many land concessions have produced only temporary peace. The world community simply pretends that the prevailing view among Arabs and Persians of the Middle East does not exist. The simple fact is that until now the only acceptable Palestine is one where there is no Jewish State. While calling for a two-state solution, Islamists believe in a “One-State Solution”, a Palestine free of any Judeo/Christian presence.

Secretary of State John Kerry recently stated: “I can guarantee you that I am committed to this because I believe the window for a two-state solution is shutting, I think we have some period of time over the next year or two years or it’s over.” From his mouth to God’s ears. I hope he is right. This kind of “Divide the Land” approach will never work. There is simple no way for Israel to have secure borders with the plans now on the table.

The Times of Israel revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and his aide Yitzhak Molcho recently held a series of secret talks with senior Palestinian Liberation Organization official Yasser Abed Rabbo designed to restart peace talks.  These talks, like so many others failed, with the Palestinian negotiator demanding that Israel commit to negotiating on the basis of the pre-1967 lines and that Israel halt all settlement activity as a precondition for resuming peace talks. PM Netanyahu has rightly maintained that settlement construction is among the issues to be discussed at the negotiating table, not a as pre-condition to negotiations.  Several other final-status issues such as Jerusalem, Palestinian refugee “right-of-return”, borders and security must also be negotiated at the table, but heretofore, the Palestinian representatives steadfastly demand that these issues be pre-conditions to any negotiations. So here we go again…round and round.

It is time for “grown up” negotiations. No more trips round and round.

I have little hope “the powers that be” will change their approach, but I can always hope in God’s divine intervention.

So I pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

CUT THE BABY IN TWO

Today is “Jerusalem Day” according to the Jewish calendar . “Yom Yerushalayim”, also known as “Jerusalem Day”, commemorates Jerusalem's reunification in 1967. After Israel declared its independence in 1948, it was attacked by the neighboring Arab countries, resulting in the Arab-Israeli War. At the end of this war, the city of Jerusalem was divided with Israeli forces controlling much of the city, but East Jerusalem, including the “Old City” was controlled by Jordanian forces. The Old City is critically important for strategic and religious reasons. Many sites of significant religious importance are in this part of the city. These include: the Dome of the Rock, the al-Asqa Mosque, the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Upper Room and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to name a few. Jews were subsequently banned from praying at their most holy site, the Western Wall.

From 1948-1967 Israel was repeatedly attacked by its surrounding Arab neighbors and endured almost constant terrorist attacks within. Tensions continued to grow and by June 6, 1967 Israel had had enough and launched the 6-Day War. The next day, June 7^th, Israeli forces captured the Old City of Jerusalem. This resulted in the reunification of Jerusalem as part of Israel. Ever since, the constant drumbeat from the Arab States, the United Nations and much of the Western World is that Israel must cede East Jerusalem to the Palestinians who want it as the capital of their own State.

The world wants to DIVIDE THE HOLY CITY AGAIN!

Nothing is more shocking than when a mother purposely harms her own child. In the biblical story in 1 Kings where two mothers claim the same child, King Solomon proposed a simple solution: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” Only the one with questionable motives would want to bring disastrous harm by agreeing: “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!” Not only a teachable moment for the people of God in that generation, this story sheds light on difficult decisions for this generation.

At this very moment there are those who propose to divide the Holy City in two. Jerusalem is a bustling metroplex that serves as a focal point for billions of religious people around the globe. It is the historic and contemporary capital of Israel, a tourist destination for millions of visitors and a place where over a million residents carry forth their daily lives. In other words, it is a city full of life.

Like a precious child of this planet, Jerusalem must be protected, nurtured and helped, but never divided. While it is complicated to gather such diversity and conflict into one united city, it actually does work. The Old City is a microcosm of the modern metro area of Greater Jerusalem. There, crammed into ancient walls, people from significantly different religious persuasions and cultures find a way to live, be civil, do business, raise families, laugh, play, work…they do life… together.

A house divided cannot stand, nor can a city. While blissful unity seems like an impossible dream, Jerusalem must remain united as one city forever. We cannot cut the baby in two.

So again we arrive to the only real hope of success, on this special day and every day that follows, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.