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Jerusalem & the West Bank: What Does the Future Hold?
A Bible believing Jew discusses his expectations with the editor of the Bible Magazine.
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March 6, 2008 - Audio, 17.00 MIN
(Links at bottom of page to download free viewers.)
Just as we publish Bible in the News this week, there has been a horrific terror attack in Jerusalem. The terror attack was a shooting attack in the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva, which is the most prestigious religious zionist education institution. This attack was perpetrated at the heart of Religious Zionism. Mercaz Harav was founded by the late Rabbi Yitzhak HaCohen Kook and led after his death by his son Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook. Rabbi Kook is known as the founder of Religious Zionist thought and his son Zvi Yehuda put his weight and energy behind the settlement movement in Judea and Samaria. It can be seen not just as a random terror attack, but a carefully chosen target, one that would effect the Religious Zionist community greatly, but the government of Israel is also warring against the Religious Zionist community and the settlement movement. A quote from Arthur Hertzberg's book, "The fate of Zionism", correctly sums up what would be Olmert's government's view of Religious Zionism: "It is... important within the Jewish community that modern Zionism not be identified as the heir and continuation of the messianic element of classic Jewish religion. If the Zionist endeavor is ever dominated by the notion that Jews have come back to Palestine as a giant step toward the coming of the messiah, there can be no peace within the Jewish camp." In the first report after the attack on the Jerusalem Post website, the Olmert government was already stating that this would not effect their "peace talks". To read about the hatred of the Catholic Church toward Zionism and even more so religious Zionism, see the latest Bible Magazine.
One witness said: "When we got in... we saw young, 15-, 16-year-old guys lying on the floor with their Bibles in their hands - all dead on the floor."

We reflect upon the words of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 30 verses 19-21:
"For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."

Let us cry unto the LORD for the peace of Jerusalem.

The Bible in the News this week features an audio interview held in Israel a few weeks ago. With talk of Jerusalem being divided and an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank, Bible Magazine editor Paul Billington spoke to a business man and columnist in the Old City, in order to obtain an on-the-spot view of these matters. (Interview only included in the audio edition.)

Join us again next week God willing, for more Bible in the News.



Bible in the News provides a weekly analysis of world politics and events
in the light of Bible prophecy — the Bible in the News!