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The Americans Push for an Arab State in the Heartland of Israel
The World Issue of Zionism
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Friday, April 17, 2009
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www.bibleinthenews.com Audio & Print versions
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George Mitchell, Barack Obama's personal envoy to the Middle East, has come to Israel with the message that the "Push for two-states begins now". The Americans are now officially pushing for an Arab state in the heartland of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital. Welcome to the Bible in the News.
Ynet news reported that: "Mitchell said his goal was to convince the Israeli leadership of the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state... The former senator said that this would be the focus of his efforts in the coming months." Mitchell is an interesting character. Due to his origins, he has been defined as Arab-American, although he also has Irish connections. It seems he is a Maronite Christian - the Maronite Christians are in communion with the Catholic Church. He holds a law degree from the Jesuit Georgetown University. Mitchell became famous for his role in the Northern Ireland peace process. In 2000 he was given the job of leading an American fact-finding commission into the Palestinian Arab Intifada. His report stressed the need for Israel to halt the expansion of its (so-called) illegal settlements and - try get your head around this - found no evidence that the Palestinian Authority had initiated a campaign of violence! Well now he is Barack Obama's personal envoy to the Middle East.The new Obama administration's Mid-East policy is becoming quite clear. As already discussed there is going to be tremendous pressure on Israel to accept a Palestinian Arab state within its borders. Not only this Obama wants simultaneous bilateral talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and between Israel and Syria. So there will be pressure on Israel to give up the strategic Golan Heights also. For Israel to give up two of its most strategic territorial assets to her enemies is absurd. The Golan is not only strategic high ground - from where the Galilee was relentlessly shelled by the Syrians prior to 1967 - it is also the watershed of the land of Israel. The West Bank is similar. What is the reason given that the Americans have decided to put pressure on Israel, to relinquish these assets? The Israeli left-wing Haaretz says: "The Obama administration believes that a breakthrough in the peace process between Israel and the Arab states would restrain Tehran's influence and contribute to the diplomatic effort to block Iran's nuclearization." In other words Israel is being asked to sell the farm in an effort to block Iran's nuclear weapons program. I would be very skeptical of any chance of this working. Especially when we remember that Israel forcibly removed the Jewish residents of Gaza in 2005 and relinquished the territory to the Arabs, who have made it a hotbed of terror and rocket fire on Israeli towns.
Meanwhile it seems Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted some of the pressure. Ynet news reports that: "It appears the coveted assurance from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States that the Israeli government will back the two state solution has failed to materialize." Mitchell will have more tricks up his sleeve however and he will bring intense pressure on Israel, with the backing of Europe and the Vatican. The next few months promise to be very interesting for watchers of Bible Prophecy. The Pope is scheduled to visit Israel in early May. Shortly after his last visit is when the last Intifada broke out. The UK Guardian paper at the time had the headline: "Pope fans flames of Palestinian resentment." We'll see what he has up his sleeve this visit. No doubt he will make some comments about the need to remove Jewish settlements or halt their expansion similar to Mitchell, which is of course a very racist policy! The Pope finds the development of religious Zionism very distasteful and will not be able to refrain from a few jabs. This is what we expect. Micah the prophet wrote: "Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion." When the nations see any holiness in Zion they which to defile it, to make it unholy, to make it profane. The Pope also feels this way, anything Biblical in Zion is a challenge to his own perceived holiness. Micah continues: "But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor." - Armageddon!
Well Zionism is certainly becoming a world issue and we can only expect it to gain momentum in the next few months. This is the controversy of Zion (Isaiah 34:8). The issue is again focusing on the West Bank - the Biblical area of Judea and Samaria, which was the stronghold of the ancient Jewish kingdom - and the religious Zionist settlers that life there today. It is exciting to see the growth of a Biblically based Zionism in the land of Israel. This is something that some students of Bible prophecy have been looking for, for years. I would like you to listen to this short segment from a class delivered in 1969 by the late Graham Pearce on this subject. The whole class is available on the Bible Magazine website in the audio section, this clip is taken from class four on the vials. Listen:
"So we have to see the development of policies... that will bring about a Christian Crusade against the land of Israel and the Jews. And this is a little puzzling if we look at the matter as we see it today, because one will immediately say: "But, well, the Jews in the land have no interest hardly in the true things of Israel, you couldn't say they have a Zion character today, they acknowledge the word of God, they take on the name Israel, but we have seen for ourselves they haven't any appreciation of the true things of Zion and the purpose of God". That's true. And therefore it leads one to see and think about the idea that there have to be developments in the land of Israel before this confederacy comes down. There is yet to be a time for divine education of Israel, before the coming down of the northerner upon the land. And because of this divine education that will take place after Christ is here and the saints have been raised, through this divine education there will have become a Zion Character about Israel, sufficient for the great issue to be joined, between the Gentiles - the Christian apostates and the nation of Israel in the controversy of Zion."
This is incredible when we consider the controversy of Zion today - in contrast to the sixties when Graham was speaking - when many people cheered as Israel won the 1967 war. Today we see all nations turning against Israel, even nations with which it is friendly, such as America. It is also thrilling when we see a growth of Biblical Zionism in the land of Israel. Today we are on the very doorstep of the coming of the Messiah, the king of Israel. Blessed is he that watcheth. Come back next week God Willing to www.bibleinthenews.com. This has been David Billington with you.
Printed: Friday, April 17, 2009
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