Prime Minister Netanyahu leaves Thursday night for the United States to deliver a speech before both houses of Congress. Earlier that day, US President Obama has chosen to himself give a speech with a portion devoted to Israel, the Palestinians, and peace talks. According to a draft of the speech obtained by the Israeli paper Yedioth Ahronoth, the speech will demand that the PA recognize Israel as a Jewish state and abandon terror. However, it is also expected to call on Israel to halt all "settlement" activity (the President has repeatedly expressed his conviction that these are illegal), and to move in the direction of returning to the 1967 borders.
We hope that this last will not be verbalized in the President's speech. We must say here that we believe a reversion to those borders to be impossible. Those borders enclosing land claimed by Jordan between 1948 and 1967 included Judea and Samaria and ALL of the historic "Old City" of Jerusalem. Between those years, the Muslim inhabitants, having expelled all the Jews, destroyed over 30 synagogues, desecrated the Jewish holy sites and burial places, nor allowed any Jews access to any of the sites, such as the Western Wall, not to mention the Temple Mount for eighteen years (Forever, had not the war broken out). The present Palestinian leaders have repeatedly expressed their similar intentions of having no Jewish presence in any future Palestinian state. Chillingly, the world, in its coercion of Israel to allow establishment of this state, may be, wittingly or no, participating in reestablishment of a Judenfrei region in the Holy Land (Judenfrei ("free of Jews") was the Nazi term designating an area made and kept free of Jews during The Holocaust. It is also ironic that those Jews presently living in Judea and Samaria, seen by much of the world as "occupiers" of land stolen as "occupiers" of stolen land, are in fact living on land to which they were granted legal right internationally by a resolution made by the Supreme Council of Allied Powers at San Remo Italy on April 25, 1920. The resolution was later ratified unanimously into Law on July 24, 1922 by the League of Nations, laying down legal right for Jewish settlement anywhere in the area between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea (We will write more on this crucial, yet little-known, conference in future Updates, but we would encourage our readers to become acquainted with it by visiting the website of the European Coalition for Israel www.ec4i.org and selecting "San Remo Resources". Another helpful article is a press release to the 90th Anniversary Conference last year http://www.mythsandfacts.org/article_view.asp?articleID=175 ).
PLEASE PRAY:
*That God will steer Israel through the narrowing straits towards the opening of the General Assembly at the UN on September 19 when the Palestinian leaders have declared their intention of declaring unilaterally a state in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. That our leaders will humble themselves and seek God for counsel-or at least receive counsel from one who has sought Him. "For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You" (II Chronicles 20:12).
*That God will inform both President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu in what they are to say in these critical speeches at the end of this week-and that they will hear and respond positively to His promptings.
*That governmental leaders in Washington, especially those present at the joint congressional assembly will weigh the words they hear and respond positively to what is true and of integrity.
*Courage and protection in body, soul and spirit for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sara. That they warm to the presence of the Holy Spirit as they are being supported in prayers from around the world.
portions taken from Israel prayer update
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
May 15, 2011 Events in the Land
This past Sunday was what Palestinians and much of the Muslim world call Naqba-"Catastrophe". May 15th is the day according to the Gregorian calendar when in 1948 Israel became an internationally recognized nation. That was also the day on which seven Arab armies mobilized for the purposes of snuffing out the infant nation. It has come to be a perennial day for demonstrations, often violent, against Israel's existence, and against its refusal to repatriate the thousands of Arabs who fled into surrounding nations and territories during the conflict which ensued. We wish first of all to thank God for all who prayed for Israel during the weeks leading up to and through this day. In the event, things were certainly not so severe as it was feared they might have been. Still, it was a day of demonstration, riot and violence on a number of fronts. In Tel Aviv an Israeli Arab truck driver rampaged through the streets crashing into cars and a bus, wounding a number of people and killing an Israeli pedestrian. There were riots along the border in Gaza, and in Israel in parts of Jerusalem, resulting in the death of a youth in Silwan. In the north, thousands massed on the borders of Syria outside the Golan Heights and many thousands more were bussed from refugee camps in Lebanon to demonstrate on the Israeli border. On the Syrian front, several hundred managed to illegally break through the border and briefly occupy part of a Druze village; at least three were reported killed there, while across the border in Lebanon as many as ten were killed. As the crowds were approaching the border of Lebanon the Israelis were given orders to fire at the legs of those who would not stop. At the same time the South Lebanese army was filmed firing in the air over the crowds; the officers of the Northern Command issued a statement later strongly suggesting the likelihood that it was shots from the Lebanese army which caused the fatalities. Israel has submitted a formal complaint to the UN Security Council against both Syria and Lebanon for breach of UNSC resolutions and breaking international law. It is strongly suspected that the incursions from Syria were stoked by that government to draw world attention away from the slaughter which has been going on in recent weeks as government forces there have attempted to squelch riots of Syrian citizens against that despotic regime. In the end, by the end of the day, the violence had been quelled, and the demonstrators withdrew. Nor were there signs of any beginning of a "3rd Intifada" as had been urged over Internet and Facebook.
On Monday Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered an address at the opening of the Knesset's summer session in which he pointed out that for all the calls both within the Palestinian Authority and in nations around the world for Israel to return to the 1967 borders, the present conflict was "not a conflict on 1967 but a conflict on 1948, and on the right of Israel to exist. You must have noticed that yesterday's events did not take place on June 5, the day the Six Day War erupted, they took place on May 15, the day the State of Israel was established." The Prime Minister went on to comment on the recent "reconciliation" between Fatah and Hamas, "A Palestinian government half of which is comprised of those who declare their willingness to destroy the State of Israel on a daily basis is not a partner for peace. Anyone who says 'one makes peace with one's enemies' must add 'one makes peace with an enemy who has decided to make peace.'" Although Netanyahu has given lip-service to establishment of a Palestinian state, his stipulations for such are such that as of yet the Palestinians have given no indication of accepting-* That they recognize Israel as a nation-state of Jews; * That a peace agreement with Palestinians will bring to an end future claims on the land; *That there be no "right of return" for Palestinian refugees; * That with any future state there must be an Israeli military security presence along the Jordan Valley; * That in any future scenario large pre-existing settlement blocks in Judea and Samaria will remain part of Israel; *That Jerusalem will remain the undivided capital of Israel.
On Monday Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered an address at the opening of the Knesset's summer session in which he pointed out that for all the calls both within the Palestinian Authority and in nations around the world for Israel to return to the 1967 borders, the present conflict was "not a conflict on 1967 but a conflict on 1948, and on the right of Israel to exist. You must have noticed that yesterday's events did not take place on June 5, the day the Six Day War erupted, they took place on May 15, the day the State of Israel was established." The Prime Minister went on to comment on the recent "reconciliation" between Fatah and Hamas, "A Palestinian government half of which is comprised of those who declare their willingness to destroy the State of Israel on a daily basis is not a partner for peace. Anyone who says 'one makes peace with one's enemies' must add 'one makes peace with an enemy who has decided to make peace.'" Although Netanyahu has given lip-service to establishment of a Palestinian state, his stipulations for such are such that as of yet the Palestinians have given no indication of accepting-* That they recognize Israel as a nation-state of Jews; * That a peace agreement with Palestinians will bring to an end future claims on the land; *That there be no "right of return" for Palestinian refugees; * That with any future state there must be an Israeli military security presence along the Jordan Valley; * That in any future scenario large pre-existing settlement blocks in Judea and Samaria will remain part of Israel; *That Jerusalem will remain the undivided capital of Israel.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Prayer Guide
Restoration and Healing:
"And they shall rebuild the old ruins,they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations." Isaiah 61:4
Pray:
-for reconciliation between the Christian and Jewish people, as well as the offspring of Ishmael and Issac.
-that Christ's love will shine in the Middle East, and bring healing to all the inhabitants of the region.
-that the youth of both the Jewish and Arab communities would know the peace and joy that only the God of Abraham,Isaac and Jacob can give in their times of uncertainty.
-that God would replace any bitterness with His unfailing love and comfort.
Godly Alliances
Pray:
-For God to raise up, increase, and embolden the Christian "watchmen" of each nation, in actions, words, and prayer.
-for Christian watchmen to remain vigilant and stay informed of the current situation, engaging in intercession and sounding the alarm to all men.
-for nations to support the Biblical purposes God has prepared for Jerusalem and the redemptive purposes He has pre-ordained for the descendents of both Isaac and Ishmael.
-that America would honor God in its dealings with this strategic land and city.
"And they shall rebuild the old ruins,they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations." Isaiah 61:4
Pray:
-for reconciliation between the Christian and Jewish people, as well as the offspring of Ishmael and Issac.
-that Christ's love will shine in the Middle East, and bring healing to all the inhabitants of the region.
-that the youth of both the Jewish and Arab communities would know the peace and joy that only the God of Abraham,Isaac and Jacob can give in their times of uncertainty.
-that God would replace any bitterness with His unfailing love and comfort.
Godly Alliances
Pray:
-For God to raise up, increase, and embolden the Christian "watchmen" of each nation, in actions, words, and prayer.
-for Christian watchmen to remain vigilant and stay informed of the current situation, engaging in intercession and sounding the alarm to all men.
-for nations to support the Biblical purposes God has prepared for Jerusalem and the redemptive purposes He has pre-ordained for the descendents of both Isaac and Ishmael.
-that America would honor God in its dealings with this strategic land and city.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Yom Ha-Sho'ah
Today (Monday) is Yom haSho'ah-Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. Ceremonies began yesterday evening, and at 10:00 this morning a siren wailed for two minutes throughout Israel. Traffic came to a halt; in city streets and out on the highways Jews emerged from their cars to stand silently. It lasts for two minutes, calling to remembrance the horror which some 75 years ago arose, seeking the extermination of the Jewish race. The Hebrew word for "Holocaust" is 'Sho'ah' (Capitalized, when transliterated). It means catastrophe, calamity, devastation, ruin, desolation. The word appears several times in the Scriptures; in Ps 35:8 and 63:10 it is the destruction which the Psalmist's enemies wish to bring upon his soul, but into which, he trusts in the LORD, they themselves will fall; in Isaiah 47:11 it is "desolation which shall come upon suddenly" upon the "virgin daughter of Babylon" who has trusted in her wickedness, whose wisdom and knowledge have warped her (vs. 47:10).
The birth of Israel as a "Jewish State" provided a haven for the survivors of the "Sho'ah", a home and bastion for their descendants, hopefully against such an evil ever rising again. Indeed, the slogan "Never again!" has been passed from generation to generation since then. Much has been done with the establishment of museums and many books and programs in the belief that "education" and 'being informed" is the best defense against something like it ever recurring. Yet, we feel compelled to mention that those nations most at the heart of the ideology which spawned the Holocaust in the 1930's had been considered for over 400 years the center of Western civilized education and culture. One thing we should have learned through it all is that Education alone will never of itself stem a rising tide of evil.
Might there be another Sho'ah? Certainly the evil one would like for there to be. He realizes, with the establishment and growth of this nation (perhaps now especially with the awakening of a Messianic remnant in the Land), that God's holy latter-day purposes for His ancient people are not yet fulfilled-that they are, in fact, on course. And so we see again a rising anti-Semitism-although it now, under the moniker "anti-Zionism", finds its focus more on the nation itself. It is sobering that this same word "sho'ah" is used in Ezekiel 38:9 (here translated 'storm'), "You will ascend (an alliance led by Gog, the Prince of Rosh), coming like a storm, covering the land (of Israel) like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you." In that ultimate battle, the LORD will intervene in wrath against the aggressors. But there may be other assaults against Jacob's physical race, both outside of and against Israel before that one finally takes place.
This week, as Israel pauses to ponder a great darkness which singled out her most recent ancestors for destruction-while at the same time casting an uneasy eye towards a quickly clouding future-
PLEASE PRAY:
*For revelation that the Word of the LORD in Jeremiah 29:11 is still alive and ringing, specifically and first of all for His people Israel- "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
*For a massive awakening of desire in Israel to put her trust in the LORD rather than in her leaders and military strength (Psalm 118:8-9; 33:16-17).
*For the estimated 208,000 elderly Holocaust survivors living in Israel today. These have often, because of what they have experienced and seen, been bound by the accuser into a hardened darkness, Pray that the true Light which pierces the deepest darkness (John 1:5,9) will shine into their hearts-drawing them in Love to a life in which they have long since ceased to believe.
*For a breaking in Israel of any 'identity' related to the extent of our persecution in the past. Pray that while learning what we can from the past, we will begin to focus more on the future-and what God's Word tells us about it.
*Psalm 25:22: "Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles."
The birth of Israel as a "Jewish State" provided a haven for the survivors of the "Sho'ah", a home and bastion for their descendants, hopefully against such an evil ever rising again. Indeed, the slogan "Never again!" has been passed from generation to generation since then. Much has been done with the establishment of museums and many books and programs in the belief that "education" and 'being informed" is the best defense against something like it ever recurring. Yet, we feel compelled to mention that those nations most at the heart of the ideology which spawned the Holocaust in the 1930's had been considered for over 400 years the center of Western civilized education and culture. One thing we should have learned through it all is that Education alone will never of itself stem a rising tide of evil.
Might there be another Sho'ah? Certainly the evil one would like for there to be. He realizes, with the establishment and growth of this nation (perhaps now especially with the awakening of a Messianic remnant in the Land), that God's holy latter-day purposes for His ancient people are not yet fulfilled-that they are, in fact, on course. And so we see again a rising anti-Semitism-although it now, under the moniker "anti-Zionism", finds its focus more on the nation itself. It is sobering that this same word "sho'ah" is used in Ezekiel 38:9 (here translated 'storm'), "You will ascend (an alliance led by Gog, the Prince of Rosh), coming like a storm, covering the land (of Israel) like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you." In that ultimate battle, the LORD will intervene in wrath against the aggressors. But there may be other assaults against Jacob's physical race, both outside of and against Israel before that one finally takes place.
This week, as Israel pauses to ponder a great darkness which singled out her most recent ancestors for destruction-while at the same time casting an uneasy eye towards a quickly clouding future-
PLEASE PRAY:
*For revelation that the Word of the LORD in Jeremiah 29:11 is still alive and ringing, specifically and first of all for His people Israel- "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
*For a massive awakening of desire in Israel to put her trust in the LORD rather than in her leaders and military strength (Psalm 118:8-9; 33:16-17).
*For the estimated 208,000 elderly Holocaust survivors living in Israel today. These have often, because of what they have experienced and seen, been bound by the accuser into a hardened darkness, Pray that the true Light which pierces the deepest darkness (John 1:5,9) will shine into their hearts-drawing them in Love to a life in which they have long since ceased to believe.
*For a breaking in Israel of any 'identity' related to the extent of our persecution in the past. Pray that while learning what we can from the past, we will begin to focus more on the future-and what God's Word tells us about it.
*Psalm 25:22: "Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles."
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