"Don't be afraid! Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. O LORD, open his eyes so he may SEE!" (II Kings 6:16-17a.)
In recent years the goal of achieving a peaceful settlement between Israelis and Palestinian Arabs has been persistently held up by the United States as the most important key for unlocking peace throughout the Middle East. Beginning with the George W. Bush administration, the idea of "two independent democratic states side by side" became verbalized. Then the Obama administration went one step further in specifying that all negotiations regarding the proposed Palestinian State should begin at the so called "pre-'67 War borders" (i.e. the 1949 Armistice Lines). Most of the rest of the world has followed suit, claiming that the presence of any Jews across those lines constitutes illegal "occupation" by Israel. But if the Jewish Israelis and the Palestinian Arabs will only come together and form their two states, there will be a ripple effect which will somehow be the answer for bringing peace to the whole region.
But during the past two years, the uprisings across the Middle Eastern world—Libya, Turkey, especially the bloody storms presently raging in Egypt and Syria—have had nothing to do with the Palestinians. As a result, in recent months the American President has himself seemed to be rearranging his priorities—seeming, at least on the surface, to be distancing himself from so much emphasis upon a "Middle East Peace Process" centered in Israel.
Yet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry evidently thinks otherwise. It has been bewildering to Israelis, the way that Mr. Kerry has journeyed indefatigably past the storm clouds raging round us to visit our region an unprecedented six times since March, all in search of getting peace talks towards a 'two state solution' started again between Palestinians and Israel. Analysts here have commented repeatedly on the silence from the White House regarding Mr. Kerry's efforts—assuming that the President was waiting to see which way the wind blows before "entering the fray". Even the Washington Post editorialized:
The intense focus of Secretary of State John F. Kerry on the long-moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process when neighboring Egypt is collapsing into chaos and Syria's civil war rages unabated provokes more than a little head-scratching among diplomats from the middle East.Like previous US initiatives, Mr. Kerry's diplomacy ignores the powerful Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, opposes a peace deal and is capable of disrupting negotiations at any time by resuming missile attacks against Israel. Mr. Kerry banks on the support of Arab states, but two of Israel's Arab neighbors have no functioning government, while the other two-Jordan and Lebanon-have been all but overwhelmed by the spillover of refugees and fighting from Syria. (Quoted in: "Kerry set to make 6th Mideast visit next week amid doubts": The Jerusalem Post (JPOST.com) 12 JULY 2013 5:06 IST).
Yet a week ago, the Secretary was lauded as having scored a "major diplomatic victory", a "Mideast breakthrough" when he announced that he had finally succeeded in making a deal to bring about a resumption of talks. "Kerry Achieves Deal to Revive Mideast Talks" trumpeted The New York Times. Preliminary talks are to begin today (Monday) in Washington; the serious ones to get underway tomorrow.
Two days ago the price for such a deal began to come into focus. Among other things, once again it was Israel which was requested/required to come up with "confidence-building gestures" to coax the Palestinians to the negotiation table. Initially, these had included a demand for release of 82 pre-Oslo (1993) Palestinian prisoners but under adamant insistence of the Palestinians and consequent pressure from the Americans, the number was upped to 104. Yesterday, a bitterly divided government (with angry demonstrations against the measure in the streets outside) saw its cabinet vote 13-7 (with two abstentions) to free the prisoners. The plan is that they will not be released all at once, but in stages as progress is made in the talks.
At the demand of Mr. Bennett who heads a powerful party in the present government, the Prime Minister was forced to approve on Sunday a bill requiring a public referendum on any future peace deal with the Palestinians that would give up sovereign Israeli territory. This covers the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, but not the West Bank which has never been officially annexed by Israel. As Israel once again, and at a grave and cruel price, goes to the negotiating table regarding oversight of the Holy Land (Zechariah 2:12) promised to her Fathers and the question of co-existence with the "sojourners" presently occupying that land.
PLEASE PRAY:
*From II Chronicles 2:11-12: "Here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? 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!"
*Isaiah 54:13-14, 17:" 'All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me.' Says the LORD."
*That the LORD will "bring the counsel of the nations to nothing", that He will "make the plans of the peoples of no effect." (Psalm 33:10). That Prime Minister Netanyahu will be made aware and convicted of ways in which he has slipped—and raise His eyes continually to God who "plucks our feet from the net" (Psalm 25:15)—that he will humble himself and seek the counsels and heart of the LORD in leading this country, counsels which stand forever and to all generations (Psalm 33:11).
*We do not curse the Palestinian prisoners who are being slated for release. We pray that none will be released who would go back into a life of hatred and war against Israel. Pray that the Grace of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—the Light of the World which shines into the deepest darkness—will draw some of these murderers into a revelation of hope, life and salvation in the God whose people they have been taught to despise. Pray that the God of all comfort will minister grace and mercy and hope to those who have been bereaved at their hands.
portions taken from Israel prayer list
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