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Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu did not bow to pressure when recently
meeting with US President Barack Obama. Their White
House talks were tense, as both leaders clashed with
incompatible views regarding the creation of a
Palestinian state, and how to deal with the Iran nuclear
crisis. President Obama made the difference between his
and Mr. Netanyahu’s views clear when telling reporters
afterward that his government will push hard for the
birth of “Palestine”. The President is urging Mr.
Netanyahu to grab hold of this “historic opportunity”.
In the post-meeting press conference, Prime Minister
Netanyahu refused to publicly endorse the establishment
of a sovereign Palestinian state. At the same time, he
repeated his long-held view that Israel has no desire to
rule over millions of angry Arabs. The American
President patronized Mr. Netanyahu by saying he knew the
Israeli leader would eventually “rise to the occasion”.
In a rebuff of the Israeli Prime Minister, President
Obama took a jab at the Israeli leader, saying that Mr.
Netanyahu had been “very vocal in his concerns”
regarding Iran; but the President insisted that he will
not put a timetable on diplomatic efforts to halt
Tehran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. The message from
Washington to Israel is very clear: If you want
America’s help regarding Iran, then you must agree to
the establishment of Palestinian State.
Meanwhile, back in Israel… Deputy Prime Minister Shalom,
a political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
electrified Israeli Jews when he stated, “We [Israeli
Jewish community] disagree among ourselves on many
issues, but regarding Jerusalem, the overwhelming
majority agrees. There are no two Jerusalems. There is
one Jerusalem, and it will never be a topic for
discussion.” Mr. Shalom, at a special Knesset session
marking Jerusalem Day, said, "Jerusalem will remain
Israel’s eternal capital forever.” Adding, “This is not
a promise; it’s a fact.”
“Jerusalem’s never being divided” is not the goal of the
Obama administration. President Obama is determined to
see the birth of a Palestinian state within the next 4
years. Washington’s two-pronged goal is the
establishment of East Jerusalem as the capital of the
new Palestinian nation and the end to Jewish
construction in Judea and Samaria.
President Obama adamant
President Obama was adamant in his refusal to see the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iran nuclear crisis
as separate issues. The President brushed-off
Netanyahu’s case, which asserts that Israel cannot
possibly conclude a final peace deal with the
Palestinians while Iran is building nuclear bombs and
emboldening Palestinian terror groups.
“If there is a linkage between Iran and the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process, I personally believe
it actually runs the other way,” Obama said. “To the
extent that we can make peace with the Palestinians --
between the Palestinians and the Israelis - then I
actually think it strengthens our hand in the
international community in dealing with the potential
Iranian threat.”
Israelis are divided on the issue of a Palestinian
State. Some favor giving the Palestinians what they want
in exchange for the hope of Peace. The former leader of
Israel, Ehud Olmert, mirrored the feelings of many
Israelis when he stated, “We are tired of fighting.”
Israel’s yearning for peace is at times overwhelming.
For 60 years Israel has had to contend with the hatred
of its neighbors, and the heavy toll of war. The
non-stop fighting has left the nation exhausted.
For 16 years, beginning with the reckless illusion of
the Oslo peace process in 1993, Israel has tried to
appease its way to peace. The Oslo Accords of 1993
allowed Yasser Arafat and his PLO terrorists to take
control of the West Bank and Gaza. It was the Oslo
Accords that led the Israelis to embrace the treacherous
goal of Palestinian statehood. Israel’s enemies --
Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, Fatah in the West
Bank, Syria to the north, and, of course, Iran -- have
viewed Israel’s willingness to give up land for peace as
a sign of weakness and proof that terrorism does indeed
work.
Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to defend his nation
against the possible threat of a nuclear Iran and a
threat from Palestinian Arabs. President Obama is
determined to make Mr. Netanyahu bend to his agenda. We
will continue to closely watch this struggle between the
President of the United States and the Prime Minister of
Israel.
Who Will Deliver the Jews?
More than any of the Bible’s 12 books of the Minor
Prophets, the book of Zechariah speaks to us of the
future deliverance of the Jewish nation. In chapter 8,
verses 2-3, it says, "This is what the LORD Almighty
says: 'I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with
jealousy for her.' This is what the LORD says: 'I
will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem.'” This is a
specific prophecy about the second coming of Jesus
Christ, the true Messiah. Finally, Israel will have rest
from the nations that hate her, but only when Jesus
Christ returns to destroy the enemies of the Jewish
nation.
In the meantime…WATCH as the world turns against Israel.
Even the United States may sell out the Israelis over
the Palestinian issue. It certainly looks that way. |
